"Most of the greatest evils that man has inflicted upon man have come through people feeling quite certain about something which, in fact, was false."
— Bertrand Russell

It is with deep regret that I must inform you that the Community of Jesus is a Toxic Community of Faith that was founded and funded by a Rockefeller and run by hard-drinking lesbians. This is shocking and sad, but true. The individuals in this organization have been guilty of a great deal of child abuse, and emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual, mental and financial abuse and exploitation, and deceit over the years. They behave as predators, and it is in your best interests to avoid them, especially if they approach you. They are the proverbial "wolf in sheep's clothing." Unfortunately, this type of psychopathic behavior, riding under the banner of the Loving Christ and "spiritual authority," is particularly pernicious. It calls for us all to look within, and stay true to our deepest values.
 

Dedication: This website is lovingly dedicated to the survivors and victims of high-maintenance religious groups (aka cults) and other forms of mind control and spiritual/physical/emotional abuse. Many of the people mentioned in the information on this site are compassionate, caring individuals who work hard and deserve respect, and want nothing more than health and happiness for their family, friends and the world around them. Please keep this in mind as you read. What is presented here is to assist others in avoiding harm to themselves and their loved ones. It is also to support accountability for all predatory actions and equity, justice and healing for those harmed by such.

"Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph."
— Haile Salaisse

Over the years, articles about the Community of Jesus have been printed. These will be linked here as time allows (please be patient).

1. "God for the Up & Out: Is Cape Cod's Community of Jesus a benign religious retreat? Or an upper-class Episcopalian Jonestown?" (with reader letters)
   Boston magazine, May 1981, page 142.
   Read with Comments | Read Original without Comments

2. "Ex-members decry life in Community of Jesus"
   Cape Cod Times, April 9, 1985, p. 12

3. "Defectors Raise Questions About Religious Group: Three Sons of Founders Spark a Public Break by Former Members"
   The Cape Codder, April 19, 1985, p. 6

4. "Community of Jesus Request for Cemetery is Put Under Advisement"
   The Cape Codder, March 29, 1985

5. "'Nightmare' at the Community of Jesus: Former Members Tell of 'Living Hell' at Cape Compound"
   Boston Herald, July 28, 1985, p. 12

6. "Community of Jesus 'Cult Front?'"
   Cult Observer, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1991

7. "Keen Cults Keep Eye Open for New Members"
   Boston Herald, April 25 1993
8. "Canadian School Joins Community: Orleans-based sect spreads to Ontario"
   Cape Cod Times, November 10, 1981

9. "Community of Jesus finds a haven in Bermuda"
   November 8, 1981

10. Churches That Abuse, book by Ronald Enroth

• Which is more important, your children or the cult? Separation of children from their families.

  A television show by Channel 5 Boston showed an interview with Betty Pugsley in July of 1993. In that interview, Betty denied the charge that children are separated from their parents routinely at the Community, which was a deliberate lie. However, oddly enough, another community member admits to this practice in this article, and it is mentioned on the latest version of their website. [Note: They have since changed the wording.] A specific example is given here in the article "God for the Up & Out".

  Some children were so confused by the extended separations and the multitude of "aunts and uncles" that they weren't even sure who their mother was for the first several years of their life. This interferes with normal development in a profound way, and has lifelong effects.

  One of the first priorities of the Community is to separate children from their parents and break down family bonds. Your alliegiance to the Community must be more important than your responsibility to and love for your children, otherwise your life will be made so unpleasant, you will either buckle under or be forced out. This is typical of the behavior of adult cultic predators, but not the behavior of Jesus Christ or young children.

• Grenville Christian College: Benign boarding school or Grenville Concentration Camp?

  The Community of Jesus was also affiliated with Grenville Christian College (GCC), which closed its doors in September, 2007. Grenville also had a long history of abuse — mental, physical, and sexual. However, the most egregious abuse at Grenville was predominantly imposed on the Staff and Community of Jesus children. When it occured, it could be terrible.

  Grenville was dubbed "Grenville Concentration Camp" by some. However there are others, who were beaten and molested there, who are too traumatized to discuss it. Although an apology appeared once, it contained a bad e-mail address. Is that really sufficient when the abuse continues and many lives have been, and continue to be, destroyed?

  "The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes."
  — Thomas Paine

  "Far more child abuse has occurred in the name of God, than in the name of Satan."
  — Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Were some of the monies used for building the $11 million church gained through participation in a fraudulent Ponzi Scheme?


The church alone is an $11 million dollar endeavor. If you include the outlying buildings, when complete, they value at $50 million. For sure Christ would consider this excessive wealth when millions of people are impoverished, some only a few hours from Orleans. Large building projects are enormously expensive and even the well-to-do can run out of funds, especially when the church required over 100 hearings and a lawsuit to have built.

Did this white-collar cult engage in a Ponzi Scheme for Christ when donations were flagging, in spite of their arm-twisting?

