The Cult on the Cape

In this special episode of The Cult on the Cape, Bonnie Zampino reflects on the first Community Walk for Truth and the powerful response from survivors, family members, supporters, and community members who gathered in Orleans to stand together in truth, healing, and hope.

Bonnie shares why the walk is returning on June 7 as part of the Walk for Truth Summer Series, what participants experienced at the first event, and why continuing to show up matters.

This episode explores the power of survivor voices, the importance of public support, and the message at the heart of every Walk for Truth:

You are not forgotten.
You are loved.
You are not alone.

Whether you're attending the walk, participating in a solidarity walk from another location, or simply learning more about the experiences of those affected by high-control religious environments, this episode is an invitation to listen, reflect, and join the conversation.

🕊️ Walk for Truth Summer Series
📍 Rock Harbor Parking Lot, Orleans, Massachusetts
📅 June 7, 2026
🕝 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

In Part 2 of Bryan Catlin’s powerful story, Bryan shares what happened after he fled the Community of Jesus — terrified, exhausted, and completely unprepared for the outside world. What followed was a mental health crisis, arrest, hospitalization, and ultimately the beginning of rebuilding a life from scratch.

Bryan speaks candidly about fear, isolation, survival, and the lifelong effects of growing up in a high-control environment. He also shares the people who helped save him — a social worker who understood cult dynamics, a father who kept showing up, friends who opened their homes, and the woman who would eventually become his wife.

This episode is a raw and deeply human conversation about trauma, forgiveness, family estrangement, parenting after coercive control, and learning how to trust yourself after a lifetime of being told who you were supposed to be.

At its heart, this is a story about survival, healing, and building a life that finally belongs to you.

In this deeply personal conversation, Bryan Catlin shares what it was like to be born into the Community of Jesus as the Grandson of the Mother and raised entirely within its world. From loneliness, homeschooling, and life with the brothers, to fear, control, emotional confusion, and repeated attempts to leave, Brian reflects on the complexity of growing up inside a high-control religious environment — where even understanding what was “normal” became difficult. This is Part 1 of an honest and powerful survivor story.

Note: We have edited the audio to remove the last name of the Community's inside attorney and the Busar mentioned in the podcast. To read the correspondence discussed, go to :8 Months | My Life During and After The Community of Jesus

Carrie Buddington responds to statements made about her departure from the Community of Jesus

After living inside the Community of Jesus for 40 years—including 20 years as a vowed sister—Carrie Buddington says she left with a small suitcase, a bus ticket to Boston, and $1,000.

In this episode, Carrie responds directly to comments made by attorney Jeff Robbins in a Cape Cod Times article by Denise Coffey published April 29, 2026. She reflects on the years leading up to her departure, repeated requests for a leave of absence that she says were denied, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life after decades inside a high-control religious environment.

The title of this episode, 8 Months, refers to the amount of time Carrie says it took to recover a single personal belonging: a cross-stitch piece she had made herself.

This is a conversation about autonomy, loss, survival, and what it means to rebuild a life after leaving with almost nothing — and, most of all, about refusing to remain silent in the face of narratives that do not share the full truth.🎧 Listen as we continue telling the story of The Cult on the Cape.

Ken McCormick on surveillance, control, and seeing behind the curtain

In Part 2 of Ken McCormick’s story, the deeper mechanisms of control inside the Community of Jesus begin to come into focus.

Ken shares what it was like working with the Community’s audio systems—and the unsettling realization that conversations throughout the property could be monitored through hidden microphones and listening systems connected directly to leadership spaces.

What began years earlier as a search for meaning and belonging slowly revealed something far more complicated: exhaustion, fear, hierarchy, surveillance, and an environment where privacy and individuality were steadily eroded.

This episode explores what happens when spiritual authority becomes intertwined with control—and the moment when people begin to see behind the curtain.

🎧 Listen as we continue telling the story of The Cult on the Cape.

In this special episode for International Cult Recovery Day, Bonnie shares a speech recorded by her son Brendan for a college class final project.

In it, Brendan reflects on the Community of Jesus, Rock Harbor Truth, survivor stories, and the importance of listening to people who have too often been silenced or dismissed.

This episode is a reminder that recovery begins when people are willing to speak and to hear the truth — and that the next generation is paying attention. 🕊️

Listen to Ken McCormick share his experiences during the early days of the Community of Jesus

What happens after you survive?
In this powerful continuation, Bonnie and Jeffrey Wilkinson explore the long road from harm to healing. They talk about shame, identity, self-worth, and the quiet, difficult work of rewriting the messages that were never yours to carry. If you’ve ever struggled with “Who am I now?”—this conversation is for you.

Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson on trauma, memory, and healing after the Community of Jesus

Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson on trauma, memory, and healing after the Community of Jesus