Takeaways from AP’s reporting on a child sex abuse crisis inside a secretive Christian sect
BOISE, Idaho– For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive pastors and spiritual elders largely in secret, eschewing legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst.
However, forgiveness was far from a cure: the abusers were often sent to other unsuspecting families, where they had easy access to new victims.
Now a survivor effort has exposed the depths of the scandal – documenting allegations against more than 900 abusers in 30 countries, with more and more cases emerging – and bringing the unnamed cult to the public’s attention. The FBI has done that too started an investigation in the group, also called the ‘Two by Twos’.
The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen current and former members, employees and experts, and reviewed letters, court filings and other documents supporting the allegations. Several sect leaders and ministers have declined interview requests or not responded to messages.
Here are some conclusions from the AP’s reporting.
Child sexual abuse is a major problem within many religious institutions: insurance data company Advisen lists child sexual abuse as the second most common insurance claim for religious organizations, after payroll-related claims. But survivors say the Two by Twos principles put children at particularly high risk.
The sect believes that its volunteer ministers, called “workers,” should live among their followers and depend on them for food, housing and other needs.
Many survivors told the AP that they were abused by preachers who stayed in their homes. In some cases, the abuse was exposed and the offending employee was asked to leave the ministry. Often, however, regional leaders called “overseers” simply transferred the worker to a new region without alerting other members.
Former cult member Pam Walton uses photos from annual cult conventions, member reports and other documents to track the movements of workers and supervisors facing allegations of abuse.
“I don’t think people understood the magnitude of these men and women,” Walton said.
One abusive overseer, Dean Bruer, served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries from the time he entered the ministry in 1976 until his death in 2022.
Former employee Jared Snyder says bringing up someone’s past sins is considered taboo because that person “has already been forgiven by God.” As a result, both members and employees often talked about problems only euphemistically, Snyder said, and even major misdeeds were often downplayed.
“There is an underlying fear of being judged as having a ‘bad spirit’ if you are not merciful enough,” says Snyder.
Some sect leaders warned against making accusations. A supervisor told Snyder, “The less you know, the better off you are,” he said.
Some U.S. states have laws that require spiritual leaders, teachers, and others in positions of authority to report allegations of child abuse to authorities. Letters and other documents show that some supervisors tried to circumvent these laws.
Ed Alexander, a regional overseer for Arizona, wrote a letter to an elder who was abusing children, urging him to seek professional help. That way, Alexander claimed, the cult did not have to report the man’s crime and the counselor could instead take responsibility for reporting.
Alexander declined to comment.
As a teenager, Sheri Autrey felt unprepared to describe the intimate details of her abuse to a jury, so her parents refused to let her face the criminal prosecution process. When Autrey tried to press charges as an adult, it was too late; under California state law, too many years had passed since the crime.
Autrey tried to find a lawyer to sue the cult, but no one would take the case. Legal experts say the sect’s aversion to property leaves it without clear assets that could be used to pay for a legal settlement.
Left with no legal options, many survivors joined grassroots efforts to support each other. One organization, Advocates for the Truth, created a 24-hour confidential hotline for survivors, investigated and tracked allegations, and connected victims to therapeutic resources and funding.
Facebook pages and online chat rooms have also given survivors a place to compare stories, discuss faith and share suggestions for reform.
A grand jury began investigating the cult last year, and in February the FBI asked people with information to come forward. Agents have interviewed several survivors and cult leaders in recent months.
Some sect leaders have condemned the abuse and asked advisers for advice on how to better protect their members. Others have rejected recommended child abuse prevention policies outright, or implemented scaled-down versions with fewer safeguards.
Still, it doesn’t seem likely that the pressure will ease anytime soon. Former cult member and survivor Lisa Webb says advocating for other survivors has been her therapy.
“I’m not trying to take away your salvation or attack your faith, but how can we keep our children safe? You can respect the faith, respect the religion, but still don’t be naive,” Webb said. “The mere fact that the conversation is happening now means that we have already improved safety. … There is a group behind the survivors.”