Former members of a Christian leadership training program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, alleged they suffered nightmarish abuse from a youth pastor who subjected teenagers to back-breaking manual labor and in some cases, “fight nights.”
More than six people have said they suffered disturbing experiences at the “220i” internship program at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge. Former members of the now-discontinued program told NBC about the hellish scenarios they were placed in during their time with the church.
Gume Laurel, 34, said the program “was a cult mentality” when she took part in 2007 and 2008. She claimed black male interns were allegedly segregated on one floor of the dormitory-style living quarters, adding that male interns who were believed to be gay were forced to tread water in the pool for hours.
“They would be calling him f****t, and they were spraying water from a hose into his mouth while he was trying to tread water,” Laurel alleged, according to NBC’s Tuesday report.
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Joel Stockstill, the older brother of Bethany Church’s current head pastor, Jonathan Stockstill, is said to be the leader of the $5,000 program. Their grandfather founded the megachurch in the family’s living room in 1963. It has since gained 8,000 members on five respective Louisiana campuses.
Former interns alleged Joel Stockstill, 42, openly used the “N-word” and called black interns “thugs.” The interns who have come forward said the elder brother “was the main one doing the pitting and mocking.”
Alleged “fight nights” were an event some interns claimed to be a part of the program, in which smaller male members were pitted against larger ones and forced to brawl until one had been beaten, former interns alleged.
Bethany Church denied all allegations to NBC, calling the fight nights a “false claim.”
“We are unaware of any so-called reported incidents of bullying related to racism or sexual orientation,” the church said in a statement. “We condemn such behavior in the strongest way and never tolerated it.”
However, on April 28, Jonathan Stockstill posted an apology to Facebook to the roughly 500 people who attended the program throughout its 2005-2013 run.
“While there was some positive fruit that came from that ministry, there were also leadership and cultural flaws that led to painful experiences for many,” he wrote in the apology statement. “It’s obvious to me now and to the current leadership at Bethany Church that we significantly missed the mark in that program in many ways.”
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<mediadc-iframe data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1621531358868,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000177-1b39-d2c7-af7f-5fbf13ff0004","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1621531358868,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000177-1b39-d2c7-af7f-5fbf13ff0004","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"iFrameEmbedCode":"","_id":"00000179-8acc-d45b-a3fd-9eddeb690000","_type":"00000161-b425-d761-a563-f7e77e270000"}”>iFrame ObjectBethany Church did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
