https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350288807/abuse-survivor-speaks-out-about-secretive-2×2-cult

Sinead Gill May 25, 2024

As a child, Damian Townsend was discouraged from making friends with anyone outside of the Christian group he was part of for 20 years.
MONIQUE FORD / THE POST

Former members of a secretive religious sect – under an FBI investigation overseas – want New Zealand authorities to investigate abuse within a group some call a cult. Sinead Gill reports.

Damian Townsend wasn’t allowed to watch TV, listen to music, or join a local sports team like other kids did when he was growing up.

He went to public school, but was discouraged from befriending people outside of the high-control Christian group he was a part of for 20 years.

For weeks at a time, a few times a year, two strangers called ‘workers’ would move into his family home and have their every need paid for, while they preached.

Do you know more? Contact sinead.gill@stuff.co.nz in confidence.

Members, called ‘friendlies’, follow what they believe is the only way of being Christian.

Townsend didn’t know it, but he was raised – and experienced abuse – in a secretive religious sect. The now-37-year-old only learnt the name of the nameless group two months ago.

It is known to outsiders as Two by Twos, 2×2 or The Truth, among others.

In Christchurch, some sect meetings – which leavers say are intended for recruitment – are held in a council-owned community centre.
CHRIS SKELTON / THE PRESS

The sect has been forced out of the shadows in the wake of increased reports of child sexual abuse internationally. The FBI launched an investigation in February.

Some leavers describe it as Gloriavale, but without the commune. Members marry into each other’s families and work together. Women dress modestly and keep their hair long, while men don shirts and ties.

“It’s a cult. But I wouldn’t say it to mum and dad in that way,” Townsend said.

“I still have this feeling of overriding control. But I feel now is the right time to tell my truth.”

Townsend – who was raised in Auckland, but now lives in Wellington as an openly gay and happily married man – is sharing his name because he knows it will get the sect’s attention.

He wants current members – including loved ones he fears are “brainwashed” – to learn what he did: the movement is traced to 1897 and an Irish evangelical named William Irvine, not to Jesus himself.

“What’s hurt [leavers] is the fact that … they lied to us,” he said.

“That has been the real mindf…”

It took Damian Townsend years to understand what he experienced was abuse. He never went to police.
MONIQUE FORD / THE POST

He is also hurt by how the sect’s teachings warp peoples’ views of love. His mum says she loves him as a person, “but she says, ‘we absolutely abhor your lifestyle’”, he said.

“I’ve never got the word out of my head. Abhor… it means disgust and hatred.”

When he was about 10 years old, Townsend was sexually abused twice by a family friend, while his caregivers were in another room.

The perpetrator had “professed”, meaning he was an official member of the sect, and did it so casually Townsend wonders how many other victims there could be.

It took Townsend years to understand what he experienced was abuse. He never went to police.

After leaving, he realised how unsafe he and other children had been around certain sect members.

A now-deceased family member, related through marriage,was a known paedophile, he said. Yet, he continued to go to meetings and other peoples’ homes.

Townsend was warned to stay away from the “handsy” man and never be alone with him. It felt like his responsibility to keep himself safe.

He said it made the lines of what was acceptable behaviour blurry.

Some leavers describe the group as similar to Gloriavale, but without the commune.
SUNGMI KIM / STUFF

He and four other leavers – living in Christchurch and Waikato, who spoke to The Press under the condition of anonymity – experienced sexual and spiritual abuse, and domestic violence in the sect.

They believe the sect’s strict doctrine of blind faith and forgiveness means the group will never be truly held accountable – or all abusers identified – without intervention by the authorities.

Although they say police have investigated individual reports of abuse, a NZ Police spokesperson said it was unaware of complaints regarding the group itself. They encouraged people with concerns to let them know.

Jillian Hishon, a victims advocate and former sect member who runs the confidential hotline The Brave Truth, says about 20% of the more than 150 perpetrators reported to her were from New Zealand.

Many victims had overlapping perpetrators, and it wasn’t uncommon for victims to have more than one abuser.

“They [abusers] know how to groom. How to pick the victims,” said.

Wayne Dean, the current overseer and spokesperson for the sect in New Zealand, said he was unavailable for comment on Friday.

He has previously told RNZ that known abusers were not welcome in group meetings, and workers were now police vetted and trained in keeping children safe.

Leavers are sceptical abusers will be held accountable.

A Christchurch leaver said there is a huge power imbalance between workers, leadership and members. Within families, women were subservient.

The leavers – all of which come from families who have been in the sect for generations – say current members will deeply fear becoming a social outcast to the only friends and family they have.

They started a peer support group called Surviving The Truth 2×2 on Facebook, and want people who have left to know they aren’t alone.

Where to get help for sexual violence

Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00, click link for local helplines.

Safe to Talk 0800 044 334, text 4334, webchat safetotalk.nz or email support@safetotalk.nz.

Victim Support 0800 842 846

The Harbour Online support and information for people affected by sexual abuse.

Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843 (females only)

Male Survivors Aotearoa Helplines across NZ, click to find out more (males only).

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.

Support for leavers of the Two by Twos

Surviving The Truth 2×2 Peer support group for leavers of 2×2.

The Brave Truth Australia and New Zealand hotline for those abused within the 2×2 sect.

http://abc.net.au/news/two-by-two-sect-survivors-waiting-for-compensation/103868134

Survivors of secretive Two by Two sect waiting to access National Redress Scheme

By Tobi Loftus

Laura McConnell-Conti (left) says she started experiencing groping and other abuses at the age of 12. (Supplied: Laura McConnell-Conti)

• In short: Survivors of the fundamentalist Christian sect known as the Two by Twos or The Truth say they are stuck in limbo waiting for the group to join a compensation scheme for victims.
• The sect says it intends to participate in the scheme and has signed an agreement.
• What’s next? The sect is holding what they call special meetings across several states this month and next where followers gather for bible study.

Survivors of a fundamentalist Christian sect at the centre of an international child sexual abuse investigation say they are stuck in limbo waiting for the group to sign up to a national compensation scheme for victims. 

