Children of Grace

For this episode, we were joined by life coach and former GGWO member Jared Capello! His insights were invaluable (and there were some interesting stories too...) Enjoy! _____ TWs: We briefly touch on the abuse allegations, but that's about it. _____ You can find Jared on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jaredcapello?igsh=enh3NnI5am13OW1v&utm_source=qr _____ And as always, feel free to email us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com anytime!

We are very proud of Daniel Rasmussen, who joined us to discuss his history with Greater Grace - as well as the positive impacts he's making on his community today! _____ TW: strong warning for abuse (including CSA), trauma, bullying, and mental health topics _____ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: **The Baltimore Banner Landing Page: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/specials/greater-grace/⁠⁠⁠ **The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones **MCASA: ⁠⁠⁠Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault⁠⁠⁠. **RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠⁠⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠⁠⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. **The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠⁠⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠⁠⁠ for more. **National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/

Our very brave partners agreed to join us for this special holiday edition of our Guestisode series! TWs: abuse and strong religious verbiage (and yes we're still swearing now) Feel free to reach out to us anytime at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com :)

We've had a lot of guests come on recently (and more are coming!), but we felt like it was a good time to catch up and go over some recent events. We also learned that when we record late at night, things get a little...unhinged. _____ Enjoy! _____ TWs: ghosts, demons, exorcisms, mental health topics, abuse (spiritual, mental, physical, child) _____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ _____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ _____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

"Great podcast. Here is a challenge. Do you know how I connect to your topic?" And boy, did we ever. We are beyond excited to have Glorianne (Chute) Schott join us for this Guestisode. It's been a long time coming, and we hope you enjoy! ____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Sam Pinkava is our guest this week! Tune in as he discusses his fascinating past with Greater Grace, a rather illuminating class lecture from everyone's least favorite head pastor, and his plans for the future. ______ Links to Sam's Campaign sites: Official FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572736883281 Donations: https://donorbox.org/2025-friends-of-sam-campaign Canvassing: https://donorbox.org/events/735848/steps/choose_tickets ______ An important resource we'd like to share based on this episode: ______ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ______ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

In this episode, Tom Sullo joins us to discuss his time at The Bible Speaks in Lenox, Greater Grace in Baltimore, and beyond. This winding tale of highs (pun intended) and lows kept us fascinated throughout, so buckle up! _____ TW: Domestic violence, mentions of abuse of minors (included a brief mention of the Ray Fernandez case), drug use, and alcohol use. _____ An important resource we want to share based on this episode: _____ *Suicide and Crisis Hotline (Including Addiction Services)* Call or Text 988 (US) _____ *Recovery Centers of America* 1-800-RECOVERY https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/ _____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  _____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Siblings Carol (Bakalyan) Ames and David Bakalyan join us to discuss their experiences with The Bible Speaks, later known as Greater Grace World Outreach. From traveling hours upon hours on school nights for services, to selling their family home for the church, to Lenox and "Divine Design" marriages, this episode is at times devastating and amusing - but remains powerful throughout. TW: Mentions of various forms of abuse (including sexual, financial, religious, and mental abuse), abandonment/neglect, bullying, and trauma. An important resource we want to share based on this episode: *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠  Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

We're baaaaaack! In this episode, we wrap up 2024/Season 1 stats, discuss the immediate plan going forward, and muse over a conversation had with a listener. PSA: As our listeners are presumably all adults and we mark our content as "explicit", we have decided to not bleep out swears. If you have any concerns about that, we welcome you to reach out. Email us anytime at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com or follow us on any major social networking platform.

Two members of the Millstones were kind enough to join us for our final episode of season 1! This is one you certainly won't want to miss - though it is rather heavy, so listen with care. TW: various forms of abuse including CSA, trauma, mental health topics IMPORTANT RESOURCES: The Baltimore Banner Landing Page: ⁠⁠https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/specials/greater-grace/⁠⁠ The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. The Trevor Project: A nonprofit focused on preventing LGBTQ suicide. Visit ⁠⁠TheTrevorProject.org⁠⁠ or text 678-678. The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠⁠ for more. National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/

As we near the end of Season 1, we finish off the court drama by covering the final appeal decision in the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. TW: Manipulation and Brainwashing Feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on any major social media platform :)

-WHO: Judge James F. Queenan Jr., US Bankruptcy Judge -WHAT: Opinion Allowing Claim of Elizabeth Dovydenas -WHERE: United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts -WHEN: May 19, 1987 (Amended June 12, 1987) -WHY: Carl just couldn't help himself, apparently TW: Manipulation and Brainwashing Feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com and follow us on any major social media platform :)

As we've hit the one year mark in this podcast journey, we'd like to say thank you to all of our supporters! Listen in as we celebrate and reflect on the past year. We're also joined by an incredibly special guest, and trust us, you won't want to miss this one! Thanks again - we can't wait to see what this next year will bring! Reach out to us anytime at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com or follow us on any major social networking platform.

