Homestead Heritage is one such group and is especially easy to single out, Wheeler says, because its beliefs are fundamentally at odds with the prevailing mores of today’s Western society. Modern culture prizes individual rights beyond all else, so groups such as Homestead Heritage that set different priorities are suspect in the minds of many, he says.
All critics have to do is twist such groups’ views of authority into authoritarianism and many people are willing to condemn them, Wheeler says. Add in distortions about customs and claims of abuse and even the most wholesome religious group can be branded a cult, he says.
Watchman Fellowship has done that in a variety of ways, Homestead Heritage members say. It began with Arnn individually contacting people who left the group. Then came a so-called “recovery workshop” in April 2005, a forum for ex-members to discuss their experiences.
Those steps were critical, Homestead Heritage followers say, because they allowed Arnn to convince ex-members that Homestead Heritage is a cult. Once that frame was built around the group, Arnn could introduce the idea of spiritual abuse.
End result: Homestead Heritage became a scapegoat for ex-members. Many are trying to rid themselves of the discomfort of sin that forced them to leave the group, Wheeler says. Others don’t want to admit they freely made a decision to join a group they later ended up disagreeing with, he says.
By the way, at the Kirk conference I attended, I spoke with a noted scholar who has had lots of dealings with the Homestead Heritage folks. He was real high on them. He talked about how someone outside the group had reported the group to the county on suspicion of child abuse because the children weren't going to county schools. An angry judge, the story goes, hauled them all down to court, prepared to throw the book at them, but decided after talking to the children that these were the nicest, most polite and happiest kids he'd ever seen. The judge became a big fan of Homestead Heritage after that. So said the scholar.
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We are the Beechners, Bob and Katherine. We are former members of Homestead Heritage and were interviewed for the Waco Tribune Herald article. We attended the get together hosted by Watchman Fellowship that Howard Wheeler labeled the so-called recovery meeting. Bob's Comments: Regarding your quote of the article, I believe Wheeler is here attempting to deflect legitimate criticism of Homestead Heritage by making a straw man of Phil Arnn, casting Arnn as a Svengali figure bent on twisting the thoughts of former members in an all out effort to destroy the group. Wheeler says that most ex-members held the group in high esteem before Arnn got hold of them and planted suggestions of spiritual abuse in their minds, but this is simply not true. There existed an informal network of ex-members highly critical of the group's practices long before Phil Arnn came into the picture. I was a member of Homestead Heritage for fifteen years, and I know very well what I saw, heard, and experienced during my time there. Those sad and frightening events live in my memory-- my real memory of definite events that actually happened, Wheeler's dismissals notwithstanding. I personally began publicly speaking out about my concerns of spiritual authoritarianism and deception by the group's leadership before I ever met or spoke to Arnn, and it was I who contacted him, not vice versa. Homestead Heritage preaches a false gospel of overt legalism. In my years there, I lived in a black despair of spiritual bondage to the dictates of men like Wheeler and Blair Adams, the group's founder and apostle. Like many, I was drawn initially by the promise of simple living in the context of Christian community, but as the years passed, I sank further and further into a legalistic morass of an unending string of rules and demands issued from the pulpit and the voluminous writings of Adams. Some have said, Ok, fine, no one held a gun to your head. Why didn't you just leave? , but such a view fails to account for the pernicious way that authoritarian groups like Homestead Heritage subvert the language of Scripture in order to hold members captive. Members are repeatedly schooled and drilled on the principle that salvation = covenant fidelity (that is, submission) in the context of a lifelong vow of obedience to those sent by God as Christ come in human flesh (that is, the leaders). One doesn't just walk away, not unless one is willing to bear the awful stigma of becoming a divorcee from the Body of Christ. By the manifold mercies of God, my family and I were finally able to escape the bondage, and after a painful time in the wilderness, to return once again to our first love, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the riches of His glorious gospel, and His grace abounding. Katherine's Comments: We have no desire to persecute , destroy , or lie about anyone. The picture of community life and faith that Homestead Heritage presents to the public is as beautiful to us as it is to others. Fine craftsmanship, nice, mannerly people, conservative values are not at all what concerns us. What does concern us is what goes on behind the scenes, things never revealed to the public. After the Trib printed Homestead's defense, dozens of people in the Waco area contacted us offended by what they perceived to be audacious prevarication by the group. Some called them spin masters .We personally know Baylor instructors who do not share Dr. Olson's positive views on the group. We have also personally spoken with more than forty former members who like us-- witnessed: -The distorted Christ come in human flesh teaching referenced in the newspaper article. -The extensive use of angry shouting at children, adults, and the elderly. -The excessive use of harsh discipline for minor offenses like those we mentioned in the article. -Intentionally misleading outsiders about practices within Homestead Heritage. All of which Wheeler flatly