Jean Alice joined The Living Word Fellowship when she was eleven years-old, homeless and alone. She was passed around to family after family within the cult, constantly being told she was unwanted because she wasn’t good enough. Though she was eventually adopted by a loving family, the abusive messaging that pervaded the cult kept her self-esteem at rock bottom. She found herself in an abusive marriage that ended in her being forced to leave everything she knew behind to protect herself and her child. While the cult threatened and shunned her for speaking the truth, they kept her abuser husband protected and in good standing within the church.
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Scott Barker and Charity Navalesi are former members, born and raised in The Living Word Fellowship. They are investigating this organization, founded by John Robert Stevens in 1951, that branded itself as a Christian church for over seventy years but turned out to be just another cult. Stevens demanded full submission of his followers until his death in 1983 and when his successors, Gary & Marilyn Hargrave took over, the beliefs and practices became even more extreme as they levied control over the congregants for the next three decades.

In 2018 a former member finally spoke up after Marilyn's death accusing her son of abuse. There are five active lawsuits. The organization is a shadow of what it once was, but some remain believers of John Robert Stevens' teachings, and many maintain loyalty to Gary Hargrave. Gary has a new following on social media and an active "ministry" under the umbrella of Hargrave Ministries.
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