Edwin Young, Jordan Young & The Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City, KansasThis article a collaborative effort. For those wanting websites on the church and school, they taught against the internet, so there are no official websites to be found. On May 13,
2013, the church purchased a domain for a website [website is no longer available- see
archived version] but as of October 25, 2014, they had not done anything but display
an under construction page. By 2016 it was in operation but with very little information. The website is now here and while
there are pictures and some blogs, not much other information is on it and the about page leaves out any reference of
Edwin Young being a former pastor (as of near the end of 2017 and remains so in 2022). It appears in 2015 they also started a separate site on the
Academy, which also has little information. Later it became part of the
new website.
NOTICE: On February 5, 2021, Edwin Young passed away after a battle with cancer. You won't find much online about his passing. For a very brief mention, go here. We used the archived link as so much related to this story has vanished from the internet through the years. On July 2, 2022, Darlyene Mardell Westberg passed away. On June 25, 2013 it was announced that Jordan Young would be pleading guilty to ten cases and made a deal with the prosecutors that would include extensive jail time. On August 6, Jordan unexpectedly backed out of the plea agreement and requested a new attorney. On November 6, 2013 a plea agreement was made where Young agreed to a sentence of over 24 years in prison. He pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated criminal sodomy and three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. All the remaining charges were dismissed with prejudice as part of the plea agreement. On January 13, 2014, he was officially sentenced to 24.5 years. He spoke briefly, apologizing to his victims and acknowledged and thanked his family that was in attendance, telling them he loved them. In the fall of 2014, he filed an appeal and before the end of the year, the Kansas Supreme Court had summarily dismissed it. Since 2017 Jordan, KDOC# 0107301, has been serving his sentence at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and appears to be working a job. His earliest possible release date is June 10, 2033 according to https://kdocrepository.doc.ks.gov/kasper/search/results. On July 27, 2023, he was tranferred to the Winfield Correctional Facility.
Forward A pastor morally falls. So does his son. People are devastated, hurt, confused, angry, sad, scared and their faith is shaken and one has commented, "we are emotionally in ICU." A church is thrown into turmoil. This is happening now in Junction City, Kansas. The pastor, Edwin R. Young, suddenly and without warning, turned in his resignation August 2, 2012, leaving it on the desk of Don Boyer. He left and did so without his wife. The Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church, 1010 Burke Drive, in Junction City, Kansas, has already voted in Nathan Dudley, from Wichita, as the new pastor, after Don Boyer expressed that he did not want the position. Dudley has shared with the media that the church is supplying people with counselors. Since the resignation, numerous allegations of financial misconduct (taking out and keeping a $750,000 loan on the church and taking millions from the church over a number of years, while others say he took $100,000) and immorality (it has been alleged he slept with around a dozen young women, at least 18 years old, from the church) have been made as people have seemingly come out of the woodwork. There is word that on August 30, Nathan Dudley stated that the church will not file charges against Edwin Young. So far we have been unable to verify this information. It has been said that the church is in debt due to the actions of the previous pastor. His son, Jordan Young, who was heavily involved in the church and school, was arrested on August 13, 2012, and then re-arrested August 17 and 30, by the Junction City Police on sexual charges of a homosexual nature on minor boys. There are six separate cases, with seven more potential cases yet to be filed. This is in line with what had been reported by various people beforehand. According to the charges, things have been happening since at least 2008 and may go all the way up to August 1, 2012. A number of the charges to date are alleged to have happened in 2012. This article is an attempt to give the reader a background of the church and pastor in question, as well as information on his son Jordan. It is by no means a full and complete accounting, and that may never be known. An untold number of people have been hurt in one way or another over the years. People would believe whatever Edwin Young told them about a person or situation. They would stand and cheer him on when he would come down hard on homosexuality or fornication, or when he would tear into a member from the pulpit...and sometimes even a visitor. A number of people who left the church under his pastorate were pegged by him as homosexuals or fornicators, among other things. Members believed what he told them. Yet he didn't hang around and seek the same to be done to him, that he once did to countless others. Instead, he didn't even have the decency to resign in person and confess his sins and those of his son. If you came here to see names named of the women who Edwin Young allegedly had inappropriate contact with, as has been found elsewhere online, you will be disappointed. That isn't what this article is for and we aren't about to do that unless people come forward and go public. If you came here because you think we are going to claim that these things are representative of all of the more conservative Apostolic Pentecostal churches, you will also be disappointed. There was a particular culture, or mindset, at this independent Apostolic church. Is it found elsewhere? Absolutely. However, we dislike that some are using this situation in an attempt to peg all ultra-conservative churches as being like this. They are not. In fact, and I know many will disbelieve me when I share this, but I have more respect for those churches that are consistent in their standards teachings, even though I disagree with them. In my opinion, the United Pentecostal Church is inconsistent in its teachings regarding standards and many shake their heads at the number of churches and licensed ministers that break these rules that are outlined in their Articles of Faith and Manual. So how does this case differ? I will state that it is my opinion that those ministers who teach and enforce these rules in a harsh, demanding, judging and unloving manner are most likely to have some sin their life that they are covering up. In this situation, the sin involved appears to be gargantuan in size. If you came here thinking we are rejoicing that this minister and son have fallen into sin, you are quite mistaken. We are not glad that the church is in turmoil and so many people there, including children, have been harmed in ways that will remain with them the rest of their lives. We are not glad that there could be children involved who may never come forward. We are not glad that the families of these children are in such horrible pain. However, we are glad these men are no longer there to harm more people. We are glad that many former members may now be believed as to why they left and that the lies told about them might be rectified. We are glad that what we consider to have been an abusive minister, though well respected and thought of by a number of other ministers in the past, will never again be able to preach. We are glad that his son is behind bars and will not be able to harm another innocent child. The questions will invariably be asked by those who have never been a part of Faith Tabernacle: Why didn't they leave? Why didn't they do something sooner? The answers aren't easy to explain to someone who has never sat within that church's walls. Even some former and current members may not know how to answer those questions. A question that many have repeatedly asked is where can they go if they leave? (We hope to add additional information covering the subject.) Faith Tabernacle had a completely different culture than many would think. Outsiders recognized them by their skirts, long sleeves, and buns and by the white shirts and ties on the men on Sundays. The culture of the church varied with its' neighbors in many other ways. By understanding the history of Faith Tabernacle and considering some more detailed vignettes or short stories that give insight into the atmosphere of the church, a person might begin to gain a bit of perspective into a culture that was radically unique. A person could live next door to someone from Faith Tabernacle, see them everyday, and not realize that they saw the world so differently. To all of you reading who have been hurt or abused or lied about by this man over the years, this account is also in part for you. The man who preached so hard about sin and appeared to have little compassion on others, has been found out. The truth is starting to be unearthed. I know nothing written will take away what happened or the effects that his actions have had on your life, but hopefully you may feel as another has said, "I'm not rejoicing in their adversity. I feel for all of them including the pastor. But I also feel exonerated. After years of build up of false statements against me, my name has pretty much been cleared very suddenly and without me even knowing. That's exciting and liberating." The man that was idolized, the man you could not speak against, the man that had to be obeyed, the man who was seemingly treated as a king, has been dethroned. If you desire to get an idea of how Edwin Young and Jordan Young preached, go here.
Above is an audio clip of Jordan Young preaching from what we believe to be July 2012. Information On Jordan Charles Young
An in depth look at Jordan Young and the felony charges made against him is found here. Information On Nathan Dudley & Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church
An in depth look at Nathan Dudley and the recent happenings at Faith Tabernacle is found here. Videos From A Former Faith Tabernacle Member
A series of videos from a former member of Faith Tabernacle are found here. In these, she shares some of her experiences as well as thoughts regarding recent events, as well as her attendance at the open house and installation services.
