Were Word of Faith Children Really Trained to Attack Their Own Classmates in School? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 18 MIN

Were Word of Faith Children Really Trained to Attack Their Own Classmates in School?

from Cults: Hidden Killers Investigates · host Hidden Killers Podcast

Inside the Word of Faith Christian School in Spindale, North Carolina, children allegedly attacked other children during class — and teachers were reportedly told not to stop it. Former teacher Rebeca Melo described to the AP how students would accuse a classmate of having demons, surround them, throw them to the floor, and beat them. John Cooper, who worked as a teacher’s aide in Jane Whaley’s own classroom, said Whaley encouraged the violence and warned students to keep it from their parents. The secrecy is the tell. If the leadership believed the practice was righteous, there would be no reason to hide it. But the school violence was only one dimension. The Word of Faith Fellowship allegedly separated children from their biological parents and placed them with church ministers for years — up to a decade of zero contact, according to former members. The stated justification was that the parents had demons. Former members said the real purpose was to engineer loyalty in the children and trap the parents. When parents left and fought for custody, the church reportedly deployed legal and financial resources against them. A judge found clear evidence of child abuse through isolation, punishment, and blasting at the fellowship. The church sued the state’s child protective services and won, shutting down investigations. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation into a church that allegedly turned children into both victims and weapons.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #ChildAbuse #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultSurvivors #HiddenKillers #FosterCare #ReligiousAbuse

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Were Word of Faith Children Really Trained to Attack Their Own Classmates in School?

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This episode was published on May 20, 2026.

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Inside the Word of Faith Christian School in Spindale, North Carolina, children allegedly attacked other children during class — and teachers were reportedly told not to stop it. Former teacher Rebeca Melo described to the AP how students would...

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