The Federal Bureau of Investigation has officially launched a probe into a highly secretive cult known as “Two by Two,” which has remained in the shadows for decades. Just about everything to do with the group is a secret. It was originally established in 1897 by William Irvine in Ireland. The sect’s members refer to the group as “The Way” or “The Truth,” and have essentially eluded any and all legal oversight, even though a few of its leaders have been sentenced to prison. Advocates are hoping the investigation will help provide a path forward for those who escape its clutches.
Here’s more on this via The Christian Tribune:
The founder of the sect, railed against organized religion. He believed that the only way to spread the gospel was to do as Christ instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send missionaries out to live among those they sought to convert in pairs. The volunteer preachers, known as workers, go out two by two” to live in the homes of followers.
At its peak, the sect had several million members. Now that number is less than 85,000. While other organizations have faced similar accusations, the ‘Two by Two’ sect has a unique structure that has made it difficult to fight abuse. Workers are supposed to take a vow of poverty and rely on the faithful for shelter and food. This does not mean that the sect lacks assets to pay settlements to abuse victims. A growing number of public allegations has placed a spotlight on the secretive group. While ministry leaders have publicly condemned the abuse, victims allege the group’s leaders protected abusers. The allegations document more than 900 abusers and survivors in 30 countries. A Hulu documentary has also drawn attention to this secretive group.
One woman, who only goes by her last name, let the walls down and really poured out her heart in an interview with CBS. She believes the attention has caused survivors to be empowered by a sense of “strength in numbers.” She told the outlet, “There are so many who are frustrated and disheartened, but there’s also camaraderie in that, and support.”
Webb revealed that she was abused by a worker who came to her home in Michigan when she was only 11 years old. During the conversation Webb explained the attitude that ultimately cultivates the kind of abuse she suffered.
You have this mindset that they are angels in your home. They can do no wrong, so you don’t have any kind of wall up,” she remarked. “It was just the perfect storm created, the perfect recipe for this kind of behavior.” And Webb is not the only one who described being abused by workers for the sect.
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Another worker Americo Quispe fled Peru in the early 2000s after he was accused of inappropriate behavior. He was relocated to Garland, Texas where he soon found additional victims. He was reported to police but fled back to his home nation. While he was never convicted in Texas, he was jailed for 30 years in Peru on charges of molestation.
In February the Omaha FBI field office launched an investigation. Reaction from the organization has been mixed. Some workers welcome the chance to clean up the sect, while others have been resistant. At a recent convention in Canada, a worker avoided mention of the scandal but instructed the row to abandon “evil speakings.”It’s more easy to be critical than to be correct,” preached a worker from Australia. “If you feed on problems, it will only make more problems. But if you focus on the Lord, it will lead to solutions.”
What’s truly sad is that the damage done by cults like this goes far beyond physical and emotional. Many victims will be turned off of religion for the rest of their lives, never seeking to know the true, biblical Jesus for fear of being caught in another sinister, dark web like Two by Two. And that’s understandable.
Pray for the souls of victims and survivors.