Life in and after a cult: A conversation with a former member of "The Move"
Sam Fife began offering his vision of divine rule on earth in his small New Orleans church in the 1960s. By 1979, when Fife died in an airplane crash, The Move of the Spirit had grown into an international ministry that included thousands, many living separated from society in communal farms. The Move taught that members were creating a society in which people were free to hear and be led by divine prophecy. Ex-members, however, paint a different picture: a corrupt system of leadership that used physical, sexual and psychological abuse to maintain control.
This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Lisa Kendall about her experience as a member of The Move. Kendall was nine years old when her mother joined the cult, spending her formative years on a communal farm without access to the outside world. Seeing the heartbreak of the children she grew up with motivated Kendall to raise awareness about this little known issue. She is currently working on a network of resources for people challenged by the unique lifestyle of an extreme religious cult.
Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a freelance journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years
Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and conversations on the issues that are important to you. Support Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today (just click the "tip jar" in the upper right corner of the KBOO website to find out how).
Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza
Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty
Program Engineer: Steve Nassar
Audio Editor: Alicia Olson
- KBOO
Comments
abuse
I love the message, I am not in The Move, but with out knowing married a member. So I have suffered for 20 years verbal abuse and mistreatment because I dont want to join the cult, in which his family members and his relatives belong to.They are still very active and is a horrible creed. Please watch out because like my husband they visist regular normal non denominational churches and then they want to take people to The Move conferences.Be carefull, avoid the nightmare. They have nothing like the character of Christ. They speak foul lounge, shout, tell dirty jokes, criticize the rest of the churches. They think they are illuminated. Its horrible. Thank you for your program. I myself suffer but looking for help, so they wont take my kids into it.
no blurred lines, just painful truth
I speak from experience when I assure readers and listeners that Lisa Kendall speaks truth about the horrific abuses that occur in this dangerous cult. I have seen, witnessed, and experienced many of the things that she talks about in this interview. I have lived in several of the move cult groups, and know that this is widespread abuse. If this was not your personal experience then count yourself fortunate to have escaped such treatment. There is a facebook page dedicated to this very subject called "Move Forward". If anyone reading this is a current or past member of this cult, please look up Move Forward. They will help you in any way legal and possible. Let's stop the abuse!
Evidence, please.
Hello, Exmover,I am sorry for your experience of horrific abuse.Please tell us where the Move waterboards people so we can end that abuse. If this is no longer happening, but happened in the past, please tell us who committed such atrocities so we can report them to the authorities.Please tell us where 75% of the girls have been or are being raped so we can stop those wicked rapists and shut their communities down. Please tell us where ONE girl is being sexually abused so we can save her. Please tell us where girls are being held captive in backyard shacks without electricity and being raped all their lives. Not one moment should be lost in rescuing them and bringing their abusers to justice.Let's stop the abuse!
Blurred: The Line Between Experience and Hearsay
In this interview, Lisa Kendall demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding the difference between telling her personal narrative and repeating hearsay. Her personal memories, while her own and, as she says right up-front, not necessarily identical to the memories of other people who experienced life in "The Move," nevertheless sound authentic.Unfortunately, Ms. Kendall repeats hearsay as if she knew it to be true. She alleges physical and sexual abuse but gives no evidence for it. I have communicated electronically directly with her, and she has not provided any proof of the outrageous charges she makes in this interview.It would seem KBOO bears some responsibility in either vetting the remarks of the people they interview, or of posting a disclaimer with regard to their veracity.