Warning: Readers are advised this article contains details that may be distressing to some readers.

The sect does not have an official name but is referred to by believers as the Truth or the Way, or by non-believers as the Two by Twos, or the Church with No Name.

Laura McConnell-Conti grew up in the sect in regional New South Wales and left in 1999 when she was 19.

For years she has been actively campaigning for the group to become a part of the federal government’s National Redress Scheme, set up in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

“I experienced grooming and abuse inside the group, and a lot of other abuses, violence, and family violence,” she said.

Laura McConnell-Conti (right) left what she calls a cult when she was 19. (Supplied: Laura McConnell-Conti)

Sexual assault support lines:

• 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
• Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
• Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
• Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817
• Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578

Believers follow a strict interpretation of the Bible and meet in people’s homes for Bible study, with the group’s ministers, known as workers, moving between different cities and countries where followers are based.

In Australia, a hotline set up for victims of sexual abuse has received reports from more than 100 victims, alleging abuse from about 150 perpetrators.

The sect is now under a global investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in the United States for historical cases of child sexual abuse.

The ABC can reveal the sect is also set to host special meetings in at least seven state schools across Queensland.

The meetings will be held outside school hours, but it has raised concerns among survivors about the possibility of having alleged perpetrators on school grounds.

Closure needed for victims

Ms McConnell-Conti and several other survivors to whom the ABC has spoken refer to the group as a cult because of what they say was emotional, spiritual, and physical control they experienced while a part of it.

She said she was 12 when she started to experience grooming and “inappropriate sexualised behaviour”.

Two of the perpetrators, who have since died, were ministers, known as workers.

“For me, it’s been very hard to get any kind of closure as I couldn’t take them to court,” she said.

“So, I made a submission to the [redress scheme about five years ago] as it was a way for me to get some kind of closure, to get an apology.

“For many, many years, I couldn’t get anyone in The Truth to acknowledge that I existed, that the things that had happened to me were real.”

Laura McConnell-Conti was the fifth generation of her family born into a secretive Christian sect. (Supplied: Laura McConnell-Conti)

As part of the National Redress Scheme, participating groups provide compensation, or redress, to victims.

“For me, it’s been a five-ish year journey to try to get [the Truth] to recognise and accept that they were a religion, that they are a formal church, and to get them to even talk to me, or even recognise abuse was happening in the group,” Ms McConnell-Conti said.

The sect, which has about 8,000 followers in Australia, had intended to join the National Redress Scheme under the name The Non-denominational Christians (The Truth).

This week, Ms McConnell-Conti received confirmation the sect’s application to join the scheme was progressing but with no timeframe on when it would be finalised.

The sect’s Australian leaders Malcolm Clapham, Graeme Dalton, Trevor Joll, Alan Mitchell, and Steve Thorpe said they commenced the process of applying to the scheme in September 2022.

“Our current status is we intend to participate and have signed an agreement,” they said.

“We have been assured this is being processed. However, a significant number of other organisations are also seeking participation, and the scheme’s application processing timeframes are outside our control.

“We have been advised that we are able to join as a partially participating institution and not been informed of any impediments to joining the scheme.”

The Department of Social Services, which oversees the scheme, would not comment specifically about Two by Two’s application, but a spokesperson said non-government institutions must meet several legislative requirements to join.

These include groups being able to demonstrate they can pay redress, provide a meaningful direct personal response, and have a structure that means they can enter into a legally binding agreement with the scheme.

Ms McConnell-Conti said she was concerned it was the sect’s ability to meet these requirements that was holding up the approvals process.

She said she was aware of at least four other survivors of the sect who had made applications to the redress scheme.

Meetings in schools

Over May and June, sect members are gathering across Queensland, Victoria, and other states for annual special meetings.

The sect will hold several of those meetings at state schools across Queensland.

The special meetings, where followers gather for bible study and lectures, have either taken place or will take place in schools and community halls in towns including Longreach, Chinchilla, Gatton, Rockhampton, Nambour, Mount Warren Park, and Toowoomba.

Meetings are due to take place in state school facilities including Longreach State School, Rockhampton State High School, and Nanango State High School.

Jillian Hishon runs the Brave Truth hotline. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)

Jillian Hishon runs The Brave Truth hotline for survivors of sexual abuse in the sect.

She said she was concerned about the possibility of alleged perpetrators attending these meetings at state schools.

“In Queensland, we have perpetrators that I have reported to the ministers here in Queensland that haven’t been removed from the church,” Ms Hishon said.

“These are alleged perpetrators that have police reports logged on them.

“They’re not going to be there in school times, but [the Education Department is] allowing a group that is under current FBI investigation to attend their grounds. It is up to them, but it is not ideal.”

Multi-day conventions are held at rural properties like this one near Mackay. (Supplied)

A spokesperson for Queensland’s Department of Education said there was “no higher priority … than the safety and wellbeing of students”.

They said it was an “established and successful” practice for school facilities to be hired out outside of school hours “with appropriate controls in place”.

“A principal will consider applications for community use agreements made by organisations and individuals,” the spokesperson said.

The sect’s leaders said child safety was “paramount” at all special meetings including at public schools.

“We have conducted thorough risk assessments and put measures in place including vetting attendees, assigning specific workers to address any child safety issues, and encouraging parents to keep children in sight,” they said.

Believers meet annually at convention sites like this one to pray and learn about the sect’s beliefs. (Supplied)

Perpetrators at conventions

Alongside special meetings, the sect runs what it calls conventions.

These are longer multi-day events where followers stay in dormitories and are often held at rural properties across Australia owned by followers.

They have been attended by figures linked to historic child sexual abuse in the past, including Dean Bruer.

Mr Bruer was an overseer, or senior leader, of the sect in the US state of Oregon.

Widespread allegations of child sexual abuse committed by him came to light after his death in 2022 and led to the establishment of the group Advocates for The Truth in the US.

Documents seen by the ABC reveal Mr Bruer attended conventions as a guest in Toowoomba and the Fraser Coast, as well as sites in New South Wales in 2007, 2016, and 2017.

