Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (Jim & Lila Reidhead)
New Mexico-based para-church group founded by James (Jim) and Deborah (Lila) Green-Reidhead in the 1980s with quasi-military uniforms, ranks ('Generals'), and a Sacramento-then-Berino fortified residential compound. Multiple 2018 New Mexico convictions for child abuse, sexual servitude, and human trafficking; founder Deborah Green sentenced to 72 years; multiple co-defendants serving sentences. Active in residual form post-prosecution.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+2 for 2018 multi-defendant child-abuse and sex-trafficking convictions in New Mexico federal and state courts.
Profile facts
In context
Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) was founded in California in the 1980s by James (Jim) and Deborah ('Lila') Green-Reidhead as a Pentecostal-revivalist 'spiritual warfare' ministry that adopted explicit military symbology — uniforms with rank insignia, Generals / Colonels / Sergeants leadership titles, and a 'troops' framework for adult and child members. The group relocated to a fortified compound at Berino, New Mexico in 1991, where the Reidheads required all members to surrender outside contact, income, and parental authority over children to the Generals. The 2017 escape of two adult ex-members triggered a New Mexico State Police investigation; in 2018 Deborah Green and four co-defendants — Peter Green, Stacey Miller, Brandon Green, and Joshua Green — were convicted on 30+ counts including child abuse, criminal sexual penetration of a minor, human trafficking, and racketeering. Deborah Green received 72 years state prison; Peter Green 36 years; the other co-defendants 14–24 years each. Court documents established that children at the compound had been routinely beaten with rubber hoses, denied medical care for serious injuries, made to perform forced labour in lieu of formal schooling, and in several cases subjected to sexual abuse by senior 'Generals'. Jim Reidhead died in 2008 prior to prosecution; the residual Aggressive Christianity organisation continues to operate at small scale through the Battle Cry magazine and an online presence under successor leadership. The Albuquerque Journal investigation series (2018) and the Hochman Salkin Toscher 2018–2020 federal-tax-related coverage are the canonical journalistic record.
Recovery resources
- Tears of Eden — Christian spiritual-abuse-survivor support and clinician referral.
- Recovering Grace — Originally IBLP-focused; archive includes broader fundamentalist Christian high-control material.
- Reclamation Collective — Religious-trauma-aware therapist network; relevant for post-exit identity-rebuilding.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Multiple 2017 New Mexico State Police complainants (sealed)
Legal cases & controversies
- State of New Mexico v. Green et al. (2018)
Evidence by BITE axis
- Charges included child abuse, criminal sexual penetration of a minor, human trafficking, racketeering
- Quasi-military rank structure ('Generals') with absolute authority over members and their children
- Compound-residential structure with surrendered outside contact, income, parental authority
- +2 for 2018 multi-defendant child-abuse and sex-trafficking convictions in New Mexico federal and state courts
- 2018 New Mexico convictions: Deborah Green (72y), Peter Green (36y), 3 other co-defendants 14–24y each
- Beatings with rubber hoses + denied medical care documented in trial evidence
Timeline
- 1981Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps founded in California
- 1991Group relocates to fortified Berino, NM compound
- 2008Jim Reidhead dies; Deborah Green / Peter Green consolidate leadership
- 2017Two adult ex-members escape; New Mexico State Police investigation begins
- 2018Deborah Green sentenced 72 years; 4 co-defendants 14–36 years each
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of New Mexico v. Deborah Green et al. (Doña Ana County, 2018) | Court | Primary | 2018 |
| Albuquerque Journal investigation series | Book | Secondary | 2018 |
| New Mexico State Police 2017–2018 investigation files (released) | Journalism | Secondary | 2017 |
| ICSA Today case study on ACMTC | Book | Secondary | 2019 |
| Las Cruces Sun-News trial coverage 2018 | Other | Tertiary | 2018 |
| Offender Search · archive | Government | Primary | — |
| Cops Accuse Christian Commune of Abusing and Raping Children | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| 4 more religious sect members arrested in New Mexico | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| Paramilitary sect leader Deborah Green sentenced for child abuse in New Mexico | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| Ex-Members Describe Military-Style Christian Sect Now Accused of Child Abuse · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| New Mexico sect leader facing sex abuse charges released · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| My mom, the cult leader: 'She told us what to wear, when to pray, how we would have sex. We were prisoners | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps · archive | Organisation | Tertiary | — |
Sources
- State of New Mexico v. Deborah Green et al. (Doña Ana County, 2018) search ↗
- Albuquerque Journal investigation series (2018) search ↗
- New Mexico State Police 2017–2018 investigation files (released) search ↗
- ICSA Today case study on ACMTC (2019) search ↗
- Las Cruces Sun-News trial coverage 2018 search ↗
- Offender Search — https://www.cd.nm.gov/offender-search/ open ↗
- Cops Accuse Christian Commune of Abusing and Raping Children — https://www.vice.com/en/article/cops-accuse-christian-commune-of-smuggling-and-raping-children/ open ↗
- 4 more religious sect members arrested in New Mexico — https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170903072505/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/authorities-arrest-4-paramilitary-religious-sect-members/2017/08/24/67d8357c-8900-11e7-96a7-d178cf3524eb_story.html open ↗
- Paramilitary sect leader Deborah Green sentenced for child abuse in New Mexico — https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paramilitary-sect-deborah-green-aggressive-christianity-missions-new-mexico-sentence/ open ↗
- Ex-Members Describe Military-Style Christian Sect Now Accused of Child Abuse — https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-members-describe-military-style-christian-sect-now-accused-child-n796131 open ↗
- New Mexico sect leader facing sex abuse charges released — https://apnews.com/article/religion-new-mexico-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-0f98f6be56255c9f444e6710d22aae25 open ↗
- My mom, the cult leader: 'She told us what to wear, when to pray, how we would have sex. We were prisoners — https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/29/daughter-interview-deborah-green-cult-aggresive-christianity-missions-training-corps-free-love-ministries open ↗
- Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps — http://www.apologeticsindex.org/2743-aggressive-christianity-mission-training-corps open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Christian high-control.
- 2026-05-20Source-density flags derived from existing free-text sources[]: court records. Heuristic auto-flag; subsequent editorial pass will populate structuredSources[] with reliability tiers.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
You may also want to explore
Frequently asked questions
Q.Is Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps scores 35 out of 40 — "Destructive / Extreme", at high confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps's CLCI score?
Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps scores 35 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "Extreme" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 9, Information 8, Thought 8, Emotional 8 — plus a signed modifier of +2 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps score 35 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: 2018 New Mexico convictions: Deborah Green (72y), Peter Green (36y), 3 other co-defendants 14–24y each; Charges included child abuse, criminal sexual penetration of a minor, human trafficking, racketeering; Quasi-military rank structure ('Generals') with absolute authority over members and their children; Beatings with rubber hoses + denied medical care documented in trial evidence. These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +2 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps rating?
This profile is rated High confidence. High confidence means the score is backed by court records, academic work, and/or sustained investigative journalism. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps?
If you or someone you care about is affected by Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.