Seed of David / faith-healing isolates
Cluster of small high-control faith-healing Christian communities (similar pattern to Followers of Christ) where members refuse medical care for serious illness. Several state-level child-death prosecutions documented.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — covers small high-control faith-healing communities; child-death cases documented.
Profile facts
In context
This entry covers small high-control faith-healing communities of the Followers of Christ pattern beyond the Oregon group covered separately. Members refuse all medical care, attribute illness to spiritual failure, and bury children in private cemeteries without medical certification. Several state-level child-death prosecutions across multiple US states have established the pattern.
Key control doctrines
- Faith healing as exclusive medical response
- Severance from outside medical authority
Recovery resources
- ICSA Helpline — International Cultic Studies Association — questions about high-control groups, referrals to cult-aware therapists, peer support.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation — BITE Model assessments, exit-counselling resources, family education.
- ICSA Cult-Aware Therapist Directory — ICSA-maintained directory of licensed mental-health professionals with specific cult-recovery training.
- Combatting Cult Mind Control — Steven Hassan, 1988 (revised 2018). The foundational BITE Model book; CLCI Hub's core methodology source.
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships — Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias, 2006. Practical recovery workbook.
- Holding Out HELP — Utah-based organisation supporting people leaving fundamentalist polygamous Mormon communities.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Multiple US state child-death prosecutions
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 20th c.Various faith-healing isolate communities crystallise
Sources
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.