I was beaten with a stick from age 2 on Jesus Army farm where paedo ‘prophets' abused kids & ‘deserters' turned up dead
Children played in the fields, picked fresh fruit and did not face the pressures of the modern world.
Advertisement
12
Nathan was born into the Jesus Army and sexually abused by a 'man in his 40s' from the age of ten
Credit: BBC
12
New Creation Farm, where preacher Noel Stanton lived
Credit: Jesus Fellowship Central Offices/Youtube
12
Noel Stanton founded the Jesus Fellowship Church in 1973
12
Founder Stanton, who died in 2009 aged 82, was among the powerful men accused of assaulting the flock
Credit: BBC
But for the kids who grew up in
Children weren't allowed toys, crisps, television, radio, hobbies, sugar or even to visit museums.
A new BBC documentary titled The Rise and Fall of the Jesus Army reveals how children were beaten on a daily basis if they broke these rules and told they were 'possessed'.
Even worse was the sexual abuse in a Christian community that was supposed to value celibacy.
Advertisement
READ MORE FEATURES
The controversial church, which began life as the Jesus Fellowship in 1973, closed its doors for good in May 2019 following over 600 allegations of abuse.
Founder Stanton, who died in 2009 aged 82, was among the powerful men accused of assaulting the flock.
Breaking the spell Stanton's cult had over them is difficult.
Nathan, 38, who was born into the Jesus Army and sexually abused by a 'man in his 40s' from the age of ten, says that Noel is 'still someone I respect".
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
He explains: 'It was my whole life basically. I would spend hours with Noel shouting at us that you would go to Hell for stupid little things you did as a kid.'
Stanton, originally from Bedfordshire, ran a stationery business before becoming pastor of the Baptist church in Bugbrooke in 1957.
I was trapped in a cult & forced to give all my money to leaders who made me unwell with their 'cruelty'
Over the following decade he attracted increasingly 'unorthodox individuals' to his evangelistic sermons.
Earlier follower John says: 'He claimed he was a prophet speaking God's will.'
Advertisement
Fervent believers would speak in tongues and think they had been touched by Jesus.
The congregation were expected to be totally devoted to the Jesus Fellowship.
John continues: 'It wasn't just a case of just going to church, it was a case of belonging to the church.'
'Extreme and dangerous'
12
Earlier follower John says Stanton claimed he was a prophet speaking God's will
Credit: BBC
Advertisement
12
Philippa Barnes says children were tightly overseen by Stanton and didn't have time with their mums
Credit: BBC
12
The congregation were expected to be totally devoted to the Jesus Fellowship. Pictured: Bugbrooke chapel
Credit: Alamy
That devotion went further in 1974 when New Creation Hall and New Creation Farm were opened.
Stanton's disciples sold their home and all their worldly goods to buy these properties, which they didn't own.
Advertisement
The homes would be shared by any of the followers living there.
Magsy, who was brought up in nearby Upper Stowe, recalls: 'We were playing in the fields and picking fruit. It was beautiful.'
But Philippa Barnes, who was aged seven when she moved there, could sense something was wrong.
She says: 'We were very tightly overseen by Noel. You didn't have time with your mum. It was extreme. It was dangerous.'
Advertisement
There were no crisps, no worldly things because that was inviting the devil in
Magsy
Families were split up, with some children placed with strangers and married couples slept in separate beds.
The women were separated from the men, who were in control of the community.
Elders, who were always male, were expected to enforce the rules.
Magsy recalls: 'There were no crisps, no worldly things because that was inviting the devil in.'
Advertisement
In the evening Noel and other elders would purge people of their 'sins' as they writhed about on the floor convulsing like something out of The Exorcist movie.
Magsy continues: 'There would be people who looked possessed, people laying hands on them, Noel crying out 'the devil'.'
Suspicious deaths
12
Magsy was beaten with a stick from the age of two
Credit: BBC
This remained hidden from the outside world until Stephen Orchard, 19, died in suspicious circumstances in 1978 after leaving the 'cult'.
