Retrospective on 1984: The Island Pond Raid — What
We Know Now That We Didn't Know Then
Twenty-one years ago I was a public defender in our
Northeast Kingdom. Assigned to represent a member of the
so-called "Northeast Kingdom Community Church"
in August, 1983, meant that I was involved in a "church
case." There were numerous such cases back then:
custody cases, truancy cases, divorce cases, simple assault
cases, but none so monumental as the day the State of
Vermont came to take the children from the Church in Island
Pond — all of them. It was June 22,
1984. (Published in the Vermont Bar Journal,
Winter 2005-2006 issue — Volume 31, No. 4.)
An Issue of Control:
Conflict between the Church in Island Pond and State Government
Presented at the "14th World Congress of Sociology"
in Montreal in July 1998, this paper describes how the
anti-cult movement influenced the Attorney General's office
to go beyond the law.
The Messianic Communities in the
European Union
Presented at the "International Conference on the Future
of Religious and Spiritual Minorities" in Turin, Italy in
September 1998, this paper addresses the controversies surrounding
our communities in Europe.
A 25-year Retrospective
on the Impact of the Anti-Cult Movement on our Children
Presented in Bryn-Athyn, PA at the June 1999 CESNUR conference,
"Religious and Spiritual Minorities in the 20th Century Globalization
and Localization," this paper discusses the history and specific
cases where children of the Twelve Tribes communities were harmed
by the activities of the anti-cult movement (its motivations,
tactics and effects), with commentaries from the children themselves.
The Twelve Tribes Communities,
the Anti-Cult Movement, and the Government's Response
Published in the "Social Justice Research" journal (vol.
12, no. 4, 2000, p. 341-364), chronicling the various controversies
that have surrounded us.
Northeast Kingdom Community Church
in Island Pond: Raising Up a People for Yahshua's Return
We did not write this paper, but it seems to us to be a reasonably
accurate and objective picture of our life, faith, and vision.
Apostates and their Role
in the Construction of Grievance Claims against the Northeast
Kingdom Messianic Communities
This academic paper written by a court-recognized expert on new
religious movements offers an insightful analysis of what fuels
the "horror stories" of ex-members that reach the press
from time to time.
Our Response to the Tragedy in
Waco
Shortly after the siege of the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas
ended in a fiery tragedy, we wrote this response. In it we look
at the role of state power and what it means to be "not
of
this world."
Jennifer Hanlon, 19th April
2001
Someone once said, "Talk is cheap," meaning it's easy
to say something that has no merit whatsoever, even if it sounds
convincing. This is a weighty letter from a neighbor of ours who
has observed us first-hand for a long time. Both hers and her
husband's occupations may come as a surprise.
Timothy Kavanaugh, 19th April
2001
This is a first-hand report by a neighbor on the Common Sense
Farm, where the child labor scandal was supposed to have happened.
Susan Vaughan, 15th April
2001
Someone who has known a number of us for years wrote her view
of our life and the reality of the "Child Labor" charge
leveled at us at that time.
Thomas Tilley, 10th April
2001
This local deliveryman speaks from his personal observations of
our life on the Common Sense Farm.
Greg Westcott, 26th May 2001
This neighbor of ours offers a perceptive commentary on life in
the modern world and how he sees the Twelve Tribes community affecting
his town.
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