Podcasts about Faith Assembly

Michael Rix didn't choose music — music chose him. Growing up in Faith Assembly, a cult in rural Indiana that forbade medical treatment, secular music, and nearly any form of outside connection, Michael found his escape in a homemade guitar string stretched across a punishment paddle. Today, he's an eight-instrument musician with over 24 million streams, a residency in Nashville, and a Grand Ole Opry performance to his name. His memoir, From Cult to Country: An Asthmatic's Journey to Find More Air, tells the full story — including watching his infant brother die of untreated meningitis, surviving years of stress-induced asthma without medical care, and the long road to healing that followed.In this episode, Dr. Tara Perry sits down with Michael for a raw and remarkable conversation about what it costs to grow up without permission to be human, how trauma lives in the body long after the circumstances change, and why telling the truth about your story is one of the most powerful things you can do.Key Takeaways:When you're in a cult, you don't know you're in a cult (00:00:35) — Michael describes watching his father transform from a joyful, basketball-playing man into someone cold and controlled — and how noticing that contrast was one of his earliest signs that something was deeply wrong. The teachings of Hobart Freeman's Faith Assembly came in slowly, then all at once.A medical doctor who walked away from medicine (00:02:46) — Michael's father completed his residency as a heart surgeon, then quit the profession after a sermon convinced him that modern medicine was equivalent to witchcraft. Michael unpacks the twisted theology behind it — and what it cost their family when that belief was applied to their children's health.Over 300 deaths, all from treatable conditions (00:07:24) — Faith Assembly members died from dental infections, childhood illnesses, and ailments that penicillin would have resolved. Michael describes the congregation, the prosecutions that eventually followed, and the surreal reality of parents being sentenced to prison for letting their children die while trying to follow God.Stress-induced asthma and the body's way of keeping score (00:14:24) — From age 11 to 14, Michael suffered three-day asthma episodes that left him breathless on the sofa, too sick to move. No inhaler. No emergency room. It wasn't until decades later — after hearing a Nashville minister describe her own identical symptoms — that he understood his asthma was emotionally driven, his nervous system responding to a world it didn't feel safe in.Watching his brother die (00:25:24) — At 14, Michael witnessed his six-month-old brother John die of untreated meningitis. His father prayed over the infant until the final breath. Michael was standing in the living room. This is the moment the episode turns — and the anchor point from which so much of his healing work has since begun.Music as the original medicine (00:29:53) — Long before therapy or coaching, Michael found his way out through songwriting. With headphones, a CD player, and a notebook, he translated his interior world into lyrics. His album I Can See the Sun — 24 million streams — grew directly from those pages. He shares the song titles and the feelings behind them, and reflects on what it meant to finally say what he actually felt.The toxic beliefs trauma leaves behind (00:32:48) — Through a process called SoSo Prayer with a psychologist friend, Michael excavated the beliefs he'd built around his worst experiences: nobody will accept me if they know, better keep this buried, telling the truth will get me rejected. Dr. Tara connects this to the subconscious stories that run below the level of awareness — and explains why those stories often control outcomes long after the original wound has passed.What happened when Michael worked with Dr. Tara (00:34:37) — Michael describes the session: a deeply relaxed state, forgotten memories surfacing, and a palpable shift in the heaviness he'd been carrying for years. Within days, the anxiety he'd long struggled to name had lifted — and opportunities began opening around him in ways he hadn't expected. He describes feeling clear, unblocked, and no longer weighed down by a stress he couldn't locate.Ready to take your own next step? Visit calendly.com/consulttara/consult to book your free customized consultation with Dr. Tara Perry and get your GPS map — the coordinates for where you are now and where you want to go.

The Gathering at Faith Assembly

The Gathering at Faith Assembly

John and Chino examine the immediate aftermath of Hobart Freeman's death and the moment Faith Assembly was forced to confront its most dangerous doctrine. Drawing from sermons, eyewitness accounts, and newspaper reporting, they reconstruct the night Freeman died, the unexplained delay in reporting his death, and the theological crisis that followed. The discussion exposes how absolute divine-healing claims, resurrection teaching, and leadership silence collided with reality. By tracing what leaders said, what members believed, and what was withheld, this episode explores how high-control religious systems respond when prophecy and doctrine fail at the very top. ______________________ Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR: Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962  Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K  ______________________ - Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham  - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino examine the final weeks of Hobart Freeman's life, the circumstances surrounding his death, and how Faith Assembly leaders responded in the aftermath. Drawing from coroner reports, medical findings, eyewitness testimony, and contemporaneous newspaper coverage, they contrast Freeman's public claims of divine healing with the documented medical realities he faced at the end of his life. The discussion explores delayed reporting of his death, alleged attempts at resuscitation, suppression of key facts, and how movements centered on a single charismatic leader often intensify, fracture, and radicalize after a failed miracle. This conversation addresses accountability, false prophecy, and why confronting documented evidence matters for survivors of high-control religious environments. ______________________ Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR: Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962  Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K  ______________________ - Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham  - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino examine the final months of Hobart Freeman's life, tracing how divine-healing doctrine, positive confession theology, and doomsday expectations collided with physical reality. As Freeman's health visibly deteriorated, Faith Assembly members were told healing had already occurred "at Calvary," even as legal pressure, media scrutiny, and internal fractures intensified. The episode walks through Freeman's last sermons, his self-identification with biblical deliverers, and the psychological mechanisms used to keep followers committed as contradictions mounted. The discussion exposes how faith-healing systems respond when leaders themselves are not healed, revealing the emotional, spiritual, and ethical consequences for congregations trapped inside closed belief structures. This episode highlights the human cost of suppressing reality, the dangers of coercive fasting and confession practices, and why these patterns continue to reappear across modern charismatic movements. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino continue their in-depth examination of Hobart Freeman by tracing the medical, theological, and psychological factors that led to his death in 1984. Drawing directly from Freeman's own sermons, eyewitness testimony, coroner records, and contemporary reporting, they document a long-ignored progression—from childhood polio and traumatic injury, to chronic pain, untreated infection, and ultimately gangrene. Along the way, they expose how proof-texting and authoritarian faith-healing doctrine replaced sound hermeneutics and basic medical care. This episode confronts a central contradiction in destructive revival movements: leaders who demand radical faith from followers while quietly exempting themselves when reality intrudes. By examining Freeman's claims of healing, his refusal of medical treatment, and the aftermath within Faith Assembly, John and Chino show how cognitive dissonance, spiritual intimidation, and theological elitism persist even after a leader's death. The discussion places Freeman squarely within a broader pattern seen in Branhamism, Latter Rain, and modern apostolic movements.