Advertisement
His injuries suggested he had lain on a railway track in the path of a train less than a mile from Bugbrooke, but the coroner recorded an open verdict.
Stephen wasn't the only one.
Eighteen months earlier David Hooper, 24, had died from exposure to freezing temperatures at the farm after being outside partially clothed in early December 1976.
Then in 1986, Jesus Army member Mohammed Majid was found floating in an underground water tank on the grounds.
Advertisement
There would be people who looked possessed, people laying hands on them, Noel crying out 'the devil'
Magsy
The publicity around Stephen's death did nothing to quell interest in this new way of life.
By 1980 their communes had over 430 residents and were running a string of businesses, including a hotel and health food shops.
With followers working for the love of the religion, the coffers swelled.
For the children who could not escape, it was a brutal upbringing with regular punishment beatings.
Advertisement
Magsy, who was beaten with a stick from the age of two, says: 'I was rodded every day. The brothers decided if you were defiant.'
Sexual abuse
12
Sarah recalls how brazen one senior member of the church was, putting his hand on her leg while his wife was across the room
Credit: BBC
12
When the Jesus Fellowship was thrown out of the Baptist Union and the Evangelical Alliance in 1986, Stanton launched the Jesus Army in 1987 in a bid to bring in fresh converts
Credit: BBC
12
Church members were sent out into cities such as London to find waifs and strays in need of a bed
Credit: Alamy
Advertisement
12
The Jesus Army held raves in warehouses, with people singing 'we are generation J' and talking about getting a 'natural high' from God
Credit: BBC
John was the first of the disgruntled grown-ups to leave and to go public with his concerns.
As a result the Jesus Fellowship was thrown out of the Baptist Union and the Evangelical Alliance in 1986.
Unperturbed, Stanton launched the Jesus Army the following year in a bid to bring in fresh converts.
Advertisement
Church members were sent out into cities such as London to find waifs and strays in need of a bed.
They opened up a Battle Centre in the capital and more communities in places such as Sheffield.
Next up were raves in warehouses, with people singing 'we are generation J' and talking about getting a 'natural high' from God.
But word got around paedophiles that the Jesus Army offered easy access to young children.
Advertisement
And the elders failed to crack down on reports of sexual abuse.
I was rodded every day. The brothers decided if you were defiant
Magsy
Sarah recalls how brazen one senior member of the church was.
She says: 'He would put his hand on my thigh under the table while his wife was across the room. He just shut me down.'
When Philippa told the police that a Jesus Army member had sexually assaulted one of her friends he was sentenced to six months in prison.
Advertisement
But he only served half of that time inside and was welcomed back as leader.
After Noel died the new leaders introduced safeguarding training and safeguarding officers.
The damage, though, had been done.
An investigation by Northamptonshire Police titled Operation Lifeboat uncovered 214 allegations of abuse.
Advertisement
Only five of the abusers were prosecuted and only two of them received custodial sentences, the longest being Nigel Perkins and Alan Carter, who received three year jail terms in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
DC Mark Allbright explains: 'It was difficult, there was closing of ranks.'
An independent review in 2017 carried on behalf of the Jesus Army found that Stanton had abused boys and that the leaders had failed to act.
Facing hundreds of compensation claims the church closed two years later.
Advertisement
Those cases are ongoing and many more victims are yet to come forward, with one in six children in the Jesus Army believed to have experienced abuse.
The Jesus Fellowship said: 'We continue to hold out an unreserved apology to anyone who has been affected by abuse and failings of any kind in the Jesus Fellowship.
'In 2013 we, as the senior leadership of the church, initiated a wide-ranging process that invited disclosures of any kind of abuse, both historic and recent, and referred all such reports to the authorities.'
The Rise and Fall of the Jesus Army airs on BBC2 on Sunday July 27.
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
6 hours ago
- Sunday World
Former Dublin headmaster who indecently assaulted young boy (10) is jailed
'I wish I could let the little boy go free from inside my head but I don't know how to' A former Christian Brother and headmaster who indecently assaulted a young boy over 40 years ago has been jailed. John Merrick (78) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of indecent assault on the then 10-year-old at St Vincent's Primary School, St Philomena's Road, Glasnevin on a date between September 1, 1979 and June 30, 1980. The victim came forward after reading a newspaper report when Merrick was previously sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on June 11, 2024 for indecent assaults on two complainants on dates between September 1977 and June 1978. John Merrick Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 28th Today, Merrick, of Portmarnock Park, Portmarnock, was given a nine month sentence with the final five months suspended by Judge Pauline Codd. The court heard Merrick joined the order when he was 14 and left in 1982 after meeting his wife the previous year. He worked as a school teacher until 1986 when his first offending came to light and then became a tour guide. Olan Callanan BL, defending, said his client paid his own legal fees which has had 'a financial toll on him'. Detective Garda Philip Cunningham told the court Merrick was a principal or headmaster of St. Vincent's School at the time of the offending. The victim gave a statement in which he said corporal punishment was part of school life at the time and would have been administered by Merrick in his office. The injured party said that Merrick was rubbing his back and opened the buttons on his shirt. Merrick then started to rub the victim's nipples and slid his hand down the back of his trousers and inside his underwear. The victim said Merrick was rubbing his buttock cheeks and kept touching and moved his hand underneath and started fondling his testicles. John Merrick During the time he was fondling him, he was saying 'you are a good boy' . The injured party said it went on a few minutes but stopped when the school secretary came into the office. The injured party said he was crying and upset and did not tell anyone immediately as he was only 10 at the time, but he later told his mother. He said he came forward when he was 55 following a newspaper article he saw in June 2024 where the injured party in that case asking for other victims to come forward. In interview, Merrick confirmed he was headmaster of the school. In relation to the specific conduct, he said he could not really recall but did not deny specifically anything the victim said. He has 21 previous convictions for similar offences of indecent assault, the court heard. A victim impact statement was read to the court by Sarah Connolly BL, prosecuting, in which the injured party said he suffers from flashbacks from being abused as a child. 'This affected me from childhood to adulthood,' the victim said. 'I wish I could let the little boy go free from inside my head but I don't know how to,' he added. In mitigation, Mr Callanan asked the judge to take account of his client's early guilty plea. He said he met his wife in 1981 and left the order in 1982. Counsel said he worked as a teacher until 1986 when the first offending came to light and then worked as a tour guide. Six references were handed into the court including one from his wife who said he has been shunned by his children and his neighbours. Mr Callanan said it was a 'poignant letter' from a lady who had suffered the 'caustic' effect of her husband's actions. Judge Codd noted Merrick went into the order at a very young age. 'I don't hear an expression of remorse,' said Judge Codd. 'How do you vindicate the rights of a victim 40 years later,' asked the judge. Sentencing Merrick, Judge Codd noted he had 21 previous convictions. She noted Merrick entered the Christian Brothers at the age of 14 in a 'much less open society'. The judge noted that apart from these offences there was no other type of criminal behaviour. However she said this is 'serious criminal behaviour' and she said the court heard evidence he was principal of St Vincent's Primary School and the victim was then 10 years old. A single count of indecent assault, which carries a penalty of two years if the commission of the offence was before 1981, the court heard. The judge said the aggravating factors were the breach of trust, and the second was the age disparity. In mitigation she said she took account of his guilty plea and Merrick's background and the effect his offending has had on his own life, in that he is socially ostracised. She also noted Merrick undertook counselling with the Grenada Institute - a treatment centre for those who sexually abused children, which the judge said 'appears to be effective' as he had not offended since. The judge also noted he underwent restorative justice with another complainant in 2017. However the judge said the offending conduct was 'egregious' and warranted a custodial sentence. She gave him a nine-month sentence but suspended the final five months of it.
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Who were the victims of Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley?
THE crimes Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are still infamous six decades on after they embarked on an evil murder spree, kidnapping, sexually assaulting and torturing five children. But now the BBC are releasing a new two-part documentary recounting the investigation into the 6 Ian Brady and girlfriend Myra Hindley murdered five children between 1963-65 Credit: PA:Press Association Who were the Moors Murders victims? Pauline Reade 6 Pauline Reade was the first victim of Hindley and Brady Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd On July 12, 1963, Brady had told She later claimed Brady claims that Hindley helped. READ MORE ON IAN BRADY It was only 19 years after he was caged for life over his sickening crimes that Brady confessed to Pauline's murder. On June 30, 1987, after 100 days of searching, the body of Pauline was found buried three feet below the ground. It took pathologists a month to decide that the girl had been sexually assaulted and her throat slashed from behind. John Kilbride 6 John Kilbride was a victim Credit: PA:Press Association John Kilbride was lured to the Moor by Hindley and Brady, who sexually assaulted him before strangling on November 23, 1963, Hindley approached John Kilbride in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, and offered him a lift home. Brady told the 12-year-old he would give him some sherry, but they would have to make a detour on the Moor first. read more on serial killers He sexually assaulted the youngster and attempted to slit his throat with a six-inch serrated blade before fatally strangling him with a piece of string. Keith Bennett 6 Keith Bennett's body has never been found Credit: PA:Press Association Keith Bennett, 12, was on his way to his grandmother's house on June 16, 1964, when Hindley lured him into her van. She drove to a lay-by on the Moor and Brady took the boy while Hindley kept watch. Brady reappeared 30 minutes later having sexually assaulted and strangled Keith. After he was transferred from prison to maximum-security hospital Ashworth in November 1985, Brady confessed to Keith's murder in an interview with reporters. A search was carried out on the moors a year later, with Hindley joining officers in 1986 and Brady in 1987. But Keith's body was never found and it is now a secret A fresh search was launched in September 2022 after a However, the whereabouts of Keith still remain unknown. Lesley Ann Downey 6 Lesley Ann Downey was raped and forced to pose naked for photos before being murdered Credit: PA:Press Association Desperate for another victim, cruel Brady and Hindley visited a fairground on Boxing Day, 1964, and came across They approached the 10-year-old and lured her back to their house, where she was undressed, gagged and forced to pose for photographs before being raped and killed. The following morning Brady and Hindley drove with Downey's body to Saddleworth Moor, where she was buried, naked with her clothes at her feet, in a shallow grave. Her naked body was not found until October 10, 1965. At their trial in 1966, all-male jurors fell silent for 16 minutes as the The tape was played at full volume and the chilling sounds of screaming echoed through the court before only the footsteps and soft voices in the background could be heard. Harrowing passages could be heard including 'Don't undress me, will you?' and 'I want to see mummy'. The haunting sound of the 10-year-old's throat being slit was also played to the court. Edward Evans 6 Edward Evans was murdered by Brady and police found his body the next day Credit: PA:Press Association The monster couple might have gone on to murder more had it not been for a blunder involving 17-year-old Edward. On October 6, 1965, Brady met 17-year-old apprentice engineer At this point, Brady and Hindley had become intent on corrupting Brady offered a practical demonstration with Edward - striking him fourteen times with a hatchet before finishing the job by strangling him. Horrified, Smith phoned police the next morning and directed them to Brady's address. Officers searched 16 Wardle Brook Avenue where they discovered Edward's corpse wrapped in plastic sheeting. Read More in The Sun The bloody murder weapon was also recovered, along with Brady's collection of books on perversion and sadism. Brady and Hindley's gruesome reign of terror began to unravel and the twisted pair were arrested on suspicion of murder.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I know my TV career's over & I fear for my financial future, says Gregg Wallace as he moans about BBC sacking
FURIOUS Gregg Wallace has vowed never to watch MasterChef again following his sacking. Asked if he will tune in to the latest series which he co-presented, he said: 'No, no, no, no.' 5 Former TV star Gregg Wallace vowed never to watch MasterChef again following his sacking Credit: Dan Charity 5 Wallace with his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini Credit: Dan Charity The 60-year-old — The BBC confirmed it will air the series with Defiant Wallace has hit back at the damning legal investigation into his behaviour — claiming HE was groped during his time on MasterChef. The furious 60-year-old ex-presenter, fired this month, also believes he was accused of wrongdoing by women with an 'agenda' against him. READ MORE ON GREGG WALLACE In a hard-hitting interview, he acknowledges he will never appear on TV again - and says he will not watch the new series of the show in which he features alongside axed co-host John Torode. He says: 'The whole complaints procedure needs to be readdressed - there are huge problems with it as things stand. 'Being on MasterChef was brilliant but I had so many bad experiences on that show too. Most read in News TV 'Had I wanted to raise any complaints, I'd have had the decency to speak to that person directly. Privately, not publicly. 'My God, can you imagine the complaints I could have made? Have you got any idea of the sexual references made to me on a daily basis? 'How many times I've been touched by women wanting a selfie? How many times I've been groped? How many times suggestive comments have been made to me? How many female contestants have said inappropriate things on MasterChef? Shamed Gregg Wallace says 'I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking 'It wouldn't even cross my mind though. Now, I'm not suggesting that groping is right, but it was happening to me on a regular basis. It was just extraordinary. 'This is what I mean about the idea that presenters are god-like and they're just throwing their weight around and bullying people. 'The amount of times when I was desperately trying to build a career in television that I've been shouted at and bullied. I don't know what the answer is, and I understand the need for anonymity, but I wouldn't wish anyone to be dragged through what I have.' While he recognises that genuine whistleblowers must be protected, he firmly believes some women were 'weaponising' their dislike of him. He is, it is clear, a very angry man - and certainly a bruised one. He told The Sun yesterday that he was not a 'groper, a sex pest or a flasher'. He also backed Torode, who had an allegation of racism upheld against him during the probe into Wallace's behaviour. He confirms he is contemplating suing the BBC — after taking on attack-dog lawyer Dan Morrison — for what he believes is their 'unfair' treatment of him. Under the 2010 Equalities Act, employers are duty-bound to protect those with disabilities - which includes He sighs: 'Honestly I don't know if I will go through with it right now though. I feel utterly battered and bruised, and right now just want to hide behind my sofa drinking Horlicks. 'Perhaps when the dust has settled but it's too early to say what I will do next.' Last week the BBC and MasterChef production company Banijay confirmed they will be airing the series which he and Torode filmed last year. Will 5 Wallace said: 'Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this' Credit: Dan Charity 5 Wallace's co-host John Torode was also sacked from the show Credit: BBC 5 Wallace was ridiculed for an exchange he had with Nick Holder on X/Twitter which went viral Credit: Twitter He rages: 'No, no, no, no. I'm hurt. I don't want anything to do with telly. I don't want anything to do with the BBC. I really don't care. I'm just really pleased for the contestants because MasterChef, really, is all about them - it was never about John and I. 'Whoever hosts it next, and I really don't care who it is, the show will be absolutely fine.' Speaking from his sprawling country home in rural Kent, Wallace admits he is worried about his financial future. He adds: 'But, for a long time, I earned a lot of money and I was careful with it. I am not expecting sympathy from anyone but obviously I have a family, and of course I do worry.' He accepts his TV career is over, and has just qualified as a personal trainer helping men over 50 get fit. He charges £50 a week for his 20 clients, giving them a one-hour, face-to-face online session plus a full nutrition and exercise plan. It is a far cry from his reported £400,000-a-year salary on MasterChef. But, he insists, it brings him happiness. Today, the gym is a respite for him. What will my legacy be now? I don't want it to be telly, I want nothing to do with it all Gregg Wallace In 2022 the former greengrocer was awarded an MBE for services to food and charity. But in the wake of the report against him - undertaken by law firm Lewis Silkin with 45 out of 83 allegations upheld - he fears being stripped of the title. He muses: 'What will my legacy be now? I don't want it to be telly, I want nothing to do with it all. I have worried about losing my MBE but there's not a lot I can do about it. But I haven't done anything illegal and hopefully now more and more people will realise that I haven't been exposing myself, and I haven't been groping people either. 'So now I want to start campaigning - raising more awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace. 'I think perceptions may slowly change and all I want is people to ask questions of people whose behaviour they find odd - even people that might look like a football hooligan to you. 'You can't decide which groups of people or which disabilities you will support or won't support in the workplace. You either embrace it all or you don't. 'For example, the BBC should have spotted my autism sooner and sent me off to Occupational Health rather than letting all these complaints to build up against me, with nobody saying anything until the floodgates opened and it all came out. I feel very angry about that.' Wallace is so angry with the BBC that when they asked him repeatedly for an interview he declined. Anger, of course, is something many, many women felt towards Wallace in the wake of his arrogantly foolish comments on Instagram last year in which he said he was accused by 'middle-class women of a certain age'. It is, he acknowledges ruefully, a phrase that will haunt him forever. No, no, no, why did I look like an a**hole? He was asking me to do something, and he got my name wrong. Did I say anywhere that I wouldn't help him? Gregg Wallace After spending two hours with Wallace, it seems evident he is on the spectrum. Frankly, how it took until the age of 60 for him to be diagnosed is baffling. One incident that has unquestionably marked him came in 2012 when a fan tweeted the presenter to ask for help raising awareness of a charity bike ride. Nick Holder posted: 'Hi Greg, I am cycling just over 180 miles in 2 days for Macmillan Cancer Support. Any chance of an RT?' Instead of supporting Nick's endeavours, Gregg, with two Gs, simply responded 'Gregg?' Cuttingly - and quite rightly - Nick replied: 'No worries mate, it's only people with cancer. You worry about your extra G. Mastert**t.' The exchange quickly went viral, with Wallace mercilessly ridiculed. Does he not realise, I ask, that he came across as, well, an utter a**hole? (A question not many people would take well.) Nope, Gregg is still bemused and frustrated by the incident. He asks: 'No, no, no, why did I look like an a**hole? He was asking me to do something, and he got my name wrong. Did I say anywhere that I wouldn't help him? 'So why didn't he just go, 'Oh, OK mate, sorry I got that wrong. Would you help me?' 'And if that would have been the narrative, then fine, but instead he said, 'Oh, don't worry, it's only people dying of cancer, you get your name right, w***er'. Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this Gregg Wallace 'If only he'd just said, 'Oh, sorry, mate, G-R-E-G-G, could you help me?' Then of course I would have done so, that's what I wanted to do, but people don't know that. I have done so much for charities over the years, I have always done so.' When I ask him if such pedantry is his autism at play, he bizarrely doubles down and insists I would not understand because people have not been spelling my name wrong for years. I point out that, as a 'Clemmie', I spent my childhood years regularly being called 'Clammy', and joyfully, 'Chlamydia'. And that, no, it would not have irked me one iota. He snaps back: 'Congratulations, well done you — you're obviously not autistic.' Had I not spent the morning with the man - and, crucially, his lovely family - I might have been pretty horrified by that. As it is, I realise he genuinely sees things incredibly black and white. Quite literally there is no filter with Wallace. When he feels an injustice, he says it. Certainly you see a different side to the man - who can only go out in a disguise now, so afraid of public perception is he - when you see him interacting with his family. His incredibly loyal Anna has been my rock - we had some really tough conversations when it was all kicking off but I promised her I have never, ever cheated Gregg Wallace Two French bulldogs, Wally and Bella, tear around the house, while his delightful mother-in-law Rina potters around in the kitchen. Indeed, such is his autism, he makes diary reminders in his phone nudging him to be romantic. He says: 'Anna told me once she wanted spontaneous hugs from me so that's what I do now… so the hugs might not be spontaneous for me, but they are for her.' He credits his family for keeping him around. Without them, he admits tearfully, he might have taken his own life during a particularly bleak spell last Christmas. He reflects: 'But then I realised that would be selfish on them, and totally unfair. Anna has been my rock - we had some really tough conversations when it was all kicking off but I promised her I have never, ever cheated. 'She knows I have not looked at another woman since the moment I laid eyes on her. 'But seeing how tough this been on them - my mum, who died earlier this year, called me one day to ask why the Prime Minister was talking about me on telly - has been heartbreaking. 'Wokeism and cancel culture is terrifying - I just hope no one else ever has to go through anything like this.'
