Former Alamo Church Member Speak Out

It's damaged my life tremendously, what happened there, says Anna Pugh.

THV News, Arkansas/September 29, 2008

Anna Pugh now lives in rural Oklahoma in fear of Tony Alamo.

She says she left the church after her husband was given a wooden board and ordered to beat her with it because she questioned Alamo's ways.

For 11 years Pugh was a member of Tony Alamo's Christian Ministries. She joined when she was only 20, and in a short time Tony Alamo told her she would be marrying Donald Davis, a man 17 years older than she was.

Pugh explains, ?Because the women and men cannot talk to each other. You're not allowed to date. You don't date in there. You don't get to know anybody. You're just arranged to marry who he says is of the Lord.

Anna and Davis had seven children while she lived at the church compound. They divorced after Anna left the church. Anna was awarded custody, her husband denied even visitation.

But four years ago she says her ex-husband took four of her children, ?He asked if he could come over around Christmas time and take then Christmas shopping. And that's when he took four of them and never brought them back.

Since then Anna has not seen her son Jacob, or Jasper. But she worries most about her daughter Olivia, who would now be 12 years old.

Pugh say, ?I've seen little girls you know 12 years old, 11 years old married in that cult to men. And they're still playing with Barbie dolls. They're still playing with dolls and he's telling them if thus sayeth the Lord. In the name of God he's telling them this is okay. But to a little kid all they've been taught their whole life is to obey god and to listen to tony. They're going to do what they're told. They don't know any better. And their parent, people say those parents, they shouldn't be parents. No those parents truly believe that they are serving God.?

I asked Pugh, ?Is Tony Alamo a man of God or a con man??

Pugh replied, ?He's a con man. He's a con man. And I say that laughing, but he's conning them. Because no matter what you do, you'll never get away with it. And I've waited many, many years, many long years, on my God to see his judgment. And I believe Tony's judgment day has come. The one he's predicted for everyone else has fallen on him.?

Pugh says the FBI is aware of her situation. She hopes Alamo's arrest means authorities will soon be able to locate her children and return them to her and the rest of her family.

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