YEARS OLD. HE AND HIS WIFE EVENTUALLY LEFT,
BUT NOW HE’S SPEAKING OUT ABOUT
WHAT HE SAYS HE SAW.
>> I DO REMEMBER MY LIFE BEFORE.
WE WERE A RELATIVELY NORMAL
FAMILY THE AT THE TIME.
>> BEN COOPER SAYS HE WAS 7
YEARS OLD WHEN HIS FAMILY JOINED
THE WORD OF FAITH FELLOWSHIP,
LIVING ON THEIR COMPOUND.
>> MY DAD’S MOTHER AND HIS
SISTER WERE ALREADY MEMBERS.
HE BELIEVED WE WERE GOING THERE
FOR HIM TO ATTEND THE BIBLE
SCHOOL THEY HAD.
>> LOCATED IN RURAL NORTH
CAROLINA, THE CHURCH WAS FOUNDED
IN THE 1970s BY A HUSBAND AND
WIFE.
WIFE. >> JEAN IS THE LEADER.
MOST PEOPLE REFER TO HER IN
NAMES LIKE GRANDMOTHER OR MOM OR
GRANDMA JANE.
GRANDMA JANE. EVERYONE CONSIDERS HER TO BE THE
DIRECT VOICE OF GOD.
>> THEY ARE ASPELLING DEMONS
THROUGH BLASTING, WHICH HE
EXPERIENCED AS YOUNG AS 12 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. >> THE WAY IT WAS MOSTLY USED
WAS, AS I WAS GROWING UP, WAS A
A FORM OF PUNISHMENT.
UNINTELLIGIBLE SCREAMING RIGHT
AT YOU, IN YOUR FACE, OFTEN
PUSHED DOWN TO THE FLOOR, BEAT
YOUR BACK WITH THEIR FIST.
IT’S A VIOLENT GROUP EXORCISM
BASICALLY.
BASICALLY. >> OVER THE YEARS, BEN WAS
AFRAID TO LEAVE THE CHURCH.
>> THEY TEACH YOU, FIRST OF ALL,
NO ONE OUT IN THE WORLD CARES
FOR YOU.
FOR YOU. THEY ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO
LOVE YOU AND WANT YOU TO GO TO
HEAVEN.
HEAVEN. >> Reporter: BEN SAYS JANE
ARRANGED A MARRIAGE WHILE THE
COUPLE ATTENDED LAW SCHOOL, THEY
FORMED A PLAN TO START A NEW
LIFE AWAY FROM THE CHURCH.
>> THAT’S REALLY WHEN MY EYES
WERE OPENED AND PROBABLY TOOK ME
SIX MONTHS.
SIX MONTHS. I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH.
THE WAY I’M LIVING IS NOT THE
RIGHT WAY TO LIVE.
>> IN 2014 BEN FINALLY TOLD JANE
THAT HE AND MIKA WERE LEAVING.
>> SHE STARTS SCREAMING AT ME.
YOU WILL GO NOWHERE.
JUST COMPLETELY LOSES IT.
>> BEN IS HERE THIS MORNING WITH
HIS BROTHER JOHN, ANOTHER FORMER
MEMBER OF THE CHURCH.
ALSO WITH US IS AUTHOR OF THE
NEW BOOK "BROKEN FAITH."
GENTLEMEN, GOOD TO SEE A ALL OF
YOU.
YOU. BEN, LET ME START WITH YOU.
YOU DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CHURCH
AND PLAN FOR MONTHS TO DO IT AND
EVENTUALLY YOU DO LEAVE THE
CHURCH.
CHURCH. BUT YOU SAY YOU HAVE SEEN PEOPLE
PHYSICALLY HELD BACK FROM LEAVE
ING THE CHURCH.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
CLEARLY, I REMEMBER DIFFERENT
TIMES GROWING UP WHEN PEOPLE
WOULD LITERALLY BE CHASED
THROUGH THE WOODS AND TACKLED
AND MAN HANDLED AND BROUGHT BACK
TO THE CHURCH.
SURROUNDED BY SECURITY AND
WHOEVER WAS CLOSE TO THEM AT THE
TIME.
TIME. AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A SIGNAL
TO EVERYONE THAT YOU SHOULDN’T
JUST WALK OUT THE DOOR.
>> JOHN, THIS YOUR SITUATION,
YOU LEFT WITH YOUR NOW EX-WIFE
JESSICA.
JESSICA. YOU LEFT WHEN EVERYONE WAS AT
CHURCH SO THEY WOULDN’T KNOW YOU
WERE LEAVING.
WERE LEAVING. YOU SAY THEY MENTALLY HOLD YOU
BACK AS WELL.
A WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE FOCUS
ON THE PHYSICAL SIDE, BUT FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE, IT’S MORE OF A
PSYCHOLOGICAL REASON THAT KEEPS
THEM THERE.
THEM THERE. FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT’S A
RELIGIOUSES A S AASPECT, WHICH T
SCARED OF GOING TO HELL.
THERE’S AN ACT THAT YOUR ENTIRE
LIFE IS BASED THERE.
WHEN I GREW UP THERE, I DIDN’T
KNOW ANYTHING ON THE OUTSIDE.
I DIDN’T KNOW WHO TO CALL.
