Podcast appearances and mentions of faith fellowship

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace & Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

For over four decades, former members of the Word of Faith Fellowship have tried to hold the church accountable through every available channel — journalists, law enforcement, social services, federal prosecutors, the courts. According to those who lived it, the system failed at every turn. Jane Whaley's 2004 assault conviction was overturned after five years of appeals. More than forty former members gave testimony to the SBI in the 1990s. No charges resulted. Inside Edition investigated in 1995. The church survived. DSS opened child abuse investigations. The church sued the department and won. Former members told the AP that the church orchestrated a cover-up strategy in which congregants were pressured into lying to investigators and recanting prior statements. Church leaders and followers reportedly gave at least eighty-five thousand dollars to state politicians, according to WRAL's analysis. Members volunteered at campaign events for Donald Trump, according to the New York Times. The local Republican Party in Rutherford County was allegedly taken over by people connected to the fellowship. Matthew Fenner's criminal case stalled for over eight years following a 2017 mistrial. A special prosecutor took over the case in 2026. The only convictions secured: unemployment fraud. Tony Brueski closes a five-part investigation with the systems that were supposed to protect victims — and reportedly failed them for more than forty years.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #SystemFailed #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #PoliticalInfluence #HiddenKillers #MatthewFenner #ReligiousAbuse

Jane Whaley's 2004 assault conviction was the only time the legal system came close to holding her personally accountable. Five years of appeals later, it was overturned. And according to former members, the church learned it could outlast the courts. The pattern repeated across decades. More than forty former members testified to investigators in the 1990s — no charges. Inside Edition aired an investigation in 1995 — the church survived and allegedly used the coverage to deepen members' distrust of the outside world. Social services opened child abuse investigations — the church sued the department and won. According to the AP, church leaders waged a cover-up strategy in which members were strong-armed into lying to investigators and recanting statements. According to WRAL, leaders and followers gave at least eighty-five thousand dollars to state politicians. The New York Times reported members volunteered at Trump campaign events. In Rutherford County, complaints emerged that the Republican Party had been taken over by people associated with the fellowship. Matthew Fenner's case — stemming from an alleged 2013 beating — was delayed over eight years after a mistrial. By 2026, the cases had been transferred to a special prosecutor. The only criminal convictions secured against the church involved unemployment fraud totaling more than $250,000. Tony Brueski closes a five-part investigation with the institutional failures that former members say protected the Word of Faith Fellowship for over four decades.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #SystemFailed #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #PoliticalInfluence #HiddenKillers #MatthewFenner #ReligiousAbuse

When Andre Oliveira left his Word of Faith Fellowship congregation in Brazil for the mother church in North Carolina, he expected a spiritual experience. According to his account to the Associated Press, what he found instead was forced labor. His passport was confiscated. He was allegedly made to work fifteen hours a day, usually without pay, cleaning warehouses and working at businesses owned by church ministers. Oliveira was one of sixteen Brazilian former members who told the AP they were exploited. The church maintained two affiliated congregations in Brazil that reportedly served as a recruitment pipeline, sending young people to the Spindale compound on tourist and student visas. Many spoke little English on arrival. Passports were allegedly seized. American workers performing the same jobs were compensated. Brazilian workers, according to multiple accounts, were not. Former member Rebeca Melo called it slave labor. Anti-Slavery International noted that using religion to traffic and exploit people follows established patterns of modern slavery. In 2014, three former members reported the allegations directly to an assistant U.S. attorney. A recording captured the conversation. The prosecutor asked whether the Brazilians were beaten. The former members confirmed it. She promised to look into the situation. According to their accounts, she never followed up. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation with the international pipeline former members say was built on stolen passports and stolen labor.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #HumanTrafficking #ForcedLabor #Cult #TrueCrime #Brazil #Spindale #HiddenKillers #CultAbuse