This episode has everything! Information on Rachael Denhollander, GRACE, Greater Grace's statement, the Millstones' statement, and of course, our usual rantings and ravings ;) ______ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: *Rachael Denhollander: https://rachaeldenhollander.com/about/ rjd.requests@gmail.com *The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones *GRACE: https://www.netgrace.org/ *MCASA: ⁠Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault⁠. *RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. *The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠ for more. *National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/ ______ Feel free to reach out to us directly at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

We know, we know, we promised information on Rachael. We swear it's still coming - but with something this important, we'd rather take our time and get it right than do it quickly. Instead, we're revisiting the CRI/Martin Report and comparing it to current events and responses by Greater Grace! To hear the Martin Report in audio form, go to https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=56arCqtocdw&t=2599s. To read a text version of the report, email us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com and we will send you the file. No trigger warnings this time (phew!) beyond the general crappiness that we've all been dealing with. See you all next time :) And as always, stay safe and don't join any cults!

We spoke with Rachael Denhollander. We will be sharing the content of that conversation in our next episode, so hang tight! ______ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: *Rachael Denhollander's Website: https://rachaeldenhollander.com/about/ *The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones *MCASA: ⁠Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault⁠. *RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. *The Trevor Project: A nonprofit focused on preventing LGBTQ suicide. Visit ⁠TheTrevorProject.org⁠ or text 678-678. *The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠ for more. *National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/ ______ Feel free to reach out to us directly at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

We're joined by Dana Caron, who discusses her experiences growing up in Greater Grace and finding herself after leaving. ______ TW: Mentions of kidnapping, suicide, various forms of abuse (including against minors), bullying, eating disorders, drug and alcohol use ______ Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: ______ *Suicide and Crises Lifeline* - just dial 988 ⁠988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call. Text. Chat. (988lifeline.org)⁠ ______ *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233   ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠⁠  ______ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠⁠  ______ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Nicole and Sara, of the protest group "The Albatrosses", join us to discuss the group, the experience of protesting, and what they hope to see in the future. _____ TW: brief mentions of religious abuse, sexual abuse of minors, and drug use _____ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: _____ The Baltimore Banner Landing Page: ⁠⁠https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/specials/greater-grace/⁠⁠ _____ The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones _____ RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE _____ The Trevor Project: A nonprofit focused on preventing LGBTQ suicide. Visit ⁠⁠TheTrevorProject.org⁠⁠ or text 678-678 _____ The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠⁠ for more. _____ National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/

Karen and Elita recap and react to recent events within the GGWO sphere. _____ TW: brief mention of allegations of CSA _____ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: _____ *The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones *MCASA: ⁠Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault⁠. *RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. *The Trevor Project: A nonprofit focused on preventing LGBTQ suicide. Visit ⁠TheTrevorProject.org⁠ or text 678-678. *The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠ for more. *National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/ _____ Feel free to reach out to us directly at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

We were so honored and excited to be joined by Dr. Laura Anderson, PhD! She is a licensed psychotherapist, religious trauma expert and coach, speaker, educator, and author of the book "When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion". In this episode we discuss the connections and similarities between high control religious groups and domestic violence/controlling relationships. This is definitely one you won't want to miss! TW: religious trauma, domestic violence ______ Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: "When Religion Hurts You", Dr. Laura E. Anderson https://a.co/d/06nSsmL7 *Dr. Anderson's website*: ⁠Laura Anderson | Religious Trauma Expert (drlauraeanderson.com)⁠ *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233   ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠  *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠  ______ Thank you for listening!

Karen and Elita are joined by Julie Scharper of the Baltimore Banner to discuss the Millstone group and the recent allegations of abuse at Greater Grace World Outreach churches. _____ TW: spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, and rape _____ IMPORTANT RESOURCES: _____ The Baltimore Banner Landing Page: ⁠https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/specials/greater-grace/⁠ The Millstones: https://linktr.ee/themillstones MCASA: ⁠Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault⁠. RAINN: Get help 24/7. Call the ⁠Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network⁠ by dialing 800.656.HOPE. The Trevor Project: A nonprofit focused on preventing LGBTQ suicide. Visit ⁠TheTrevorProject.org⁠ or text 678-678. The Reclamation Collective: A network of therapists who specialize in religious trauma. Visit ⁠ReclamationCollective.com⁠ for more. National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787, ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...lend us your listens! We are almost at 10,000 listens across Apple and Spotify (truly incredible!) so we decided to do a giveaway! We've created some merch - a hat and a shirt - and will be giving away one of each :) There are multiple ways to win, so check out this episode and our socials for all the info. And once again, thank you all so much for being part of this podcast!