Dean Bruer was pictured with New South Wales-based workers for the Two by Twos during a 2017 visit to Australia. (Supplied)

Ms Hishon said Mr Bruer’s attendance at Australian events was “concerning”.

“I don’t have any reports on any abuse that Dean Bruer allegedly committed when he was in Australia,” she said.

“But we know there are other alleged paedophiles that have attended in Australia and New Zealand as well that have come from overseas and travelled around.”

The sect’s Australian leaders said they were “shocked and appalled” to learn of the allegations against Mr Bruer.

“No allegations have been made to the fellowship about Dean Bruer here in Australia, and we were unaware of any allegations against him internationally when he visited here in 2007 and 2016 for a period of up to 10 weeks on each occasion,” they said.

Convention attendees sleep together in dormitories. (Supplied)

They said they vetted convention attendees, including international visitors, had designated child-safe contacts, and had “clear procedures” for incidents now to ensure safety at conventions.

“We have specific safety measures for sleeping quarters, we allocate jobs with safety at the heart of our considerations, have clear signage, and closely manage attendee interactions,” they said.

“We have clearly communicated our zero-tolerance policy for harm against anyone in our fellowship.

“As part of our commitment to continual improvement, we have reviewed and improved our plans for this year, to learn from our experiences last year. We have involved key stakeholders in this process.”

The FBI has launched a webpage asking victims of abuse within the Two by Twos to come forward. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)

The FBI launched its investigation into the sect earlier this year and Australian survivors, including Ms McConnell-Conti, have made submissions.

A spokesperson for the FBI told the ABC the bureau encouraged reporting from anyone who thought they might be a victim.

They said this information could be shared with their international partners.

“The FBI, in coordination with our Legal Attaché Offices around the world, routinely shares information and intelligence with our international law enforcement partners in an effort to identify and mitigate a variety of threats,” the spokesperson said.

“This international collaboration is always done with the consent of the host country and in cooperation with the Department of Justice and the US Department of State.”

Related Story

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-28/fbi-investigating-historical-sex-abuse-claims-against-two-by-two/103767698

WINGS Note: Dr Natalie Bolin, a co-author of this letter, is an Executive Director at Advocates For The Truth

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May 12, 2024

Dear Friends and Workers,

First, we apologize in advance as this letter may be overwhelming with information/topics that you may or may not be aware of. It is a long letter, and yet barely scratches the surface. The intent is to bring awareness and education (resources at the end of this letter) to the worldwide Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) crisis within our fellowship. We ask that you read this letter in its entirety as we want to make very clear our stance about this situation. We know that many have not been made aware of the volume and depth of information that has come to light, and we feel it is important to communicate the basic facts and themes of conversations we are having with survivors and friends nationally and internationally. However, this letter cannot fully capture or relate the complexity of the situation. There are uncomfortable truths that must be acknowledged, discussed, and addressed so that our fellowship can begin to heal. People are not ok.

We wanted to include a brief synopsis of the current situation beginning with the exposure of Dean Bruer here, but there is no way to be brief about all that has come to light. If you are unaware of the details of the current crisis you can click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ax6ma_0utHpMTfFz0EkkOuaAAawVT6_6nY8sAKSqWrw/edit

This is a link to a timeline (updated almost daily) of all that has come out since May 23, 2023. There are 23 pages of brief entries that create a timeline of events.

We are now in a worldwide crisis. On February 20, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) opened a national investigation into our church. Opening an FBI investigation is not a snap decision but a process, meaning a preliminary investigation was presented to a Grand Jury in Washington DC. Through the evidence produced by that preliminary investigation, the Grand Jury decided that there was enough evidence of criminal behavior for federal funds to be dedicated to opening a hotline, along with multiple field agencies dedicating resources to furthering this large-scale investigation that unfortunately now spreads internationally. Just in the past two weeks, the names of 5 workers having credible allegations of child sexual abuse have been brought to light, bringing the total number of identified perpetrators to approximately 840 (40% of these are/were workers) within our fellowship. There are over 22 countries with survivors reaching out for care.

Since the AFTT investigator hotline was established last year, the average number of perpetrators being reported is over 2 perpetrators per day. Statistically according to criminal justice researchers, the average perpetrator has [number redacted, pending verification] victims, so within our fellowship that would project to be an astounding number of victims (the vast majority never report their abuse). Even if no more perpetrators were identified in our fellowship to add to the victim number, today there are likely over [number redacted, pending verification] victims (some still attending meetings while others have left, and some now deceased) that were abused from within our fellowship. Additionally, each week more and more evidence is brought to light that every single overseer in our ministry has had knowledge of perpetrators and/or deliberately and knowingly moved multiple perpetrators around the states and world to protect perpetrators and conceal abuse. This has enabled perpetrators to sexually abuse more and more children. The systematic cover-up of these crimes, and the fact that brother workers and overseers “handled” these situations by moving perpetrators from one area to another with no communication to notify families of the risk they were allowing into their homes is what has led to the sense of betrayal that many of us are feeling and makes this so infuriating. For those in authority to say “we didn’t know how serious CSA and its aftereffects on victims is” is both disingenuous and ridiculous – anyone with any sense of morality knows that crimes against children are heinous and criminal – ignorance is no excuse. If they did not think it was serious, then why were perpetrators moved?!?

In addition to the astounding number of perpetrators in our fellowship, there is a continuing focus on including them in fellowship meetings without any regard for survivors who may also be attending the meeting. Expecting a survivor to have any interactions with a perpetrator or individual with credible allegations in meetings, usually with a denial that any abuse occurred at all (or worse yet, that since the abuse happened years ago it is not relevant), is inexcusable. It is very traumatizing for any survivor to be in meeting with a perpetrator and we must take a zero- tolerance stance.

Statistically 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18 years old. So, the probability of having survivors in every fellowship meeting is high. 90% of children that are sexually abused know their abuser and the abuser is usually trusted by the family. In light of these statistics, the effort that is being put into keeping perpetrators in meeting, without full disclosure, thereby putting our young people at risk, is mind boggling.