How much money did the CoJ net from their involvement in the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy scandal? If William Kanaga (a Community member) donated at least $2.4 million, and the CoJ had to repay $1.4 million, assuming the money doubled at least once, that is a potential net of at least $3.4 million.

What true christian builds a church with stolen money? And then adds secret rooms for "Members Only"? What happens in the "Members Only" rooms that can't be shared? What does God think of a church built with stolen money, and with hidden secrets?

Beyond the obviously unethical implications of the same individual being both a donor and a recipient in a "charitable" Ponzi Scheme, William Kanaga is a world-renowned accountant, shrewd enough to earn an honorary Doctor of Laws. The Foundation for New Era Philanthropy had "all the hallmarks of a Ponzi Scheme" according to the Federal Investigators. Offering double your investment in six months, by any definition it fit the category of "too good to be true." Others were suspicious over the life of the swindle, and still others refused to participate or held the money in reserve. So just how did "Uncle Bill" miss the obvious signs? Or did he really? Just how long was the association between Jack Bennett and William Kanaga?

• Is the Community Anglican, Episcopalian, ecumenical "Christian" or Benedictine? If Benedictine, what is their Charism?


In the earlier years, the Community of Jesus applied to become a part of both the Anglican and Episcopal churches. Both denominations rejected them as being "too cultish." As a result, the Community of Jesus has redefined themselves as self-styled "Benedictines" ... however, real Benedictines are Catholic and come together to do a work for God, a specific mission. They do not simply take advantage of capitalism and act as a local for-profit Bed and Breakfast and artistic community, with a pseudo-spiritual slant. Beware of spiritual snake oil salesmen!

• Community of the Devil?

Owen writes:

Here's a good story from a long time ago when I worked in Orleans, MA:

A new subdivision was being bought up, house by house, by a religious community/cult, named "The Community of Jesus." Each of the houses had a small sign outside, with a biblical name, like "Gethsemene" or "The Covenant." There was one house owned by an outsider, a nonmember of the cult, located right smack in the middle of the development. The cult put up a huge sign at the entrance to the development, which said "Welcome to the Community of Jesus," which the nonmember didn't like, felt it reduced his property value, and he asked the group to take it down, which they refused.

So he put up a billboard size sign right on his garage, painted it with big red letters: "Community of the Devil." The elders of the group were shocked, and said he couldn't put that sign up. He told them, "you take down your sign, I'll take down mine." They took it down.

• Fun with Anagrams - GRENVILLE CHRISTIAN

  An anagram is made by rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to form new words, often with surprising meaning. I got hooked on anagrams when I started to notice how much truth they often contain. One of my favorites was one from the name of the former White House spokesperson, Ari Fleischer: I RELISH FARCE.

  A rearrangement of the letters in Grenville Christian reveals:
  LEARNING EVIL CHRIST

  How true is that? ;-)

• CommunitySpeak-to-English Dictionary
  Learn to read between the lines before you get duped.

• Creed or Christ? A poem by Max Heindel

The Community of Jesus and Grenville Christian College are deeply weird places. While any analysis of experience there is up to the individual experiencing it, be advised that you have a better than one in two chance of having an unhappy and exploitative experience, and leaving in a negative or unfortunate manner, less financially and emotionally secure than when you entered. One thing can be gleaned from this: it doesn't match the Life and Love of Jesus Christ — not in the '70s, not in the '80s, not in the '90s, and not now.

The websites belonging to the Community of Jesus in Orleans, MA are:

• Community of Jesus
  Official website. Caveat emptor.

• Church of the Transfiguration
  Thank goodness the local citizens put up such a fight over this building. To dominate what might be the prettiest beach on the cape, and endanger such an ecologically sensitive area, is human ego run amok.

• Gloriae Dei Cantores
  The music, at times, sounds lovely. But at what cost?

• Spirit of America Band
  Still trying to find something Christian about this organization ... since all Community members are required to vote Republican or not be permitted to vote at all, sure hope they aren't celebrating the spirit of American foreign policy and the present State of our Republic under a close friend of their parent organization.

• Paraclete Press
  A $3.5 million dollar, for-profit business. Why two?

• Priory Gifts
  Probably best to boycott this establishment.

The website belonging to Grenville Christian College in Brockville, ONT is:

• Grenville Christian College
  Save your money, save your kid, pick another school ... oh, wait, it doesn't exist anymore.

See also:

• The Truth Behind the Community of Jesus
  More to think about.
   
• Community or Cult?
  Perspectives on the Community of Jesus.
   

Disclaimer:
This website is independently operated and not affiliated with the Community of Jesus or Grenville Christian College. Any opinions expressed here are those of the owner only, and not the web hosting company or anyone else. The opinions expressed on any sites linked from this site are those of the individuals on those sites and should not be construed to be affiliated with this website owner in any way.

Last update: March 12, 2009

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