Homestead Heritage -- Waco Religious Commune Accused of Masking Abuse (2023)

Introduction

Part 1 of WFAA's investigation on Homestead Heritage
View part 2 here: www.youtube.com/watch

For more information on Homestead Heritage, please visit homesteadheritageinfo.blogspot.com/

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Waco Religious Commune Accused of Masking Abuse
By Brett Shipp
WFAA
April 26, 2012

WACO, Texas - Homestead Heritage, just outside of Waco, has been revered as a model of Christian values. But is it a Utopian commune, or as some suggest, a extreme group of believers putting children at risk?

Videos posted on the Homestead Heritage web site present to the public the wholesome image, bolstering its perception as a beloved staple of the community for two decades. The estimated 1,000 members, crafting a pristine portrait of communal bliss.

But many who have left the church and its 500-acre, gated compound, paint a much different picture. One of a secretive and tightly-controlled religious environment.

Read more at: homesteadheritageinfo.blogspot.com/2016/06/wfaa-investigates-homestead-heritage.html

Video

Homestead heritage, which is just outside of waco has been revered as a model of christian values, but is it a utopian commune? Or as some suggest an extreme group of believers, putting children at risk channel age, fred ship spent the past six months interviewing former members, brett, john, if you've attended their yearly fair or bought their handmade crafts, you know of the homestead heritage clean cut reputation.

But just beyond the lock gate, some say is a secret life much darker than the outside world.

They preach against tonight.

The first of two reports, what happens at homestead as news 8 investigates.

So the vision of heritage ministries is to restore and preserve proven values and skills videos posted on the homestead heritage website present to the public a wholesome image, bolstering its perception as a beloved staple of the community for two decades.

The estimated 1 000 members crafting a pristine portrait of communal bliss, but many who have left the church and its 500 acre gated compound paint a much different picture of a secretive and tightly, controlled religious environment.

The general public is not allowed inside.

The commune is led by a group of elders directed by the church, founder and leader blair adams and without the church you have no freedom.

You have no truth.

You have no convictions from god news, 8 obtained.

This rare audio of an adam's sermon, which former members say often lasted for hours.

He was to be feared.

I mean, he you didn't talk to him you didn't.

I mean, you didn't even look at him, others say, it is that fear, which allows adams to control those devoted to his strict doctrine of righteousness amen.

Thank you.

Jesus.

Thank you.

Jesus catherine.

And bob beechner left homestead after 15 years when bob challenged adams whom he says, professes to be a messenger of god.

The doctrine is that the leadership is put in place by god himself and speaks authoritatively as having the very word of god before gaining acceptance.

Adults go through several months of screening and ultimately must sign this covenant of silence to never bring before the public outside our church, any accusations or wrongdoing, or any charge lawsuit or court action, agreeing that all disputes be settled within the confines of the church.

And in return, the church agrees to never expose a member's shortcomings and sins to any outside its covenant, the greatest sin.

Some former members say are committed against children and teens from emotional to physical, even sexual abuse.

News 8 has learned that in the past seven years, five individuals, either members of or with close ties to homestead have been convicted of sexually abusing a child within the homestead community, not included in that group.

This former member who says she was molested by her stepfather when she was 15., he would come into your room.

Yes at night.

Yes, night, early morning, how often, um at the time it seemed quite often.

I mean, it was very often we physically assault you.

Yes.

She says when church elders learned of the abuse they asked her to forgive her stepfather.

She says, elders ministered to him, but never counseled her.

He was never reported to law enforcement, despite state law requiring church officials to report child abuse within 24 hours.

What should they have done.

They should have reported it.

They should have.

They should have called the police yes was that ever discussed no never never discussed.

It is absolutely disgusting that they didn't.

Do anything about him church officials allegedly waited months before reporting another member billy ray delong after he admitted molesting one of his children and I went to one of the pastors there I told them what happened and they ministered to me for about a year and a half and during that time de long says he continued to live with his family while church elders ministered to him they tried to remedy the situation I think you know within the church first because that's scriptural that's what god that's? What I can show you in the bible? That's? What god that's? What god? Says to do homestead officials have declined to comment on camera about their handling of de long's case in a statement posted on their website.

They say, only one group leader knew of the abuse quote, it was a good faith effort to honor the confidential confession of a sin that no one before that time had ever encountered in our previous 30 years of ministry church leaders say, they urged de long to turn himself in as soon as they learned of the abuse de long tells news 8 others in the group did know about the abuse, a group of the men, the elders there, the brothers they began to really find out what the the best course was.

And I know that they make everything a matter of prayer it wasn't like they were trying to break the law.

They were really trying to find out what to do within the church.

First, you know to keep everything covered delong's victim says, he was kicked out of the church, but allowed to return home where the abuse continued.

It stopped for about two and a half maybe three months.

And then it started up again.

Did anybody from the church come to you and talk to you and comfort or counsel you? No, sir, nobody from the church.

Nobody said anything to you becky crow a former pastor's wife who left the church 10 years ago, tells news 8 the abuse was common quote, many heartbreaking stories of broken lives have been shared with me.

Some have not only been raped.

They have been sold for others sexual perversion by the ones who should have protected them.

Attorney, greg love has represented abuse victims across the country.

When you get these closed communities.

And part of the fabric of that community is information stays on the inside behavior stays on the inside how we do things stays on the inside, even if those behaviors are injurious to a child, and you are discouraged from bringing in the outside, you really find children at risk.

Homestead officials claim of the five convicted pedophiles only two were members of the church.

Three were from the de long family.

They say all turned themselves in at the insistence of church officials who fully cooperated with police.

They labeled those now speaking out as embittered former members beyond the documented sexual abuse within the homestead community is the alleged physical abuse.

Stories of parents, encouraged to severely discipline their children to prevent them from going to hell tomorrow night at 10 those children now, adults speak out brett ship channel 8 news.