One of the friends recently questioned why the potential redemptive story of these individuals, who have committed such atrocities, is so important to this ministry? It is a very fair question. Yes, all souls are of immeasurable value, yet does that mean that the souls of these individuals are of more importance or of more value than that of those whose innocence they stole? To not address the issues in a transparent manner, and to not hold a zero-tolerance stance facilitates perpetrator access to additional victims. It pushes the souls of victims farther away from the community they should be receiving communal care from. Imagine if we put that same type of effort into making meetings safe for survivors and supporting their healing!

Are perpetrators more important than the many families, both young and old, that are leaving this fellowship in droves? Can we have a conversation about the large number of families that are reported to have left our fellowship in AZ primarily because the ministry refuses to take a zero- tolerance stance on allowing perpetrators in fellowship meetings? If Arizona is too far away, perhaps we can discuss the families that have left here in CA (we personally know many of them)? No, what we are hearing, though perhaps not directly but rather through worker’s parts in meetings or communications, is that those leaving are “bitter”, that they were “dead wood”, or that this is the great “falling away” that we read about in the Bible. In reality, they are leaving because of an unresponsive ministry that has chosen to circle the wagons and maintain the status quo and continue to protect perpetrators and not acknowledge and deal with the current crisis – bitterness and hardness of heart have nothing to do with it.

Another refrain we often hear is “just stay off the internet” which frankly is an outdated response because of the times we live in and how information is now shared. Most workers have both a computer and a smart phone. Telling people to stay off the internet is equivalent to telling them to not listen to the news during a war or not search up the weather forecast or doppler radar during a tornado warning in a bad storm. When people do learn of even the basic details and magnitude of this crisis within our fellowship, they are taken aback, shocked, and angry that this is not being discussed openly. No communication is in and of itself communication. Lack of communication by those who call themselves shepherds of the sheep just deepens the feeling that secrets are being kept. For those who do know what is happening it deepens the sense of betrayal and loss of trust. We cannot keep putting our heads in the sand and pretend that “all is well.”

If we don’t address the past, it will repeat itself in the future (which has been true in this fellowship). We have received reports of worker abuse going back over 100 years (family members reporting abuse of loved ones that have already passed away). We have survivors in their 90’s that have reported for the first time in their life! Imagine carrying those wounds around your whole life!!! Reporting is the first step to healing, and it is tragic that so many haven’t felt safe enough to speak out until now and finally begin their healing journey.

When we received the e-mail asking whether we were open to having workers stay in our home during special meetings, it hit us like a ton of bricks. The unfortunate reality is that we now must question if workers have allegations before agreeing to have them stay with us or welcome them into our home, as we cannot trust that such individuals have been removed. This is a huge problem.

We keep holding on to hope that we will begin to see increased awareness and strengthening of purpose to address this massive crisis through implementation of CSA/trauma training (beyond Ministry Safe which just scratches the surface) and listening sessions/elders/wives’ meetings to help support one another as more and more information comes out. We are hopeful that at very least a discussion amongst all the worker staff occurred during the workers’ meeting at Casa Grande, AZ. Can someone tell us if there was any discussion amongst the staff about this massive worldwide crisis? Was there discussion about how to come together as a ministry to support the countless survivors and their families including adopting and truly adhering to a zero-tolerance policy regarding alleged and confirmed perpetrators? If there was a discussion, we would love to know about the outcomes, what was shared, and what the action plan is.

We have been waiting over a year for meaningful, substantive change to even begin.

Instead, we keep hearing that workers here at home and across the U.S. are telling people “It’s time to move on” or provide the dismissive “they are bitter/hard” rationale for any who are struggling or who have left. Do you understand how triggering this is for survivors to hear? Many survivors report that while being abused, threats were made to them to not tell anyone and that no one would believe them anyways even if they did. By saying “It’s time to move on” or “they are just bitter/hard”, this echoes the voice of abusers and further victimizes survivors as they continue to struggle with the eternal wounds of abuse, and reinforces that they indeed are not being believed. The average age for disclosure of child sexual assault is 52 years of age, and 86% of CSA goes unreported. The result in our faith is a long list of survivors, spanning generations, with intense trauma histories being shamed and silenced.

For the sake of our survivors, our young people, and the sake of the ministry, we cannot continue to address CSA in the same manner the ministry has become accustomed to. Those in authority (brother workers/overseers, and sister workers at their direction) that have made, and continue to make, damaging decisions about perpetrators are still in positions of authority and their actions (or inaction) continues to push souls away. Unfortunately, the current action/inaction of the ministry makes it appear that the intention of the ministry is to continue down the same path it has for 100+ years.

We have made the difficult decision to no longer have an open home for the ministry. We love and plan to continue having a fellowship meeting in our home, however, we will not be attending Gospel meetings, special meetings, or conventions. We cannot in good conscience support the ministry with our presence, nor financially support the current ministry as they continue to not address the crisis at hand; instead we will help fund survivor treatment and care. We firmly stand with our survivors and do not believe perpetrators should be allowed in fellowship meetings.

This is why we both did not attend Special Meetings this year, along with many others. Attendance of Gospel meetings and special meetings gives a false impression that everything and everyone is ok. Does this mean we feel all in the ministry are to blame? No, not at all. We love and continue to pray for those honest hearts in the ministry who have been a spiritual help to us and our families in the past. We hurt for those in the ministry who feel grieved and yet are unable to take a stand in this crisis that would be contrary to the stance of those that are in authority for fear of losing their place in the work for speaking up for survivors. Our trust has been betrayed by those leading the ministry not just in our region, but throughout the states as we are one fellowship looking to one ministry.

We do not agree with how the ministry is handling this crisis.

If any are interested in further conversation regarding the contents of this letter, or discussing strategies the ministry could use to address this crisis, or references regarding any data in this letter, please feel free to contact us.