Background Information on Faith Tabernacle and Edwin Young
Faith Tabernacle began in 1963. In June 1971, the Westbergs moved to Junction City, Kansas to pastor. According to one source, he was pastoring in Texas prior to then. Larry and Jill Hill, Joyce and Bill Wilcox and the Riddles were the main members of the church at the time and voted L.E. Westberg in as the new pastor. He was licensed by the United Pentecostal Church (UPC) and as such, the church was considered a UPC church, but it was not affiliated (which means the church was not bound with the organization legally- this will be further explained later). There are affiliated and non-affiliated UPC churches, but both are considered UPC churches. Any church pastored by a UPC minister is considered to be a UPC church by the organization, and the church is supposed to identify itself as such. Westberg was born on October 10, 1925 in Turin, Iowa. He married Darlyene Osualt, born November 5, 1935, on December 24, 1955. He served as a district general presbyter of the United Pentecostal Church for almost 25 years, being the District Superintendent for the state of Kansas. After his death, Nathan A. Dudley assumed the role of District Superintendent, but later withdrew from the organization. Westberg was instrumental in the United Pentecostal Church implementing what is known as the Affirmation Statement that UPC ministers must sign every other year. Sometime between 1971 and 1976, Edwin and Brenda Young both started attending Faith Tabernacle, along with many others. Young is half black and half white (French). His white girlfriend also began attending at this time. L.E. Westberg preached against interracial marriage. Both continued attending Faith Tabernacle, but their relationship ended. It appears this isn't the only interracial dating couple that was split up due to the teaching. It is believed that Edwin Roland Young was born in the mid 1950s. His wife, Brenda Jo (Ward) Young, is believed to have been born November 1, 1963. At some point in Edwin's life before coming to Faith Tabernacle, he allegedly had difficulties with alcohol and drugs. Edwin said in the past that as a toddler, his dad would call him over to drink the foam off his beer, and that before he moved out of his mom's house, he was drinking and doing drugs, not just at night but first thing in the morning. Edwin is the son of the late Thurman Young Sr. who passed away in mid 2002 and who was the son of Oscar and Marion Puckett Young. Edwin came to live in Junction City because his father, a sergeant first class and career military man, was stationed at nearby Fort Riley in 1961. Edwin has three siblings; Thurman Young Jr. of Junction City (a member of Faith Tabernacle and born May 25, 1955), Marion Foster, and Sharon Lyons. His sisters appear to live outside of Kansas. Edwin and Brenda Young have two children, Jordan Charles Young and Jaron Ward Young, both now adults. Jaron had a student pilot license and appears in the Federal Aviation Administration's Airmen Certification Database. He may now be living in Bedford, Virginia. The church experienced rapid growth over the next years. Westberg also claimed that he had helped to clean up the town. By 1985, the congregation had grown to a number that required a larger building. In August 1986, construction began. This 29,500 square foot building had a seating capacity of 1650 and was completed in August 1987. Faith Tabernacle celebrated a mortgage burning in September 2000. The Westbergs started a kindergarten through twelfth grade Christian school in September 1990. To see some pictures of the school from the cover of the March-April 1992 edition of the "Reflections" magazine (An official United Pentecostal Church released magazine.), click here. (We couldn't get it all in one scan, so the PDF has two pages. In the larger picture, Sheila Allbritton is seen, who is one of the school leaders.) There have been reports that at some point in time while L.E. Westberg was pastor, that the church doors were locked during service. There are those who have denied it happened. In contacting the Junction City Fire Department on Jefferson Street, the response from the Fire Chief was, "we don't have any information on this." When this was said, we responded, so basically then it is 'no comment.' That is understandable. The city probably does not like the fact that a church with all these problems is in their town. It is believed that Edwin Young obtained a local license (the lowest level of licensing) in 1988 or 1989. I have United Pentecostal Church Directories for much of 1986 to the present. He is not listed in the 1988 directory. I do not have 1989, but he is listed with a local license in 1990. For more than ten years he never rose above that level of licensing, despite supposedly pastoring in California. In my opinion, this appears unusual and it would be interesting to know if he had applied for a higher level of licensing during these years, but was turned down.) The 1999 Directory shows him as being in Fresno. (To those unaware, the directories can be a little tricky because they are compiled near the end of the prior year and then issued at the beginning of each new year. Thus, they are sometimes more reflective of the prior year than the current year. In addition, something that happens in the last few months of 1988, for instance, may not be seen until the 1990 Directory.) In 1998, Faith Tabernacle successfully launched three young men and families into the pastoral ministry. Among them were Edwin and Brenda Young, who went to Fresno, California to pastor a daughter work under Vaughn Morton. (I have not noticed a UPC Directory listing Young as a pastor during this time.) Morton used to be UPC licensed, but is no longer. He retired in March 2014. Young later shared that not long after he moved to Fresno and took the church youth to his first camp meeting, that he was not at all pleased with the manner in which some of those outside the church he was with dressed. He boasted about how vocal he was about it, stating "What's going on here?" and saying their youth were not going to be taught those things. One thing that members of the church may not know is that it appears Edwin filed for bankruptcy in 1992 when he lived on Chestnut Street in Junction City.
The Disappearance Of Beverly Ward
Brenda, Edwin Young's wife, had a younger sister named Beverly, born April 17, 1965, who also attended the church. On July 4, 1978, 13 year old Beverly Ward went missing from her home on 227 West Eleventh Street in Junction City sometime during the night and early morning hours. It was felt she could have been abducted sometime between 3:00 and 5:00 am according to one report. Her mother reported her disappearance to the police about 5:00 pm on July 4. The Daily Union reported as early as July 6th that it was being investigated as a kidnapping. It was reported in January 2018 that the police are asking the FBI to investigate. A separate page has been added to cover this story here. On October 24, 2014, The Washington Times did a story on Beverly's disappearance, including updated information. A follow-up article, with new information discovered by Lynette Richards, was published December 3, 2014.
Edwin Young Returns To Faith Tabernacle
On September 3, 2001, L.E. Westberg died at the age of 75, while on a cruise to Alaska. Church bylaws allegedly stated that his wife, Darlyene Westberg, would assume leadership for a year until a new pastor could be found. Darlyene did not hold a ministerial license at this time and is only named in the 2003 Directory, holding a general license (a step above the local license Young had and a step below ordination). It would appear the UPC granted her license since she was operating the church and doing such, it would remain with the organization. She most likely is not named in the 2002 issue because of the timing of events. By mid 2002, she felt she knew who should pastor: Edwin Young. She contacted him. According to Young, in later statements, he did not want to return from a vibrant church in Fresno. However, (according to him) God spoke to him and he knew he had to return. She never discussed with the church ahead of time who she may have been considering to replace her husband, nor was it shared who she may have contacted. Her husband had actually been grooming a man, by the last name of Howell, in 1999 and 2001 to take his place. But something happened in the six months prior to Westberg's death that caused him to part ways with Howell (somewhere between March and August 2001). Howell was not allowed to say goodbye, it was said they disagreed and Howell was then referred to as a "wolf." It had also been said that a number of ministers who attended Westberg's funeral desired to be the new pastor of Faith Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church. Mrs. Westberg announced to the church that Young had said he would return. People started "shouting" (dancing, jumping, clapping, and loudly praying and worshiping) and "running the aisles," a Pentecostal tradition in which people run laps around the exterior aisles of their meeting space in exuberance. Many statements were made about how great a preacher he was and how he would "tighten things down" and "straighten the church out." They said he "preached it hard" and would "clean the place up." (Some had felt that in his later years, Westberg had become soft in areas.) Many members are now embracing the new pastor, Nathan Dudley, in a similar manner, saying they are "moving on" now that two of their leaders are gone, and are expecting "revival" now that the church has been cleaned up by their absence. Young returned to Junction City in mid 2002. The night they returned, Edwin and Brenda Young walked through the doors arm in arm. They didn't come through the door that L.E. Westberg had usually entered the sanctuary through. They portrayed themselves as very humble and considerate of how others might feel. It should be noted that Edwin Young was against women ministers. It is imagined that he probably wasn't pleased that Mrs. Westberg was able to obtain a general ministerial license when he only ever held a local license. In the 2002 UPC Church Directory, no pastor was listed for the church and it shows Young still in Fresno. In 2003, it shows Young in Kansas, as the pastor, plus Darlyene Westberg is also listed as the pastor. In 2004, neither Young nor Westberg are listed as ministers. The church, however, is still listed, with only her name as the pastor. I am guessing this may have been an error that they kept it listed, especially when Darlyene Westberg is no longer showing as a minister. In 2005, the church is no longer listed. So it appears within about a year after Young took the pastorate, he dropped his United Pentecostal Church license. Since the church did not have a legal affiliation, once he dropped his license, the church no longer was considered a UPC church.
