In 1992 Gary and Marilyn Hargrave, leaders of the Living Word Fellowship, held a special meeting about the secrets and mysteries of sex in the Los Angeles church sanctuary.
In this nearly four-hour long video, Gary and Marilyn spoke explicitly about sexual promiscuity, masturbation, homosexuality, Gary's flowing hormones, young children’s “intrigue” with sex, Gary’s and Marilyn’s investigations into the mysteries of intercourse, and directives on premarital fornication.
This video was sent to the other churches in the fellowship. Meetings were held in these locations like Shiloh in Kalona, Iowa, and the video was played for high school age and up.
For the first time we will bring to light this previously restricted video tape originally titled Gary and Marilyn Talk to the Singles, or as we like to call it, Gary and Marilyn make a sex tape.
In 2023 Gary Hargrave, Head Pastor of Hargrave Ministries, was deposed in the Living Word Lawsuits for his responsibility as the leader of the Living Word Cult. In the deposition Gary is grilled by the Plaintiff's counsel about his teachings to the young people of the church. He is asked why he said, “You look at your five year old and tell me that they’re not intrigued with sex”. This begs the question, was this meeting priming the youth to be groomed and preyed upon by church leaders and members?
This tape was recorded less than 10 years after the Founder of the Living Word John Robert Stevens died. Stevens was purported to have slept with numerous congregants and even divorced his wife so he could marry Marilyn Holbrook (now Hargrave).
The whole tape is a lesson in grooming from Gary and Marilyn Hargrave who say “Marilyn and I have a lot of sex” and “we use sex for a purpose”.
In attendance are all the “singles” in the church including children as young as 13.
Bonus: A not fun drinking game to try- Drink a shot every time Gary says “By virtue of” and see how bad your hangover is the next day.
Scott Barker and Charity Navalesi are former members, born and raised in The Living Word Fellowship. They are investigating this organization, founded by John Robert Stevens in 1951, that branded itself as a Christian church for over seventy years but turned out to be just another cult. Stevens demanded full submission of his followers until his death in 1983 and when his successors, Gary & Marilyn Hargrave took over, the beliefs and practices became even more extreme as they levied control over the congregants for the next three decades.
In 2018 a former member finally spoke up after Marilyn's death accusing her son of abuse. There are five active lawsuits. The organization is a shadow of what it once was, but some remain believers of John Robert Stevens' teachings and many maintain loyalty to Gary Hargrave. Gary has a new following on social media and an active "ministry" under the umbrella of Hargrave Ministries.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for you, a friend, or a family member.
https://988lifeline.org/
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help
Podcast Links:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oops-im-in-a-cult/id1703501829
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2YlZeTiuons5y4J3RZYXSv
Support our Supercast
https://oopsiminacult.supercast.com/
Contact Oops!
www.oopsiminacult.com
eMail - oopsiminacult@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oopsiminacultpodcast
More - https://linktr.ee/oopsiminacult