which justified punishing the child more
severely. For instance, school children could not
ask to go to the toilet during school hours, make
mistakes in their schoolwork, or fail to keep up
in class without those behaviors being seen as
signs of perversity punishable by their father
spanking them at home that night.
Still, Pastor X, fearing fathers might not be
giving the required numbers of lashes or hitting
hard enough, instituted a new rule that obliged
fathers to administer the prescribed punishment
to their child in front of the child’s classmates at
school. If a father could not be present, the
pastor meted out the corporal punishment
prescribed. This punishment consisted of
spanking the naked buttocks of the child with a
special wooden rod for a specified number of
lashes determined by both the offense and the
attitude of the child, who was expected to accept
the punishment and express gratitude to the one
administering it. If a child failed to adopt the
correct attitude, or if he put his hands on his
buttocks to protect himself, the number of
strikes would be augmented.
Such means of discipline were also extended to
preschool children who attended the day-care
facility. All children more than 1 year old were
subjected to corporal punishment for any
behavior or attitude that could be considered a
sign of rebellion or of disobedience according to
the fundamentalist doctrine the pastor preached.
Behaviors that were to be expected
developmentally in toddlers, such as the
incapacity to control sphincters or the inability
to sleep on command during nap time, were
interpreted as rebellious attitudes attributed to
the work of Satan in the child’s vulnerable and
undisciplined soul. The pastor justified the use
of corporal punishment with the rod with
toddlers as the only means not only to rid them
of the demon, but also to teach them self-control
so they eventually would be able to ward Satan
off themselves.
By 1983, Pastor X’s involvement in the daily
lives of the members of his congregation was
considerable not only did all of the members’
children attend the BCW’s day-care center or
school or both, but members also had their cars
fixed at his service station and their insurance
premiums negotiated through him. They
furthermore received weekly rations of food the
pastor specially selected for their family.
Because a great many members of the
congregation worked for the pastor’s enterprises,
and they were also considerably engaged in
church matters and rituals, their relationship
with their pastor was based on his frequent and
often intense presence. It is in this context that
the project Pastor X initiated of building a self-
sufficient estate exclusively for members of the
BCW was developed. It seemed to him the
logical next step in their evolution. The project
was financed in great part by loans, mortgages,
and donations made by church members to the
leader personally. He bought the land for this
project in 1983, then plans were made, and
church members cleared the land.
God’s Emissary
At that point in time in the trajectory of the
BCW, Pastor X described himself as God’s
emissary and declared himself infallible. He
demanded absolute submission from his
members and exhorted his congregation to
“enter into the joy of thy master by being
faithful slaves” (interview, A., former member).
He required more and more work from church
members, and more money from them, claiming
that, according to the Bible, what was theirs was
his. His attitude became difficult to predict, and
he took pleasure in ridiculing members who he
thought were not as generous as he expected.
Leaving the church did not seem to be an option
for those who had handed over all of their assets
to the pastor who, in turn, had invested the
money toward the BCW estate.
Notwithstanding, many did leave—some
because they felt drained and exploited by the
minister, others because of the treatment
inflicted on the children. It is noteworthy that
only men claimed the latter reason for leaving
the BCW, which is comprehensible since they
were the ones administering the beatings. Some
men left their wives and children behind, their
spouse not being convinced that she should
leave the church.
The pastor’s discourse on corporal punishment
became more extreme during this period. An
emphasis was put on the need to correct children
88 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 6, 2015
severely. For instance, school children could not
ask to go to the toilet during school hours, make
mistakes in their schoolwork, or fail to keep up
in class without those behaviors being seen as
signs of perversity punishable by their father
spanking them at home that night.
Still, Pastor X, fearing fathers might not be
giving the required numbers of lashes or hitting
hard enough, instituted a new rule that obliged
fathers to administer the prescribed punishment
to their child in front of the child’s classmates at
school. If a father could not be present, the
pastor meted out the corporal punishment
prescribed. This punishment consisted of
spanking the naked buttocks of the child with a
special wooden rod for a specified number of
lashes determined by both the offense and the
attitude of the child, who was expected to accept
the punishment and express gratitude to the one
administering it. If a child failed to adopt the
correct attitude, or if he put his hands on his
buttocks to protect himself, the number of
strikes would be augmented.
Such means of discipline were also extended to
preschool children who attended the day-care
facility. All children more than 1 year old were
subjected to corporal punishment for any
behavior or attitude that could be considered a
sign of rebellion or of disobedience according to
the fundamentalist doctrine the pastor preached.
Behaviors that were to be expected
developmentally in toddlers, such as the
incapacity to control sphincters or the inability
to sleep on command during nap time, were
interpreted as rebellious attitudes attributed to
the work of Satan in the child’s vulnerable and
undisciplined soul. The pastor justified the use
of corporal punishment with the rod with
toddlers as the only means not only to rid them
of the demon, but also to teach them self-control
so they eventually would be able to ward Satan
off themselves.
By 1983, Pastor X’s involvement in the daily
lives of the members of his congregation was
considerable not only did all of the members’
children attend the BCW’s day-care center or
school or both, but members also had their cars
fixed at his service station and their insurance
premiums negotiated through him. They
furthermore received weekly rations of food the
pastor specially selected for their family.
Because a great many members of the
congregation worked for the pastor’s enterprises,
and they were also considerably engaged in
church matters and rituals, their relationship
with their pastor was based on his frequent and
often intense presence. It is in this context that
the project Pastor X initiated of building a self-
sufficient estate exclusively for members of the
BCW was developed. It seemed to him the
logical next step in their evolution. The project
was financed in great part by loans, mortgages,
and donations made by church members to the
leader personally. He bought the land for this
project in 1983, then plans were made, and
church members cleared the land.
God’s Emissary
At that point in time in the trajectory of the
BCW, Pastor X described himself as God’s
emissary and declared himself infallible. He
demanded absolute submission from his
members and exhorted his congregation to
“enter into the joy of thy master by being
faithful slaves” (interview, A., former member).
He required more and more work from church
members, and more money from them, claiming
that, according to the Bible, what was theirs was
his. His attitude became difficult to predict, and
he took pleasure in ridiculing members who he
thought were not as generous as he expected.
Leaving the church did not seem to be an option
for those who had handed over all of their assets
to the pastor who, in turn, had invested the
money toward the BCW estate.
Notwithstanding, many did leave—some
because they felt drained and exploited by the
minister, others because of the treatment
inflicted on the children. It is noteworthy that
only men claimed the latter reason for leaving
the BCW, which is comprehensible since they
were the ones administering the beatings. Some
men left their wives and children behind, their
spouse not being convinced that she should
leave the church.
The pastor’s discourse on corporal punishment
became more extreme during this period. An
emphasis was put on the need to correct children
88 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 6, 2015
