I personally spoke with "Pastor" Virgo on the phone when my son started staying at their house for single men and attending their church. He was stationed in Washington state in the Army. The House of prayer Christian Church (a.k.a. Assembly of Prayer in some states) station themselves near military bases. It was explained to me that military personnel are easy targets because they are used to taking orders.
The first thing I noticed after my son Abel hooked up with this "church", his tone and attitude began to sound angry when he called me. My son had always been a very sweet, kind and mello person. He loved me, and would stand in line in Afghanistan just to call me and see how "I" was doing. Shortly after joining this cult, Abel started verbally attacking me and questioning the validity of my salvation.
He told me that I shouldn't wear make-up or pants. Then he told me he has no business even talking to a woman, and the only reason he was even talking to me at all, was because I am his mother. This scared me.
I arranged to talk to Pastor Virgo who was his Pastor at the time, on the phone. I asked pastor Virgo why my son had been talking to me this way, and if they were teaching him that women are problems. Virgo told me that women needed to follow certain guidelines or they could be a real problem. Then he gave me an example. He told me that as a pastor, many times women would greet him and give him "that look." I asked him "WHAT look?" And he replied "You know. THAT look".
And the tone of his voice was resentment.
At that moment, I detected this group as unhealthy and legalistic. The women wear long skirts, baggy blouses, no make up and their hair is up. The men and woman are seperated. They don't talk to each other. Around 2010 they transferred my son to their church in Hepzibah, Georgia. (2952 Old Tobacco Rd, Hephzibah, GA) He paid to fly me there for his Church's "conference" for a few days. It was a really strange experience. The men would look down or away as I walked by.
One day after the service, we went to a nearby house to fellowship and eat. the men were sitting comfortably in the livingroom talking, while the women stood around in the kitchen. I tried to start conversation with them, and they ignored me. Must have been the pants and make up? There was no where to sit in the kitchen, so I left the house and took a walk.
My son wouldn't tell me why they transferred him to Georgia, but shortly after I visited him there, he told me he was getting married. I asked him if he loved the woman and his reply was:"Mom, what difference does that make?" in an angry tone. I was floored. The woman he married was an obese black woman with three kids from 3 different fathers. The Church seemed to be about 80% black, which is fine, but my son had never shown any interest in dating black women before. He is an extremely attractive young man who could easily get his pick of any woman he wanted.
Its been over 6 years since my son was highjacked by these people. A couple years ago, his brother found a website by a brother P.Bowers who left this cult. My son knew him. Bowers told me that whatever the Pastors say is the final word and not to be questioned. Bowers said that he left partly because of their attitude toward women,that his wife wasn't happy there and that he never had any time to be with her because of constant meetings that lasted for hours. He told me these Pastors insinuate themselves into every part of a member's life; from their bankbooks to their sex lives. I asked him if the Pastors play "Cupid" & set members up, and he said definitely. He also said that he was trying to buy a house for himself and his wife, and the Pastors ended up taking it for the Church.
When my son first started going to this Church, he had a lot of money from his tour in Afghanistan and he had just separated from the Army on terminal leave. But within a year or so, he had no money.
My son has 3 brothers and a sister who all miss him terribly. I'm not much of a crier, but I cry all the time over the loss. NO normal Christian Church would cut a member off from his family. They encourage the members to try and recruit their family, but if they won't join, they should turn their backs on them as infidels. My son barely even talks to me. When he does, he is cold and cruel. Jesus said we will know a tree by its fruit. The fruit of this church cult is complete control and isolation.
They are told to stay away from internet because its evil. And the children are schooled by the Church members. They are isolated from the world for the most part.
I've been praying that the Lord will deliver my son from this cult and give him back to his family who love him and miss him. To top it off, we are born again Christians, and they had the nerve to send their wolves to snatch him away from us.
The first thing I noticed after my son Abel hooked up with this "church", his tone and attitude began to sound angry when he called me. My son had always been a very sweet, kind and mello person. He loved me, and would stand in line in Afghanistan just to call me and see how "I" was doing. Shortly after joining this cult, Abel started verbally attacking me and questioning the validity of my salvation.
He told me that I shouldn't wear make-up or pants. Then he told me he has no business even talking to a woman, and the only reason he was even talking to me at all, was because I am his mother. This scared me.
I arranged to talk to Pastor Virgo who was his Pastor at the time, on the phone. I asked pastor Virgo why my son had been talking to me this way, and if they were teaching him that women are problems. Virgo told me that women needed to follow certain guidelines or they could be a real problem. Then he gave me an example. He told me that as a pastor, many times women would greet him and give him "that look." I asked him "WHAT look?" And he replied "You know. THAT look".
And the tone of his voice was resentment.
At that moment, I detected this group as unhealthy and legalistic. The women wear long skirts, baggy blouses, no make up and their hair is up. The men and woman are seperated. They don't talk to each other. Around 2010 they transferred my son to their church in Hepzibah, Georgia. (2952 Old Tobacco Rd, Hephzibah, GA) He paid to fly me there for his Church's "conference" for a few days. It was a really strange experience. The men would look down or away as I walked by.
One day after the service, we went to a nearby house to fellowship and eat. the men were sitting comfortably in the livingroom talking, while the women stood around in the kitchen. I tried to start conversation with them, and they ignored me. Must have been the pants and make up? There was no where to sit in the kitchen, so I left the house and took a walk.
My son wouldn't tell me why they transferred him to Georgia, but shortly after I visited him there, he told me he was getting married. I asked him if he loved the woman and his reply was:"Mom, what difference does that make?" in an angry tone. I was floored. The woman he married was an obese black woman with three kids from 3 different fathers. The Church seemed to be about 80% black, which is fine, but my son had never shown any interest in dating black women before. He is an extremely attractive young man who could easily get his pick of any woman he wanted.
Its been over 6 years since my son was highjacked by these people. A couple years ago, his brother found a website by a brother P.Bowers who left this cult. My son knew him. Bowers told me that whatever the Pastors say is the final word and not to be questioned. Bowers said that he left partly because of their attitude toward women,that his wife wasn't happy there and that he never had any time to be with her because of constant meetings that lasted for hours. He told me these Pastors insinuate themselves into every part of a member's life; from their bankbooks to their sex lives. I asked him if the Pastors play "Cupid" & set members up, and he said definitely. He also said that he was trying to buy a house for himself and his wife, and the Pastors ended up taking it for the Church.
When my son first started going to this Church, he had a lot of money from his tour in Afghanistan and he had just separated from the Army on terminal leave. But within a year or so, he had no money.
My son has 3 brothers and a sister who all miss him terribly. I'm not much of a crier, but I cry all the time over the loss. NO normal Christian Church would cut a member off from his family. They encourage the members to try and recruit their family, but if they won't join, they should turn their backs on them as infidels. My son barely even talks to me. When he does, he is cold and cruel. Jesus said we will know a tree by its fruit. The fruit of this church cult is complete control and isolation.
They are told to stay away from internet because its evil. And the children are schooled by the Church members. They are isolated from the world for the most part.
I've been praying that the Lord will deliver my son from this cult and give him back to his family who love him and miss him. To top it off, we are born again Christians, and they had the nerve to send their wolves to snatch him away from us.