S305: The Prophet - Brazil and the Word of Faith Cult

Javier: It's easy to understand how a sect like the Word of Faith Fellowship Church controls its 750 members in Spindale, North Carolina. I mean, most members live in close proximity to the compound and attend daily prayers. But did you know that the Word of Faith Fellowship has nearly 2,000 members internationally? They have churches in both Brazil and Ghana, plus affiliate churches in Sweden, Scotland, and other countries. I don't get it. Why would Jane Whaley want to branch out to other churches in other countries? Why not just expand within North Carolina or the United States? What could she possibly gain from having members all over the world? The answer, some former members say, are her own personal human slaves. I'm Javier Leva, and this is Pretend Radio, season three, The Prophet. This territory ruled under Jane Whaley's kingdom. They have churches in two southeastern Brazilian cities Sao Joaquim de Bicas which is about six hours north of Rio de Janeiro and Franco da Rocha, which is an hour outside of Sao Paulo John Huddle, a former Word of Faith Fellowship member, recalls visiting the church in Brazil. You would think that leaving Spindale, North Carolina would be a liberating feeling, a rare treat, but oh no, even on the plane Jane's rules were in full effect

John Huddle: You're given all these regulations and rules, and they practice how to get on the plane and off the plane. You're told what to wear. You're told not to look at the movies on the plane. You're told, you get a buddy system, y- y- you're with somebody to watch you, and you watch them the whole time. If, if they were to do something that was against the rules, you're supposed to report it, blah, blah, blah. I mean, the same structure of control was in going on a trip as it would be going, being in the church. I mean, that part of the culture traveled with you. It was not a vacation. Jane Whaley and her ministers frequently

Javier: visit Brazil to spread the word of God as Jane

John Huddle: hears it To, you were there to, quote unquote, "Be a minister." Which now I look back, it translates taking the Word of Faith culture to the Brazilian people and implementing it on those people.

Javier: John Huddle explains that in the early years, Jane sent some key people to Brazil and Ghana to be her eyes and ears

John Huddle: She sent Bonnie Lawrence down there for years, and Bonnie is a, a Jane wannabe and would stay in touch with Jane on an intimate level, uh, frequently connecting either by, by phone or email to get her wisdom on situations in Brazil.

Javier: I asked John if the services were held in Portuguese. Oh, no. The Brazilians have to assimilate to Jane and not the other way around

John Huddle: The directive was for the Brazilians to learn English.

Javier: John remembers landing in Brazil for the first time. He said as soon as he walked out of customs, the Brazilian church members were waiting to help him and the American ministers with their bags. They hopped on a bus and headed an hour north. He remembers he couldn't even see outside of the bus windows because the curtains were down. When they arrived at the church, John was surprised at how familiar everything looked

John Huddle: But the inside of the Brazilian churches mirror the inside of the sanctuary at Spindale. In fact, one time recently, just recently, I saw a picture of the inside of the Brazilian church and told the person that was... or I asked the person that was showing me the picture, "Was that Spindale or Brazil?" They said, "That's Brazil." But the flowers look the same, the stage looked the same.

Javier: But there were more similarities than just the decor. The Brazilian church practiced Jane's signature screaming prayer and the violent shaking. Jane conquered Brazil and offered them salvation But for a lucky few, Jane blessed them with an even better opportunity

John Huddle: For the Brazilians to come to America was like coming to Mecca.

Javier: America, the land of the free, land of opportunity, right?

John Huddle: At least it was billed that way. And from some of the testimonies that have come out in recent articles, didn't work out so well.

Javier: This is Anna, one of the former Brazilian members. She was brought over to the US from Brazil. She told the Associated Press that when she first arrived in Spindale, church members showered her with love.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: The first time you go, they treat you well, but afterwards they start treating you bad.

Javier: Anna says things got pretty bad quickly. She claims she worked full time as a teacher's assistant and then babysat church members' children at night, all without pay. Then the physical abuse started. Anna says that Jane and other ministers spanked her with a wooden stick. She told the Associated Press that they blasted her with screaming prayers because she was unclean and possessed by the devil. And we're not talking about a small tap on the butt kinda spank. Anna says that this went on for 40 minutes. She was finally allowed to return to Brazil after she left the church. When the Brazilians arrive in North Carolina, they typically speak broken English.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: It was a horror living there.