The Word of Faith Fellowship did not just operate in Spindale, North Carolina. According to the Associated Press, it maintained affiliated churches in Brazil, Ghana, Scotland, Sweden, and other countries. Brazil was reportedly the biggest source of foreign labor. The AP's investigation found that the church allegedly used its Brazilian congregations to recruit young people with promises of religious or educational opportunities in America. They arrived on tourist and student visas. Many spoke little English. And according to sixteen Brazilian former members who spoke to the AP, their passports were seized upon arrival and they were put to work without compensation. Andre Oliveira told the AP he worked approximately fifteen hours a day cleaning warehouses and laboring at businesses owned by ministers. Jay Plummer, an American who supervised projects for a church leader's business, confirmed that American workers alongside the Brazilians were paid while the Brazilians allegedly were not. Several hundred young people reportedly traveled this pipeline over approximately two decades. In 2014, former members brought these allegations directly to a federal prosecutor. A recording of the meeting captured her asking whether the Brazilians were beaten. She promised to look into it. The former members said she never responded. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation with the operation former members have called trafficking and slave labor.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #HumanTrafficking #ForcedLabor #Cult #TrueCrime #Brazil #Spindale #HiddenKillers #CultAbuse

A former teacher at the Word of Faith Christian School told the Associated Press that in the middle of class, children would surround a classmate accused of having demons, throw them to the floor, and beat them. Teachers were allegedly told not to stop it. The school, which operated on the Spindale compound under Jane Whaley's authority, was one piece of the church's alleged control over children and families. Former members described a practice of removing children from their biological parents and placing them with ministers to be raised. In some cases, contact was allegedly cut for up to ten years. According to former members, the separations served as loyalty engineering — children bonded with church guardians while biological parents were trapped, unable to leave without forfeiting their kids. When parents did leave the church and fought for custody, the Word of Faith Fellowship reportedly used its resources to fight them in court. Three single mothers described a church member and county court clerk who allegedly bypassed the foster system to gain custody of their children. A judge found clear evidence of abuse and neglect inside the fellowship. The church sued the Department of Social Services and reportedly won, closing investigations. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation into what former members say was a machine designed to weaponize family bonds.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #ChildAbuse #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultSurvivors #HiddenKillers #FosterCare #ReligiousAbuse

Imagine being surrounded by a group of people — their mouths inches from your face — screaming at full volume for hours. That was reportedly the starting point of a practice called blasting inside the Word of Faith Fellowship. Former members told the Associated Press the screaming was meant to cast out demons. But over time, according to dozens of accounts, it allegedly became physical. Members were reportedly punched, choked, held down, and beaten. Injuries including cracked ribs went untreated because the church allegedly prohibited members from seeking outside medical care. The compound maintained a four-room former storage building called the Lower Building where males perceived as serious sinners were reportedly isolated for up to a year. Jamey Anderson, who entered the church at age four, described treatment that other former members called some of the harshest anyone endured. Michael Lowry alleged he was beaten in 2011 over his sexual orientation. Matthew Fenner said he was beaten for approximately two hours in 2013 and has spent more than a decade pursuing charges. Five church members were indicted, a mistrial occurred in 2017, and by 2026 the cases had been transferred to a special prosecutor. Tony Brueski continues a five-part Hidden Killers investigation into the Word of Faith Fellowship with the violence that former members say was dressed up as spiritual warfare.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #Blasting #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultAbuse #HiddenKillers #MatthewFenner #ReligiousAbuse

It started with screaming. According to the Associated Press, the Word of Faith Fellowship practiced something called blasting — groups of members surrounding a person and shrieking inches from their face for hours to allegedly drive out demons. Secret recordings captured the sound. Former members said it eventually was not enough. According to Rick Cooper, a Navy veteran who spent over two decades in the church, the practice escalated from vocal aggression to physical violence. Members were allegedly punched, choked, slammed to the ground, and restrained. Injuries went untreated because the church reportedly forbade outside medical attention. A four-room former storage building called the Lower Building was allegedly where the worst treatment occurred — males sent there for up to a year, cut off from their families, subjected to prolonged beatings and blasting sessions. Michael Lowry alleged he was beaten in 2011 to remove gay demons. He testified before a grand jury, then briefly returned to the church and recanted, then left again and reaffirmed his original statement. Matthew Fenner alleged he was beaten for approximately two hours in 2013. His case resulted in indictments of five church members, a mistrial in 2017, and over eight years of delays. By 2026, the case had been handed to a special prosecutor. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation with the practice the Word of Faith Fellowship called prayer — and the violence former members say it was hiding.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #Blasting #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultAbuse #HiddenKillers #MatthewFenner #ReligiousAbuse

Jane Whaley had no seminary degree, no ordination, and no formal ministry credentials. She was a former high school math teacher from rural North Carolina. And according to former members of the Word of Faith Fellowship, she allegedly controlled which of her followers could date, marry, have intimate relations with their own spouses, and have children. The church reportedly started in a converted steakhouse in Spindale in 1979 and grew into an organization with hundreds of members and affiliations across multiple countries. Former members told the Associated Press that the early days felt like an answer — community, purpose, belonging. But over time, according to their accounts, the warmth became a cage. Members were allegedly instructed to sever ties with family outside the church. Jobs, housing, and social connections all reportedly ran through church-controlled channels. Whaley was considered a prophet whose word was taken as gospel, and former members said they were taught that leaving meant damnation. According to multiple accounts, the church conducted invasive interrogations about members' private lives and allegedly kept the confessions on file as leverage against anyone who considered departure. In this opening episode of a five-part investigation, Tony Brueski traces how a small-town math teacher reportedly built a global organization built on dependency, fear, and control so total that hundreds of adults handed over their most intimate decisions to a single woman.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #Spindale #NorthCarolina #Cult #TrueCrime #BrokenFaith #HiddenKillers #ReligiousAbuse #CultSurvivor

A former math teacher from rural North Carolina allegedly built a church where she controlled which couples could reproduce, which members could attend college, and who was allowed to speak to their own families. Jane Whaley and her husband Sam reportedly converted a shuttered steakhouse into the Word of Faith Fellowship in 1979. It grew, at its peak, to approximately 750 members in North Carolina and nearly 2,000 followers in affiliated churches worldwide. According to the Associated Press, the fellowship operated under roughly 145 rules governing every aspect of daily life. Members could not watch television, read newspapers, or eat at restaurants serving alcohol. Men could not grow beards. College textbooks had to be cleared by leadership. Former members have said the control went far deeper than lifestyle restrictions. They described invasive interrogations about intimate behavior, confessions that were allegedly catalogued and held as leverage, and teachings that leaving the church would result in cancer, death, or eternal damnation. Once a member's housing, employment, and relationships all flowed through the institution, departure reportedly meant total loss. Tony Brueski opens a five-part Hidden Killers investigation into the Word of Faith Fellowship with the question that matters most: not what happened inside, but how anyone got trapped there in the first place.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #Spindale #NorthCarolina #Cult #TrueCrime #BrokenFaith #HiddenKillers #ReligiousAbuse #CultSurvivor

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

On today's episode of Tell All the World About Jesus, Rhett Palmer welcomes back Dorothy Kraft from For Liberty & Justice, along with special guests Jan and Todd Mozingo, for an uplifting conversation about faith, community, and standing firm in biblical truth.Together, they discuss the importance of encouraging one another, living boldly in today's world, and sharing the message of hope and purpose found in Christ. This episode is filled with heartfelt discussion, inspiration, and practical encouragement for believers seeking to make a difference.Support the show

Weekly Message from Grace & Faith Fellowship 

Grace & Faith Fellowship's Thursday Night Bible Study 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Grace & Faith Fellowship's Thursday Night Bible Study 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace & Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace & Faith Fellowship 

LIFE Fellowship welcomes Pastor James Fyffe and Faith Fellowship. We take a look at how David leads in the midst of distressing circumstances.

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Grace and Faith Fellowship's Thursday Night Bible Study 

Weekly Message from Grace & Faith Fellowship 

Grace & Faith Fellowship's Thursday Night Bible Study 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Look, I'm not anti-private school. You want your kid to learn in an environment that matches your beliefs? Cool. To each their own. But should your neighbors be paying for it? North Carolina is funneling half a billion dollars into private schools with almost zero oversight. 87% of new voucher money is going to families who were already paying for private school. Meanwhile, public schools are losing funding and teachers are getting paid near the bottom in the country. In this episode, I talk to a former student, a policy researcher, and a reporter who couldn't find a school that was cashing state checks. Spoiler: it took her seven addresses to track it down. Stephen Cordes — Former student at the Word of Faith Christian School in Spindale, NC Kris Nordstrom — Senior Policy Analyst, NC Justice Center Education & Law Project https://www.ncjustice.org/author/kris-nordstrom/ Blair Reeves — Executive Director, Carolina Forward https://carolinaforward.org/about/ Ann Doss Helms — Former Education Reporter, WFAE (Charlotte's NPR station). 22 years covering education in Charlotte. https://www.wfae.org/people/ann-doss-helms Kris Nordstrom's voucher discrepancy analysis (NC Justice Center) https://www.ncjustice.org/analysis-nc-private-school-voucher-program/ Ann Doss Helms' reporting on TAS Academy (WFAE): Charlotte private school had more vouchers than students: https://www.wfae.org/education/2023-06-27/charlotte-private-school-had-more-vouchers-than-students-and-wheres-the-building The elusive voucher school — some answers and lingering questions: https://www.wfae.org/education/2023-08-01/charlottes-elusive-voucher-school-some-answers-and-lingering-questions Elusive voucher school has a new address in Harrisburg: https://www.wfae.org/education/2024-03-07/elusive-voucher-school-has-a-new-address-in-harrisburg-and-students-are-there Carolina Forward https://carolinaforward.org NC Justice Center — Education & Law Project https://www.ncjustice.org PRETEND Season 3 — Word of Faith Fellowship https://www.pretendradio.org If you live in North Carolina and you have an opinion about how your tax dollars are being spent on private school vouchers, let your legislators know. They work for you. Find your NC state representative and senator: https://www.ncleg.gov/findyourlegislators Call the NC General Assembly directly: 919-733-4111 (ask to speak to your representative or senator) Public Schools First NC also has a full contact list with emails for every member of the General Assembly, including education committee members: https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/engage/contact-elected-officials/ You don't have to live in North Carolina to care about this. If your state has a voucher program, find out where the money's going. Ask the questions nobody else is asking. Got a story idea? Hit me up: javier@pretendradio.org GuestsResources & Further ReadingMake Your Voice HeardContact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Pastors Dan & Kim Barker, Fountain Faith Fellowship Summary: “Located on Old Pueblo Road in Fountain, meet Pastors Dan & Kim Barker of Fountain Faith Fellowship and hear about pastors in southern El Paso County that unite together in prayer. Fountain Faith Fellowship Church has been a part of the community in Fountain for over 20 years. www.f3church.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Weekly Message from Grace and Faith Fellowship 

