As you may recall, neither Don Williams nor Ron Williams. I gotta learn not to read stuff like this right after dinner. Well you say we are in different times, they wore different clothing and besides they both wore robes. The Hephzibah House is a Winona Lake, Indiana boarding school for troubled teenage girls usually committed by their parents and recommended by Baptist pastors. Just because they closed the door is not going to give a prisoner afraid of retaliation any comfort talking about the abuse. The whole ministry was gone and I was alone in the house. This beautifully constructed 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, all brick ranch style home is the Plainview 17 by Bill Beazley Homes. The operators of shady homes do seem to have a knack for avoiding major prosecution. The home was originally at 508 School Street in Winona Lake. Thats still true. (Missouri isnt alone. That was round-about long-winded way of saying that I am glad that I did not grow up under the regime of such extremism and do not know what it is like to have to be completely deprogrammed of that false version of Christianity. At Circle of Hope, Kelsey was allegedly ordered to do pushups in horse manure, restrained and sat upon by staff members, and pushed to make false confessions about promiscuity. George W. Bush deregulated the activities of faith-based groups there. Hephzibah House told supporters the facility that once housed troubled teen girls will now be a Christian Camp for those suffering with PTSD. Authorities and watchdog groups are familiar with the patternsthe state-hopping, the frequent openings and closingsbut people forget, says Deputy Rush. He now runs a home for adult men on the Reclamation Ranch property and a girls home called Rachel Academy in neighboring Walker Countyand is in the process, he says, of opening new homes in Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. Full stop, no excuses, no exceptions. In response to the accusation that they conduct child labor, the school said it does require students to do daily chores but does not overwork them. This four-part series is an interview that I did with Pat and Dennis Cassell, former members and church staff at Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, the home church of the infamous child molester, Pastor Bob Gray, and the morally bankrupt deacon board that allowed him to feed his appetites on the children of the church for two decades. I want to look special for the Lord and my husband. Churchgoers emptied their wallets, pouring out love offerings to sustain Fords mission. Our clothes should draw attention to the whole being and not certain areas of our body especially areas that may arouse a man sexually. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Cerritos Junior College in Los Angeles in 1971 and a certificate in radio broadcasting in 1972. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? Photos: New Bethany Alumni; Barbed Wire: Brian Hagiwara/Getty Images. Once Gerencser reached the pulpit, he saw teen-home directors showing up at pastors fellowship meetings to peddle their services; Hephzibah House director Ron Williamswho now hosts a show on the Bob Jones University radio stationvisited Gerencsers own church with a girls chorus. She says she was spanked during her five years there. One of the greatest shocks our girls go through is to have their pants taken away! Our Affiliates. You may now be thinking or wondering what she is getting at? Words 14-year-old brother, Doug, was sent there soon after for stealing a neighbors Playboy magazines. "The things that are happening at Hephzibah House are definitely cultish. A soft-spoken young woman, blonde and blue-eyed with a bright smile, Roxy confided to me that she found it easier to discuss her ordeal with a stranger than with the people closest to her. This resulted in many personalities. 879 likes. Please take the time to read the Times Union article about Halymans response. But Williams and her ilk are destroyers, packs of velociraptors in human disguise. Help these children now The healing and long journey of recovery begins the moment a child comes through our doors. The Cassells offer the listener a front row seat to the enormous conspiracy of lies that only slowly began to unfold in 2005.These interviews are pulled from the podcast, with very little sound added, but they are powerful in their own right, without adornment. I would give literature to parents about the schools, says Gerencser, who is now a critic of the IFB mindset. Hephzibah House is a small private boarding school in Winona Lake, Indiana, a small town about an hour west from Fort Wayne. Brenda in FL, Brenda, thank you for your comment. Among them was Cat Givens, an Ohio radio technician who stayed at New Bethany in 1974 and became so shell-shocked by the routine of punishment and submissionand the spectacle of runaways being returned by the police and handcuffed to their bedsthat she lost her will to resist. A traveling chorus from New Bethany. I have personally heard Ron Williams present the "ministry" of Hephzibah House on three separate occasions. Hephzibah Children's Association has an overall rating of 3.2 out of 5, based on over 22 reviews left anonymously by employees. Believer's Baptist is pastored by Don Williams, the son of Ron and Patti Williams. He would arrive with a school bus full of teenagers from his girls home in Arcadia, a Louisiana town of 2,700. Thats sick. Im trying to be kind here. "We would get cases of, banana boxes full of dented cans that had no labels. What can you say about my husband? ERA has definitely won a battle among Christian women. Jay Kirksey, Circle of Hopes attorney, would not address Donnas claims, but he extended an invitation to come visit. He has 41 living grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Pastor Dave Halyaman is also the assistant pastor at Believers Baptist Church, and has held the positions since 1990. But the one thing that they would tell me was, 'This is the way God wants us to do it, and this is your fault this is happening,'" Lambright explained. Our daughters are virtuous women because we have obeyed the Lords commands. The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam. I pray that some will stand for His sake and not let the world control our dress and our lives. Oh how I pray some will stand for Jesus! What effect do pants have on our children? It was not easy and I am still running the race striving to be like Jesus. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Congress has tried, and so far failed, to rein in the schools. In 2008, Susan Grotte, a Hephzibah House alum, led some 60 survivors in campaigning for its closure; they wrote to newspapers and picketed outside the county courthouse in Warsaw, Indiana, near . It was founded in 1971. Williams died several years ago, but her husband still continues to operate Hephzibah House. Hephzibah [H] [S] my delight is in her. 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 safe place where a daughter can go to have time alone to find God and her direction.. 16 News Now was contacted by more than a dozen women with similar experiences. Yet I was an ERA type woman to the core. They will look after the children., In the absence of federal action, alumni of the teen institutions have been trying to expose the abuses. 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. 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. The bill passed in the House, but stalled in a Senate committee. Back in Maryland, Jeannie Marie was unaware of her daughters plight. Police normally returned runaways to the home, but the severity of the boys injuries led state officials to investigate. A reform school in Kosciusko County, facing allegations of neglect and abuse from former students, has closed. Copyright 2014 - All Rights Reserved - jeriwho.net. I recently noticed a website that is somewhat of a memorial to the recently deceased Patti Williams. Let the fire marshall in for an inspection, then do surprise inspections frequently after that. Hephzibah Houses Ron Williams and Reclamation Ranchs Jack Patterson urged supporters to fight the bill. This Williams woman was seriously misguided at best, possibly had mental health issues, or far, far, worse. Satan doesnt want that. Isn't it strange that those who testify against abuse boldly sign their names and those who are supposedly supporting the school don't dare to? We must repent of what we have done. He and his wife Wenda reside in Warsaw, Indiana, and have 10 children and 10 grandchildren. So what is he doing with the money in the meantime? He earned the certificate in Biblical Studies in May, 1977, and the Master of Divinity (cum laude) from Grace in 1979. The schools effects on Roxy were striking, Jeannie Marie told me. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. First she jumped through the glass of a second-story window. ]The girls behavior was micromanaged down to the number of squares of toilet paper each was allowed; potential infractions ranged from making eye contact with another girl to not finishing a meal. You have this sense of total isolation: Theres no way out of it, youre there for the rest of your life.. Most references were to his dad but he seems to have very little good to say about his mom. I'm still going to do my best, and as a group we're going to keep holding each other up. 2016 Hephzibah House Contact Usvar _rwObsfuscatedHref0 = "mai";var _rwObsfuscatedHref1 = "lto";var _rwObsfuscatedHref2 = ":he";var _rwObsfuscatedHref3 = "phz";var _rwObsfuscatedHref4 = "iba";var _rwObsfuscatedHref5 = "hpi";var _rwObsfuscatedHref6 = "ctu";var _rwObsfuscatedHref7 = "res";var _rwObsfuscatedHref8 = "@gm";var _rwObsfuscatedHref9 = "ail";var _rwObsfuscatedHref10 = ".co";var _rwObsfuscatedHref11 = "m";var _rwObsfuscatedHref = _rwObsfuscatedHref0+_rwObsfuscatedHref1+_rwObsfuscatedHref2+_rwObsfuscatedHref3+_rwObsfuscatedHref4+_rwObsfuscatedHref5+_rwObsfuscatedHref6+_rwObsfuscatedHref7+_rwObsfuscatedHref8+_rwObsfuscatedHref9+_rwObsfuscatedHref10+_rwObsfuscatedHref11; document.getElementById('rw_email_contact').href = _rwObsfuscatedHref; is the Founder and Director of Hephzibah House, Inc., a Christian Boarding School for troubled girls. I remember thinking that it was funny that we had a great relationship with all the other missionaries we supported, but never once in the 13 years we attended there ever saw Ron Williams or had his ministry presented or shared with our congregation. But we really couldn't have done it without you guys, without the media, without family and friends helping us I mean we spoke up, but everyone else was basically holding us on their shoulders. About The New Press. Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes says that of allegations investigated in the past 20 years, no criminal charges were ever filed. Petition Closed. Patti Williams, along with her husband Ron, founded Hephzibah House, an unlicensed Baptist girls group home in Winona Lake, Indiana. Houses for Rent Near Me; Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Me; More. Ford operated a separate New Bethany home for boys in Longstreet, Louisiana. 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. Hephzibah House has been based in the Winona Lake area for almost 49 years. One day last November, a group of teenage girls dressed in long khaki skirts and modest blouses stepped onto the stage at an Independent Fundamental Baptist church in Maryland where Jeannie Marie (a military spouse who asked that her last name not be used) attended services with her family. He also pioneered girls singing groups as a way to promote Rebekah Homethe Honeybee Quartet was featured in his daily revivalist radio broadcasts. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Some say your job requires pants. Perhaps you will identify or relate to what I have to say. Translated from the original Hebrew, Hephzibah literally means, "My delight is in her.". The girls call her a Holly Hobbie doll. Michelle Guenther Leonard, resident of Hephzibah House January 2, 2009 until May 18, 2010 I am a survivor of Hephzibah House located in Winona Lake, IN. graduated from Hyles-Anderson College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel. It has been a journey. That Hephzibah House remains open till this day is nothing short of scandalous. "I had an accident and they were like, 'Oh! This boarding school for girls is located in Winona Lake, Indiana called, Hephzibah House. School records, Dee Rapier told me, were shredded. He served as Assistant Pastor in Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana for 11 years and since 1998, has been the Senior Pastor. He surrendered to preach in 1982. A clinical trial's protocol describes who is eligible to take part in the research. Absolutely. Our ungodly dress has resulted In our unsubmissive, bold, masculine spirits. But Lucinda, another former student, is defending the work she says Pastor Williams has done at Hephzibah House. We have laws to protect people from illegal incarceration, she says, but apparently not if youre a teenage girl. In the past year, New Bethany alums staged a reunion trip to confront the Fords, and they joined with members of kindred groups such as Survivors of Institutional Abuse to gather and publicize survivor stories. 