With much love and concern,

Ben Bolin, School Psychologist and Dr. Natalie Bolin, DSW, LCSW

[Phone numbers redacted by WINGS]

Book Recommendations:

1. Tear Down This Wall of Silence: Dealing with Sexual Abuse in Our Churches by Dale Ingraham.

2. Predators: Pedophiles, Rapist and Other Sex Offenders by Dr. Anna Salter *this is a very difficult book to read-trigger warning.

3. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk

4. Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Dr. Diane Langberg

5. A Church Called TOV: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer

Website Links (information is verified):

Wings for Truth- www.wingsfortruth.info

Advocates For The Truth (AFTT)- www.advocatesforthetruth.com

Connected and Concerned Friends (chat app by invitation): https://connected-and-concerned-friends.mn.co/share/CkJfGykaM-yAtRZj

Here are a few links to some of the media coverage:

January 2024

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66449988.amp

February 2024

1. FBI: https://forms.fbi.gov/2×2

2. Vice- https://www.vice.com/en/article/88x7zp/fbi-investigating-an-insular-nameless-religious-group-undergoing-sexual-abuse-reckoning

3. BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68361054

4. Media from Daily Dot in regards to Scott Rausher https://www.dailydot.com/news/church-leader-likes-facebook-archie-content/  

April 2024

1. New Zealand RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018935415/secret-sect-investigated-over-historical-sexual-abuse  

2. Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan Newspaper Article: https://www.yankton.net/community/article_c8ba7a62-febf-11ee-a2ac-37fecd43f35d.html  or can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m5fEsIfJSeSWwTHiSeYXu7_yoTcC4yYHKraHsOin1oc/edit

3. FBI investigating Two by Twos for historical child sexual abuse claims, including in Australia- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-28/fbi-investigating-historical-sex-abuse-claims-against-two -by-two/103767698

Waupaca County State of Wisconsin vs. Evan Q Byers

This case has not been concluded. Unless a judgment of conviction is entered, the defendant is presumed innocent of all charges.

Evan Byers was in the work in Wisconsin 1994-2001. He married in 2003.

He faces three counts relating to 2000-2001:

• Repeated Sexual Assault of Same Child (3 or more 1st degree acts)
• 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of Child
• Child Enticement-Sexual Contact

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10.30 am May 10, 2024.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/515427/sect-leaders-tried-for-three-years-to-get-member-to-admit-guilt-victim

Amy Williams, Journalist 7:33 am on 29 April 2024 

Warning: This story discusses details of sexual abuse

A New Zealand woman who as a child was sexually abused by a member of a secretive sect under investigation by the FBI says the religious group’s leaders spent three years trying to get the man to admit his guilt before advising her to go to the police.

The man was found guilty at trial in 2017 for abuse that began in the 1990s, spent time in jail, was placed on the sex offender register and has since left the nameless sect.

The sect has apologised to any victims for its mishandling of abuse in the past, and said it encourages its people to report abuse to police. 

Natalie*, who is now in her 40s, said the abuse was crippling and she lived with chronic illness.

She grew up in the sect, and her abuser was also part of the religious group with no name.

The abuse started when she was 12 years old and at 17 she ran away from home to escape the regular visitor.

By the time she disclosed the abuse to her parents, Natalie was an adult with children of her own.

“It wasn’t until after I disclosed, they all just went, ‘Oh we see it now’,” she said.

“It’s taught … it’s there from the moment you’re born the way things are, the world is unsafe out there but within the fold it’s safe and nobody would harm a child in there because they’re living by the Bible.”

The sect has 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, meets in homes and has no property, nor an official name – but is commonly known as Two by Twos or The Truth.

Its itinerant ministers, called Workers, travel in pairs and stay in members’ homes – the sect says these ministers are now police-vetted and trained in keeping children safe.

Natalie said when she disclosed the abuse more than 10 years ago, the sect’s leaders spent years trying to resolve the matter in-house.

“They got involved and for three years there was quite a bit of backwards and forwards, with him denying any wrongdoing. They’d gotten to the point where they said, ‘We can’t do any more; he’s refusing help.’

“They said, ‘There’s not much more we can do until you go to the police.’ “

She reported the abuse to the police and the man was eventually found guilty and jailed.

But she said a “purity” culture based on a patriarchal structure meant her immediate family was treated badly by some of the sect’s ministers.

“They’ve had Workers come into their home that won’t look at them, won’t talk to them because of what I’ve done to this ‘innocent’ man. Even if you’re still in the church it will cost you dearly to speak out or have somebody else speak out.”

The sect has been active in New Zealand for more than a century. Spokesperson Wayne Dean said they are a group of people with a common belief in the fundamental teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, and their statement of beliefs were based on the gospel of Matthew.

“We seek to live a quiet and peaceful life amongst our fellow men, hoping to show a good example of Christian living,” he said in an email.

Dean had confirmed police in New Zealand were investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse and the group was aware of 14 cases of allegations against members.

“When a complaint of historical sexual abuse is brought to our attention, we encourage the victim/survivor to report it to the police – the incident is dealt with as required by the law and the alleged offender is stood down from attending any meetings pending investigations.”

The group took every complaint seriously, Dean said.

“Unfortunately, there have been some amongst us that have given in to the desires of their sinful nature and in darkness and secrecy have abused the innocent. Like the rest of society, we are appalled by this and would never condone such behaviour.”

Jillian Hishon runs a hotline for people linked to the sect to report abuse. 

Australian victim advocate Jillian Hishon ran a hotline for people linked to the sect to report abuse and said RNZ’s stories had helped more New Zealanders to come forward in the past week.

She was concerned the sect was not doing enough to prevent abuse and help people report historic or ongoing abuse.

“This is something that every single Worker should be banging a drum about.

“In my opinion, they should have just stopped all their meetings and conventions and everything, and sorted all this out and … put across [to] people that they were serious about clearing this up. They’re not doing that.”

A current insider – who RNZ has agreed not to identify – was also concerned about how the sect’s was responding to cases of historic abuse – specifically the lack of information for members and still allowing ministers to stay in homes with children.

