The Modesty Files

This episode involves topics of physical and sexual abuse and other mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

On April 29th, Josh Duggar, the oldest son of the TLC reality show family was arrested by federal authorities and now faces charges of possessing depictions of sexual abuse of children, some of whom were under the age of 12.

In response to the varying opinions out there on social media, we ourselves wanted to understand the situation better. We reached out to someone who we believe may be able to shine some light on the complexities of child abuse inside fundamentalist communities. Author and Trauma Recovery Advocate, Emily Elizabeth Anderson has a first-hand account of the abuse that occurs inside the Institute in Basic Life Principles & The Advanced Training Institute and will help us process this complex situation.

Connect with Emily at ThrivingForwardBlog.com or on Facebook.com/ThrivingForwardBlog

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Today we are speaking with Joanna Adams, the producer and director of “The Daughters,” an upcoming audio documentary exploring the Stay at Home Daughter movement. This movement focuses on the idea that daughters should never leave the covering of their fathers until and unless they are married. Joanna is sparking a conversation about the movement and sharing the stories of those who grew up in it, including in their relationships, careers, education choices, emotions, dress, and religious choices.

You can learn more about "The Daughters" at www.thedaughtersdocu.com

Follow "The Daughters" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stay-at-Home-Daughter-Documentary-989322501271153

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

This episode contains mature language so listener discretion is advised.

On today’s episode, we’re speaking with April who was raised in the Pentecostal denomination known as Assemblies of God. After being told by a preacher it was her destiny to become a missionary, she applied and was accepted to the Master Commission, an intense discipleship training program. At the school, students train to become AG ministers. April was expected to eat, sleep, and drink the Bible, 24 hours a day. And after several years of some shady leadership, she began to question whether the intensity of the program was worth it. April will walk us through all of the details including a crazy story of the time she and a group were dropped off in the woods with nothing but a single tent.

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Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Today we are speaking with Charity Wottrich, a Christian author, who grew up in a homeschooled family in rural Pennsylvania and is 8th out of 13 children. Growing up, she belonged to a Branhamism Church. This institution was founded by William M. Branham, a Pentecostal pastor who gained popularity by hosting “healing revivals” in the 40s and 50s. His followers, who call themselves Message believers, go beyond merely having faith in the supernatural but actively anticipate and induce the rapture. After a scandal in her Pennsylvania church, Charity left the organization doubting her faith, but abandoning the Message ultimately led to her freedom and faith stronger than ever before.

You can find Charity on Instagram @ thisartistslife and @thisartistslifeco.

Also, read Charity's book! "Where the Willow Weeps" is available on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2GOZDEy

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

We're taking a brief break this week so that we can continue working on amazing episodes for you all. But we have some extra bonus content. We've received so many requests for more content from our season two opener, Bernie.

Enjoy our "Back Pocket" Minisodes with extra content from Episode #14: Thirty, UnFlirty, but Trying: Bernie's Quick Explosion Out of Purity Culture. Bernie shares some of her personal standards as she experiments with modern-day dating apps.

If you enjoy this content, please join us over on Patreon and support our podcast. We released all of our episodes early and post bonus content every week.

Our theme song is written by Savannah Kunze.

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Today we are speaking Lyndall, a woman who entered into the world of fundamentalism by her own choice as a teenager. After experiencing mental health challenges at 13, she discovered that Christian media offered her an escape from her emotional struggles. Books written by the fundamentalist Botkins sister conveyed idyllic images of courtship, stay-at-home-daughterhood, and modest wardrobe choices. Lyndall found this very appealing and what she considers her gateway into fundamentalism. She’s going to share with us her journey with faith and how she’s now pursuing a career in filmmaking in order to share healthy narratives about the world that she needed when she was young.

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

In today’s episode, we have not one, BUT TWO guests, Kristin and Tripp! This awesome couple met at Abilene Christian University, a private Christian university in Texas affiliated with the Church of Christ. Growing up within the Church of Christ community, Kristin was accustomed to the church's practices, such as Acappella only worship songs and plain interior design buildings. However, Tripp discovered Abilene totally on accident and was surprised by the university's Christian policies, like gender-separated dorm rooms. Students were required to follow strict protocols when it came to interacting with members of the opposite sex, So how did Kristin and Tripp date? Well, let’s just say baggy sweats and a baseball cap go a long way.

Today we are talking to Victoria. a former member of the Institute in Basic life Principles or IBLP. This organization was founded by Bill Gothard and is most known as the system of beliefs that TLC’s Dugger family subscribes to. As a kid. Victoria was homeschooled using the Advanced Training Institute curriculum, a “biblically-based” homeschool program also developed by Bill Gothard. She also attended IBLP's Journey to the Heart, a retreat for teenage girls and Victoria will go into all the details about her experience on this retreat.

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Julie joins us today, ready to share experience growing up in a fundamentalist Pentecostal church in the south. Julie’s story is quite unique, as her congregation was run by a female pastor who we will refer to as Jane. Younger members of the community were asked to call her “Granny.” She preached the Armageddon and practiced speaking in tongues. But Jane went farther than your typical pentecostal preacher. She encouraged adult men to get vasectomies, forced teenagers to clean offices at night, and manipulated elderly community members to put her in their will. The manipulation is outstanding, so Julie will walk us through Jane’s narcissistic behavior and ultimately what it took for Julie to escape this high control group.

Topics in this episode include abuse, neglect, suicide, and other mature themes, so listener discretion is advised.

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Our first guest of the season is Bernie, who is a former member of both the baptist church community and the non-denominational charismatic church in the midwest. She is going to share with us her experience with Christian Purity Culture. To give some context “Purity culture” is a Christian movement that promotes a biblical view of sexual purity by discouraging dating and promoting virginity before marriage. The toxicity that these teachings can impress on a young teen likely lasts even long after leaving the evangelical world. Bernie is going to share her experience with purity balls, rings, and pledges, and she’s now reshaping her beliefs on love, intimacy, and faith.

This episode features mature adult themes and language so listener discretion is advised.

Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/themodestyfiles

Follow us on Instagram @themodestyfiles for updates and bonus content.

Theme song was written by Savannah Kunze