Charis Bible Study hosted by Grace and Faith Fellowship 

PRETEND's first live YouTube AMA, co-hosted by Patreon supporter Katie Watson. The conversation covers listener questions about the making of PRETEND, behind-the-scenes stories, and what's coming next. Highlights include: how Javier knows when a story is worth pursuing (hint: it's like fishing) and his techniques for getting interview subjects to let their guard down. He shares updates on past subjects including LaDonna and Frank Abagnale. Looking ahead to 2026: Season 25 kicks off next week with psychic stings featuring undercover Patreon supporters. Also coming: State of Corruption (North Carolina), a caught-on-camera confessional, and a Word of Faith Fellowship update—the DA supposed to try the case is now on trial himself. 00:00 Intro 02:53 Katie's Podcast Journey 04:08 The Art of Storytelling 06:09 Balancing Bias in Journalism 07:49 Building Trust with Interviewees 13:33 Balancing Podcasting and Life 14:55 Ponzi Playbook & Criminal Conduct 17:22 Scariest Interview Subjects 20:08 LaDonna Updates 26:15 Red Flags and Trust 27:37 Telepathy Tapes 30:58 The Truth in Storytelling 34:36 Interview Techniques 37:20 Biggest Challenges in Podcasting 39:14 Balancing Truth and Twists 42:37 Family Reactions 44:11 Maintaining Neutrality 45:19 Dream Project: Speed Dial 46:56 What's Coming in 2026 50:06 Proudest Series 58:35 Word of Faith Update 01:03:33 Season 25 Announcement Blind Dave (Katie's YouTube show "Only in the UK"): https://youtube.com/@blinddave88 Decoding the Unknown: https://youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373 The Greatest Hoax on Earth by Alan Logan: https://a.co/d/gIHDef2 ChaptersLinks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This bonus episode features Kim, a Patreon supporter who connected with the Matthew Fenner story...but not for the reasons you might expect. Kim's been through the criminal justice system herself. She was prosecuted, sentenced, and spent two years in jail. The conversation goes to some unexpected places. Kim discusses how small-town politics can impact a case in ways that seem backward. We talk about what jail was really like, why she now advocates for criminal justice reform, how the FBI got involved with her ex-husband's January 6th case, and how Word of Faith Fellowship's political connections might reach all the way to the White House. --- This is part of a new series of listener conversations about recent episodes. Want to be part of it? Support PRETEND on Patreon or PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when the person responsible for prosecuting your case seems more interested in protecting your attackers? Matthew Fenner has been asking that question for eight years. After a 2017 mistrial in his assault case against Word of Faith Fellowship members, the judge ordered an immediate retrial. It never happened. Instead, DA Ted Bell granted delay after delay to the defendants while refusing to meet with Matthew, the victim. A gag order meant to last weeks stretched into years, silencing everyone involved and shielding WOFF from public scrutiny. Now Bell has suddenly scheduled the trial—during Matthew's critical medical residency interview. And when Matthew asked for a single accommodation after watching defendants receive years of them, Bell said no. Matthew's response? A legal petition alleging willful misconduct, political corruption, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. He's asking the court to remove Bell from office entirely—or at minimum, remove him from this case. This episode features parts 10 and 11 of The Prophet series, followed by an in-depth analysis of Matthew's petition. Stick around for an update at the end of the episode. Listen to the entire Prophet series on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wvQwgTDC0XPEo5rkkW2Uj?si=2a9e6c9214e64b81 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Built Different, Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, a pioneering movement of research at the intersection of faith, health, meaning, and relationships. Together we explore what it truly means to flourish, how his global research initiative known as the Global Flourishing Study is reshaping our understanding of well-being across 22 countries and over 200,000 participants, and what the implications are for people-helpers, ministry leaders, and anyone committed to a faith that’s formed, instead of merely informed. We unpack his top findings, surprising insights, and practical steps you can take to cultivate flourishing in your own life and in those you serve. Find Out More About Dr. VanderWeele’s Work at Harvard: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/ Find Out More About the Global Flourishing Study: https://hsph.harvard.edu/research/vanderweele-group/global-flourishing-study/ Receive Clinically Excellent, Distinctively Christian Help Today: www.christiancareconnect.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Baseball fans and church family—this one's for you! In this lively and unscripted episode, PD & P-Dubs dive into the thrilling moments of the 2025 World Series, debating key plays, clutch performances, and baseball “what-ifs” that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Then, they pivot to exciting news at Immanuel Lutheran Church: the upcoming One Church Gathering on Sunday, November 30, where all worship services unite as one family in faith. The pastors share why this special weekend matters—fellowship, worship, and connection across generations and service times. And of course, things take a humorous turn as PD tells a hilarious story involving a long walk, a trespass, and a daring crawl under a farm fence in Barrington Hills.Whether you love baseball, laughter, or faith-filled community, this episode captures the heart of PD & P-Dubs Unscripted: real stories, real faith, and real fun.