“If we’re going to have lasting change among us it has to be influenced from inside and outside. If I leave, I don’t have as much clout…so I haven’t left for that reason. There are things in our way that are really good and there are things in our way that have to change.”

Natalie said she believed things could have been different, had her family and abuser not been in the sect.

“If I hadn’t have been in the church it may have been quite different, the disclosure, the way I handled it. Who was going to believe me – that a professing man would do that?”

* Former members spoke to RNZ on condition of anonymity – names have been changed

Where to get help:

• NZ Police
• Victim Support 0800 842 846
• Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
• Rape Prevention Education
• Empowerment Trust
• HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 – push 0 at the menu
• Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour 0800044334
• Male Survivors Aotearoa
• Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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WINGS Note: This report relates to previous WINGS posts:

Eric Walter Smith – Nelson, New Zealand: convicted of 12 child abuse charges

Victim Impact Statement (Eric Smith, Nelson NZ)

Overseer Wayne Dean recently told the media “the church encouraged any victims of historical sexual abuse to go to the police”. In this case the victim relived the abuse while reporting to the police and relived it again through a lengthy jury trial at an enormous cost to her own wellbeing.

After all this the workers have still not publicly backed the Court verdict. Accordingly, a number of friends in the area continue to cast aspersions on the victim, despite the Court verdicts.

Religious sect’s public meetings upset former member

https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350261275/religious-sects-public-meetings-upset-former-member

Alecia Rousseau May 1, 2024

The group meets twice a week in the hall at the Senior Citizens Association.
WARWICK SMITH / MANAWATŪ STANDARD

A former member of a sect operating under “secrecy and control” is appalled they are holding public meetings at community facilities.

The man, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, said he was shocked when he received an invitation in his Palmerston North mailbox from the church known as the Two by Twos or The Truth.

The group had been operating in New Zealand and overseas for many years, and RNZ recently revealed former church members were being investigated by the FBI for historical sexual offences.

A spokesperson for the sect acknowledged there had been harm caused in the past, but said they were now getting “behind the 8 ball” and putting protocols in place to keep people safe.

The former member, who was originally from Dannevirke, made a “public stand” and joined the group more than 30 years ago.

He was eventually ex-communicated but his parents remained in the non-denominational Christian group.

“I got involved in social credit politics and they didn’t like this, so I had to chose … I got kicked out.”

He said as a result his relationship with his mother and father completely broke down.

He was trespassed from seeing his mum, and when his father died he had no say in his burial or funeral arrangements.

“You wouldn’t believe what they did to my Mum … I can’t even talk about it.

“They didn’t even speak Dad’s name at his funeral.”

He said the group’s principles were close to that of Exclusive Brethren’s and the religion was secretive, isolated and “very controlling”.

“They get you along to these meetings and after a few they take you aside and ask if you want to join.

“Then you’re clinched.”

He said once you took a public stand you were asked to live by a new set of rules.

“Woman can’t cut their hair, there is no association with others outside the sect … no television.

“My dear Mum and her neighbour were good friends, but she wasn’t allowed contact as they are considered worldlings or dirty.”

The group was gathering twice a week at the Senior Citizens Association, and he said it was not an appropriate venue for the public meetings.

“That’s what gets me, it’s where the elderly meet … they are more likely to be convinced by them [to join].”

A spokesperson for the association, however, said the venue was hired exclusively by the group and none of its members were on site at the time.

The former member said he went to several house meetings where two pastors would teach the word of God and stay in members’ homes.

He never witnessed any sexual abuse, but said if a child “interrupted the word of God [during a house meeting] they got taken outside for a whack”.

Debbie Chamberlain, a minister for group, confirmed they were holding meetings at the Senior Citizens Association hall.

The invitation said the gatherings were held to “awaken a deeper interest” in God and the Bible, and to help unbelievers find faith.

Chamberlain said she was sorry to those who had experienced harm in the past and although she did not know the former member and his parents personally, it was likely his story was true.

But, they had made changes to the way they operated, and she said rather than controlling and coercive, they looked to Jesus to guide them.

They had “values” they lived by, and each meeting involved her and another minister preaching while people sat and listened.

“We have no affiliation to a church … we just want people to get to know Jesus.”

A fellowship group also met in homes on a Sunday morning, and there were weekly Bible studies.

“We hope the spirit is leading people to live a simple life.”

She acknowledged the people who had been hurt, and said she hoped they were able to find peace.

A police media spokesperson said they were not aware of any complaints regarding the group or its meetings, “but would encourage anyone who may have concerns to let us know”.

https://www.yankton.net/community/article_c8ba7a62-febf-11ee-a2ac-37fecd43f35d.html

FBI Is Seeking Possible Abuse Victims From Elusive Church Group
By Cora Van Olson news@yankton.net
Apr 19, 2024

An isolationist “Church With No Name” is making a name for itself in law enforcement circles as individuals continue to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by its members and elders.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Omaha, Nebraska, field office requested the public’s assistance in identifying potential child victims of a religious group with no o!cial name, referred to by outsiders as “2×2,” “The Way,” “The Truth” and “The Church With No Name,” according to a press release issued in February.

Victims are being sought in the Midwest region including South Dakota.

The Press & Dakotan contacted the FBI for comment but was told that it does not issue statements on ongoing investigations.

The group is active in Nebraska and other states as well as internationally — and also in the Yankton area.

Cynthia Liles, a private investigator based in Oregon, has also been investigating allegations against the sect and is working with FBI investigators.

Liles told the Press & Dakotan that a couple of survivors have reported abuse occurring in South Dakota. Liles was also able to confirm that there is a farm in rural Utica that hosts an annual 2×2 convention, though, to her knowledge, no victim reports have been made in connection with that location.

A P.I. TAKES UP THE CASE

Liles’ investigative scope includes child sex abuse cases against institutions of trust, including Boy Scouts of America, the Catholic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) or Mormon church and various schools, she said.

Ironically, Liles is a former member of the 2×2 group.

