It is interesting to note that as far as I can tell, we have never had a girl or woman come into our program at Hephzibah House that did not wear pants. Instead, he offered to put me in touch with two pastors who had daughters there. But Dee Rapier confirmed the atmosphere of physical and psychological torment at the facility she ran with her former husband. The schools effects on Roxy were striking, Jeannie Marie told me. Patterson insists that the abuse allegations were bogus and denies using any corporal punishment or isolation tactics. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. I would say that's going too far. Dr. That Hephzibah House remains open till this day is nothing short of scandalous. A woman who wears pants or immodest dress will produce a daughter that will have either masculine character or rebellious character or the qualities of a strange woman. These are easy to make or to have made. We use a pattern that makes a culotte that looks exactly like a pleated skirt yet has plenty of room for movement. It sounded like a discipleship program, Jeannie Marie recalls. She told me how, in her first weeks at the academys Missouri compounda summer-camp setup in remote La Russell, population 145she and other girls snuck letters to their parents between the pages of hymnals in a local church they attended, along with entreaties to congregants to mail them. Because if their parents who sent them there still have control over the girl she will not speak freely. I really really hope that government officials are looking into this evil place!!!! Sexual Abuse in the Name of God: New Bethany Home for Girls, Teen Group Homes: Dear IFB Pastor, Its Time for You to Atone for Your Sin, NPR Story on Mack Ford, Sexual Abuse, and New Bethany Home for Girls in Arcadia, Louisiana, Black Collar Crime: Pastor Eddy Noelsaint Accused of Rape, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Josh Henley Sentenced to Forty-Five Years in Prison for Sex Crimes Against Children, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Student Ministry Leader Vernon Willis Accused of Inappropriately Touching Church Girls, Evangelicals are an Existential Threat to the United States, Some Atheists Think I was Stupid for not Deconverting Sooner, Black Collar Crime: Catholic School Teacher Verity Beck Accused of Murdering Her Parents, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Evangelist Chris Brooks Accused of Assaulting His Wife, Why I Write The Black Collar Crime Series and Will Continue to Do So Despite Criticism from Evangelicals, Dr. David Tee Thinks Everyone Who is Not a Christian is an Atheist, Bruce, I Pray You Will Have Your Eyes Opened and the Truth will Guide You, Dont Dress Like a Whore if You Dont Want to Get Sexually Assaulted Says Lori Alexander. After months of punitive mealtimes, including five-minute force feeding sessions for girls on redshirt, she wolfed her food. The average property tax on Highway 88 is $1,560/yr and the average house or building was built in 1971. Girls were not allowed to converse except from 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday. One-time donations can be made through PayPal. Other girls? And that is why there's a fear, that is why there's devout loyalty. Indeed, a lot of the kids who were forced to regale churchgoers with phony addiction stories turned to drinking and drugs to help them cope with what happened at the schools. I also see this change in children. So I dug out my pants and wore them for one entire day. 2,384 Sq Ft. 3474 Stockport Dr, Hephzibah, GA 30815. Thank you for reading this post. Ive known him for 30 years. Id never visited those homes, but you took at face value that people were doing good things. Dr. Williams has taken specialized training in Biblical counseling.Following the death of his wife, Patti, in 2011, Brother Williams married Glenda Curtiss in 2014. Our daughters are virtuous women because we have obeyed the Lords commands. That same year I tried something else. You may say, Well I am too old to make any difference. In fact, in a letter to the constituents inquiring about the bill, Brown had simply noted that this was a concern of the bills opponents, not necessarily his own view. Interestingly, Hephzibah House is not mentioned as a ministry on the churchs website. Our Affiliates. I hope more reporters and journalists will be exposing this horror it has been going far too long. The assistant director of Hephzibah House is speaking out after a two-part series aired on Dr. Phil earlier this month about the boarding school. This pamphlet remains popular in some corners of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) world. New Homes. Absolutely. Hephzibah. He served as Assistant Pastor in Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana for 11 years and since 1998, has been the Senior Pastor. Its board of directors reportedly voted for closure in 2001, but rumors abound that New Bethany boarded girls as late as 2004. I hope after the Dr. Phil expos that Indiana officials will finally bring to bear on Hephzibah House the full weight of Indiana law. I was a different personality for specific occasions and my dress fit the occasion. A private religious school does not require state certification. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. I want to look special for the Lord and my husband. Dr. Williams is also active in the field of evangelism. While jogging earlier that year, the 17-year-old (whom Ill call Roxy) had been pulled into a vehicle and assaulted by a group of men. The school was founded by Dr. Ron Williams in the seventies, but his son says he's glad to see it all come to an end. Jay Kirksey, Circle of Hopes attorney, would not address Donnas claims, but he extended an invitation to come visit. The Kosciusko County health inspector documented a formal complaint about the food quality just last month, including that students were "served something resembling dog food" and that they "became ill multiple times from food and was then shamed for being ill". I can only imagine . Like you, I came to Christ as a young adult and had no experience at all with extremism until then. (A former staffer called them revival rooms.) Misbehaving boys were put in isolation, given a can to pee in, and forced to listen to hours of taped sermons, Word remembers. In one memorable 1982 incident, a student named Guy disappeared from the school after he was badly beaten with golf clubs by other students, leaving Guys terror-stricken friends to wonder whether the staff had finished him off. New Beginnings is emblematic of an unknown number of troubled teen homes catering to the Independent Fundamental Baptist communitya web of thousands of autonomous churches linked by doctrine, overlapping leadership, and affiliations with Bible colleges like Bob Jones University. Thread starter ALAYMAN; Start date Dec 1, 2020; ALAYMAN Well-known member. No, I do not know how it is! Despite being investigated by the state numerous times, Hephzibah House remains in operation. (Key fundraisers for Mitt Romneys 2008 and 2012 campaigns hail from Utahs teen-home sector.) He says he wants the community to know about the physical and emotional abuse he both saw and endured growing up at Hephzibah House. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Where do they get these ideas from ?? Believers Baptist is pastored by Don Williams, the son of Ron and Patti Williams. I had a lot to crucify in my life. I took them personally through every single room, downstairs, they wanted to see the storage area, the girls. A reform school in Kosciusko County, facing allegations of neglect and abuse from former students, has closed. Ladies it was and is hard for me to change. I think you have made a very wise observation. A woman that wears pants is either rebellious or ignorant. If God tells me pants are sin (and He does) then my children are not wearing them whether they do at Christian Camp Youth Group Church or Christian School. TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Are you involved in a story making headlines? She says students were expected to do heavy labor in addition to their Bible-based education. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. (Please read Whos to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco?). This comes after a 16 news now investigation just over a month ago. 16 News Now requested an interview with him, and he agreed to send us prerecorded responses to our questions. Click here for the CNN report on abuse at Hephzibah House. Rapier, who had continued running the school while free on bond in a 1981 child-abuse case (the charges were eventually dropped), sent the other boys awaysome went home, some were placed at kindred facilities. This location included Believers Baptist Church, a school and staff houses. My own theory is the horrors of daily life among Puritans and Pilgrims who brought those Midieval ethics to this hemisphere. I genuinely desire to be like my precious Saviour. How much does a house cost in Hephzibah? She told me of her upbringing in North Carolina, where an IFB preacher named Mack Ford occasionally visited her church. I was very unsubmissive and I grew worse as the day progressed. Lambright told 16 News Now she had to carry a pink mat to church after that incident, which she felt was done to humiliate her. It is a Netflix Original, meaning that the streamer has global rights, including in Korea. The conversation politely ended, and it's in God's hands now. I put Joe and the lady from CPS in a room and closed the door. You have this sense of total isolation: Theres no way out of it, youre there for the rest of your life.. A good society limits the behaviors of its members only as much as is necessary for the health and well-being of the group. Thats the backdoor channel that Donna, a military wife and mother of eight in the Northeast, ended up taking. I was only there for three months, Roxy said, but because we werent allowed to keep track of time, it felt like six., Desperate for a way out, shed attempted suicidemany of the girls did, she added nonchalantly, if only for the chance to get taken to a hospital and beg for outside help. My ear erupted down the side of my face and that wasn't really given a lot of focus," she recalled. This rating has decreased by -9% over the last 12 months. Buy. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. Im not done! Some think that women do not really make sense. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Mary Kumar is a survivor of a lockdown reform school for the wayward . The effects of a pants-wearing mother is just as devastating on a boy. Vaginal exam -- [This] did not happen to me, luckily. Because I used to listen to [Roloff] on the radio, and read about the great girls coming out of his place, I thought maybe this was Gods thing for Roxy, Jeannie Marie remembers. Ive been calling everyone, Donna says, and I want to know: Why is nothing being done?, Our Consumer Protection Division is still looking into the issue, Gonder responds. The New Press | Books to Change Minds About Justice The entrance to New Bethanys Louisiana compound. Hephzibah House sent a letter to their supporters saying they sent their last student away and that the closure came after their insurance carrier dropped them. She is so feminine. I recently noticed a website that is somewhat of a memorial to the recently deceased Patti Williams. Would you want us to not do that [give pelvic exams] ? They asked Roxy if she wanted to come home. Two weeks after seeing the girls in church, Jeannie Marie and her husband left Roxy in McNamaras care with the promise that she would receive counseling twice a week and stay at New Beginnings no longer than two months. When it comes to paddling the girls too hard, the school said they have not used corporal correction for years. In 2 Kings 21:1, Hephzibah is the name of King Hezekiah's wife. Available on A&E now, the - The Lambs of Hephzibah House | Facebook I show her the websites, Jeannie Marie says, and tell her, Look how long ago this happened to these girls: 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. The enemy here is not the critics of Ron Williams and Hephzibah House. 229 Hephzibah homes for sale range from $6K - $1.99M with the avg price of a 2-bed single family home of $108K. But the thing that makes my stomach churn is that these horrible ideas of how girls and women should behave, the ideas about how to raise and discipline a child, and the banality of the infractions that got the girls sent to the place in some casesthese are all celebrated by some versions of Christianity. And if you can't drive yourself to the research site, ask about transportation options. Dave Halyaman, assistant director of Hephzibah House, would not respond directly to Glovers claims. I have done all I can do. Be willing to resist the pressures of the world and disobedient Christians. I suffer to this day from the emotional and mental truama of being separated from society and my family and friends, all the while having my head pounded full of lies about God, my rebellious and sinful nature, and normal things that they made into something twisted and taught to us as truth. All Rights Reserved. Ben Williams, one of Pastor Ronald Williams and his late wife, Patti's, nine children, speaks out for the first time about Hephzibah House, the Christian boarding school Ronald and Patti founded in 1971 and Ronald still runs today. They are very beautiful to me and communicate a sense of purity. He found Riders online community, which included Dee Rapier, the wife of his old nemesis. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Rider recalled one new girl she was assigned to supervise: Angela was a firebrand whod arrived at New Bethany straight out of a mental institution and became such a target of staff and big sister discipline that she twice attempted suicide. I was sent to this home,and know many other's our lives were forever damaged. Rider found her in the bathroom, surrounded by shards of broken mirror. Some of these very critics were there when I was here, and I counseled them. Headmaster Bill McNamara spoke, too, depicting the home as a place where girls could get on track academically, restore broken relationships, and learn to walk with God. Mothers and single adult women, you are responsible for the molding of young girls and children. Hephzibah House describes itself as a private Christian boarding school for teenage girls. And my lesbian friends would disagree that all girls and women are out to get attention from men. The school has confirmed that they've closed permanently. Officers raiding the compound discovered a young man bound, in his underwear, on the floor of a dark and padlocked isolation cell. "The number of victims that have come forward is about 300," Kumar said. Standing Strong against ignorance, preconceptions, labels and excessive housework. ]My attempts to track down Larry Rapier proved fruitless. Former students say it's thanks to a community effort that the school shut down. Are they 100% cult? Hephzibah [H] [S] my delight is in her. The girls found themselves at a remote compound bordered by a rural highway and ringed with barbed wire. I so badly want to torture the living crap at of this man. There was no way before. In 2007, she sent her 14-year-old daughter, Kelsey, to the Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in Humansville, Missouri. Photos: New Bethany Alumni; Barbed Wire: Brian Hagiwara/Getty Images. Hephzibah Children's Association Corporate Office: 1144 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60301 Tel: 708.649.7140 Group Residence: 946 North Boulevard Oak Park, IL 60301 But Kumar says other medical problems were given too much focus. I have thought the same thing myself, but I can be easily dismissed since I am a former student. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Her dress and character will bear fruit in her children. Just as important are the fruits of her marriage: the children. When I go shopping I try to take real care concerning my looks because it reflects on my husband. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But are they cultish? Despite the bad PR, Christian reform facilities appear to have no trouble attracting new recruits. They were not allowed contact with their families during their first month, or with anyone else for six months. Because of his practical experience in picking up the pieces of homes and families for so many years, the preaching of Pastor Williams emphasizes the Christian home and family. Ron Williams and his wife, the late Patti Williams, started Hephzibah House in 1971. Money? Imagine eating a bowl full of greasy kettle chips, sitting in a cold room shivering in your dreadful uniform, knowing that was to be your nourishment until supper ocurred at least 5 or 6 hours later. Recovery home is now for sale. Later, she slashed her wrists. Oh to be like Him! The only times we really got good food were holidays, Friday nights (sometimes) and whenever a girl recieved treat money. Those who say they were abused will continue to try to get Hephzibah House shut down. Just last year, prosecutors in Blount County, Alabama, charged Jack Pattersona Roloff protg and founder of a boys home called Reclamation Ranchwith aggravated child abuse. Hephzibah, GA Vacation Rentals: house rentals & more | Vrbo Neither characteristic is a Godly one. In 1984, police were tipped off by escapees about a rope chain gang working the gardens, and beatings with PVC pipewhich, the boys darkly joked, stood for pound victims cruelly., Officers raided the compound and discovered Doug Word bound, in his underwear, on the floor of a dark and padlocked isolation cell. These fashions included the mini skirt. The good news is that finding an affordable and desirable property to rent in Hephzibah, GA -- whether it's apartments . This is yet another example of why I hate fundamentalism. International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam - Wikipedia Thank you so much for posting this! Audio Documentary of the practices and teachings of Ron and Patti Williams of Hephzibah House in Warsaw Indiana, a so-called "Home for Troubled Girls" that makes it a policy to humiliate, degrade, and improperly feed and care for teenage girls, all in the name of making them godly Christian women. After Word had been there for almost seven months, his watch escaped. They are our fruits. (I dont know anything about that, he said.) New Beginnings describes itself as a character-building facility for troubled teens, and what Jeannie Marie heard in church that day was that this might be a place for her daughter to heal. If you have any information please send it to prettykitty1964@live.com, This is a great ministry and the Williams are very kind people. Relies uponn sermon clips, interviewes with victims, and interviews with adult members of the congregation. We found 84 addresses and 85 properties on Highway 88 in Hephzibah, GA. Please take the time to read the Times Union article about Halymans response. You can also read the FAQ for Hephzibah House here. In 2007, a spate of deaths at teen residential programs prompted a nationwide investigation by the Government Accountability Office. AS THE USUAL, the food was rather poor and not always cooked very well. *, In March 2010, the House passed the Keeping All Students Safe Act, a bill that would have banned the use of seclusion and physical or chemical restraints by any school that benefits from federal education money. Authorities and watchdog groups are familiar with the patternsthe state-hopping, the frequent openings and closingsbut people forget, says Deputy Rush. A good society does not teach children that might makes right. He worked as a Public Health Advisor with the National Venereal Disease Control Program of the United States Public Health Service for seven years. Donations are always appreciated. Houses For Rent in Hephzibah, GA - 5 Homes | Trulia We have allowed the world to dictate our styles. If you would like to contact Bruce directly, please use the contact form to do so. Anita Bryant is a prime example of what the Bible condemns. His preaching, itinerary and deputation work has taken him into many fundamental churches, colleges, universities, Bible schools, Christian high schools, missions conferences, educators conferences and pastors conferences.He is the speaker/teacher on the weekly 15-minute radio broadcast The Voice of Hephzibah House. He has written several booklets and tracts on home and family-related themes. NEW BETHANY FINALLY shut down its remaining Louisiana compound after years of police raids and legal battles. "They did an invasive exam to see why I couldn't go to the bathroom. Patti Williams, along with her husband Ron, founded Hephzibah House, an unlicensed Baptist girls group home in Winona Lake, Indiana. Copyright 2014 - All Rights Reserved - jeriwho.net. Hephzibah House is at 2277 E. Pierceton Road, right outside of Winona Lake, and is . Teresa Frye did my body weight in drugs after her stint at New Bethany. Hephzibah House is a private Christian boarding school for teenage girls, founded in 1971 and located in Winona Lake, Indiana. Ford operated a separate New Bethany home for boys in Longstreet, Louisiana. He and his wife Wenda reside in Warsaw, Indiana, and have 10 children and 10 grandchildren. To hear another outside observer recognize the rehearsed statements feels a little like being validated. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Repentance means to turn around, change, be different. TM & 2023 Peteski Productions, Inc. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc.. a Paramount company. This boarding school for girls is located in Winona Lake, Indiana called, Hephzibah House. Hephzibah Children's Association Reviews - Glassdoor "The leaders of most of our critics, when they left our ministry, were very cordial, friendly, amiable. Years ago, Patti Williams wrote a pamphlet titled Schizophrenic Women. The girls could have said anything. A mother is the primary Influence on her daughter. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Back in Maryland, Jeannie Marie was unaware of her daughters plight. He also studied at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. Williams said the school and its staff do the Lord's work in line with fundamentalist Baptist teachings. Watch Living in Sin: Inside a Religious Reform School | A&E. But Williams and her ilk are destroyers, packs of velociraptors in human disguise. When you have an abuser that will not acknowledge abuse and won't repent of the abuse and won't be honest about the abuse, more than likely they're still going to be an abuser," he said. Doesnt he have some responsibility in all of this? Ugh ! After leaving Hephzibah House, Karen Glover ended up becoming both an addict and a sex worker for a time. What do normal 18-year-olds do?" If your Christianity is about following the instructions of Christ in how you treat your fellow humans, you have at least a chance of building a good society. A Christian Mother Has A Heavy Responsibility. It feels great, says Mary. Inside A Religious Reform School: Survivors of Hephzibah House Culottes can be worn for recreation. In 1982, they sent her to New Bethany, and her 10-year-old sister followed soon after. No man would control my life! Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. You wont want to miss this episode. "They really dumbed us down there, because women aren't really supposed to have a lot of thoughts or dreams besides becoming a mother. I am going to use myself as the prime example. All first-time comments are moderated. She must be crazy or something. King and his assistant were charged with kidnapping, unlawful neglect, and conspiracy. As a nonprofit public-interest publisher, we leverage books, diverse voices, and media engagement to facilitate social change, enrich public discourse, and defend democratic values: Read more. Perhaps you are wondering how you can have freedom of movement in a dress. She was monitored day and night by two buddies, girls whod been there awhile and knew the drill. Our clothes should draw attention to the whole being and not certain areas of our body especially areas that may arouse a man sexually. I was left speechless after that comment. If you do not care then you are In severe rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (I Samuel 15:23). The school gave us written statements refuting the claims. You are using an out of date browser. But the most important position in my life is to obey the Lord in all areas of my life and leave the results to Jesus. Welcome to the website for HEPHZIBAH HOUSE. Hephzibah House: A Beacon of Hospitality in New York City I'm still going to do my best, and as a group we're going to keep holding each other up. So, it was a team effort by thousands of people across the country.. Then they wanted to talk to the girls. The average car ownership in Hephzibah, GA was 2 cars per household. Besides being very hard on the back, difficult to walk in, and cold on the feet in the winter when there is snow and ice. Rants, Musings, and Mental Meanderings of a former Conservative Christian Mother. She says she was spanked during her five years there. They spoke of living as prostitutes and drug addicts before finding salvation at New Bethany, where they now rode horses and studied the Bible. Perhaps you live a decent Chrlstian life, but why are you allowing your daughter to live like a strange woman? Hephzibah Homes for Sale - Hephzibah GA Real Estate - Movoto I was also shocked that this place is still open and that young women are continuing to be . There are accusations of abuse dating back to the 1980s. With so many woman contacting 16 News Now, we reached out to Hephzibah House. While at Grace Seminary, he was awarded the annual Glenn Russell Fink Award in expository preaching (1978).In 1987, Brother Williams was honored by the Great Plains Baptist College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree. Visitors to the festival have increased from 65,000 in 2000 to 285,000 in 2018. Hephzibah House Abuse Lawsuit | Independent Fundamental Baptist Abuse Search Auction Properties & Real Estate Investments | Xome My pets? But apparently not if youre a teenage girl.. You may now be thinking or wondering what she is getting at? Keep up the good work!! Survivors of Hephzibah House testify about beatings until they bled, bizarre rituals of control in whch they went for hours without being allowed to use the bathroom, starvation, forced feeding, and hour after hour of labor for no pay, all the while being humiliated and berated. Would you want your girl to come and spend a year around other kids with STDs? This five-part, 75 minute series explores the brutal cult of ignorance promoted by Ron and the late Pattie Williams. The Hephzibah House is a Winona Lake, Indiana boarding school for troubled teenage girls usually committed by their parents and recommended by Baptist pastors. she said. CPS should interview the girls who have graduated from H House, and (this is important) who are old enough to no longer be living under their parents control. He has pastored in West Virginia and ministered as a replacement missionary with his wife, Sandy, in Germany in 1993-94.He and Sandy reside in Warsaw, Indiana. "Nothing's changed in the belief structure. Just because they closed the door is not going to give a prisoner afraid of retaliation any comfort talking about the abuse. There is no agency overseeing the quality of education or care at the school because Indiana law allows for boarding schools to operate without a license due to a religious exemption. Unfortunately, just like there is in the public schools and public sector, there are disgruntled parents, who, instead of looking at their own child and situation, choose to talk about the school, he said.