Javier: This is Rebeca Melo. Her dreams of freedom quickly turned into a nightmare. She told the Associated Press that she was brought to the US in 2009 on a student visa. Immediately after she got here, church leaders took her passport and her money and quickly put her to work.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: We are made to get up early, make the kids breakfast, um, cook, you know, do their beds, pick up their laundry.

Javier: She says she did all this and basically earned nothing. All in all, 16 Brazilians have come forward to share their personal stories of abuse and enslavement.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: We were there working, but we never got paid. If you're not paid for something, even for your food, I would say that you're a slave.

Javier: So how is this even possible? I mean, especially in the United States. I mean, surely this is illegal, right?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: They all had the same visas. They all had the same rules and restrictions, and they all still worked, um, 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

Javier: Well, that's Jay Plummer, a former Word of Faith Fellowship member recounting to the Associated Press the Brazilian church members who worked for him during his time at the church. He says that the American workers were paid, but the Brazilians who worked with him didn't get a dime.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: When you're a foreigner, if you don't have your passport, you can't go anywhere. You can't run down the street and ask for help without your passport, and they know that.

Javier: But these are temporary visas, right? I mean, they can't legally keep these people in the United States forever. Silly me, there's a way around that. Here's John Huddle again.

John Huddle: My son was 18 years old in three months. And he was married off to a young Brazilian lady, sweet lady, I understand. It's my understanding her passport, her visa was expiring in a few, few months. Now, once she was married, her ability to stay in the country was better.

Javier: By the way, it's illegal to marry someone in order to try to avoid immigration laws To know more about the church in Brazil, so with the help of John Huddle, I was able to talk with Carlos Henrique Apolinario Was it as strict as it is today? Was it as extreme?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: No, I remember since I was very young that the church is a, a different church from, from other churches, because you cannot even watch TV, you cannot e- listen to music, you can't go to other churches, you can't see movies. You can't do anything. Everything you, you, you have to do, everything you want to do, you have to, to ask, ask permission for the, the leaders of the church.

Javier: I mean, it doesn't sound very different, does it? When your mom joined the church, was there ever a p- a period of time when you believed what they believed, or was it something that you never really felt like you were part of it?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: I liked to go to the church, to the service, but I never liked the way the, the people used to control our lives. That control always bothered me. The control, I, I never liked. But the church, in the beginning, I liked, but that control on us, I always disagreed.

Javier: Here in North Carolina, a lot of the ex- former members say that the church has beat them. Did, did you have any of that happening in Brazil?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: Yeah, many times. I, I experienced that a, a many times. I suffered physical abuse. I remember a service when American leader, she was here in Brazil-

Javier: Jane Whaley?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: No. Uh, was Bonnie. She was living in Brazil- And she discovered that I was listening to music. I was listening to evangelical music, but it wasn't a, a music of the church. It was a, another music. And she started screaming a lot with me. She started pushing me and pushing me in front of, of everybody in the, in the, in the service. Was like a show. I suffered a lot of that.

Javier: Like, you're in front of the whole church, and she is what? Pushing you? Is she hitting you with her, uh, hand closed?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: Yeah, she was hitting me.

Javier: Just like- She was hitting me punching you, and you can't defend yourself, right? I

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: couldn't do anything. I used to... For example, if she, she say, "Uh, you are possessed, and you are wrong," I would say, "No, I'm not. You're wrong." But I suffered a lot for doing that.

Javier: Carlos didn't know how to explain it at the time, but he was different than the rest of the boys, and- Tell me about discovering your sexuality in this church, you know, that's oppressive.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: Growing up, I, I started to, to see that I was gay, but in that time I didn't know the real meaning of being gay, though I knew it was different because I had different feelings. I had different thoughts. That bothered me a lot because every day people would say that my thoughts was, you know, unclean thoughts, and then I would be possessed. And they, you know, screamed with me every day. That, uh, uh, brought a, a, a great confusion in my

Javier: mind. Church leaders told him that if they didn't intervene, he would get cancer or AIDS.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And they always will, would, uh, take me to the pastor's office and started screaming and screaming and screaming, and they, they slapped my face many times.