AND WHEN YOU LEAVE, IT
COMPLETELY HYPE YOU OUT OF
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. YOU LOSE ALL YOUR FRIENDS, ALL
YOUR FAMILY, YOUR JOB, THE ROOF
OVER YOUR HEAD.
IN MY CASE, I WOULD HAVE LOST MY
CAR.
CAR. THEY JUST CONTROLLED EVERY
ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE SO IF YOU
TRY TO GO, YOU HAVE NOTHING.
AND THAT’S REALLY HARD FOR YOU
TO KIND OF MAKE THAT DECISION TO
MAKE THAT BIG STEP.
>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO THIS
BLASTING.
BLASTING. CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT
PRECISELY WHAT IT IS.
DID YOU SUFFER ANY INJURIES AS A
RESULT OF IT?
>> ANYONE WHO GREW UP THERE
SUFFERED INJURIES BECAUSE OF IT.
YOU BASICALLY IT WAS A VIOLENT
GROUP, AND LIKE I SAID, IT WAS
MOSTLY USE EDD AS PUNISHMENT AND
FOR THEM TO, QUOTE, UNQUOTE,
EXPEL THE DEMONS FROM YOU.
YOU WOULD GET CIRCLED IS AND
SCREAMED AT.
SCREAMED AT. PEOPLE WOULD THROW THEIR FIST
INTO YOU, SHOVE YOU TO THE
FLOOR.
FLOOR. IT BECAME AN EXTREMELY VIOLENT
CIRCLE.
CIRCLE. >> WE SHOULD POINT OUT WE REACH
REACHED OUT TO THE WORD OF FAITH
FELLOWSHIP AND THEY
CATEGORICALLY DENY THAT ANY
MEMBERS WERE PREVENTED FROM
LEAVING THE CHURCH.
ALSO SAID, QUOTE, NO INJURIES
HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED DURING OUR
PRAYER.
PRAYER. THAT COMESING FROM FROM THE CHUR
ITSELF.
ITSELF. >> YOU SAY THIS INVOLVED VERY
YOUNG CHILDREN.
YOUNG CHILDREN. >> YEAH, I MEAN, THEY START
BLASTING KIDS WHEN THEY ARE
BABIES.
BABIES. YELLING AT THEM.
IF BABIES ARE CRYING FOR TOO
LONG, THEY WILL SAY, YOU KNOW,
INSTEAD OF THINKING MAYBE THEY
NEED FOOD OR UNCOMFORTABLE, IT’S
THE DEVIL IS POSSESSING THEM.
IT MAYBE ISN’T AS VIOLENT FOR
YOUNG BABIES, BUT BY THE TIME
YOU’RE A YOUNG KID, IT STARTS TO
BECOME MORE PHYSICAL.
>> THE CHURCH SAID NO CHERN WERE
HEIGHT OR FRIGHTENED DURING
THEIR PRAYER.
THEIR PRAYER. WE SHOULD POINT THAT OUT COMING
FROM THE CHURCH.
MITCH, YOU ALL BELIEVABLE THEY
HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH WHEN IT
COMES TO THE ALLEGATIONS OF
CHILD ABUSE.
CHILD ABUSE. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS STOPPING
LAW ENFORCEMENT?
LAW ENFORCEMENT? >> I THINK IT’S A NUMBER OF
ISSUES.
ISSUES. THE BIG ONE BEING POLITICAL
INFLUENCE.
INFLUENCE. THEY ARE WELL CONNECT EDED.
BOTH IN THE STATE, FEDERALLY.
I THINK AS WELL, PROSECUTORS
JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE WILL POWER
TO GO IN AND FIGHT.
THERE WAS ONE PROSECUTOR WHO
TALKED TO US AND SAID, YOU DON’T
KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GO UP
AGAINST WORD OF FAITH.
IF WE TRY TO BRING CHARGES, THEY
COME TO COURT AND THEY ARE
DOCTORS, LAWYERS, FIGHTER PILOTS
AND COME IN WELL DRESSED AND
WELL SPOKEN, AS THEY CAN ATTEST
TO.
TO. ALL THE KIDS ARE JUST PROPERLY
DRESSED.
DRESSED. AND THIS PROSECUTOR SAID, WE
JUST GOT TIRED OF FIGHTING THEM.
AND WE GAVE UP.
SO MY QUESTION TO THAT
PROSECUTOR WAS, IF YOU KNOW KIDS
ARE BEING ABUSED, IF YOU KNOW
PEOPLE ARE BEING ABUSED, DO YOUR
DAMN JOB.
DAMN JOB. YOU SHOULD GO IN.
IF YOU DON’T, YOU NEED TO GET
OUT OF THE WAY AND LET SOMEBODY
ELSE DO IT.
>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. AGAIN, THE CHURCH DENIES THAT
MARRIAGES ARE ARRANGED OR
CONGREGATES ARE COAXED TO LIE TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT. ON THE CONTRARY, THEY INSTILL TO
SPOOEK THE TRUTH.
THEY CLAIM MITCH’S SBOOK FULL OF
LIES.
LIES. WE REACHED OUT TO THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND THE THE
SHERIFF.
SHERIFF. WE DID NOT HEAR BACK.
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL