His Community - …It asks more than belief

The Daily Journal/May 14, 1979
By L. Elizabeth Fosse and Sherry Weiler

Kankakee, Ill. -- This is a story of child against parent: against brother: husband against wife.

It is the story of His Community, a local religious group, and ways in which its beliegs are turning families into warring camps.

His Community is a fundamentalist group, made up of persons from a number of Christian denominations; Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene and others.

It is led by five persons known as Headship.

Headship members are David Mulligan (now the acknowledged leader). Jeff Dickman, Kurt "Koot" Falkenhan (nicknamed by a family member too young to pronounce his name), Alice Benoche and Lana Flora. Mrs. Flora and Mrs. Benoche were the founders, back when it was a far different organization. His Community now has about 150 adult members but it has had as many as 300. It believes in the literal interpretation of the Bible; the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the only way of salvation.

But it asks more than belief.

It asks total commitment - of time, money, self. In recent months, it has asked unquestioning acceptance of the leadership of Headship.

Belonging means total control of lives of the members, according to persons who recently have left Community.

It means being willing to give up a business, home, a house, possessions, and turning them over to Community.

It means not going on vacation, buying a car, or a house, unless it is approved by Headship.

It means that prayers go through Headship, who, according to past members, are billed as being in direct contact with God.

It means that many members have severed contact with parents, brothers or sisters who are not members. To the parents, it means phone calls not returned or abruptly terminated. The members tell families they are not living God's way, and therefore, Community members can no longer associate with them.

It means a "forbidden list" of persons Community members may not associate with - some are family, some are outsiders, some are former members.

It means ever-closer relationships within Community; caring for each other and each other's children; sharing a house with another family or person; and providing for those in need. It means excluding the outside.

Families of members say they may not see their grandchildren; the families are divided and torn apart.

Adult children in Community tell their families, "We can't talk to you" and "Don't call me anymore," families report.

Community members answer that their ways are no longer their families' ways. They say their families must accept their new way of life in order to see them, and many families have not been able to do that.

Community members criticize their families for "not living God's way." Families spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, without being joined by those from Community.

The families tell of the heartbreak and anguish of separation; of anger at being given conditions to meet before they can be reunited.

Community pervades every aspect of members' lives, right into the bedroom. Former members say Headship directed members to "be aware that God is present" when there were sexual relationships between husbands and wives, an admonition which they report, had a chilling effect on marriages and contributed to some of the breakups between couples.

To understand Community, one should begin at the beginnings.

It started as a prayer group about eight or nine years ago, led by Lana Flora and Alice Benoche, meeting in Mrs. Becoche's home.

The group, women, met to pray, to study the Bible, help each other with problems. They dropped money into a can for simple refreshments of coffee, soft drinks or cookies.

They also collected and distributed clothing and food for persons in need.

Withot exception, families and former members report it "was a wonderful little group," and that it did a lot of good things.

Then, they say, "something changed" sometime between one and a half and three years ago.

One of the changes was that of the five persons who became "Headship." The men were now in charge. Mrs. Benoche said, "We (Mrs. Flora and she) felt it was time to turn it over to the men."

Other changes are those of which the families have complained: the fact the group has drawn together, excluding outsiders and families; members are giving up their independence and having their lives directed by Headship; the feeling by families that persons in Community are "completely controlled by Headship," and the failure of a number of marriages, some within Headship and some within Community, which families attribute to the group.

Families and former spouses say Community is "becoming more like a cult," and believe its members are "brainwashed" by Headship.

The members say it is their love of God, their dedication to following Christ which is separating them from the outside world.

"What are we about? We are about love," Mulligan said.

Whatever, or wherever, the destiny of His Community , at present it is seen in two diametrically opposed ways"

Those within see it as following God, of loving as nearly as possible a Christ-like life.

Those without see it as a group of people that has drawn many from families, homes, friends, churches and sometimes spouses, whose members are being directed by Headship and who are, in fact, "brainwashed."

Part I

Departure signs

By Elisabeth Fosse and Sherry Weiler

Monday, May 14, 1979

"They sever relationships like they're nothing," the former member of His Community said.

"They are getting ready to go…There are so many erratic pieces."

He is one of the former members, recently out of Community, who have told The Journal the same story - Community is getting ready to go - to a "new land."

Members who have recently left Community have a genuine sense of urgency - in some cases near panic - that their former spouses will go, leaving without warning, taking with them the couples' children.

They tell the signs of leaving - members holding sales of household furnishings, moving in with each other, selling a house or letting an apartment go, and using the rent money as part of the funds for Community.

Community, reportedly, would like at least $1 million before leaving.

Former members say there are at least two local businesses, one worth thousands of dollars, which Community asked the owners to sign over to the group. Both owners refused, and both are no longer members, but both still have close ties.

When members left, they have left bitterness behind, and in some cases, broken marriages. They are now working frantically to get custody of the children and to protect them from being spirited away.

Another development, according to the recent members, is that a committee has been appointed by Community to go into members' homes to identify objects that are not "necessary" (a television set, a collection of dishes, for instance), and to sell the furnishings, turning the money over to Community.

Said one man sadly, who, was until the past few weeks, a very active member of Community, "I'm not out to hurt anybody. At first it was full of joy and love - everything the Bible teaches.

"There were people who were interested in helping other people.

"This was what I believed.

"But somehow, things have taken a different turn. Instead of following the Lord, they have started following a person( David Mulligan and the rest of Headship)." Other Headship members of which Mulligan is now apparently recognized as leader, are Kurt Falkenhan, Lana Flora, Alice Benoche and Jeff Dickman.

"Headship is closely united," said the former member. He said Headship admonition to persons who ask questions is, "Just trust us."

He told of the break up of the marriage of Alice and Leslie Benoche, the same story the two Journal reporters would hear from other sources: "They would be together today if it hadn't been for Community. Leslie asked questions. They would not put up with it. They took them very defensively.

Benoche is no longer in Community and Mrs. Benoche has obtained a legal separation.

The former member says that at least 11 marriages have broken up because of Community.

He believes that following the breakup of the Benoche marriage. Community changed from the small prayer group to its present characteristic - a religious group that has taken over the lives of its member, drown closer and closer, and is now planning to depart to someplace else - a destination that even the members will not know until they get there. Only Headship will know, he believes.

He reported that the group believes the call to the people to leave is just as important as the call was to Moses to lead the people to the promised land.

"They want to get away from the world. They think the end times are coming within the next two or three years," he said.

The people will start leaving a few at a time, and gradually, Community will go to a new land.

"It's just whacko," he said in bafflement. "There are people who are sincere Christians and they really believe they are following the Lord."

"They are following a person. What will happen will be that there will be a lot of broken families; a lot of messes left behind. But they make you feel if you don't go with them, you will be lost forever."

He said the group plans to exist away from the world - probably without electricity, gas, or the need to rely on the outside world in any way.

"They will be like Moses, crossing the desert." He said that Community members are told to be "sercretive - don't discuss Community anywhere, not even in a restaurant where you can be overheard."

He said the people are frightened not to obey Headship because, "David (Mulligan) has driven it in so hard that if you arenot in Community, you are lost forever.

"He has driven it into their heads until they are brainwashed."

The ex-member says the people have become so emotionally involved with the whole thing they have no common sense at all.

"They really believe God has a new land for them.

"They don't know the new land will be heaven. If it was really the Lord, I'd give up everything. But there's no question in my mind whether they are of the Lord or the devil.

"When it started, it was good, and it was good a long time."

The Bible is their Guide: Plans follow Book of Revelations

By L. Elisabeth Fosse and Sherry Weiler - Monday, May 14, 1979.

"And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the Beast, or the number of his name…" Rev. 13:17

"…If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand…" Rev. 14:9

"…the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name…" Rev. 14:11

There is mounting fear - almost terror - among families who have members in His Community.

They see increasing evidence the group plans to leave for an unknown place, to set up a new community - away from the world outside the "system."

Why?

The answer, according to persons who recently belonged to Community, is found in the Book of Revelations.

The chilling prophecy that he who receives the mark of the Beast will suffer eternal torment, and in the last days, only these with the mark may buy and sell is reportedly the reason Community is frantically working to gather money and supplies to leave for a "new land."

They are reported to believe the end times, bringing the beast and his damning mark, will come as soon as two years.

Members of Community believe the only way to escape the Mark and eternal torment is to go to a place where they can be free of the need to depend on the outside world. They want to be able to grow their own food, keep warm; to live without the need to "buy or sell" thus escaping the Mark of the Beast.

It is this projected flight into an undisclosed destination that has parents and grandparents trying to gain legal control of the children of Community members.

Preparations taking place by His Community include making quilts, learning to forge, having members learn skills in all areas they will need for survival, according to persons who recently belonged to Community. Members are also selling possessions to acquire money for the move.

Said one parent, "I think there are some good people and all of them are sincere - they think the end of the world is near. They are brainwashed.

"I think they are going to leave to live somewhere else, and it is going to be a lot sooner than anyone realizes.

"I don't think the people in Community themselves will know where they are going until they get there, or maybe not then. They will just get into the cars and be taken there.

"They call it the 'new land.'

"They obviously are getting ready to go."

If the group actually does go to "the new land," there will be wives who will take children and leave and husbands who stay behind, or vice versa.

Fears of the supposedly impending departure are causing family members to become frantic that their children will be taken.

Says one former member, "There are wives who attend Community and are planning to leave and take the children.

"I don't think a lot of husbands know. Some have never even been members. That is why I think you should put something in the paper - to warn them."

Kentucky 'promised land' being prepared.

By L. Elisabeth Fosse - Tuesday July 31, 1979

His Community has found a home.

The controversial religious group from the Bourbonnais-Bradley-Kankakee area is preparing 340 acres of land in Casey County, Ky., for home for about 100 persons, including children, according to reports from Casey County.

The land is near Mintonville on Turkey creek is Casey County, of which Liberty is the county seat.

The croup is building a church and homes on the land which was bought in the name of Grace Creek Christian Church, and reportedly has a group of about 15-20 young persons "plowing and getting the ground ready and building a church" in Casey County. It plans to build about 15 structures for housing, according to the Casey County News published at Liberty.

His Community was featured in a Journal series in May. The group, known by members and families as "Community," has been the cause of family divisions and a number of divorces and separations from spouses, according to former members and families of members.

Community is led by five persons who make up "Headship," who according to former members who talked to The Journal, make decisions for the entire group. When decisions are questioned, the person who asks the questions is in trouble with Headship, and is sometimes expelled, put on a list of "non-persons," or list of persons with whom Community may no longer associate.

Headship members are David Mulligan, the leader, and Jeff Dickman, Kurt Falkenhan, Alice Benoche and Lana Flora.

The Journal learned of His Community from members; parents, concerned and upset because their adult children had broken off contact with families. There were reports of broken marriages, financial and emotional dependence on Headship, the "enemies" list, and family increasing reports that the members would be leaving taking with them young children (or grandchildren), who parents or grandparents were afraid they would never see again. Parents said members of Community were, in fact, brainwashed by the leaders. Several parents and ex-members referred to the group as a cult.

The new home, referred to by former members as 'the promised land' is about 85-90 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky., and about 50 miles south of Lexington.

"We are poor country down here," said Larry Timbs, editor of the Casey County News- a weekly newspaper - in a phone interview with The Journal.

He said the group plans to "build its own little community," and wants to live peacefully and not bother anybody. He said they had paid about $85,000 for the land, which is about the size of or smaller than the average farm in Illinois.

"They want to live of the land, like the Amish," he said.

Liberty, which is about 9 miles from the farmland purchased by Community, has a 24-bed community hospital, and is about 25-30 miles from Somerset, where a large medical center and hospital are located. Timbs said in answer to a question about the availability of medical facilities.

He said Community plans to have its own school, in the same way the Amish and Mennonite families in the area have their private schools.

Dickman and Mulligan were interviewed by Timbs, and Mulligan told him, "We believe God picked Kentucky for us. We came to Casey County, and in our hearts, we knew this was it. That this was the place the Lord picked for us."

They also told Timbs, according to a story in the Casey County news, "Each family will have a house and we'll share a common field and put in gardens enough to grow food and livestock." Mulligan is in the process of being ordained a minister in Kentucky, the paper reported.

Dickman and Mulligan said they would be following the plan in the Book of Acts in the Bible. "It says they sold everything and held everything in common. That means that if I've got more money that David, he doesn't run out because I've still got some money. If I've got more tomatoes then he's got, then he's got tomatoes," Dickman is quoted as saying.

The two told the newspaper editor that about 15 or 16 building will be put up, and when that is done, all their people will go to Casey County.

They will arrive gradually. "As more things become completed," Mulligan told the paper there, "there'll be room for more people to come."

Mulligan and Dickman also told Timbs they've set a one-year time-table for the completion of their 15 of 16 buildings. When all those buildings are up, all their people will be in Casey County.

"We appreciate getting to have a well instead of having to pay a water company," Mulligan told the paper in Casey County.

"…We appreciate being able to use wood heat."

The paper reported Mulligan said, "We are a Christian Church and we do believe the Lord is calling is to live simple lives off the land."

Timbs reported he said that Community's stand is against alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, 'but I don't think it's our place to condemn or make a judgment against someone… Instead of condemning, we emphasize love. The Lord has said he'll know we're his disciples by the way we love one another."

The two men told the Casey County editor they are not running away from anything.

"We believe the Lord has called us personally to live off the land." Mulligan reportedly said, "It's like going toward where God's calling us to be. We're not chickening out or running away from something or trying to get away from something," the paper reported mulligan as saying. "We just want to be where God has led us to be…where we think he wants us to be."