Javier: The screaming and blasting prayers was a form of exorcism meant to free him from his gay demons. They would call me gay. They started

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: calling me in the, in the office, screaming with me a lot, and telling me that I was going to a perverted way, uh, that God didn't create me that way to be gay, and they used to, to make prayers with me. A lot of people would reach me and take my hand, you know, and scream a lot with me to expose my, my gay demons. I think I was 14. I really tried Not being gay. The worst sin i- was, uh, homosexual sin. I was so ashamed of telling people about that. I was very ashamed. I was ashamed of me, and I didn't want to tell any- anyone in that time about that 'cause I really thought it was wrong. I always tried to, to hide, but I, I, I couldn't hide, but I tried.

Javier: They told him that as soon as he has a gay thought to call them immediately and they would pray with him.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: It had a time that I started believing that, that I would be healed. I would tell them everything in my mind, and they would, would scream with me, but I would tell them because, you know, I was so confused. Maybe they are right and I'm going to do what they are telling 'cause I'm wrong. Had a period of time of such confusion in my mind that I thought I was going crazy.

Javier: was going to be cured from his homosexuality, well, they were gonna have to take extreme measures

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: They said I was becoming a, a gay person and a perverted, that God would heal me.

Javier: So church leaders took him from his mother's house and sent him to live at the pastor's farm.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And he told me to live in that farm with another family next to him, and he said that that man I, I was going to live with, he was going to teach me how to be a man, that I didn't know, but he, that man would teach me And I was forced to do hard work

Javier: Carlos says that they forced him to work hard labor without any compensation.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And I didn't want to be in that farm at all. I told them that I w- I was leaving that farm. I was not going to be there. And then they came to me and told me, "If you leave this farm, we are going to take you out of school. You're not going to study anymore." So I didn't want to lose that, and I had to stay in that farm for, you know, several months.

Javier: And what did your mom say about all this?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: My mom agreed with because she always hated the way I acted, like gay, you know? She used to tell the, the ministers in the church to help me. She's part of everything.

Javier: When Carlos graduated high school, he desperately tried having feelings for women.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: I had like a, a girlfriend, but she was named, uh, uh, just a friend. I stayed with her for one year and a half, I think. You know, I didn't have any, any feeling about her, you know? Didn't feel anything at all. And it bothered me a lot because in that time I, uh, I wanted to, to, to feel something for her, but I, I couldn't, you know? It wasn't in me. So I tried very hard, but, you know, it didn't work. And so for a period of time, I, I really believed that I would be healed and I would not be gay anymore.

Javier: He got a job working at an office owned by another church member, and one day during lunch, he remembers walking outside and looking around.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And I started to seeing, you know, different people out of the church, and I started thinking, "I want this freedom for me."

Javier: Carlos walked over to another office not run by the church, and he asked if he can work with them. They said yes.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And then I, I told the, the ministers in the church that I was going to get another job, so they didn't, they didn't allow that, and I wait for three months, and, you know, the things were going worse and worse. And I decided that I was going to move from job, and I moved from job and I left the church.

Javier: And they didn't, like, try to keep you there?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: They told me that demons were possessing my mind, that, uh, those kind of things that they say. And they, they told me that, uh, they will take me to, uh, North Carolina. They told me that. And in that time, I used to talk to Matthew Fanner. In the internet, and he was telling me the physical abuse in the church in North Carolina. I was very afraid going to North Carolina and being victim of abuse, and I decided to leave.

Javier: Matthew Fenner is a very, very important character in this story. He too was beaten for being gay, and currently he's awaiting trial against five ministers who are accused of beating and kidnapping him. We'll talk more about Matthew Fenner in future episodes.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: I was out of the church, and she had a meeting with me one day, and she told me that if I have contact with this person, including Matthew Fenner, she would forbid me to have contact with my mom, my family, to tell me those things, and I was out of the church. In North Carolina is worse. When Jane and her ministers were here in Brazil, you know, the abuse was very worse. They, they brought the abuse to Brazil. Jane is responsible for those abuses. She, she taught people here in Brazil how to abuse people. She, she taught them. She controls people here in Brazil. She controls everything here in Brazil. Last year, uh, I took a decision to tell my mom that I was, I was dating a man. That day she started crying, and we had a long conversation about that, and she didn't agree, but she wa- she said she would respect me.

