This site
relates my recollections of the origins, goals and purposes of an
aberrant church named "The Assembly of the Body of Christ", abbreviated "ABC" in these posts.
This church, always strictly home based, was first called "The
Group" when my father, Ramon A Haas, began this church / denomination in our living room in 1969. I was fourteen. The beginnings of this new denomination were far from
peaceable and, over the last five plus decades has evolved into an even less
peaceable organization and brought great harm to many
people with its spiritually abusive practices. I will illustrate a few
of these abuses in these writings.
The true origins of the ABC, and its doctrines, have been deliberately hidden since the beginning and I too, being young when it all began, was mostly ignorant of the
true origins well into my adulthood. I only discovered the truth when I began to diligently research the roots of the church and discovered the doctrines we followed had been established by others many years before I was born and were not the work of my father directly as had been assumed.
It was a
painful endeavor to search back through the years but it was necessary for me to search out these roots after my final ouster from the church, having been falsely accused of the spiritual "crime of blasphemy” then "eternally judged". I was compelled to understand how a group which states they are built on love could be so spiritually, and genuinely, cruel. It was therapeutic to understand the origins but, in other ways, also painful. However, I forged on because I needed to understand how my father could create an organization so deeply harmful to people.
While it is reported the
ABC sprang spontaneously from a small bible study at the Wilcrest Apartments
in Seattle Washington, this is not accurate.
The true roots are
buried deep in Pentecostalism, which itself arose, partially at least, from the Azusa Street happenings in Los Angeles California. I will cover this in more detail later.
These Pentecostal roots were fertilized with other major influences, and movements, such as the Shepherding Movement, Bob Larson Ministries, Maranatha and many others. The doctrines of these movements closely intertwine the roots of the ABC and only become visible when one takes time to dig. Once these roots are exposed , the denominational origins of the ABC become quite evident and I will examine these roots in detail. It is important to note the ABC claims to have
no name, no denominational doctrinal ties, or leader. This is a falsehood. It indeed has a name, has past denominational ties and has a leader.
For years I acceptedwhat I was told and it is inherent in a
spiritually abusive and coercive organization, such as the ABC, to do what you
are told or risk serious damage to your life. I have seen this damage happen to
many people who questioned and it happened to my entire family. The doctrines of this church cause one to believe the ABC is the only church, the only place with a roadmap to salvation, the only place where God will listen. One
is taught if you leave the ABC it is certain spiritual,
and possibly even physical, death. It is a spiritual power play, contrived
by men’s ego, to keep hold on members. It is disguised upfront as false
love and this is actually a very common tactic found in other aberrant churches like the ABC.
For years I accepted
I was a rather immature fourteen when the ABC began in its visible form. Prior
to the forming of the ABC our family suffered through several emotional traumas, of which I will illustrate just a few.
The worst being when my mother and I were left homeless on an island in the middle of the Puget Sound in Washington state after my father abandoned us in 1968. We were able to leave the island only through the help of my grandmother who lived and worked in a hotel in Bellingham Washington. After leaving the island we then lived in a basement supply closet in the Bellingham Hotel at night and thankfully did not spend any nights
on the actual street. More on that later.
For many decades, and to maintain tranquility, I did what I was told . The easiest route to tranquility is often to go along, not question the status quo, no matter how absurd it seems. There were many absurdities.
There is a certain amount of isolation in a cultist church, such as the ABC. Exposure to
other perspectives is limited and discouraged through a process of indoctrination and intimidation. Trying to keep the peace was a fruitless effort
on my part however, especially when I was a child, because peace was never maintained in
my family, or my life. I would find myself embroiled in many family turmoils as the years rolled along.
In these postings I draw on my recollections of the decades spent within
the confines of the ABC and I write this from my perspective alone. I draw this perspective from my personal experiences, as well as more than one thousand hours of research,
over a period of several years, studying the origins. My research included using the web,
books, court records, e-mails and letters. This research opened my eyes to many things about my father,
and the ABC, I did not previously fully understand. I discovered truths I had blocked out for many years . This was sometimes painful to discover and my initial feelings are best summed up by the
poem "It
Hurts" by Jan
Groenveld.