“So, I was helping a couple of women who were abused as children that had been abused by ministers in this church that I grew up in,” Liles said. “Then the scandal broke, and I started a hotline on my phone in March of 2023, and then it’s been a deluge ever since.”

The scandal Liles refers to began with the death of a highly respected 2×2 member, former Overseer Dean Bruer, who was found dead of natural causes in a Best Western hotel room in Government Camp, Oregon, in June 2022.

Ministers of the church are expected to maintain their celibacy and are itinerant, traveling in pairs — hence the name 2×2 — from one member’s home to another’s, Liles said.

“These ministers stay in people’s homes and they’re homeless,” she said. “Bruer died in a hotel room, which was quite unusual for a minister to be staying in a hotel room.”

In addition to housing its ministers, the group keeps to itself and teaches against exposure to television, which made the location of Bruer’s death shocking to many in the sect.

A letter sent to the sect’s elders in Oregon by Bruer’s successor, Overseer Doyle Smith, in March 2023, caused many survivors alleging sexual abuse by Bruer and others in the church to come forward.

There were so many allegations that Liles set up nonprofit Advocates for the Truth (AFTT) to help the survivors report and recover from 2×2 sexual abuse, she said.

A LETTER FROM THE LEADERSHIP

According to the letter, which has been posted online by survivor groups, Smith said that recent evidence had surfaced that Bruer had been a sexual predator.

“We never respect or defend such totally inappropriate behavior among us,” Smith said. “There is a very united consensus among us that the only thing to do is to be transparent with all of you for obvious reasons, though this is very difficult. We are very sorry for the hurt this will bring to the hearts of many. Thankfully, he is no longer in a position to hurt anyone.”

The letter went on to say that Bruer’s personal records showed that he had a Best Western Hotel preferred customer account and spent a considerable amount of time and money in motels.

“The receipts often included ‘two guests,’” Smith said. “Victims have come forward, and there was very confirming and incriminating evidence found on his computer and phone.

“His actions include rape and abuse of underage victims. He totally abused his authority as an overseer in order to control, manipulate and threaten his victims. We are strongly recommending our staff look at the Ministry Safe Program and possibly other venues that help understand, recognize and prevent such problems.”

Liles said she asked callers what exactly angered them about the situation.

“It was the fact that (the group) waited so long to let people know,” she said. “And, this is the MO of the church in any regard, but with this situation the email and letter went out to elders in Oregon and instructed the elders to either read it to the people meeting with them, or print it and show it to people but (to take the letter back), and they did that. They weren’t actually supposed to hand it out to anyone. That upset people, too.”

THE INVESTIGATION

The 2×2 sect included approximately 200,000-250,000 members at its height. In 2023 Liles’ organization estimated 2×2 membership at around 75,000 — and continues to diminish. The largest congregations are in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

“We’re working with survivors from 30 countries now. So, it is all over the world,” Liles said, noting that the number of perpetrators being investigated has exceeded 800. “Also, if a pedophile was caught in the States or Canada, (the church) would ship them o” to some of these other countries.”

Homegrown congregations in other countries, including India and South Africa, are also discovering that many of their native ministers are pedophiles, she said.

“Most of these perpetrators have multiple allegations against them,” Liles said. “Almost all of the perps reported to us the ministry knew about, because people inform the leadership instead of law enforcement.”

The oldest living survivor that has come forward so far is a 95-year-old woman who was abused by a 2×2 minister when she was 5 years old, Liles said.

Many of the victims that contacted Liles have also contacted the FBI, which has been working behind the scenes since May of last year, she said.

“I got a call from an agent in California. I talked to a homeland security person from Montana and I was
contacted by an FBI agent in Nebraska,” Liles said. “He was very interested in the case and he subpoenaed all of my documentation and agents came to my home in July for two days and went through everything.”

Liles, who forwards perpetrator information she gathers to the FBI, said 2×2 leadership has addressed allegations internally, often with the perpetrator or victim making an apology, and has not involved police.

A SURVIVOR

One survivor contacted the Press & Dakotan about her experience. Her real name is not being used in this article. “Jane Jones” was growing up in Rapid City when the abuse occurred. She said the abuse began when she was 12 and ended three years later. The abuser was married and approximately 30 years old at the time. They met through the group’s religious ceremonies or “Meeting,” and he and his wife became babysitters for Jane and her siblings when the parents were out of town, she said.

“Everybody knew he had this obsession with me,” Jane said. “One time, somebody was looking for me and asked his wife, ‘Do you know where (your husband) is?’ And she said, ‘Well, go find Jane. That’s where he’ll be.”

Rather than being scared of her abuser, Jane was groomed to enjoy the attention and believed they had a special relationship, she said.

The abuse ended when the wife found inappropriate emails from her husband to Jane and also to another underage girl, Jane said.

“I found out she knew, so I called her at age 15 bawling hysterically and apologized to her,” Jane said. “All she said to me was, ‘He should have known better.’ It was never spoken of again.”

Jane said her abuser and his wife went on to become foster parents and also adopted a young girl. Ultimately, he became an elder of the 2×2 group.

As an adult, Jane entered therapy and began to understand that these events were not her fault. Though the statute of limitations had expired, the therapist encouraged Jane to reach out to the sect’s leaders about putting a stop to any more abuse by this man, she said.

Because there continues to be foster children in the couple’s home, the therapist filed a report with the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS). Representatives of DSS responded that the claims were unsubstantiated and took no action, Jane said.

It is unclear if DSS investigated the allegation.

However, the group’s elders agreed to keep the man from attending meetings and from holding them in his home, but they never shared that information with other decision makers in the sect, Jane said.

She said she monitors the situation continuously to ensure he is never in a position to exploit other children. In the process, she has found church hierarchy uncommunicative because of their fear of being quoted in an online or public forum, she said.

“I emailed them back, and I said, ‘That’s really disappointing, that your fear of the internet took precedence over the care of survivors,’” Jane said. “You should be able to stand behind
your word, no matter where it gets posted. And then I never heard back.”

She has since broken with the church but continues to keep tabs on her abuser.