denies. He's saying we're ALL lying? Or we're all deluded? Or we all have a Nazi agenda for a Homestead holocaust? We believe he is making these insinuations in an attempt to divert attention from the actions of the group. What we ARE saying is that we believe the leadership of the group is practicing deception and abuse, and that it is fitting and right for us who know of it to warn others. Why do some ex-members continue to defend the group? Most of the defenders have family members still in the group and know well the group's practice of severing ties with anyone voicing such concerns. The group fiercely and jealously guards its image. The group also, as we are aware first-hand, insists that criticism of the leadership by members or former members constitutes a sin against the Holy Spirit. We agree there are indeed at times disgruntled people who leave legitimate religious groups and attempt to justify their actions by making false accusations. But we believe that if you would hear our concerns openly, along with those in the Waco community who know us, you would find our concerns genuine and worth consideration. We have friends we love and respect from all sorts of denominations--including some with restrictive practices regarding dress and behavior--but we have never in any of these encountered the manipulation and deception we witnessed in Homestead Heritage. We appreciate believers who are forthright about their practices and beliefs -even those held to be controversial by mainstream Christianity. We respect their integrity. If it were possible to extricate the the community Homestead appears to be from the abusive behavior, the prevarication,and the manipulation of its leaders, we would be among the first to rejoice. As it is, we feel an obligation to speak up.
Homestead Heritage has doctrines set by Blair Adams which has included preaching against the "medical priesthood." Though they try to claim that their followers can go to doctors, but not everyone was allowed to go when I was there. Everything is first approved by their eldership-some have stated they were allowed to receive medical help, but others did not receive permission from these men- the elders at HH. I have suffered greatly because of this doctrine. For me, it was too late when I finally received surgery. The damages had already been done to me. Many have given the elders money; even our inheritances, and we leave without a penny given back or even offered, as they built their village and bought their land. If I attempted to attend their fair, I would not be allowed entrance, for this is how we are shunned. Homestead Heritage does not live according to the principles of Jesus Christ when they cause much suffering to their followers. Jesus brings healing to people, not suffering and pain; that is evident in all four gospels of the Holy Bible. It is not scripturally sound to give permission to one, and not another, and then watch that person suffer as I did during my time at Homestead Heritage.
Homestead Heritage has hurt many, many people. Most of them will not even talk about it for fear they will not be able to have contact with family members still there. What does that tell you?
The people hurting the most that are still there, are the ones that can only go to Friday night meetings. A leader decides that a husband or wife is not measuring up in some way, so they take the whole family out of the community. They are considered visitors until they come back.
The problem is, they are treated worse than visitors. Many kids from those families are not allowed to go to parties (fellowships) or go to church activities. This can go on for years. The only time they visit with other kids is for a hour or so once a week. Again, this can go on for years! If they live out of town or off the land, it is a lonely life.
Has anyone ever posted that even kids that grow up there can not get baptized unless they join the church? They may not get baptized until they are in their 20's because their "leader" is the one to decide when they are ready.
A person is ready to be baptized when they have shown that they are committed to them and understand that if they ever leave they are going to hell.
Something I remember -
Blair Adams calling an emergency (prayer?) meeting in Grand Junction, circa 1980, which amounted to nothing more than yet another ruthless flagellation of the flock. The "printing ministry", then known as Truth Forum, was in dire need of funds in order to continue it's God ordained mission. Of course Truth Forum was God's project and Adams his only worthy mouthpiece. The reason for the failing ministry wasn't the leadership or God, but due to the sinful ways of the unfaithful congregation (sound familiar?). Two hours of blood curdling screaming, weeping, gnashing of teeth (almost sounds like hell, doesn't it?) and an endless chanting of "Thank you Jesus, Praise you Jesus, Thank you Yahwah, Hallelujah" (sounds like empty repetitive phrases, doesn't it....and what did Jesus say about this?) by the congregation. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to take my eyes away from the floor and look at Adams but in retrospect, I'm glad I did because it was the beginning of my exit from this cult. When I looked at Adams, he was grinning from ear to ear! Everyone else in the room was in what looked and sounded to me as excruciating agony....yet he, Adams, was WELL pleased! If Blair was elated, so was God since they were one and the same, right? If you doubt this, get on your face and repent! Pray through until you DO believe it. (sarcasm)
Two weeks later Blair Adams was driving around in a brand-spanking new motor home, thanks to the generous monetary contributions of the already depleted flock! Nice. We never did get an update on the status of the printing ministry though. Why is that?
So Blair, what are you driving these days?
Blair is driving a new top of the line Toyota SUV.
So is Howard Wheeler, his side kick..........
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