In my research I discovered various things had been hidden on purpose and these were things I had simply been too young to understand when the ABC was in its seedling stage. There were many blatant issues
I chose not to acknowledge as fact for many years, but now accept them
as truth. The more the true roots
became visible, the more I began to see the true path and mission of
the ABC was not the salvation of men’s souls through love, joy, peace, etc. All those things we usually associate with the Kingdom of God. It was instead intent on capturing souls for it's own purposes and for the monetary gain of a few.
After my father's death in October 1985, at age sixty-two, four men took the
reins of his church; Gilbert Larson (the Apostle), Andy Atwell (the
Evangelist), Bruce Leonard (a “ruling” elder” ), and David North (the
Prophet). (Update: this list has changed some since and a new name, Steve Patton, has come to the forefront. David North's name seems to have disappeared from the church website and it is not clear if he remains a part of the ABC. After the passing of Gilbert Larson's spouse he seems to have taken more of an auxiliary role and is no longer on the corporate record. He has now moved to Red Bluff in Northern California. All movements, such as the ABC, eventually reach a phase where they morph, or simply disappear and the ABC may be in the start of this phase. This will likely accelerate at the passing of Gilbert Larson, the leader.)
Prior to
my father's death I, and my entire family, were expelled from this church. I was completely disowned by my father not long before his death. More on that later. After this
disowning I remained forever disconnected from my father but this was entirely his choice, not mine. I rely on the report of others for details about this time period between my disowning and my later enticement back into the ABC
The ABC
teaches all are equal but, as evidenced by the fact the finances are
closed to all but the leaders, and are not transparent, this is not true. This is just one facet proving they do in fact
have designated leaders. Under these top men (women aren't allowed a
leadership role) are those considered as ruling elders. Under these elders, scattered about the various groups, are designated musicians. The lines are
not finely drawn but only the top few men receive pay for
their services. The rest are unpaid.
The ABC,
as I will show, grew straight out of the intertwined roots of the Pentecostal, Latter Rain and Branhamism denominational
churches and movements. Scattered within the ABC doctrine are shades of these other
influences and from various other minor movements as well. We see only the visible church stem today that pierced the ground as a small gathering in Seattle at
the Wilcrest Apartments in 1969. Over the years this stem, an offshoot of these other churches and movements, has grown into a very cruel
aberrant denomination. I will show in this blog the doctrines the ABC claim as their own are really just drawn from these men my father had
ties to in the sixties. These ties, only visible if one digs a bit to reveal them, show the doctrines espoused as being exclusive to the ABC are not so exclusive at all.
This new denomination, the ABC, continues to meet in homes across a wide
swath of mostly the western United States. Perhaps into Canada as well, but I believe
this group disbanded completely. It has never had more than a few hundred active members at any one time, even though over the decades there were thousands
that passed through. This is a testament to the abusive nature of this aberrant
church and it is standard practice to bring persons in with false love, then later brutally
abuse them spiritually. In some cases, abandon them altogether with harsh judgment. Over the years most just drifted away
when the burdens placed on them became too heavy to bear. Many were dealt with
so unmercifully they became crushed and broken. A few even suffered debilitating
mental illness because of the harsh treatment meted out by the ABC. It is
difficult to keep members when the worship of God is a hugely complex system of
Greek word studies and a hard line doctrine devoid of any mercy and little substantial
truth. This harsh manner of keeping things in line, and questions at bay,
destroys any joy one has. This makes for a people who are weakened
and unable to easily defend themselves. This is typical of this type
of aberrant, cultish, church. (See resources in side column.)
Having lived in the "Assembly of the Body of Christ" (ABC) from the
very beginning I know, and have witnessed, many things about the
origins of its practices and current leadership. I knew all the current
leaders as of this writing, save one, for quite a few decades. I try to believe that none,
except for one, start their day intending to harm others, yet they still cause great
harm by the very nature of their ultra-fundamental, unbending and unmerciful doctrine. This doctrine leaves little room for anything but a destruction of men’s souls on a
large scale.
