Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship

(UPDATE: October 11, 2016: Barnard pleads guilty to sexual assault and will serve 30 years.)
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March 1, 2014

This morning, I opened a Facebook private message from a good friend. The message had been sent a couple days ago. It contained a link to a news story about a man, Victor Barnard, who was once associated with The Way International and is a Way Corps 14 graduate.

Barnard started his own small Way splinter group, River Road Fellowship, apparently sometime in the 1990s. I was familiar with the splinter group from reading about it after I had left The Way. (link: River Road Fellowship in Finlayson, Minnesota) I do not know Victor Barnard.

I expected that perhaps the news-story video would show another Way splinter group leader teaching odd doctrines and taking advantage of followers. I did not expect to view what I did - a man, Victor Barnard, who selected a group of young women whom he kept isolated in a David Koresh or Warren Jeffs type environment to serve God and to serve the man of God, Victor Barnard. Parents of at least two of these women had given permission for their then-young-teenage daughters to become part of Victor Barnard's "Maidens."

According to the video clip, sometime in the past 10-plus years, Barnard had selected 10 teenage girls/young ladies that Barnard called "the Maidens." The youngest girls were 12 and 13 years old at the time they were chosen. The sexual abuse began within a year or so of becoming one of Barnard's "maidens." I gather from the video clip that these girls were selected because they were the "first born" in their families and thus, according to Barnard, were sacrifices for God. These girls left their parents (who were loyal Barnard followers and agreed to the girls being given in service to God under Barnard) and their homes to live with Barnard as part of "the Maidens."

Kudos upon kudos to the two young women, now apparently in their early 20s, who have come forward publicly in the video news clip after going to police two years ago. One young woman had her calendars, with notes, and other items she had saved in a box that she brought forward as evidence to the police.

Perhaps the act of these two young women coming forward will empower other Barnard victims to also speak out.

The video below was published 2/26/14. I wish there was a transcript to go with the video, but I can't find one.

I hope an investigation is pursued; these women deserve at least that much. According to the news link, "A detective in Spokane, Wash., told the Fox 9 Investigators his last lead on Barnard came a few months ago and did not check out. Barnard's exact whereabouts remain unknown."

INVESTIGATORS: Maidens of River Road

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Links to posts on toss & ripple about Barnard:
3/01/14: Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship
4/19/14: More thoughts regarding Victor Barnard...and influence...and The Way...and...
8/18/2014: Victor Barnard: "Preaching Lies" to air on "The Hunt," Sunday, August 24, 2014
2/28/15: Victor Barnard is apprehended in Brazil...
6/11/17: Docudrama: "Deliver Us From Evil"
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Updates: Below are links to news stories up through Barnard's arrest on 2/27/15. To access news links after the arrest, click here: Victor Barnard is apprehended in Brazil....

March 6, 2014: Pine County attorney reviews case against alleged cult leader

April 11, 2014: Legal complaint and warrant outlines charges. The "Statement of Probable Cause," beginning on page 23, outlines a summary.

April 16, 2014: Media reports are now circulating. Following are four links to videos/articles that fill in more detail.

• Charges: Minister sexually abused young 'Maidens' in Minnesota camp for years
• Pine County sect leader charged with abusing girls, remains at large
• Alleged cult leader Victor Barnard charged with molesting 'Maidens'
• Victim of Barnard: "I'm even"

April 17, 2014: Victor Barnard: The history of a cult leader (includes a snapshot of The Way International)

April 18, 2014: From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "Friends recall the rise and fall Victor Barnard: From charismatic kid to wanted fugitive, friends recall how a kid from Minneapolis fell in with The Way and lost his way."
April 18, 2014: "Where is Victor Barnard?" Update regarding the search.

April 24, 2014: VICTOR BARNARD: Ex-follower says cult leader defended molester

April 26, 2014:Former River Road Fellowship follower, Kehla Backman, shares part of her story, published by Gawker: The More You Commit, the More the Leader Loves You

April 27, 2014: More insight and history (not previously published) regarding the evolution of Victor Barnard's rule over his congregation, by the Minneapolis StarTribune:
Caught in a cult's dark embrace

April 27, 2014: From Fox9 News, a timeline of significant life events in Victor Barnard's past:
VICTOR BARNARD: Timeline of a cult leader

April 27, 2014:Betrayed followers say sect leader Barnard’s abuse surfaced gradually

May 17, 2014: An article written by journalist, Karl Kahler, a previous Way follower and fellow Way Corps 14 graduate with Barnard: Victor Barnard called the girls brides of Christ - and 'he was Christ'

August 13, 2014: WANTED: Cult leader Victor Barnard possibly spotted in Washington

August 14, 2014: Minneapolis StarTribune shares a few more details about the sighting: Minnesota cult fugitive spotted in Washington state

February 28, 2015: Globo: Leader of sect, American wanted for sex crimes is stuck in RN

February 28, 2015: KMSP: Cult leader Victor Barnard captured in Brazil  

February 28, 2015: Minneapolis StarTribune: Fugitive Minnesota cult leader Victor Barnard arrested in Brazil
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