Johanna Wozniak was born and raised in the Los Angeles chapter of The Living Word Fellowship and attended the church school from pre-school until her senior year. She spent most nights of her childhood in the church’s recording studio which was run by accused serial abuser and leader Rick Holbrook. She talks about how her troubled home life caused her to seek out family in the form of the church despite its toxicity by immersing herself in the never-ending work. She discusses her abrupt and dramatic exit from the Fellowship and how she was immediately shunned for making one big decision without the church’s permission. She shares with us how she had to rebuild her life on her own just a week after her eighteenth birthday. Johanna says, “I was born the day I left.”

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".

If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for you, a friend, or a family member: 

⁠⁠⁠https://988lifeline.org/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help⁠⁠⁠

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