From Wacko to Waco until Death: An Introduction to Ex-Adventist Cults
SUMMARY
Some
well-known ex-Adventist cults include:
- David Koresh and the Branch Davidians
- Wayne Bent and the Lord Our Righteousness (LOR)
- Walter McGill and the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church (CSDA)
- Walter J. Veith and Amazing Discoveries
- Christopher Hudson of
ForeRunner Chronicles
- Samuel Pipim and EAGLESonline
- Christian Berdahl and Shepherd's Call Ministry
Each of these leaders is also further explored in their own separate article |
Introduction: Welcome to the examination of
ex-Adventist cults
This website
is dedicated to challenging the radicalization
of all dangerous cult-like offshoots from the ‘mainstream’ and official Seventh-day
Adventist Church (SDA). With this in mind, this article will provide
a brief overview of some of the notable ex-Adventist cults. In almost every case, these fanatics are apt at obtaining
media attention way in excess of their tiny size – often to the great
embarrassment of the official SDA Church.
Assessment criteria: The basis for claiming these
groups as cults
The notion of
a cult is hard to define and can be even harder to spot. However, according to Walter and Martin and
the Christian Research Institute (who famously declared the mainstream SDA
Church not a cult), in the article “What is a cult”:
‘First, a cult may
be defined sociologically. From this perspective, a cult is a religious or
semi-religious sect whose followers are controlled by strong leadership in
virtually every dimension of their lives. Devotees characteristically display a
displaced loyalty for the guru and the group and are galvanized together
through physical and/or psychological intimidation tactics. This kind of
cultist more often than not displays a “we/they” siege mentality and has been
cut off from all former associations including their immediate families.
Furthermore, a cult
may be defined theologically. In this sense a cult can be a pseudo-Christian
organization that claims to be Christian but compromises, confuses, or
contradicts essential Christian doctrine. Such cults operate under the guise of
Christianity but deviate from the orthodox teachings of the historic Christian
faith as codified in the ancient ecumenical creeds. Typically, devotees become
masters at taking texts out of context to develop pretexts for their
theological perversions.’
Unlike the
‘mainstream’ and official SDA Church, which is not a cult according to
Walter Martin and the Christian Research Institute, the ex-Adventist groups discussed
on this site do satisfy all or some of these identifying criteria.
Preliminary point: Rare praise for the SDARM
As a preliminary point, this
site is not about the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement (SDARM) – the largest and best organized
of the ex-Adventist offshoots. The SDARM is most likely also an ex-Adventist
cult; however, because of its size it has its own specific forum. Information on the SDARM can be obtained from
this blog’s sister-site “Sevy-Taliban: Challenging the Seventh Day Adventist
Reform Movement.”
Moreover, at this stage, this
author offers a rare word of cautious praise for the SDARM. It should be
remembered that for all its faults (and there are many), the SDARM Churches (because
there multiple groups claiming that name) at least operate through formal
worldwide organizations. Despite strict
controls, this does to some extent provide a degree of restraint through checks-and-balances
against the most dangerous excesses of religious control.
By contrast, the ex-Adventist
offshoot groups discussed on this site are almost always single-congregation
sized communities, led by charismatic leaders, who operate with virtually
unfettered powers. As a result, whereas
one should have concerns about friends and relatives being involved in the
SDARM, one should have mortal fear about the physical and psychological safety
of those involved in the more extreme groups discussed on this site.
Pantheon of ex-Adventist gods: Introduction to our offshoot cult-leaders
This article
will now provide a brief overview of some of the better known ex-Adventist cult
leaders. With few exceptions, these cult
leaders have been formally expelled from the ‘mainstream’ and official SDA
Church – even if they claim to still be ‘Adventist’. However, in a few cases, the persons of
interest may still technically be members of an SDA congregation, given
membership falls within the jurisdiction of each local congregation within the
worldwide-federated SDA Church structure.
It should also
be remembered that despite outside perceptions, even the ‘mainstream’ SDA
Church is a ‘broad tent’ comprising some 22 million adherents in almost every
country, resulting in a wide spectrum of different beliefs and practices. Thus,
even within the ‘mainstream’ SDA Church, there is of course a nuttier fringe. In fairness, like most religions, fanaticism
is found on both conservative and liberal extremes of Adventism.
Finally, readers
should note that the following descriptions of ex-Adventist cults are intended
as brief accounts only. Further detailed explanations, with appropriate
references, are outlined in group-specific articles found on this site.
Waco Doomsayer: David Koresh and the Branch Davidians
Probably the
best-known ex-Adventist cult leader was David Koresh, who led the Branch
Davidians. In 1993, worldwide attention
was given to this group when a raid by US Federal authorities on the Davidian
compound in Waco Texas resulted in the deaths of some 76 people – including the
death of Koresh himself.
Koresh
claimed to be the ‘Lamb of God’ – the Christ and Son of God. He has also been accused of various sexual
abuses. Later reports suggest he engaged
in paedophilic, adulterous and polygamous behaviour, having fathered some
thirteen of the group’s children by seven different women.
Koresh and
the Davidians are the ‘gold standard’ or template by which most other
ex-Adventist cults can be compared. The
more similarities an offshoot group has to the Davidians, the more we should
worry.
Bent Messiah: Wayne Bent and Lord Our Righteousness
(LOR)
Wayne Bent is
an ex-Adventist pastor who left the ‘mainstream’ SDA Church in 1987. He leads a small community called the Lord
Our Righteousness (LOR) based in Clayton New Mexico.
Bent
bizarrely claims he is the Messiah: the embodiment of God, of divinity
and humanity combined. The LOR also teach an
extreme version of perfectionism common throughout ultra-conservative offshoots
– that one can obtain instant and lasting ‘Victory over Sin’.