When I view the ABC, in retrospect, it is clear they draw persons in with an
empty promise of love, and a proposed larger knowledge of scripture through
Greek word studies, but they deliver little beyond this. It pains me I was once
part of this system of influences that caused so much pain to so many people.
For
they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men's
shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Matthew
23:4
Silence, in the ABC, is taught to be a “righteous” endeavor. Speaking out against abuse is labeled as “rebellious” and “evil”. There
were abuses inflicted on me by a man named Bruce Leonard in Vancouver Washington that, in my mind, were nothing short of sadistic. One incident even became life threatening when I, not long after a debilitating accident, was
held hostage at this "ruling elder" Bruce Leonard’s home. He insisted on this day I “say
something” specific but refused to explain what I was to say. He just kept shouting at me "say it, say it, say it" until another man present finally jumped up, grabbed him and yelled at him to stop. Since I was
non -ambulatory at the time, after a serious head on accident not long before, I was
unable to leave by foot or by car and so was held hostage despite my many pleas to go home. After this, and a few other spiritual bullying
incidents, I began to be vocal about the abuses I was seeing in the church. The local leaders, under Bruce's tutelage and
influence, sought to discredit and push me back into a
cowardly silence and they were successful for a time, but the worst charge they could find to level against me was
to falsely accuse me of blasphemy. More on that story later. They were successful in
silencing me for quite a few years after I was thrust out, but when I discovered the ABC was hitting the
airwaves, and were about to inflict similar abuses on others across the continent, I could no longer stay silent.
I did not agree to abide by their lifetime eternal “discipline” and eternal ex -communication.
Those who chose to still communicate with me were then told they must decide if they
were “in the body” or “out of the body”. This is a scary scenario to
any ABC member since one is taught to achieve salvation you must be “in the
body”. The “body” meaning "the ABC church" as they consider all other
places to be “in the wilderness” or "Mystery Babylon". If one is "in the wilderness" one is reportedly subject to being disowned by God
and will suffer eternal damnation. It's an untruth.
Someone told me the latest ploy to discredit me is to tell those who read these
words they are just lies and I made it all up. I can agree one
should not just accept my words at face value and, as stated, these words are my
perception alone, but there are others who speak similar words and I have submitted some proof of my allegations. Any person reading
these words should seek proof independently though and it is all out there to be discovered. I have given some links and
resources throughout the site and on the sidebar. Ask many questions of the
leadership. Money holds power. Ask about the money and how it is used . Look for a proper accounting. I assure you this will be perceived as "rebellion", so be prepared to be disciplined should you inquire too diligently.
It is a
noble endeavor to seek truth for oneself. In doing so this allows one to look past obvious fallacies and hypocrisies. Believing only
the “truth” I was told caused me years of
blindness to the abuses around me. The truth of the origins of the
ABC can be found in many documents on the web relating to the Latter Rain,
Pentecostal and other movements. Seek out the similarities of the ABC doctrines and the teachings
of Derek Prince, James A Watt and the “Shepherding Movement”. I have placed a few
of those documents on this site, but there are many more on the web, and in books,
for your own research. There are also public
documents at the King County courthouse in Seattle WA which prove
the abandonment of our family by my father Ramon A Haas; the founder of
the ABC; in November of 1968 and his subsequent
marriage, very shortly thereafter, to his new wife Esther Yvonne
Van de Kamp (McMurray) on July 8, 1969. This marriage followed Yvonne's
mirror image divorce from her spouse, John Van de Kamp. Both divorces were concluded
before the same judge, the same attorney represented both my father and Yvonne and
they dissolved both marriages on the exact same date before the same judge. This directly followed an adulterous relationship. My grandmother confided in me, years later, she witnessed the
marriage, and signed the certificate, but only under great duress and pressure from my father. I lived in Bellingham with my mother at the time and had no contact with my father. They forbade
my mother to ever tell me about the marriage, but more on that later.
Since my father believed to start a church one must be married , he did this with the explicit goal of ridding himself of most of his natural
family. He could then start this new church as a married man. Why? I wish I knew. I can only assume the “knockdown, drag out”
arguments between my parents was likely the reason. Divorce was probably the best solution but abandoning part of your family to the street was not.
Divorcing
his family allowed my dad to start “The Group”; which later become
known as the “Assembly of the Body of Christ”. It absolved him of the need to explain why
he had been expelled from the church; Broadway Tabernacle; in which
he previously held a leadership role. It is interesting to note my dad’s
divorce was granted by default, since my mom did not appear in
court. This, as I will recount in a later posting, is because my mom and
I were living homeless in the basement of the Bellingham hotel in
Bellingham Washington in a supply closet on rolling cots with
absolutely no money and no way to get to Seattle for the hearing. I was
not even made aware of this hearing at the time . I was not ever asked where I wanted to live. I was not at the wedding, and
did not learn about it until much later. Once my dad abandoned us, I did not hear from
him again until I was back in Seattle. I ended up in Seattle due to my mom's
severe emotional decline, brought on by the stress of the whole situation, and potentially some other underlying issues.
The remarriage was secret and, since the ABC doctrine taught divorce was a sin,
for many decades, it was kept secret. In fact, at a meeting
held in 1993 to discuss setting up a retirement pension for Yvonne, most in the
room were unaware she was not my natural mother. Some were insisting I
pay to take care of her instead of the church tithe since she was a “widow
indeed ” by scriptural standards. When I balked, and announced she was not my natural
mother, there was a shocked silence in the room, many puzzled faces, and Gilbert
Larson moved the topic quickly to another matter to avoid explanation.
There are many documents and writings which prove the things I have written here. My goal with these postings is not to be a thorough examining of the many
decades. That would require a book, which some have encouraged me to write.
These postings are simply to tell a small part of my story, from my perspective,
and is quite abbreviated. I have no intent to throw a bunch of family mud as I do
not intend this to be a complete expose’ . Suffice it to say if I wished to
throw mud, there is much mud I could throw. Some of it, if I expected to be believed, is quite shocking.
I have amassed a large volume of other
documents substantiating the facts I have written here. I have altogether perhaps more than one-thousand hours of research dedicated to these
postings. I once had many more letters and documents produced by the ABC,
that showed the many abuses over the years, and was ordered at one time by David
North to burn them. I did not. The box containing these documents
mysteriously disappeared from my house one day when a man named Robert
asked if he could speak to his son in private in my garage after a meeting. I
had taken him to that box in the garage once to show him some of the proofs I
had of the abuses so he knew precisely where it was stored. It is presumed he took them, since they disappeared that same day . This
man, Robert, was once one of the officers of the corporation and showed up
at my front door several times when I was "out of fellowship", on orders
from Yvonne my stepmother. His orders were to give me a tongue lashing and to
forbid me to speak to anyone associated with the ABC. This was not long after I
was ex -communicated the first time in San Diego California and had moved
to Port Orchard Washington near where he lived. The ABC had great concern I would
begin telling others about my experiences in San Diego. I have no doubt he took that box to destroyed the contents at the behest of the ABC leadership. I
have no absolute proof, only circumstantial suspicion.
There is much more to the story than I have written here, but n ot
all is worth the telling. Some parts of the story should never be told since m y father is deceased and it would serve no purpose. The telling of all could bring hurt to others who have
already been hurt so I will not . I include here only highlights to shed light on the chain of events that caused this new denomination to be
born. I expose the roots and, where necessary, throw in a few family
details. I have mostly accomplished my goal without malice and with
honesty. The proof is out there for the finding, if you doubt my words. I urge you to
discover the facts for yourself. I write from my perspective alone,
but the facts are still the facts. They are available to anyone with
the inclination to seek them out, as I did.
In my research I discovered the ABC is just one of many similar aberrant
churches that do great damage to people and their lives. Here is a good site that explains how aberrant churches work. I
have no affiliation with this site; it is the work of others, but it has some good
information. There are also other books and resources
listed in the sidebar of this site and I encourage you to ask questions,
research the ABC and don’t just blindly follow what they say.
