Twisted Message: A prophet’s unchecked global sect
A religious sect called “The Message” has spread worldwide — and also sprouted destructive “cults.” An investigation exposes the child abuse, misogyny and manipulation in some of the faith’s subgroups.
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Women were told never to cut their hair, one of the many rules controlling them. Women who disobeyed "weren't worth a good, clean bullet," the sect's founder taught.
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“I know for a fact young women did not want to be 17, 18 years old and marrying a man in his 50s. ... But the parents had a different view.”
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Men across the country use misogynistic rhetoric from their prophet, the late Rev. William Branham, to justify sexist behavior.
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Resources are available for those who wish to leave The Message or need help recovering from religious trauma.
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"The Message" considers the late Rev. William Branham to be a prophet from God, but some of his sermons contain sexist rhetoric. Women share m…
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The story behind millions of dollars amassed by a fringe religious sect includes the distribution of recorded sermons by its dead prophet and tributes paid worldwide.
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Strict tithing mandates, real estate purchases and mortgage lending marked the financial practices of a Tucson church. "I can't believe I was so stupid," one former member said.
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Critics say leaders of a religious group called 'The Message' use their prophet William Branham as a way to expand assets and amass donations.…
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Leaders influenced by William Branham have overseen a deadly starvation cult in Kenya in 2023 and a trailer-park commune in Arizona that abused children in the 1960s, among other atrocities.
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A Tucson pastor built his congregation on the strict teachings of 20th-century 'prophet' William Branham, but made it so harsh that leaving means estrangement from family members.
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Former members who have been "excommunicated" from a Tucson church "cult" say the church prevents them from attending the funerals of their own family members.
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"Indoctrination school" at Tucson church thrives under Arizona's home-schooling rules. Former students say it used shunning and shame, taught all about 'prophet' William Branham.
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The 'prophet' who founded a sect called The Message hailed this Arizona trailer park as an ideal community in the 1960s. Survivors say they suffered hellish abuse as children there.
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Children in a 1960s trailer park cult in Arizona were whipped with belts, sexually abused, separated from their families, forced to run naked …
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A member of a Tucson church admitted he molested a boy. The pastor said he knew and never went to the police, flouting state laws that mandate reporting of such incidents.
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Listen to the audio recording and read the transcript of an interview with an alleged child molester in Tucson's Golden Dawn church.
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Alleged sexual abuse of minors has been covered up in a Tucson church for decades, an investigation finds. The pastor dismissed allegations, blamed victims and screamed at police.
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Although William Branham died in 1965, millions of people worldwide still follow his teachings. The sect has expanded, in part, through more than 1,200 recordings of his sermons.
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The Bride. End Times. Serpent’s seed. These are some of the words and phrases you’ll hear if you attend a Message church.
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Leaders influenced by the late Rev. William Branham have overseen controlling religious groups worldwide, including a trailer park commune tha…
20 updates to this series since Updated
Emily Hamer
Public Service Journalism reporter
Tim Steller
Columnist