Javier: At first, it seemed like she accepted her son, but then word got out around the church, and suddenly his mother told him that she didn't want anything to do with him.

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: And then the next week, she told me she was not going to have any contact with me anymore, that she didn't want to be in the same place as I was, and since then, you know, I don't have any contact with her, since last year. The people in the church, you know, are manipulating her to don't contact me at all. I saw my mom. I was going to college, and she was in the car, you know, in the street, and she saw me, and she, she just, uh, she didn't say even hello to me. She was amazed to, to see me because since last year, I didn't even see her in the, in the street. So yesterday I, I saw her for the first time, and when she saw me, she was amazed, but, you know, she didn't even say hi or hello. She turned her face.

Javier: What's the future look like for you?

Word of Faith Fellowship Member: Today, I have a total different life. I, I'm free. I do what I want to do. You know, I work, I have a, a good job. I can do, you know, whatever I want. So it's a, a very, a very good life. So in the future, you know, I want to, to be free like I'm today.

Javier: Carlos says life is good, and today he's studying to be a lawyer, and works at a small office to pay for school. He's free to be whoever he wants to be. But even with all that, he says he suffered a lot because of the Word of Faith Fellowship Brazilian church leaders reject all allegations that they abused their church members. They released a statement saying that the former members accused are full of many lies and distorted facts. They went on to write that the church in Brazil did not tolerate or permit any form of abuse in their ministry. So now that we know what we know, what's being done about this? Well, Brazilian authorities opened up multiple investigations looking into the accusations of abuse and human trafficking. Brazilian prosecutors are requesting that a judge shut down the church and distribute its assets among its congregants. On top of that, they want the church to pay each victim fifteen thousand dollars each. So that's Brazil, that's what they're doing. What are we doing about it here in the US? Well, it's not entirely clear. Jill Rose, the US attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina, told the Associated Press that her office has an active, ongoing investigation into the allegations against Word of Faith Fellowship. She says fact-gathering is not quick or an easy process, which at times may lead to the erroneous perception that my office is not actively looking into the matter. Okay. Well, Jill Rose, it's been a year since you made that statement. Well, it turns out Jill Rose, the US attorney, eh, she no longer works there. She has since moved on and now works in Kuwait as a Justice Department legal advisor. So who's looking into this? I put in a call to the US Attorney's office, but I haven't heard back. Sometimes this whole process just feels a little futile. I mean, it seems like every time local authorities start getting traction, it goes nowhere. Like nothing sticks. Meanwhile, the church is fighting back. They've added testimonials from their current members on their YouTube channel. They even have their own weekly radio show where current members take to the airwaves to clear their names. But it's all propaganda, right? I mean, they refuse to talk to the media. I've written to Josh Farmer, the church attorney, several times and nothing. I even sat next to that Hispanic couple at the forum and gave them my card. I told them, "Give my information to Jane." They were really, really nice people, but I doubt I'll ever hear back from them Then one day, out of frustration, I started digging through my files and when all of a sudden I came across this document with Jane Whaley's personal email address, I thought, "What the heck? I'm gonna send her an email. It's worth a try, right?" I wrote, "Hi, Jane. I'm an independent reporter working on a story about Word of Faith Fellowship. It makes me sad that the national media is so one-sided. No one has ever given you an honest opportunity to tell your side of the story." And then I put in bold letters, "I'm willing to devote a whole hour of airtime to tell your side of the story with no tricks. I realize you have a radio show and YouTube channel stating your point of view, but no third party has ever had a chance to speak with you directly. I promise, no tricks. My offer is for you to speak to my listeners directly." I wrote this email on Friday night, and honestly, I did not expect a reply. I woke up the next morning and grabbed my phone just so that the light could open up my eyes, and I couldn't believe it. I was in shock. I told my wife, "You'll never believe who just wrote me an email." It was Jane Whaley. She said, "I am checking with my attorneys. I encourage you to listen to the testimonies on the radio. No children have ever been abused in our church. It is just the opposite. Everyone is greatly loved." So next time on Pretend Radio, I'm meeting Jane Whaley, and so are you Next week, I have a personal invitation to meet Jane Whaley. The problem is that the last people who were invited to meet her, well, they got the cops called on them. I have no worries. This is private property- Right ... and we're asking you to leave. Ms. Whaley asked me- This is private property, and we're asking you to leave. Still, I have to take my chances. How are you, sir? Yeah. Um, I'm here to speak with Jane Whaley. She invited me to a service today. Okay. Yeah. Well, um, yeah. I'm going deeper into the story than any other journalist.