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. If you do not care then you are In severe rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (I Samuel 15:23). In 1982, they sent her to New Bethany, and her 10-year-old sister followed soon after. Just getting a girl out of pants changes their personality and they are not even aware of the change. I again pulled out one of my mini skirts and my shiny black boots and immediately I felt like a strange woman and I desired to dance and prance. Yes of course he does. What is using the same staff he was using to help with children do for PTSD?. Better a pink bottom than a black soul, Roloff famously declared at a 1973 court hearing after he was prosecuted by the state of Texas on behalf of 16 Rebekah girls. The Williamses and their lackeys have engaged in criminal behavior for decades. This rating has decreased by -9% over the last 12 months. Dr. It has long been my goal, as well as the goal of over one hundred to two hundred other girls, to expose the things we had to endure while in Hephzibah House's care in the hopes of protecting . Interestingly, Hephzibah House is not mentioned as a ministry on the churchs website. Of course not it was for men! He taught us that when a young girl began menstruating it was God's sign to the papa that she was ready to be married. Vaginal exam -- [This] did not happen to me, luckily. etc. Dear lady, you are then gross in a bathing suit! We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Money? Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. For what reason? All Rights Reserved. In an open letter, Williams argued that it would effectively close all Christian ministries helping troubled youth because of its onerous provisions. They were joined by a group called the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, which opposed HR 911 on the grounds that statesdespite all evidence to the contraryare best situated to oversee the homes. thank you so much for shedding light on this place. Sheriff Dukes has an open invitation anytime he wants, they dont need a warrant, and same to Winona Lake police. My wife and I left a teaching position in the early nineties. Donations on a monthly basis can be made through Patreon. Visitors to the festival have increased from 65,000 in 2000 to 285,000 in 2018. A woman has an inner desire to attract men. 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. Dr. Williams is also active in the field of evangelism. But you Christian mothers, why are you allowing your daughter to be a strange woman, a schizophrenic woman? Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the peacefulness. The conversation politely ended, and it's in God's hands now. Are you on Social Media? The raid grabbed headlines, but the school reopened again, this time merging with Fords New Bethany girls school in Arcadia. You will stand alone but then so has every earnest Christian since the first century. We did go out to eat twice I think, but the second time we were only allowed the salad bar since we took half the ministry with us as well, and there wasn't enough money to feed everyone the other tempting food. For several years, Brother Halyaman worked in the broadcasting industry as an announcer, television anchor, and News Director of several small market radio and television stations. 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. After a while, I was so brainwashed I didnt even want to run, she told me. Since the same root hafz means "guarding" or "taking care of," all words from this root suggest the idea of "safeguarding," and . A woman that wears pants is either rebellious or ignorant. Dress definitely affects our personality. That some of these Evangelical churches have even the barest shreds of a good society within them is happening in spite of, rather than because of, the teachings of the religion; and those teachings have a terrible effect on young people, on women, and on the rest of us when those people get political power in our government. That is an absolute contradiction of standards and another aspect of a feminine schizophrenic personality. A Christian Mother Has A Heavy Responsibility. 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. In a locked-up basement where they never see the light of day, as a prisoner and that's over. Want Dr. Phil to Investigate a Situation or Possible Scam? Indeed, when looking to rent in Hephzibah, GA, you can expect to pay as little as $540.00 or as much as $3,820.00, with the average rent median estimated to be $1,240.00. And the girls are having accidents and that's what happened to me," she said. It still is a struggle 10 years later. This story has an eerily similar feel to those told by the girls that were incarcerated at Mack Fords New Bethany Home for Girls. But dozens of. Hephzibah Children's Association - Helping children thrive and families flourish since 1897 Award-Winning Foster Care Our Foster Care Program licenses and supports foster families and foster children in transition. Repentance means to turn around, change, be different. Hephzibah House is a small private boarding school in Winona Lake, Indiana, a small town about an hour west from Fort Wayne. Select an address below to search who owns that property on Highway 88 and uncover many additional details. When it comes to paddling the girls too hard, the school said they have not used corporal correction for years. Know a Teen Girl or Young Adult Coached By Mom on How to Lose Weight? Local courts promote the homes as an alternative to juvenile detention, and facilities can collect a variety of state and federal grants.