The authorship of these files on cults has his or her own motivations for providing them a

    [Fredric Rice, The Skeptic Tank:  The authorship of these files on
    cults has his or her own motivations for providing them and will
    contain his or her own bias.  What I find typical is that
    individuals and organizations which report on cults are usually
    themselves a competition cult yet like to think of themselves as
    "a religion, not a cult."  In actual fact, _ALL_ religions are
    cults by the primary, secondary, and terciary usage definition of
    the term.  Some of the information you find here is inaccurate and
    contains urban legend -- take what you find with a grain of salt.
    If you wish to acquire a copy of the Law Enforcement Guide on
    Occult Crime, contact myself at frice@stbbs.com or at The Skeptic
    Tank (818) 335-9601 and I'll forward the address and information
    you need.]

Jesus Fellowship

The Jesus Fellowship Bugbrooke (Jesus Army)

As a strong-arm, radical offshoot of the Pentecostal movement, The
Jesus Fellowship was set up in the 1970s by Noel Stanton, who
claimed to have experienced 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit' at his
parish in Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire. Bugbrooke subsequently
became a Mecca for young Christians, who moved into communes
around the parish and saw Stanton as their leader. In 1986, the
Baptist and Evangelical Churches expelled the Fellowship from
their umbrella organisations, citing 'isolationism'.

'House of Goodness', the movement's profitable parent company (for
which members work for a negligible salary), owns a haulage firm,
a chain of wholefood shops andmore than 60 community houses. In
1988 it had a turnover of £15million.

In 1986, the movement's recruitment tactics were broadened and
the Jesus Army was formed. Drug addicts, down-and-outs and drifters
were targetedfor hard sell missionary work, known as 'love bombing'.
Camouflage jackets,badges and crew cuts are a frequent sight at
rallies and mass baptisms presidedover by Stanton. At a recent
rally, Stanton told his audience that in mostchurches 'there is
a majority of women. But the early church was built on apostles.
We need apostles today. We need men.'

Homosexuality, like drug addiction, is considered curable by the
Army. All earnings go into a 'common purse', marriage partners
must be approved by Army leaders and external friendships are
strongly frowned upon.

        To comment about this Website, our paper and all
        associated articles, you can mail us at the Observer:
        bill@dial.pipex.com