Liles said the investigation is ongoing but faces a lot of resistance from the church itself, which has no formal structure, does not file with the government and hides its money.

“(It’s) a secret sect that has covered up child sex abuse for over 100 years, for its entire existence,” she said. “They’ve done nothing for the survivors. They still are doing nothing for the survivors, and it’s an institution you can’t sue because they’re under the radar.”

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Advocates for the Truth can be reached through its website at http://www.advocatesforthetruth.com.

Anyone who believes they or their children have been victimized by individuals associated with the 2×2 group or who has information relevant to the FBI’s investigation is asked to visit, http://www.fbi.gov/2×2 or call the FBI Omaha field office at 402-493-8688.

Parents can report abuse or criminal behavior against their children by this group at https://forms.fbi.gov/2×2, and also receive educational information and resource references for families addressing this issue.

WINGS Note: The authors are all meeting participants. They fear backlash from writing this. It has been sent to all Australian overseers.

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29th April 2024

Recently, the overseer of Qld issued a statement regarding a worker who has allegations of inappropriate behaviours with children.

Unfortunately, the overseer’s statement contains misinformation. The statement was published on his behalf via workers in regional areas and then through unwitting Elders to the general fellowship. The overseer has refused to respond to many emailed communications to him from members of the church regarding this matter, therefore we felt that a public response was our only choice to make it known that there are inconsistencies in his statement.

We, the families of some of the victims, would like to correct the misrepresentations. Our information has been obtained from correspondence and a face-to-face meeting with the Detective Senior Constable from the Queensland Police Child Abuse and Sexual Crimes Group.

For those who have ongoing concerns regarding the worker’s alleged behaviour, we hope the following information helps provide clarity.

The overseer’s full statement read:

This is to inform everyone that for the second time XXXXX XXXXX has been investigated by the police and thoroughly so, without any charges being laid and the investigation is to proceed no further. None of the allegations made against XXXXX have been substantiated or confirmed and there is no credible evidence that he has ever harmed a child. So we don’t have any reasonable grounds for restricting XXXXX from attending any meetings.

We address the misinformation below:

1 . This is not the second investigation against XXXXX. The current investigation is a continuation of an investigation that began several years prior.

2. The investigation has not been completed.

3. It is correct that no charges have been laid, however it should also be added that this statement is only true up to this point in time.

4. It is misleading to state that the investigation is to proceed no further. The investigation is not closed, it is ongoing. As new information is continued to be obtained, the allegations of harm to children will be continued to be investigated.

5. While it is true that none of the allegations have been “substantiated or confirmed” to any legal standards of proof, the Police have taken all the allegations from children, their families, and the wider community, seriously. According to the police, some allegations clearly fall within the legal definition of causing harm to children. Unfortunately, many victims are unable, or do not wish to come forward, or do not wish to provide evidence in criminal proceedings. The reasons for this are well documented. This does not make their allegations any less credible.

6. The overseer suggests that there is no credible evidence that XXXXX has harmed a child. The police have a number of allegations and witness statements. Some of those statements and evidence do not meet the prosecutorial standard required for a conviction, however each statement helps provide a clear picture of a sustained pattern of behaviour. Regardless of the information collected by the police, there are also multiple witnesses that have brought their accounts before the overseers and workers. Unfortunately, the overseers and workers have not given credence to the victims. Rather, the opposite is true.

7. It is erroneous to suggest there are no reasonable grounds to prevent XXXXX from attending meetings. The statement does not state whether the intention is in private or public places, however, there are reasonable grounds to prevent XXXXX from attending public religious services. It is actually unreasonable for him to attend.

These grounds relate to; the purpose to alleviate the potential risk of harm to children, and the obligation to keep children safe.

These grounds are based on the legal requirements according to QLD law: Failing to take steps to protect children from sexual offenders is an offence.

• A person in a position of power or responsibility within an institution to reduce or remove a known risk of sexual offending against a child by an adult associated with an institution.
• The failure to protect offence applies if you are 18 or older and associated with an institution that has children in its care, supervision or control.
• You know there is a significant risk that another adult also associated with the institution (or who is a regulated volunteer) will commit a sexual offence against a child or children.
• You have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk but wilfully or negligently fail to reduce or remove the risk.

The grounds to exclude XXXXX from meetings is also stipulated within the ‘zero- tolerance’ policy statements written. This policy was and signed personally by all Australian (except WA) and New Zealand overseers, and issued publicly in 2023 

• The correspondence from the overseers’ states that workers will ‘listen’ and ‘believe’ victims who states allegations of child sexual assault.
• The correspondence also says: “There is no place for people who have harmed children in our meetings and conventions; we ask any individual with a history of causing harm, or allegations, or convictions not to attend. This includes public gospel meeting”. 

We would also like to remind overseers that some years ago, when XXXXX was sent to labour in SA, the overseer of SA considered XXXXX’s behaviour around children so disturbing, he removed this worker from the ministry. The SA overseer sent the worker back to Qld on the understanding that he would not be permitted back into the ministry. Unfortunately, and possibly illegally, the worker was allowed back into the ministry by Qld overseers. If the behaviour was considered to be a risk to children then, it should still be considered a risk to children now.

While the statement from the overseer insinuates that the matter is closed, it is not. There is no statute of limitations to report child sexual abuse, therefore victims and their families can still come forward when they are ready. We know that the average time for a victim to disclose child sexual abuse is 23.9 years. Men often take longer to disclose than women. Some victims never disclose.

If you have further information about XXXXX, or any other alleged child sex offences, including grooming, and even if you think it is insignificant, please contact Queensland Police, and more specifically, please contact Child Abuse and Sexual Crimes Group. This also includes reporting those who have failed their legal duty of care to report any possible or alleged breaches.

Please also, consider reporting your story to The Brave Truth Australia & New Zealand, so that your information can be added to their database, and you can receive support and advice. Specific contact details for the Detective in charge can also be obtained from The Brave Truth’, ph 0489 994 566.

Signed,

A group of concerned families and survivors.