A Clean Church
For about a year he worked alongside Darlyene Westberg, acting as co-pastor. By mid 2003, she had pretty much turned the church over to him. Young said it was very difficult for him to accept coming back, but God told him to. He described all the tears and wailing of his own church members in California when he announced he was leaving. He described his struggle over whether to accept, since he said they were happy in California. But they came. (After all that is now being discovered, the veracity of his statements on many things have to be questioned.) Within about a year after their arrival, the sign in front of the church suddenly changed. It now read "Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church" rather than "Faith Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church." Since the church being considered UPC rested solely upon his licensing, it would have been easy for him to do this without making any type of announcement. Nothing was really said about this change, but no one seemed to mind. The concept was that the UPC was too "liberal," and so Young had "turned in his card" or resigned from affiliation with the UPC. The church bought Edwin Young an F150 truck one of his first years there. It wasn't new, but it was nice. For a congregation of about 500-including the children-this was not an easy purchase on top of the regular tithes and offerings that were mandated. The congregation was told when Young wasn't there, "We can do this. Come on, church family." "We want to give him the best." Young appeared appreciative though, and made a large show of it. There were always big gifts, especially in those early years. Matching recliners, a Starbucks coffee set up... but this had been the same under L.E. Westberg. (One year the church gave Mrs. Westberg a jacuzzi and L.E. Westberg a horse.) It was just expected. "Give honor to whom honor is due," it was often preached. Around 2004, Young, through the church, bought property north of town to build a school. He had pushed for all young people to go to the school, Apostolic Academy, rather than going to public school. There had been some difficult decisions for some, and sacrifice to pay the tuition for many others. But if the pastor said "do it," everyone was aware by then they had better.
Small Claims Lawsuit
A small claims lawsuit was filed by a Spruce Street neighbor of the church on March 17, 2003. They asked for $426.55. It appears that sometime in 2002, the church and school installed a playground and put gravel and sand in the area but did not build an encasement to contain it. When it rained, the sand and gravel were swept into the woman's yard and killed the grass. She was not able to clean it up herself. She took several pictures of the damage and later obtained an estimate of $426.55 in early January 2003 from West Acres Nursery to remove the gravel and fix her lawn. Before she filed the suit, she had contacted the church on more than one occasion. On October 18, 2002, the church wrote her an unsigned letter on church letterhead that stated they "have taken what we deem appropriate and reasonable measures on our property." It appears that the church installed some type of barrier at the fence to prevent any future problems. Ms. Bowman wrote the church again on January 13, 2003 and thanked them for the quick fix along the fence line and mentioned it was unattractive. She reminded them of the damage that had already occurred to her property and enclosed a copy of the estimate to rectify it. She asked them to look at it and let her know how they wanted to settle. Hearing nothing from the church, she sent a follow-up letter February 7, 2003 and asked for a response by February 21. On February 10th the church responded on a plain paper, again unsigned and with no name, and repeated their position that they had taken appropriate measures and that, "We will not and cannot be held responsible for acts of nature. When we suffer damages due to acts of nature we notify our insurance company. Do not write this address any more." This prompted Ms. Bowman to file suit and on March 18, Lydell Cox accepted the summons at the church. Trial was set for May 19, 2003. On that date, at the request of the plaintiff, the case was dismissed by the judge. It would appear if the church had made an effort to clean the gravel off her property and fix the grass, that the incident could have been easily rectified. To see a PDF file of most of the documents in this lawsuit, click here. It doesn't include the pictures of the lawn damage as they didn't print well and omits the subpoena notice. A New School
The land was purchased in Geary County from an elderly woman who had, according to Young, been approached by several businesses and offered higher prices. She told Young that she would sell it to him, but not to them. She wanted the land to be used for a church. (She was not a member.) Supposedly there was no water on the land, but Young and another "horseman" (a younger man in the church being groomed for the ministry- the term started under the pastorate of L.E. Westberg) were praying and one of them said, "Dig here." The well driller did, and hit water. Before Apostolic Academy (2512 Rucker Road in Junction City) was finished, the woman who sold the land passed away, if I remember right. Though there had been church plans to build a campground, a "Westberg Center" that would be a family center and fellowship hall, and a new sanctuary, a good chunk of the land was sold to a developer. It was announced at church that the sale would pay off the buildings- a school and a gymnasium/fellowship hall. The school moved to the new location in 2005. To read a 2005 article from the church newsletter about the school, click here for a PDF file. The city ran water to the development, right past the school. To my knowledge, the well was never used to service the school; when they hooked up water to the school, it was to the newly run city water pipeline. Later, the mayor and the developer would face legal issues as a result of the land development purchase and bribery. The mayor, who according to Young was an old friend, was sentenced to 24 months in jail in 2010. Not all was well at the school, it seemed. There were kids who didn't want to go, but their parents were told if they loved their kids, they'd send them to Apostolic Academy, not some "worldly" school. Those kids who publicly expressed wishing they were elsewhere faced possible expulsion. Yet there were problems. Kids could be paddled. Parents were called to discipline their kids. Kids were around the same people at home, church and school, which limited social lives and could be potentially detrimental- a child who was bullied or teased wouldn't find a better situation in some other setting in their life. There were kids who were picked on, and not just by students. On one occasion, a boy, around nine or ten, dropped part of his school lunch when other kids walked by. Another lunch was not allowed, what was on the floor was his, and he was told by staff it was the only one he'd get. There is a blog post from June 2009 from a former student at the school that is available to read. "It was during those years and at such a young age of 16 and 17 that I experienced verbal and spiritual abuse instead of an education. I did not learn anything for three years. ...I came home almost everyday from school crying from the verbal insults, attacks and false accusations." One man has responded to it since we posted the link and his September 13, 2013 reply may be read here. (He also shares how the Westbergs made people tithe on their food stamp money.) Educational quality could also be a challenge. It is felt by some that students didn't get a well rounded education with PE, art, or true literature. Art museums and art history portrayed nudes, so that was restricted. PE was difficult if boys and girls couldn't touch or mix. Sporting rules would promote "worldly" sports. The emphasis was on doctrinal literature, not classic or contemporary lit. Even in Bible many struggled. They could quote and argue their doctrine, but seemed to have no deeper insight. History and math were also often sketchy. In Junior High and High School, girls and boys classes were divided by gender- with each having their own class. Having the two genders together would have been 'distracting.' In November 2009, Fort Riley and the Network Enterprise Center donated their first set of computer equipment to local schools and they went to Apostolic Academy. Prior to this, the school "used to just have a desktop for typing in the corner of the classrooms" and more were needed to meet state requirements for graduation. Hal Chaikin, Information Systems Support Division chief, stated at the time, "This is a win-win situation for Fort Riley and the local community because many of the students in the schools are the children of Fort Riley Soldiers and civilians." For those unaware, a number of those stationed here would attend Faith Tabernacle and that is, in part, how their church grew in size. According to a website, Apostolic Academy is, "coed and Pentecostal affiliated, serving 124 students in grades PK-12." The number of students per full-time teachers is stated to be nine. During 2007-2008, the student body was 68% black, 20% white and 13% Hispanic. The statistics differ from another website, that states 111 students attend, with the student body being 72% color, and there being 14 teachers with a 1:8 ratio. No date is given, though it may be from 2010 as yet another site states that date for the 1:8 ratio. The videos they display are not from the school. Yet another website lists enrollment at 107, with 46.73% black, 22.43% Hispanic, 15.89% white and 3.74% American Indian-Alaskan. No date is given. Various websites state that Apostolic Academy does not belong to any associations or organizations. According to a call we placed to the school, the Superintendent shared that enrollment is only open to members of Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church. Sheila Allbritton is the principal and it is said that Edwin Young appointed Michael D. Witmer as the Superintendent, so a woman would not be running the school. Witmer is a former soldier and is from Pennsylvania, where he graduated from high school in 1990 (according to information from MyLife). 2016 Update: In 2017, tuition is being increased from $1,250 per year to $1,500 for the first three children per family. Sheila Allbritton is no longer the principal. Her son, Nicholas Allbritton is running for District 17's Kansas Senate seat. The principal now is David E. Wild. In mid 2014 he retired from federal service after having last served as the director of contracting at Fort Riley. The article mentions that Mr. Wild "plans to serve as a principal for a small private school" so he may have taken the position as early as 2014. Take note of the about page on the website as it appears it may be encouraging parents to tell their children to just "take the wrong" if their "child comes home with a complaint of some injustice". In light of the fact that young boys were sexually assaulted for years, this is especially bothersome if this is what is meant by the statement. [link no longer shows this statement] 2019: Michael Murrell at some point later became the principal and it appears that only four others, all women, are on staff.
Faith Tabernacle And Fort Riley
Many stationed at nearby Fort Riley would attend and become members of Faith Tabernacle Church through the years. However, due to the standards taught at the church, it caused problems for a number of service men and women. In the past, some people received dishonorable discharges for refusing to obey orders pertaining to dress. One such incident from 1982 was shared on an Apostolic discussion board back on December 15, 2008. In his sharing, it was stated that during their time at Fort Riley, they were privileged to watch what happened when a woman stationed there had attended Faith Tabernacle and "received the Holy Ghost." (To those unaware, in Apostolic churches this means that she would have spoken in other languages, which is what they teach to be the "initial evidence" of having received God's Spirit.) She reported the next day in her class A dress uniform, which was a skirt and blouse. According to him, the woman was ordered to change into her work uniform and refused. She explained that she had received the Holy Ghost at church and that God no longer wanted her to wear pants. The command to change was repeated and disobeyed several times according to his report. An officer saw her raking leaves, which was her punishment for disobeying the order to change, and questioned her. The officer took her to her company and instructed her commander to initiate a Chapter 5 discharge if she was going to continue to disobey orders. She did and was subsequently discharged. Unfortunately, this was not the only soldier discharged because of refusing to disobey orders due to their adherence to Faith Tabernacle standard rules. To view a screen shot of this post, click here. Westberg stated several times in preaching that soldiers were discharged from Fort Riley for "refusing to roll up their sleeves" in the military. Soldiers uniforms are exact. They are to wear the same hats and same sleeve lengths, as directed by their commander. Men in Faith Tabernacle began refusing to dress as the commander instructed, in order to abide by Faith Tabernacle's rule regarding sleeve length. Though they would still wear the uniform, they refused to wear it as instructed, with the sleeves just above the elbows. L.E. Westberg bragged numerous times about going up against generals regarding Faith Tabernacle dress. Several members got dishonorable discharges; whatever Westberg stood against and supposedly won, didn't change that for those already discharged. There were a few people who stayed in the military; mainly men or women who had just started attending when they were deployed or PCS'd (relocated to another post). It is unknown how the few men got away with staying in. At the beginning of the Iraqi War (War on Terrorism), L.E. Westberg told men not to join and those who were in to get out. A few delayed or had just re-enlisted. Those who did not immediately get out soon received stop loss orders, by which they lost their opportunity to leave. Most of those were soon deployed. Those who did deploy rarely returned to Faith Tabernacle for long, if at all, once they returned to the States. According to Faith Tabernacle, they'd been gone too long and "lost the Holy Ghost," or hadn't had enough good preaching and fellowship overseas to keep them living for God. Though there weren't many soldiers in Faith Tabernacle, there were a number of former soldiers and their spouses. Many people at Faith Tabernacle worked on post, since salaries were better there. Although Faith Tabernacle discouraged people from joining the military, L.E. Westberg himself had served, Edwin Young's dad was a soldier, and many others at Faith Tabernacle had spent time in the military before joining. This helped to create the strong sense of patriotism in the church. The church even has an Apostolic Boy's Club, complete with uniforms and a color guard. They won second place at the local fourth of July parade in 2012. The Use Of The Land
When Edwin Young sold his land on Rucker Road (see "A New School" above and the mention of the mayor's trouble), he bought a large parcel of land south of town. (The house on Rucker had been listed at 1.5 million dollars.) It was about 15 minutes out, but there was a rumor that a bridge would be built that would make this land very accessible to town and that it would jump in value at that time. (That was before the arrest of Mayor Wunder.) The area is down long gravel roads. Nelson Road, where the properties are located, is in the midst of cow grazing pastures. There are no stores there and few trees. Edwin and Brenda Young bought a "small" house in town (big, but not like they'd had) on Hawthorne Drive to live in after their house sold, and moved into it. They later moved a modular onto the land and moved there within a year or so. At that point they sold the house in town. They moved to the land and offered some of the "horsemen" parcels off the land as well. Many bought land there. A few felt pressured. Some couldn't afford the cost of building on raw land, didn't want to live that far from town, or simply liked the house they lived in. There was tension over who would get offered land and also tension in those who had been offered but would prefer to have declined. Only two non-horsemen got land on the parcel at the beginning. One of those was the "personal assistant" (see "The Honeymoon Is Over" below) and her family. Another family moved to land very near to what the pastor had bought. They were thrilled to be so close to the "man of God." Edwin bragged about the sign in their yard that said "This time tomorrow!!," a reference to 2 Kings 7:1 and a message that was repeatedly preached that if we had faith and didn't doubt, God would pour out a blessing we couldn't contain- not sometime in the future, but within 24 hours of the message. (The concept was sort of that of the angel stirring the water in the pool that the lame man couldn't enter- if you had faith and were the first shouting, "you'd get yours:" the blessing you had been waiting for.) The Youngs planned a house built from the ground up and promised Jordan and Dana the modular once their own home was completed. They often had people out to their home, especially young people and a few of their closest friends in the church. A group of Wiccans lived down the road, who were supposedly upset by the number of church people moving in the immediate area. They may have been more upset by the speed of the drivers, the drivers kicking up dust on gravel roads, and the animals who were hit by these speeders. Edwin Young got mad once when someone tried to sell their parcel of this land, even though it was sold to someone else in the church. Yet apparently sometime in the last three years, he sold his own parcel. It has been reported that even some in the church don't know where his new house was.
Above are audio examples of Young tearing into a church member during a service. Parts 1-3, with part 2 being the worst. For anyone having trouble listening because of the nature of the audio, you might try turning off the volume and reading. Much of it is transcribed and shown in the videos (all of the rant is included). The link to the transcript is found below. "The Honeymoon Is Over"
Within a couple years of Young being voted in, Darlyene Westberg had moved to Wichita, Kansas, and Young started preaching that "the honeymoon is over" and blasting people. Several people were stood up in front of the congregation, several were kicked out, and several were labeled as having committed some sin after they left. (For an example of how he would tear into people during a service, read this excerpt from a sermon where it happened once. All this woman had done, was to answer the question of the person sitting near to her. The audio is provided in the videos shown above.) One man was stood up in service and told that someone had "reported him" as having bought a video at Walmart and had worn short sleeves. He was mocked publicly and told he would have to leave permanently if he ever did it again. A teen was reprimanded in front of the congregation for wearing a knee length denim skirt, ponytail, and collar that came about an inch below her collar bone. She was told not to cry to the pastor when she was raped for dressing like that. One young woman visitor was pointed out in service, confronted in front of all, and told to take off her baseball cap. When she didn't, she was told to leave. (There are some who have convictions to cover their heads during worship, that centers around the same passages that Faith Tabernacle used to support the teaching that a woman was never to cut her hair. Some have been known to wear baseball caps at services, while some wear other hats or cloths. Young, in his effort to correct this woman, may have been unknowingly attempting to persuade her to go against her own convictions.) Edwin Young labeled anyone who wore a baseball cap at any time as lesbian. According to him, lesbians supposedly wear baseball caps to identify each other and send a signal out that they are lesbian. Several other visiting women left when he would pace in front of them, preaching against women wearing pants. Members were told they just didn't want the truth, or had "women's lib, lesbian spirits." Very often if someone left, members were informed that they had fallen into sexual sin- adultery, fornication, or homosexuality. Homosexuality was preached against hard. Young said that if his own sons ever turned homosexual (he used slang terms that would be inappropriate to post here), they wouldn't be welcomed under his roof. Fornication was preached against very heavily, but since single people were not to hold hands or kiss before they were at the altar getting married, fornication could have encompassed much more than what is typically understood by the term. (For another example of a minister being different in their interpretation of what fornication entails, see the article on Mark Fogarty, a UPC minister who was successfully sued for slander by a former church member.) When the pastor said, "join right hands," that was supposed to be the first time they held hands, and when he said, "you may kiss the bride," that was supposed to be their first kiss ever. So it is possible that people were put out for "fornication" that others would not consider even slightly wrong. At any rate, there seemed to be an awful lot of people falling into sexual sins and getting kicked out. Young started "tightening things up," by blasting people more. If anyone was reported as having done anything wrong and they weren't close to him (one of his favorites), they knew they would be in trouble. They were not given an opportunity to explain or to defend themselves. They were automatically wrong if the right person said they were.
Audio example of what Edwin Young taught about pastors. Will give insight as to the culture at the church and why he was able to do the things he did. A New Assistant
Then one of the young couples in the church "fell into sin." They had sneaked around, and Young kicked them out. The strange thing was, in my opinion, that Young had encouraged the relationship. One night, as he preached after they were expelled, he told someone to go get the young woman. She came running into the church a bit later and fell into Brenda Young's arms, weeping and sobbing. It was a very dramatic entry, and one that was repeated very few times. Soon, the young woman was announced as Brenda Young's "personal assistant." Not long after that, Brenda Young got a new car, and this young lady began driving her old car. People were told they were jealous of this young woman if they acted like they didn't approve of what was going on. She got the code to the lock on his office door. She came and went as she pleased from his office, even if he was "counseling." She spent more and more time in his office, and seemed to be more his personal assistant than his wife's. A couple of the other young women started to get close to her, because by getting close to her they could get close to the pastor. Being close to the pastor was a coveted position- as a favorite there was less chance that you could get in trouble if someone else said something negative about you or "reported" you for something. It is believed that this assistant is now living in Florida and this has been seen on her Facebook page. Edwin Young is alleged to be living in Florida as well. [February 2019 Note: It appears Edwin is in Orlando after possibly originally moving to Kissimmee according to voter records.] The Daughters He Never Had
At the same time, Young started calling a few of the young ladies, all over 14, his daughters, and inviting them over often. He referred to all of the young ladies as daughters at some point, but five or six were given special attention and could be seen regularly with the pastor. No one seemed to object; a few of the parents were pleased that their daughters were so "close to the pastor." Being close to the pastor could ensure a good marriage prospect and gave them special attention. Young's oldest son, Jordan, got engaged shortly after this, to a woman that Young had met and thought would make a good wife for his son, according to Young. (Young 'encouraged' the young people to marry someone else in Faith Tabernacle rather that someone from another church. Dana Davis was from another church in Virginia, and he told us he'd met her and how she was always helping her pastor, named several qualities he considered good, and said he'd mentioned that she should meet his son... and that when later she and his son met, they hit it off. It would appear that Edwin picked out the wife for his son and went against the advice he gave all other church members.) The couple married and soon were being openly teased by Young when they would give him a granddaughter. He'd become focused on having a little girl to sit on his lap. He had only had two boys and said he really wanted a sweet daughter or granddaughter. Jordan and Dana had a girl about a year after they married, and Young said he'd really tighten things down to make the church safe for his granddaughter. Some may be interested in reading a partial list of church rules that may be found here. At the same time, he continued calling these girls his daughters and giving them special attention. He often preached against homosexuality and all sexual sin. He said that if a preacher committed adultery, he disqualified himself from the ministry. Permanently. He said if he wasn't preaching truth, they better go find a church that did, and that they should follow him as he followed Christ and if he wasn't, we'd better get out. He had the girls over to his house frequently and took them out to eat- always with his wife, of course. It has been reported that in more recent years, Edwin Young had a jacuzzi installed in his office at the church, allegedly because he had back problems.
Above is a brief video of the end of a service at The Rock Church in Gary, Indiana, pastored by Phil Endris. Edwin and Jordan Young, and I think Jaron, were there. You can see Edwin walk down the aisle on the left about the 45 second mark. It is believed to be in early March of 2012, according to a Facebook post made on the church page. [The video has since been removed from Facebook or made private.] Weddings At Faith Tabernacle
Weddings at Faith Tabernacle were unique. If the bride had not been married before, the wedding was formal, no matter what time of day it was and no matter what the bride's preferences were. If the woman had been previously married, an "office wedding" was conducted, with just a few people present, sometimes after church and sometimes on a weekday or a Saturday. Those were more like an elopement with a few close friends than a wedding. The formal weddings were filled with rules. For starters, there was a packet of forms to fill out. The man asked the pastor's permission to marry, then he asked the woman. Then they went to the office to "set the date." After that, they were given their packet, and even though they had "set the date" with the pastor, they still had to request the sanctuary and the fellowship hall separately. They also had to list everyone who was to be in the wedding party, including servers, decorators, and clean up team, and get them all approved by the pastor. Rules--there were a lot of them. The bride's dress could have no sequins or beads. It should not be tight at the waist, should cover the collar bone and the arms had to be at least past the elbows. There could be nothing taped to the pews. All dresses had to be tried on at the church before the wedding and approved by someone designated to approve them. There could be no more than three bridesmaids or groomsmen, and either a flower girl or a miniature bride, unless the pastor gave special permission to go beyond this. There were rules for what decorations could be permitted, though the rules on this seemed to change with time. The church would be cleaned and spotless at the end of the wedding, by the couple's designated team. The wedding must be in the church, and should be a "Faith Tabernacle Wedding," following the traditions and rules. There were no outdoor weddings. People were expected to come if they were members, though many didn't. They were told they needed to give the couples gifts, and significant ones. The cakes and decorations were often elaborate. The couples were not to touch, not to hold hands, and not to kiss before the wedding. They were to always have a chaperoning couple with them and were never to be alone together. The first time they were to hold hands, was at the altar when the pastor said, "You may now join hands." The first time they were to kiss was when he said, "You may now kiss the bride." The ceremony had a few quirks as well. When the pastor got to the part of the vows about "love, honor, and obey," he asked the man to say "love, honor, and protect," and then the bride to say "love, honor, AND OBEY." He would lean over and get close to the bride, get louder and draw out the word 'obey.' Others would laugh. A bit later, when the pastor should have ended the ceremony with 'you may now kiss the bride' and introduce them as Mr and Mrs..., he would look up and rock on his heals, as though innocently waiting for something. Then he would laugh and say, "oh, yeah, you may now kiss the bride." There was no video of these weddings. Video was of the devil, as evil as the TV that spawned it. (Note: This makes it interesting that there is video from 2011 of Jordan and Jaron singing in the group, Covenant. There were seven videos on a YouTube channel from about December 2011 through August 22, 2012. In about 24 hours after we linked to them on August 21, 2012 they were all removed.) Rings were not part of any ceremony. The Bible says 'not the wearing of gold' and at Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church, that was read to mean no jewelry, not even wedding bands. Those who "fell into fornication" sometimes married after they were kicked out of the church. They would have asked the pastor's permission to talk, and he had approved. They then would have asked to get more serious, and he had again approved. In some cases, they'd asked permission to marry and even 'set the date,' but if they messed up, getting married was "out of the will of God." Marrying after having committed fornication was seen as "marrying out of the will of God." A PDF file of some of the packet of forms is available here. It had been used, so it isn't a clean copy (though I whited out where there was writing) and page two is missing.
The Treatment Of Women At Faith Tabernacle
Girls and ladies were called heifers regularly at Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church. The term started with Edwin's brother, Thurman Young, seemingly as a funny comment, and was used more and more, in a non-comical manner, as time progressed. The teen boys and singles would follow their pastor's lead and yell at the young ladies after church, calling them heifers and telling them to "sit down, and I'll teach you a few things about submission!" Edwin Young mentioned several times during his preaching that he just didn't understand this generation and how they treated, and talked, to and about women. In his day it had been all, "Baby, baby, baby," and now there were all these worldly rap songs teaching rape and such. His young men weren't learning all their poor treatment and disrespect of women from "the world" though. They were learning it from the pulpit, in the examples displayed by Edwin. If a woman was upset with the statements from the pulpit, she was told the reference wasn't directed at her... or maybe that it had been without the preacher knowing it. That maybe there was a reason it bothered her, if she was one. Women were told they couldn't ask or tell their husbands anything, but should "entreat" him (basically flirt him into a decision). Listen to this video and hear for yourself. They were also told that they shouldn't do certain things because it could reduce their ability to bear children. They were limited in physical activity due to their clothing standards, but were often picked at if they didn't have the greatest figure. If they had a good figure, they were viewed as probably being in danger of falling, and eventually there might be questions of their character or purity- not because of anything they'd done, but simply because of their body type. Character was often also questioned if a woman had been divorced. Was she "cold" toward men? Did she think she didn't "need a man?" Was she rebellious and "women's lib"... or worse, a lesbian? There were stories through the years, discussed with laughs and rolled eyes. The woman whose husband turned her over his knee and spanked her with a frying pan, but who "probably deserved it." The newlywed whose husband came home and didn't like the meal she'd prepared and threw it in the garbage, demanding that she cook him something else. The ones who had been hit or hurt in their own homes, by their Apostolic husbands, but were told they could not divorce or separate, but had to go back and be subject to him. If she left her husband, she would be in the wrong. But if she stayed with him and prayed, and he was truly wrong, God would change him. Still there were more women than men, even divorced women, who were a part of Faith Tabernacle. Some divorcees claimed that because they had married and divorced in church, they should not remarry. However, many of them had been abused horribly by those husbands. Many who chose to remain single were probably quite grateful for their "conviction" against "double marriage." Women were never to preach. They were not to teach men. Some were labeled "loud mouthed heifers" simply for standing up for themselves or others, even when they had been directed to do so by church leadership. Although everyone was expected to "preach the preacher" during service, the ladies in the church were expected to remain in their pews, while the men rushed up to the platform yelling "Amen! Preach it!!" They were not to be loud in or out of church. They were not to "out pray" or pray louder than the men. They were to run the aisles, but stay out of the "brothers'" way, since the brothers ran faster than they could in their skirts and heals. If they were married with small children, they were expected to care for the children while attending the service. More than one woman was called out in church for taking a child to the bathroom or nursery at an inopportune moment. (Children could not be fed anything in the sanctuary. A hungry baby had to be taken to the nursery to be fed, even a bottle. Men did not take children to the nursery. Women did.) In many various group situations, men and women were asked to work together to chaperone or lead. However, in cases where children were involved, women were sometimes left to do the work while men stood to the side and enjoyed each others' company.
The End Of Communion At Faith Tabernacle
Communion was interesting at Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church. The first year after Edwin Young took over the church, they had communion and foot washing at New Years' as always. Then once or twice more and the practice ended. Why did it stop? This was never explained by the pastor. When they stopped having communion, it didn't bother some at first. Edwin had initiated a "three day fast" requirement, probably for New Years' 2003, so that only those who had done a three day fast in the month or so prior could take communion. Fasting in Faith Tabernacle meant no food or drink other than water. No chewing gum, even sugar free, and no breath mints. Ice may have been disallowed. At least one person was told by the pastor that they needed to start their fast over when they forgot for a moment and tasted some food. Three day fasts made some members sick. During communion preparation, members were supposed to spend a lot of time in prayer, searching themselves and repenting so that they would be worthy to take communion and wouldn't get sick or die. Instead of communion being a time of celebration and remembrance of Jesus and his sacrifice for us, it became a fearful time. Members were supposed to spend an hour a day in prayer any time of the year, but during this time the prayer intensified and the time was supposed to be even greater. The prayer room was full of wailing and shouting people at all hours of the day and night. People cleaned out their houses of anything that might be considered "sinful." There were also a lot of services warning people to get right and to confess our sins to the pastor so that we could "get right" and not have "hidden sin" in our lives. The next year or the year after, at least one member did a three day in anticipation that communion fast would be called soon. Then communion wasn't announced. They started to worry a bit that they had done a three day fast and starved and it wouldn't "count." Communion never was called that year, or the year after, or the year after. It doesn't appear there was another after 2004 or 2005. There was talk a few times that there would be a communion service, but it never happened. Some missed having communion and didn't understand why they no longer had these services. Faith Tabernacle used to have them at least once a year, prior to when Edwin took the pastorate. At first, some were relieved not to have to fast three days, but still missed those services. Communion and foot washing had always been very meaningful to many. Finally, at least one member began celebrating Seder on their own at home, so that they would still be remembering, even if it wasn't with a collective group of believers. The Frog: A Warning Sign
Below is a memory from a former Faith Tabernacle Church member. "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." James D. Miles I saw this on Facebook. It brought back memories. In my former church, the men were expected to be "manly"... to laugh and be tough if others or themselves were hurt. One of the first indications I had that something was dreadfully wrong with Edwin Young was that he sat and laughed while a young man poked the eyes out of a live frog, then impaled the still living frog on a stick and continued playing with it. Both were laughing. There were other youth there. Some laughed, some cringed, but most just ignored what was happening. You were not to correct the pastor or say anything negative about him. (You can hear that in the audio tape we provide where he speaks of pastors.) The thought of it still turns my stomach. Blood doesn't bother me. Cruelty does. If he'd killed the frog and disemboweled it, I wouldn't have been surprised. It was that the frog was still alive while he continued to abuse it that disgusted me. I think of that situation that night several years ago, see this picture and quote, and think of the men I now know. Men who seem gentle and kind, who don't see those as weakness or effeminate characteristics, but as strength, and as the fruit of the spirit. For so many years I listened while my former pastor told me there was something wrong with me. I prayed that "something" would change, that whatever was wrong wouldn't be anymore. And for years it seemed like I lived in fear that I would end up leaving or being kicked out and do my best to stay. It's weird to wake up and realize that all the time you prayed for something, you fought the answer to the prayer. It's strange to realize that I asked God to fix whatever was "wrong with me," not realizing that the thing that was most wrong was that I would stay in that environment to begin with. I'm thankful that God answers prayers... even when we don't know what we're asking, and even when we don't want or are scared of the answer we're given. He does know what's best for us, He does care for us, and He did answer my prayers. After Service Talks
Edwin Young always had, as Westberg before him, announced a list of people he wanted to talk to after church. Sometimes, a person was called to clarify something or to be requested to do something for the pastor. Sometimes a young woman would be called in and told that a young man was interested in dating her. Many organizational church group meetings were held after church in this way as well. But many other times, those who were called to the office had been "reported" for something. Whether the reports were true or not, they would not be given opportunity to defend themselves, but would be yelled at and mocked, told they didn't deserve anything but hell, that they were full of pride, that they didn't trust their man of God enough... No one ever knew why they had been called, or if that night would bring praise or curses from the pastor. All would wait in line after church, sometimes for hours, while he and one or more of these girls and his wife sat and ate and talked in his office. Once he even told how they sat and laughed as they eavesdropped on the conversations between people waiting in the hallway. Because of practices such as this, more than one member would take a mild nerve relaxant or something similar, to make it through service.
Above is an audio clip of a sermon where Edwin speaks of Jordan's birth and abilities. Take note of his prayer and then when he starts hollering at people. And Great Was The Fall
These situations intensified with time. A number of people left, but many were discredited when they did. It has been reported and alleged that one of the "horsemen" were kicked out of the church for catching, or almost catching, Edwin Young in the act with one of the women during altar call at a service. It has also been alleged that people had approached Edwin regarding his son, Jordan, and were either disbelieved, berated and/or removed from the church. It is said the financial standing of the church has been hurt. Some have reported he stole $750,000 and others that he stole more than 3 million dollars over time. It has been said that Nathan Dudley told the church that they will not be pressing charges against Edwin for the money. Then on July 23, an elderly member passed away. Her obituary stated that Young would preside over the funeral on July 28. On August 3, a 44 year old man passed away rather suddenly, leaving behind a wife and two children. Young did not preside over that funeral. Sometime between those dates Young tendered his resignation by letter, effective immediately, to the church he had declared to love and protect. It has been said that he left without warning and without saying goodbye. His wife, Brenda Young, is said to be staying with her brother, J.W. Ward, in Missouri. Within a week, there were numerous rumors of sexual misconduct on the part of Edwin and Jordan and some financial issues. There has been talk of offshore bank accounts. There are allegations that Edwin's misconduct may go all the way back to when L.E. Westberg pastored and a woman was accused by them of being crazy and stalking Edwin, saying she loved him. It has also been alleged that Edwin was interested in young girls under 18 while in California, supposedly getting two of them pregnant. (He was in Fresno before moving back to Junction City and pastoring there.) Given the current circumstances, one has to wonder what truly happened many years ago. Was there a cover-up of wrongdoing? So many questions. Within about ten days, Edwin Young's 25 year old son, Jordan Young, was arrested for aggravated indecent liberties with a child, attempted criminal sodomy and solicitation of a child, with the most recent date as being August 1, 2012. He was arrested the morning of August 13, 2012 and made his first court appearance Tuesday, August 14, 2012, at the Geary County Courthouse. From Lindsey Rogers, at WIBW: "His bond was set at $250,000. Geary County Attorney Steve Opat says Young has been ordered to surrender his passports and is not allowed to have contact with anyone under the age of 21. ...A status hearing has been set for August 21, 2012 at 9 AM. When asked about the case, Opat reiterated what the police chief said, saying the investigation is ongoing." Cole Thomas G. Lemon, of Cavanaugh & Lemon, P. A. in Topeka, is listed as his attorney. Lemon has not responded to our inquiry.
While yet being held in prison, Jordan Young was re-arrested again on Friday, August 17, 2012 and faces additional charges in the ongoing investigation. The added charges are aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and sexual solicitation of a child. He is considered a flight risk because he tried to flee the area before his arrests. Jordan Young was re-arrested a third time on August 30, 2012. This was for two additional cases. He was arrested for aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child on one of the cases and in the other, he was arrested for indecent liberties with a child and criminal solicitation of a child. His bail has risen to more than $1,000,000. On September 6, it was announced that nine more victims have come forward. Hearings continued into 2013 and a plea agreement was reached, with Jordan being sentenced in early 2014. More details on this are found in the page covering Jordan Young. It is alleged that Edwin Young is in the Kissimmee/Orlando, Florida area. His mother lives in Florida and his previous assistant moved there after things broke in August 2012.
Above is an audio clip of a sermon where Nathan Dudley speaks of desiring to be like your pastor and that you cannot be saved without a pastor.
Perhaps hearing the experience of Linda Murphrey, daughter of former Baptist pastor Jack Hyles, who lived a different life than what church members perceived, will help some close to this situation. Hyles was First Baptist's founder, where in 2012, pastor Jack Schaap was removed for having sex with an underage female. Spiritual Abuse
We realize many reading have been hurt in a church by spiritual abuse. The book I have recommended the most on the subject is "The Subtle Power Of Spiritual Abuse" by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen. Broken into three parts, the authors cover abuse and its victims, leaders and why they are trapped, and recovery from abuse. It is one of the first books I read on the subject after leaving an unhealthy church. If you only want to read one book on the subject from a Christian perspective, read this one. You may order it through Amazon.com here. You are also encouraged to take the time to explore this site. There is a great deal of information available on spiritual abuse in general plus other resources and also on Apostolic churches. There is help available to the hurting. You are not alone and there is hope. We also offer an online support group that you may read about here. Media Coverage & Other Links
Videos: Audio Preaching Clips- from Edwin Young, Jordan Young, L.E. Westberg and Nathan Dudley. (Most of the videos below were made private on or around September 9, 2012, after we linked to them. Screen shots have been added. They are all from this Vimeo user, who does some beautiful photography in the Junction City area and is a member of the church.) https://vimeo.com/74490113 50th Anniversary- Faith Tabernacle's 50th Anniversary Services from August 22-25, 2013. This went private the day we posted the link (9/14/13). A screen shot may be found here. 50th Anniversary Multi-Cultural Midget Man- Faith Tabernacle's 50th Anniversary Services puppet show from August 24, 2013. A screen shot may be found here in case it goes private. Easter Puppet Show- Faith Tabernacle's Easter puppet show from 2014. Family Fun Night: Spanish Theme- March 22, 2013, held at Riddle Hall. In anticipation that this will be made private, a screen shot is here. https://vimeo.com/53552946 Fall Family Fun Day- November 3, 2012 at Riddle Hall. To see the screen shot from the fun day, click here. (This one was made private around November 16, 2012.) [Thoughts from a former member on the fun day: The "Family Fun Day" is a more recent thing that I believe started in '08 or '09. There is a yard sale and a lot of "fun" type things to do for kids. It's a combo fundraiser and "outreach." It's done at Riddle Hall. I can't believe they had wigs and fake mustaches and pumpkin carving this year. To my memory, those would NEVER have been allowed when I was there. They also have a salon and I never saw it involve hair cuts for the guys before. The ponies/donkeys and horses belong to two families in the church. The wigs and such are for silly pictures done by a couple in the church who own a photography studio.] https://vimeo.com/44993569 Church Work Day- June 30, 2012 To see the screen shot from the workday, click here. (This one was made private September 10, 2012.) https://vimeo.com/43133567 Apostolic Academy Music Recital- From 2012. To see the screen shot from the recital, click here. (This one was removed.) https://vimeo.com/43137766 Apostolic Academy Graduation- Kindergarten through 8th grade at Riddle Hall, from May 17, 2012. To see the screen shot from the graduation, click here. (This one was made private.) https://vimeo.com/43143056 Apostolic Academy Graduation- High School at Riddle Hall, from May 24, 2012. To see the screen shot from the graduation, click here. (This one was made private.) https://vimeo.com/43145091 Apostolic Academy Graduation Banquet- Graduation banquet at Riddle Hall, from May 25, 2012. To see the screen shot from the banquet, click here. (This one was made private.) https://vimeo.com/42286525 Faith Tabernacle Mother's Day- Mother's Day Baby Dedication, from 2012. You get to see a little inside Faith Tabernacle. To see the screen shot from the service, click here. (This one was removed.) Media Coverage: Lindsey Rogers had been the main investigative reporter on this situation until she moved to Tennessee around September 2013. She now reports in Alabama. Monty Thompson is the WIBW reporter who took her place and though he said he would continue coverage, it appears that he and WIBW dropped the ball, only posting two very brief articles and apparently did not attend any further court dates after Lindsey's last article in August 2013. Thankfully Tim Weideman of the Daily Union, faithfully pursued the case until sentencing. Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post continued coverage past then to Jordan's 2014 appeal. Church Minister Arrested For Alleged Child Sex Abuse by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 13, 2012 Junction City Church Rocked By Scandal by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 15, 2012 (includes interview with former member) Minister Arrested Again In Church Sex Scandal by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 17, 2012 In Court: Minister Facing Child Molestation Charges by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 21, 2012 Hearing Continued For Junction City Minister by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 28, 2012 Junction City Minister Tied To Two More Child Sex Abuse Cases by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 30, 2012 Officials Shed Light On Victims In Junction City Church Sex Scandal by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 31, 2012 Prosecutors: More Victims Come Forward In Church Molestation Probe by Lindsey Rogers - Posted September 6, 2012 Latest On Junction City Minister Facing Child Sex Abuse Charges by Lindsey Rogers - Posted October 11, 2012 Junction City Minister To Be Charged In 10 Child Molestation Cases by Lindsey Rogers - Posted November 15, 2012 State Waiting On DNA In Junction City Child Molestation Investigation by Lindsey Rogers - Posted January 10, 2013 Child Molestation Probe Involving Junction City Minister Continues by Lindsey Rogers - Posted April 4, 2013 Hearing In Junction City Child Molestation Cases Pushed Back by Lindsey Rogers - Posted May 2, 2013 Prosecution & Defense Reviewing JC Child Molestation Cases by Lindsey Rogers - Posted June 4, 2013 Junction City Minister To Take Plea Deal In Child Molestation Scandal by Lindsey Rogers - Posted June 25, 2013 JC Minister Backs Out Of Plea Deal In Alleged Sex Abuse Scandal by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 6, 2013 Junction City Minister At Center Of Scandal Gets New Hearing by Lindsey Rogers - Posted August 13, 2013 Junction City Minister Agrees To 24 Years In Prison Taken from KMAN Radio - Posted November 7, 2013 Junction City Minister Sentenced On Child Sex Charges Posted by Melissa Brunner - Posted January 13, 2014 - - - - - - - (The Daily Union Articles appear to be no longer available online. They want people to subscribe. They did publish some others through at least August 2013 and you may search for those at their website.) Young makes first appearance, bond set at $250K by Daily Union Staff - Posted August 14, 2012 Criminal complaint filed against Young by Daily Union Staff - Posted August 21, 2012 Complaint provides more details about Young by Daily Union Staff - Posted August 24, 2012 Jordan Young arrested in 2 additional cases Thursday by Daily Union Staff - Posted August 30, 2012 Young update: Investigators interviewing 13 alleged victims by Daily Union Staff - Posted September 6, 2012 Prosecutor awaiting DNA tests in Jordan Young case by Daily Union Staff - Posted November 15, 2012 Jordan Young Expected In Court Today by Daily Union Staff - Posted June 5, 2013 Former Church Leader May Enter Plea Deal by Daily Union Staff - Posted August 1, 2013 Young Faces Years In Prison by Tim Weideman - Posted November 7, 2013 Young May Serve 24 Years by Daily Union Staff - Posted November 9, 2013 Young Receives Nearly 25 Years by Tim Weideman - Posted January 14, 2014 - - - - - - - Kansas Minister Arrested For Alleged Child Sex Crimes by KAKE News - Posted August 13, 2012 Church Minister Arrested by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted August 13, 2012 Jordan Young Arrested Again by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted August 30, 2012 Young Waives Preliminary Hearing by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted October 23, 2013 Former Church Music Director Pleads No Contest by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted November 6, 2013 Young Appealing Sentence by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted September 17, 2014 Young Appeal Dismissed by Dewey Terrill of the Junction City Post - Posted December 1, 2014 - - - - - - - http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/state/article_c9d8a38c-6c6e-5ffc-bb48-0a5e39b693cf.html 1978 disappearance of 13-year-old still a mystery from the Emporia Gazette - Posted October 24, 2014 (No longer available) 1978 disappearance of 13-year-old still a mystery by Lynette Richards in The Washington Times - Posted October 24, 2014 Cold cases: New info surfaces in kidnapping case by Lynette Richards in The Daily Union - Posted December 3, 2014 JCPD asks FBI to help investigate Beverly Ward kidnapping case from 1978 by Michael J. Sellman - posted January 25, 2018 Blogs: A Blog Post- When A Pastor Morally Fails by Lois Gibson - Posted August 9, 2012 A Blog Post- Buh-Bye Pastor Edwin Young by Julie Anne Smith - Posted August 16, 2012 A Blog Post- How Did Pastor Edwin Young Treat Women? by Julie Anne Smith - Posted August 20, 2012 A Blog Post- Jordan Young Arrested Yet Again and Faith Tabernacle Pastors by Julie Anne Smith - Posted August 30, 2012 A Blog Post- Edwin Young and Touch Not Mine Anointed $1,000 Challenge by Julie Anne Smith - Posted September 4, 2012 A Blog Post- Pastor Edwin Young, Faith Tabernacle, Jordan Young Information by Julie Anne Smith - Posted October 8, 2012 A Blog Post- Faith Tabernacle Church: A Pastor Speaks out about Spiritual Abuse by Julie Anne Smith - Posted March 12, 2013 - - - - - - - Blog Posts- When Leaders Fail & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted August 2012 Blog Posts- A Call To Repentance & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted September 2012 Blog Posts- Did God Do This & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted October 2012 (This includes thoughts on recent church events and her story from being a Faith Tabernacle member.) Blog Posts- Leaving & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted November 2012 (This includes her walk away from Faith Tabernacle.) Blog Posts- Group Think & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted December 2012 (This includes her walk away from Faith Tabernacle & sharing of thoughts after she left.) Blog Posts- Shunning & More by a former Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church Member - Posted January 2012 (This includes her walk away from Faith Tabernacle & sharing of thoughts after she left.) - - - - - - - A Blog Post- Spiritual Abusive Woman Hating Preacher Edwin Young Derailed! by Scarlett - Posted September 3, 2012 A Blog Post- Music Minister Jordan Young Arrested by Mojoey - Posted August 17, 2012 A Blog Post- Sometimes church folk get fed up by Mojoey - Posted September 3, 2012
Podcasts: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cgcpueblo/id261511856 Podcast of Edwin Young- One free podcast of Edwin Young preaching is available on iTunes and was uploaded May 3, 2012. It is entitled, "Jump In." About 45 minutes long. You will need to scroll through the list to find it. It is interesting to note he has to bring up effeminate men near the beginning. Also note that around 37:25 he speaks of shaking off spirits such as cigarettes, dope, a lustful eye, fornicating spirit and pervert spirit. This is from a camp meeting. [This is no longer available. However, excerpts from this and other sermons may be found here.] Podcast of Nathan Dudley- If you would like an idea of the preaching style of the new pastor and how things may be at Faith Tabernacle Church under his pastorate, one free podcast of Nathan Dudley preaching is available on iTunes and was uploaded May 3, 2012. It is entitled, "Apostolic Attitude." You will need to scroll through the list to find it. [Though this one is no longer available, another was added on March 12, 2014 titled "Proven Sincerity". That one also appears to no longer be available.] http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cgcpueblo/id261511856 Two Podcasts With Jordan Young Preaching & Singing At Christian Growth Center- Two free podcasts of Jordan are available on iTunes and were made available August 5, 2012. One is dated July 29, 2012 and the other is also believed to be from July. The titles are "7-29-2012" and "Let The Church Sound Off." [They removed the two sermons of Jordan Young around September 1, 2012, after we linked to them. Screen shots of the listings, that were also listed on their website, are found here and here. Excerpts from this and other sermons may be found here.] Experiences of Former Faith Tabernacle Members: Former members are free to submit their experiences for consideration to be added to our experience page. You may remain anonymous and will be able to view it, make any desired changes and approve it before it goes live. Even current members have a place to share should they desire to do so. A Former Faith Tabernacle UPC Woman Shares- "I watched as people in the church, even members of my own family, were tormented for their mistakes. Ridiculed, preached against, and called in after church for a "one-on-one meeting" with the preacher. People kicked out of the church for making mistakes. I watched as members turned on other members, gossip, spying for the preacher, telling on other members. I really began to listen to the sermons. How mean they had become. Where was the love, the compassion? Why did it seem he was always angry preaching? Screaming and hollering, pointing out the flaws of the people and making everyone so fearful." Elizabeth Smith: Former Faith Tabernacle UPC Woman- "Sis. Westberg asked for all the members to say something about her husband. So I testified that I was moving, but I would still keep the standards and take them with me. I got called in the office and surrounded by all the ministers, me and my ex-husband, and they questioned me about having a slit skirt, and a perm. I was devastated again. I vowed to never return. This time my ex-husband left with me." Mary's UPC & Apostolic Experiences: Part Two- "Others were kicked out. They were publicly rebuked or labeled from the pulpit. Over time there was less and less affirmation and more and more rebuke for infractions-a skirt was too tight, a sleeve was too short-but not for real wrongs. We heard the same sermon over and over. It was that our church was great, our pastor was the greatest, he was the man of God and we'd better obey him, one day our church would take over the city, God would bless if we had enough faith." Posted August 14, 2012 & Updated January 18, 2024 | |||
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