Here we go folks! This one got deep (so deep)...buckle up! _____ TW: mental health topics, various forms of abuse (including sexual assault), suicide, sexual content Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: _____ choosingtherapy.com _____ *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233   ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠  _____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠  _____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Sister, sister! Sisters Andrea and Deanna join us to discuss their time with Greater Grace, how it impacted their family, and where they are now! TW: various forms of abuse (including sexual abuse), neglect, alcohol/drug use, cancer and death, mental health topics, and...spoilers for the show Succession, because of course we did haha ____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠ https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Happy Mother's Day everyone! We're very excited to have our mom join us for this one :) She offers a glimpse into her story and some deep wisdom on the struggle of women and mothers in our society and in "the church". _____ Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: _____ *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233   ⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠  _____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠  _____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Join Elita and Karen as they consider the impacts of trauma and abuse on personality and empathy. This one gets heavy at times, so take care when listening! _____ Trigger Warnings: Abuse, Death, Cancer, Mental Illness, Trauma _____ Important Resource: *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠  _____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Jonathan joins us to discuss his history with TBS/GGWO, our access to pop culture as children within the ministry, and various mental health topics. It was such a great conversation - thank you for joining us Jonathan! ____ TW: Mental Health Topics, Thoughts of Self Harm, Brainwashing, and Various Types of Abuse ____ Important Resources: *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠ https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and as always, please respect the privacy of our guests. Feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

This podcast has everything! Updates, mistakes, Carl "apologizing", Hitler-esque salutes (I wish I was joking), fires, future plans...oh, and Happy Easter :) _____ Mild trigger warning - brief mention of allegations of SA against minors. _____ Reach out to us anytime at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com and find us on practically every social media platform known to man! It'll be under some variation of our name with the same photo for everything.

We are so incredibly excited to say this - Betsy Dovydenas was kind enough to join us for an interview! We had a lovely time with her, and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. ____ Find Betsy's book, "If You Want To Know How I Got Brainwashed" on Amazon! ____ TW: Abuse, Spiritual Abuse, Grooming, Sexual Abuse, Child Abuse, Disordered Eating ____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠ https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Lenox, Massachusetts. The early-mid 80's. The scandals, the sermons, the audacity. _____ email - childrenofgrace@gmail.com, instagram - @childrenofgrace_podcast, facebook - facebook.com/ChildrenOfGracePodcast, tiktok - @children.of.grace

God (Carl) picked Lenox, and off we go! Covering the first few years in Lenox, from 1976-1979 (with a couple trips down memory lane, of course). See you in the 80s! _____ email - childrenofgrace@gmail.com _____ instagram - @childrenofgrace_podcast _____ facebook - facebook.com/ChildrenOfGracePodcast _____ tiktok - @children.of.grace

Siblings Dan and Jami are back to discuss their time growing up in Carl's looming shadow, all the way from Woolwich-Wiscasset to Lenox. TW: Child Abuse, Violence, Death of a pet ____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠ https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

We have our first brave guests! Siblings Dan and Jami join us to discuss their time growing up in Carl's looming shadow, all the way from Woolwich-Wiscasset to Lenox. TW: General Abuse, Child Abuse, Spiritual Abuse, Sexual Abuse ____ Important Resources: *Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline* CALL OR TEXT (800)422-4453 https://www.childhelphotline.org/ ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠ ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Hey there! Slight change in plans, we'll explain I promise. Thank you for listening and for your support over the past year :) We appreciate all of you, and we can't wait to see what 2024 brings! -Elita & Karen

Welcome back everyone! In this episode we discuss the beginning of "The Bible Speaks" ministry in South Berwick. As always, please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @childrenofgrace_podcast :)

In this episode, Karen dives in and sheds light on some of her experiences at home and within the church. ____ Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: ____ *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233   ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠  ____ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787   ⁠⁠https://mentalhealthhotline.org/⁠⁠  ____ Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Elita and Karen take a pause from the storytimes to reflect on what they're grateful for! It felt like a good time for a more lighthearted episode :) Feel free to email us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com or reach out via instagram @childrenofgrace_podcast - we'd love to hear from youI

In this episode Elita tells a little more of her story. We hope that through this, you can get to know us a bit better! Some important resources we want to share based on this episode: --- *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233  https://www.thehotline.org/  --- *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787  https://mentalhealthhotline.org/  --- Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

In this episode, Elita and Karen discuss the early history of Carl Stevens - the man who would go on to found what's now known as Greater Grace World Outreach (GGWO). Enjoy!

For their first official episode, Elita and Karen discuss the moments in their lives when they realized they weren't living in a typical situation. This mainly pertains to life within their home, but extends out into the church as well! --- As you listen, be aware that there are sensitive topics discussed in this episode. Please take care of yourself - only listen if that's something that feels right for you, and take breaks if you need them :) --- Some important resources to share based on this episode: *National Domestic Violence Hotline* 800-799-7233 https://www.thehotline.org/ *National Mental Health Hotline* 866-903-3787 https://mentalhealthhotline.org/ --- From this point on, episodes will be posted bi-weekly (every two weeks). Thank you for listening, and please feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com!

Welcome to Children of Grace - a podcast about two sisters growing up in a high demand religion and how that has shaped our lives. Please bear with us as we get started! This is our first time podcasting, and as we get more experience the audio (and our ability to speak English properly apparently) will get better! Feel free to reach out to us at childrenofgracepodcast@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, corrections, or anything you'd like to share!