May 2009 Archives

For the next six days of the trial, I watched Bent's followers obsess over him like this. Where he would walk, they would follow. When he would speak, they would listen intently. It was obvious this man was their leader and their god, even though Bent routinely denied a leadership role within his church.

Then I finally met former members of the church who didn't sit among Bent's followers in the courtroom. They sat on the other side of room, obviously segregating themselves from the church members, or vice-versa. One man who made an impression on me was Johnny Miller. He wore a beard and was friendly and jovial. He looked like he could drive a tractor well. I thought it would be fun to watch a football game with him.

I interviewed Miller outside the courthouse about his time with the Lord Our Righteousness Church. He spoke of spending years with the cult, isolated from conventional society. That was fascinating in itself, but what was even more touching was when he spoke of his wife who is still a Bent follower.

I saw the sadness on his face when he expressed disappointment that he couldn't sit next to his wife. He spoke of her as if she was a million miles away. It was then when I clearly saw the darkside of LOR. There is nothing divine about it.

Prudence Welch
Former Strong City Member
All-New Inside a Cult: Messiah on Trial gives an in-depth look at the inner workings of the sect and the trial of their self-proclaimed messiah.

I was a member of Strong City for 15 years; long enough to have grown from girl to woman. Long enough to discover marriage and motherhood. While that sounds normal, doing "normal" things was always a challenge in Strong City.

There was an unspoken disapproval that often permeated the unique culture of our isolated group. Unspoken, yes. But you could feel it.

Then, as years passed, those disapproving glances finally did give way to a voice. And in time, there were no more families at Strong City. Wayne Bent said we could only be married to him.

When I left Strong City, I was just going to "go away." I simply wanted to live a quiet life, no longer stuck within the clenched circle of those who'd looked down upon me.

Continue reading Prudence Welch's personal account >>