John and Chino discuss the lived reality of leaving Faith Assembly and similar high-control healing movements, focusing on emotional shunning, generational trauma, and the psychological toll of absolutist doctrine. Drawing from personal stories and interviews, they explain how sincere families were shaped by rules about medical care, "confessions," and spiritual status, and how those beliefs persisted decades after the leader's death. The conversation examines spiritual pride, fear-based control, and the harm caused when leaders discourage medical treatment, using real examples involving cancer, rapture anxiety, and family division. The goal is understanding and healing—inviting honest dialogue, accountability, and a healthier approach to Christian faith for those affected by authoritarian religious systems.

John and Lael open up about the hidden cost of growing up under religious control. Lael McKay, a former member of Hobart Freeman’s Faith Assembly, shares her life story—from an idyllic Indiana childhood shadowed by legalism and fear, to years of silence about physical pain, sexual abuse, and her father’s preventable suffering under faith-healing teachings. Together, John and Chino explore how purity culture, fear of hell, and denial of medical care shaped entire families. Through raw honesty and reflection, Lael describes her path through therapy, rediscovering safety, compassion, and spiritual balance. This conversation offers hope for survivors of high-control religious movements and insight into the lifelong impact of spiritual abuse and recovery.______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham – Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino explore the hidden cost of life inside Faith Assembly and similar high-control churches, unpacking the difference between first- and second-generation members, how utopian promises slowly harden into authoritarian control, and why so many survivors carry more emotional baggage than they realize. Drawing on years of conversations with former members, they talk through holiday taboos, "negative confession," fear-based teaching, and the long shadow of legalistic Pentecostal culture on work, family, and identity. Along the way, they examine how Bible verses were repeatedly pulled out of context, how that misuse of scripture fuels magical thinking and self-destructive choices, and why counseling and safe relationships are so vital in recovery. John shares how people can be talked back from the brink when they feel utterly alone, while Chino emphasizes humility, honesty, and re-learning what genuine Christian faith looks like outside of performance, control, and fear. This conversation offers both language and hope for anyone trying to make sense of life after a controlling religious environment. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino dive deep into one of the most confusing and destructive doctrines taught within Branhamism and Faith Assembly: eternal security—or, as many lived it, eternal insecurity. They unpack how William Branham and Hobart Freeman twisted the gospel of grace into a doctrine of fear, confusion, and control. Drawing from firsthand experiences, personal stories, and archived recordings, the hosts reveal how both leaders contradicted themselves, manipulated scripture, and redefined salvation to keep followers dependent on their authority. Together they examine how Branham’s shifting messages on salvation, election, and damnation evolved through the Pentecostal, Latter Rain, and Charismatic movements, shaping Freeman’s authoritarian theology. Chino shares insights into the psychology of cult obedience, while John traces how Branham’s legacy of doctrinal chaos still influences modern fringe movements. This episode challenges listeners to discern between faith rooted in Christ and fear imposed by cult leaders. ______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham – Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

John and Chino discuss what makes a true pastor versus a false one, tracing how cult movements like Hobart Freeman's Faith Assembly distorted the gospel into a "health and wealth" message. They examine how trauma from authoritarian churches shapes what people look for when finding a new congregation—and why "signs of a healthy church" lists can be dangerous when written by unhealthy leaders. Through personal stories and biblical insight, they break down why empathy, sound teaching, and genuine care matter more than charisma, claimed miracles, or titles like "apostle" and "prophet."______________________Weaponized Religion: From Christian Identity to the NAR:Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962 Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCGGZX3K ______________________- Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham - Visit the website: https://william-branham.org

The audio for this podcast is funky, rather than re-recording I went ahead and uploaded it as I didn't want to delay it by another month. I am dubbing this episode "a voice note from your older sister who has drama that has to be shared".Today's episode will be over Indiana's most notorious cults. We'll be taking deep dives into the People's Temple, Faith Assembly, Faithhaven Baptist Church, and Brown County's very own Faith of the Holy Light.

Faith Assembly of God

Pastor Johnnie Wilson and his wife, Jamee, moved to Orlando in 1996 to serve as Youth Pastors at Faith Assembly, where they founded "Mainstream Orlando," a ministry that grew to over 1,500 students and young adults weekly. After 25 years of dedicated service, including time as Executive Pastor, Pastor Johnnie was unanimously elected Lead Pastor in 2021. The Wilsons, married since 1991, have five adult children and two Bernese mountain dogs, Blu and KC. CONNECT: Text “BRBELONG” to 651-419-4409 DONATE: bethelsrock.org/give LEARN MORE: bethelsrock.org

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God

Faith Assembly of God