Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 139
Word of Faith Fellowship
Daughters Can Return to Church
Sarah and Rachel Almanie, 17 and 16, have gained ―emancipation‖ by order of a Rutherford
County, NC, District Court, leaving them free to remain associated with the Word of Faith
Fellowship (WOFF), which their mother, Shana Muse, calls a destructive cult.
Muse left the children with a WOFF couple when she went to seek treatment at a facility for
former cult members and has for some time been seeking to regain custody of the girls,
who seem to have thrived while living with the church family. Muse‘s daughters impressed
the court, as well as the Department of Social Services (DSS), with their maturity and
potential to do well on their own, aided by support from the church family.
Muse‘s attorney agreed that the girls were mature enough to make their own decisions, but
he wondered why the court would allow them to return to a church which less than a year
ago the court deemed abusive enough to remove them from it. The judge said: ―The main
objection [to emancipation] seems to be that they [the girls] would make the wrong choice
as to what church to attend. The church has had criticism about its practices. In isolation,
that criticism raises questions. But those questions could be raised with nearly any
denomination that exists in this country.‖
Muse maintains that WOFF breaks up families. ―She [leader Jane Whaley] is not unlike Jim
Jones at all, who also made a mockery of the judicial system in San Francisco in the 70s.‖
Muses two sons, 8 and 10, remain in a DSS-assigned foster home. (Jerry Stensland, Daily
Courier, Internet, 8/27/04)
Children File for Emancipation
Two of four children involved in a custody dispute between current and former members of
the Rutherford County, NC-based Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), have filed for
emancipation. Sarah and Rachel Almanie, 17 and 16, had been left by their mother, Shana
Muse, with a WOFF couple, the Covingtons, when she left town in 2002 to seek counseling
at an Ohio facility for ex-cult members. When Muse returned to North Carolina, the WOFF
couple only reluctantly gave the children up to the Department of Social Services following a
judge‘s ruling that the church environment was abusive to children.
The two teenagers, who say they prefer to live with the Covingtons, whom they treat as
parents and who have begun to finance the girls‘ college educations, now want to be free of
their mother‘s claims on them, while she has requested that they be returned to her
custody. (Jerry Stensland, Daily Courier, Internet, 6/16/04)
Wife Agrees to Keep Kids Out of Group
Stella Hamrick has agreed to take her two children and leave the home of her brother, Rick
Cooper, a member of the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Her husband, Rick, gained a
court order last week to remove the children from the Cooper home because he does not
want them indoctrinated and socialized in WOFF. Mrs. Hemrick, who retains custody of the
children — her husband has weekend visitation rights — will soon move into her own place
and be joined by her mother, who is a WOFF member.
The agreement stipulates that the children will not be allowed to attend WOFF, Mrs. Hamrick
will not use ―strong prayer‖ or ―blasting‖ in her child rearing, and she will not expose them
to WOFF literature. (Jerry Stensland, Daily Courier, Internet, 4/6/04)
Word of Faith Fellowship
Daughters Can Return to Church
Sarah and Rachel Almanie, 17 and 16, have gained ―emancipation‖ by order of a Rutherford
County, NC, District Court, leaving them free to remain associated with the Word of Faith
Fellowship (WOFF), which their mother, Shana Muse, calls a destructive cult.
Muse left the children with a WOFF couple when she went to seek treatment at a facility for
former cult members and has for some time been seeking to regain custody of the girls,
who seem to have thrived while living with the church family. Muse‘s daughters impressed
the court, as well as the Department of Social Services (DSS), with their maturity and
potential to do well on their own, aided by support from the church family.
Muse‘s attorney agreed that the girls were mature enough to make their own decisions, but
he wondered why the court would allow them to return to a church which less than a year
ago the court deemed abusive enough to remove them from it. The judge said: ―The main
objection [to emancipation] seems to be that they [the girls] would make the wrong choice
as to what church to attend. The church has had criticism about its practices. In isolation,
that criticism raises questions. But those questions could be raised with nearly any
denomination that exists in this country.‖
Muse maintains that WOFF breaks up families. ―She [leader Jane Whaley] is not unlike Jim
Jones at all, who also made a mockery of the judicial system in San Francisco in the 70s.‖
Muses two sons, 8 and 10, remain in a DSS-assigned foster home. (Jerry Stensland, Daily
Courier, Internet, 8/27/04)
Children File for Emancipation
Two of four children involved in a custody dispute between current and former members of
the Rutherford County, NC-based Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), have filed for
emancipation. Sarah and Rachel Almanie, 17 and 16, had been left by their mother, Shana
Muse, with a WOFF couple, the Covingtons, when she left town in 2002 to seek counseling
at an Ohio facility for ex-cult members. When Muse returned to North Carolina, the WOFF
couple only reluctantly gave the children up to the Department of Social Services following a
judge‘s ruling that the church environment was abusive to children.
The two teenagers, who say they prefer to live with the Covingtons, whom they treat as
parents and who have begun to finance the girls‘ college educations, now want to be free of
their mother‘s claims on them, while she has requested that they be returned to her
custody. (Jerry Stensland, Daily Courier, Internet, 6/16/04)
Wife Agrees to Keep Kids Out of Group
Stella Hamrick has agreed to take her two children and leave the home of her brother, Rick
Cooper, a member of the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Her husband, Rick, gained a
court order last week to remove the children from the Cooper home because he does not
want them indoctrinated and socialized in WOFF. Mrs. Hemrick, who retains custody of the
children — her husband has weekend visitation rights — will soon move into her own place
and be joined by her mother, who is a WOFF member.
The agreement stipulates that the children will not be allowed to attend WOFF, Mrs. Hamrick
will not use ―strong prayer‖ or ―blasting‖ in her child rearing, and she will not expose them
to WOFF literature. (Jerry Stensland, Daily Courier, Internet, 4/6/04)
