Chattanooga Times Randy Arnold 1980 Saying he was a “concerned grandfather who truly loves and wants his granddaughter back,” Joe Heflin has accused members of the Vine Christian Community Church of taking his 4 year old granddaughter and keeping her from him and the child’s mother. In an interview with the Times Tuesday, Heflin and…
Chattanooga Times Randy Arnold 1980 Four men, including the head of the Vine Christian Community Church, were ordered held under $5,000 bond each at the City Jail as state witnesses Monday, and a man charged with assaulting them was freed on his own recognizance. Joseph William Heflin, 55, of 1903 Bennett Ave. was charged with…
Chattanooga Times Bill Casteel January 12, 1980 Kirsten and Johanna Neilsen, twin sisters from the Vine Christian Community Church here – best known for several years as operator of the Yellow Deli restaurants, which have since been sold. After they were “deprogrammed,” they held a news conference at which they denounced the organization, charging that…
The Chattanooga Times/January 9, 1980 By Bill Castell Naomi Kelly spent several weeks as a member of the Vine Christian Community Church [now known as "Twelve Tribes], living in one of the church-owned houses in Dalton. Her sister, Sarah Mosley, visited her frequently in her repeated effort to persuade her to leave the church. What…
Chattanooga Times Bill Casteel January 9, 1980 Pastor W.C. Hunter, of the Words of Life Ministry and author of “How to Save Your Loved Ones from the Cults” said Tuesday that leaders of groups such as the Vine Christian Community Church “use the Scriptures to scare their followers to death.” “They twist the Scriptures, exalt…
Chattanooga Times Bill Casteel December 29, 1979 The Oakland, Calif., twins who spent four years in the Vine Christian Community here before being “rescued” and “deprogrammed” last week have a history of running away from home, Joyce Henrikson, a neighbor of the twins and the sister of church leader Gene Springs, told the Times Friday. Mrs….
Chattanooga Times Bill Casteel December 27, 1979 Johanna Nielsen was scheduled to be married last Thursday in ceremonies which the Vine Community Christian Church sanctioned. But, shortly before the wedding took place, their parents whisked away the twin sisters under the pretense of taking them shopping for the wedding. Three days later, Ted Patrick had…
April 1979 The organization’s name has changed, and so has the location, but the charges being leveled against former Chattanoogan Gene Spriggs and his following are no different than those 19 that were brought against the group a few years ago. Elbert Eugene Spriggs is the leader of the Chattanooga based Vine Community Church. Today,…
The Chattanooga Times/March 26, 1979 The Vine Christian Community Church [now known as the "Twelve Tribes], owner of the Yellow Deli restaurants and the subject of some controversy here over the past few years regarding its unorthodox style, is selling almost all of its businesses and properties here and plans to relocate the majority of…
Carolyn Mitchell January 21, 1979 Stories about the People’s Temple in Guyana have sparked interest in religious cults and have increased the invitations Melinda Horton receives to address church groups and civic clubs. A member of the Vine Community Christian Church for 15 months, Melinda refers to the group, which operates the Yellow Deli restaurants,…