Jane Whaley: You got all these- Hey, hey. You got all these attorneys- Yeah ... surrounding you. Yeah. I, I recognize you from,

Javier: uh, my- What in the world am I getting myself into?

Jane Whaley: Worship God and praise Jesus

Javier: Next week's episode is one of my favorites of the season. I can't wait for you to listen to it. But if you can't wait, the next two episodes are available right now on Patreon. Just visit pretendradio.org and hit the Donate button. Speaking of Patreon, not all of my Patreon supporters are thrilled with my work this season. I know for a fact that the church attorneys are listening because they had a lot to say about the Brazil episode way before I ever released it. This is what the church attorneys told the Daily Courier, the local paper in Rutherford County, and I quote, "We are saddened to learn that Pretend Radio podcast produced by Javier Leiva are simply another outlet for defamatory lies against our church. The lies being told by Carlos and Ana from Brazil are outrageous. Carlos has never come to our church, and we know he was never beaten in Brazil." Unquote. Then on Patreon, Bonnie Lawrence, who is one of the church ministers referenced in this episode, wrote, "My name is Bonnie Lawrence, and all the allegations that Carlos Enrique made about me are a complete lie. None of it ever happened. I'm a member of the Word of Faith Fellowship, and I spent a lot of time in Brazil. The case against the church in Brazil was dismissed by a judge. The judge found that the testimony from the people against the church was not credible regarding slave labor." Bonnie pointed to an article from a local Rutherford County blog named RC Catalyst. The blog claims that they have court documents from Brazil where a judge dismissed a case against the Brazilian church. The document from the Brazilian judge states that there is no evidence to indicate that the church is practicing slavery. The blog quotes a judge from the documents, and I quote, "For these reasons, and in addition to other inconsistencies, I will not accept the allegations of the witnesses of the Public Ministry of Labor." Unquote. And by the way, they wrote accept with an E. I point this out because I can't confirm the source of this document. Anyway, the blog also states that the judge concluded that, quote, "For this reason, I dismiss as unfounded the pleadings in question." Unquote. No other news media has reported this other than this local blog. I'm not saying it's not true. I, I'm just saying that it's awfully strange that a small blog got this document and no one else could. Bonnie Lawrence also wrote on Patreon, and I quote, "The judge found that there was not any slave labor at the Word of Faith Fellowship, and that those young Brazilians that visited the church were not forced to work and were not held against their will." Unquote. I also contacted the US Attorney's Office right before releasing this episode to see if there were any updates from the US investigation into human trafficking and forced labor. Leah Bentivogli, the Public Affairs Officer for the Western District of North Carolina's US Attorney's Office, wrote me and said, "I can only share that the investigation is still ongoing." Short and sweet. Okay, one more thing before I go. I want to remind you that I will be part of a panel at the 2019 True Crime Podcast Festival in Chicago. There will be so many great shows in attendance. For more information, visit tcpf2019.com, or see my show notes for more details. Today's episode was edited by the talented Molly Clay. Molly and I met at a photo shoot in Boston. She had never listened to my podcast before, but on the flight back from Boston, she binged a whole bunch of episodes, and when we landed, she asked if she could help out. I said, "Heck yeah," and I love what she did with the episode. Thank you so much, Molly Now check out these promos from some of the shows that will be attending the True Crime Podcast Festival