In 2008, Bent
was convicted of sexual contact with a minor and two counts of contributing to
the delinquency of a minor, and is currently incarcerated in a US prison. Bent
and his community have been subject to high degree of media interest, including
a number of documentaries by US and UK television.
Trademark Prophet:
Walter McGill and the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church (CSDA)
Self-professed
‘Pastor’ “Chick” McGill is leader of a small congregation in Guys Tennessee
known as the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church (CSDA). In 2012, McGill went
to prison for contempt of Court over a trademark violation.
McGill
claims to have the gift of prophecy. Much like the Lords of Righteousness (LOR), the CSDA also teach an extreme
version of perfectionism – ‘Victory over Sin’. The CSDA also reject the
doctrine of the Trinity.
McGill
arguably provoked the ‘mainstream’ and official SDA Church, in order to
engineer a situation supposedly proving to his devotees his alleged prophetic
gift. In many respects, the CSDA are an ‘unremarkable’ ex-Adventist offshoot,
as they seem to represent a ‘standard’ of typical ultra-conservative beliefs
and practices.
Finally,
there are claims that McGill is effectively promoting a hoax. Despite a large presence on the internet and
the illusion of many churches, it is possible the CSDA may in fact have
virtually no members!
Accused Anti-Semite: Walter J. Veith and Amazing
Discoveries
Walter
Veith is a South African Seventh-day Adventist who was
born in 1949 and was at one time chair of zoology at the University of the
Western Cape. Much to the embarrassment of the leadership of the ‘mainstream’
SDA Church, Veith is largely regarded as the leading conspiracy-theorist within
Adventism.
Veith
teaches a range of fantastical conspiracy theories, including about 9/11,
Freemasons and the moon landing. Veith attracts massive attention, especially
on the internet, with a following only dreamed of by the official SDA
leadership or any other offshoot.
In 2012, Veith
came under investigation
by the German government regarding allegations of anti-Semitism and incitement
of popular hatred [Volksverhetzung]. Both
German Unions and the Inter-European Division of the official SDA Church have
issued statements prohibiting Veith from speaking in Adventist churches.
Three-and-a-half
Men: Christopher Hudson of ForeRunner Chronicles
Christopher
Hudson is a self-described ‘Pastor’ (he’s not) of the SDA Church. He runs a
popular ‘independent ministry’ called ForeRunner Chronicles, which peddles a
range of bizarre conspiracy theories.
ForeRunner Chronicles is very popular and reportedly makes US$350,000
per week (yes per week!)
Hudson
teaches a range of unusual and bizarre conspiracy theories, with everything
from: crazy claims about the Freemasons (apparently
Jay-Z is one), the Illuminati, bizarre rants likening President Obama to
Hitler, and more.
Hudson is or
was reportedly the spiritual mentor of Hollywood star Angus
T Jones, from TV show Three and a Half
Men. In 2012, Angus went on a very
embarrassing public rant, declaring himself an ‘Adventist’, whilst
regurgitating the conspiracy views of his mentor Hudson.
After the Angus Jones incident, the
official leadership of the SDA Church came out distancing itself from Hudson
and ForeRunner
Chronicles; however, the Church probably should have done more proactively to
tackle our nutty fringe. Hudson seems to
have tacit approval from some conservative corners of the official SDA Church.
Serial Adulterer and Downed Eagle: Samuel Pipim and EAGLESonline
Samuel
Pipim is an ex-Adventist pastor who was disfellowshipped (excommunicated) from
the SDA Church in 2011 on account of a ‘moral failing’. Pipim was previously
something of a ‘Sevy-celebrity’, heavily involved in the conservative youth
movement – Generation of Youth for Christ (GYC). Pipim now runs his own ‘independent ministry’
called EAGELSonline.
There are
claims that the 2011 incident involved rape of a 20-year old woman. When Pipim
was to be re-baptized back into the SDA Church in 2012, the baptism was
cancelled at the 11th-hour when another woman came forward claiming
abuse by Pipim.
Pipim
teaches a more conservative brand of Adventism; however, it is not his theology
by which he should be considered an ex-Adventist cult leader. It is Pipim’s predatory conduct, not his
theology, which is the primary basis for his characterisation as an
ex-Adventist cult leader. Moreover, what distinguishes Pipim from most other
removed ex-Adventist ministers is Pipim’s unapologetic defence of aspects of
his conduct and continued ministry.
Christian Berdahl and Shepherd's Call Ministry
Christian
Berdahl is an Adventist who runs his own independent ministry called Shepherd’s Call Ministries. Berdahl’s series is a criticism of contemporary
Christian music (‘CCM’), which relies on a type of rhythm called ‘syncopation’. Concern over syncopation is not new but ‘has been a ‘hot’ topic in the “worship
wars” across the denominational spectrum for years.’
What is more controversial are Berdahl’s claims
that:
- there is a definitive link between syncopation and the occult;
- syncopation, as found in CCM, supposedly leads to demon possession;
- syncopated rhythm damages the frontal lobe of the brain;
- the syncopation in CCM stems from African origins and is therefore ‘inferior’ as a form of music;
- CCM brings out negative emotions, which is bad;
- CCM is celebratory music, which is also bad; and
- CCM is full of repetition, which is to be condemned, as bad.
Further reading
As outlined above, this is but a brief description of
some of the main ex-Adventist cults and their leaders. Further related articles will be posted, which will attempt to draw some
anecdotal observations and patterns from these various ex-Adventist cults. In particular, what similarities and overall
trends can be observed? What common
warning signs can be gleaned? How can
future potential tragedies be avoided?
