Jamie Lee Curtis Taete

May 1 2018, 2:26am

Cults have always been good at making money. Generally, they do this by forcing their members to hand over huge amounts of cash and all of their worldly possessions. But some groups hustle harder. The FLDS scammed food stamps. The People’s Temple sold merch. Heaven’s Gate members built websites.

But one cult, the Twelve Tribes (who, it should be noted, rejects the “cult” label) has a relatively simple source of extra income: It owns and operates about 20 restaurants. The eateries, which are known by a number of names, have locations in the US, the UK, Canada, Spain, and Australia. Like their restaurants, the organization itself is spread across the world. Members live communally on farms and eschew a lot of the luxuries of the modern world, like TVs and radio and newspapers. The Twelve Tribes identify as Christian but endorse heinous practices like segregation (they say that multiculturalism is “just not reasonable“), misogyny (they believe that women were “created to complete man“), and some pretty questionable treatment of children (they’ve been at the center of controversies relating both to corporeal punishment of kids and underage labor).

But I didn’t know any of this before I decided to spend a day working remotely from the two Twelve Tribes restaurants closest to my house, both in San Diego County. I decided not to read up on them before visiting so I could experience them through the eyes of an average customer, and open myself up to any indoctrination they might try.

And all I knew about the Twelve Tribes at that point was that they’re kind of Amish-y and had maybe been involved in some kind of child labor scandal, and also something about some racism in their past that current members of color were claiming was no longer an issue. All the details I had in my head were vague, though.

The first restaurant I visited was in a tiny town called Valley Center, about 100 miles south of LA.

It was beautiful in a way I wasn’t aware this part of California could be. To get to the restaurant, I drove for miles down windy canyon roads, past lush green fields, herds of cows, and brooks that were literally babbling. When I reached the restaurant, it, too, was stunning. The Little House on the Prairie as painted by Thomas Kinkade.

The vibe of the place is exactly what would pop into your head if I asked you to picture a cult-owned restaurant: Organic vegetables and long hair and vegan cookies and psychedelic paintings and herbal tea and a selection of homemade skincare products. There was an old-timey stove and lots of leather and reclaimed wood. I overheard two separate customers compare it to the Shire.

The staff were also exactly what you’d expect: beautiful, with long shiny hair and blank, smiley faces. Everything had a very Rajneeshees-before-the-poisoned-salsa-and-drugged-homeless-people look and feel. It was almost too on the nose. Like a Mad TV sketch about a cult.

I ordered a veggie burger, a coffee, and a grapefruit juice. It was all almost unbelievably delicious. The burger was one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever eaten.

The second restaurant I visited was 15 miles away, in Vista. It was more of the same, except it was bigger, located in a more urban area, and the people working there were communicating with each other using those in-ear walkie talkies like the bad guys in The Matrix.

Both places were pretty busy, with a typical midweek day crowd. Some cops, a couple of meetings, some people who appeared to be part of a church group. Exactly the kind of vibe you’d expect at a relatively popular restaurant not owned by a cult.

Though I’d been expecting to be bombarded by their beliefs, both restaurants were pretty un-brainwashy. There were some free Twelve Tribes pamphlets and newspapers dotted around each location, but they were as easy to ignore as a concert flier or a missing cat poster or any other piece of paper you’d see in a normal cafe.

In the eight hours I spent between the two restaurants, the staff made no unprompted mention of their beliefs.

So desperate was I for a brainwashing, I even tried to instigate it myself at one point. The menu at both restaurants had a note on the front saying, “We serve the fruit of the spirit… Why not ask?” So I asked.

“It’s… uh… because we’re also a community, we don’t just serve food? We serve the spirit?” my server said before hastily retreating.

Some Twelve Tribes literature in a corner at the Vista location

I decided to read some of the free reading materials.

Through them, I learned the goal of Twelve Tribes communities is to recreate the church as it’s described in the Book of Acts. They like love, children, sharing, and togetherness, the literature explained. They don’t like technology, selfishness, drugs, or being labeled a cult (which they described as “something akin to the Salem Witch Trials”).

The pages were dotted with photos of smiling people of a variety of races pushing wheelbarrows full of apples and feeding baby goats and dancing hand-in-hand in nature. In keeping with the 70s hippie cult aesthetic, there were references to the Grateful Dead, Timothy Leary, Joan Baez, and Haight-Ashbury.

Based on what I’d seen there, my overall impression was that this was a pretty chill cult that I would not hesitate to join were I in the market for a cult. Also that their ideology somehow results in incredible veggie burgers.

But when I got home, I googled them.

It seems the pill their restaurants serve is HEAVILY sugared.

Their attitude towards race is a far more extreme than they make it out to be—one tipoff is that “are you racist?” is included in the FAQ section of their website.

“The reality is that blacks function in responsible positions in every aspect of our communities,” reads their answer. “There are black elders, black apostles, black heads of households, black teachers, as well as whites. Race is not, nor has it ever been, an issue in the Twelve Tribes.”

Which is slightly at odds with other sections of the website. Like the part where they explain that they’re pro-segregation because “multiculturalism increases murder, crime, and prejudice.” Or the bit where they say that politicians who “rally different races to be one are forerunners of the antichrist.”

Women aren’t viewed much more positively than race-mixing. They are expected to submit to the authority of all male members of the community, and shouldn’t “say no to her husband’s physical needs.” Feminism, the Twelve Tribes believe, leads to adultery and homosexuality, and women should stick by their husbands even if they’re being physically abused.

In 2013, a journalist with Germany’s RTL channel went undercover with a Twelve Tribes group in Bavaria. He reported that children were woken at 5 AM for an hour of prayer and forced to spend their days doing farm work. He collected 50 video recordings of children being beaten. “It is normal to be beaten every day,” one former Twelve Tribes member told him.

A journalist who went undercover with a Twelve Tribes group in Winnipeg, Canada, a year later did not see any children being beaten, but reported seeing about 20 rods around the group’s property that he believed were used for hitting children.

“We know that some people consider this aspect of our life controversial,” the group writes of spanking on its site. “But we have seen from experience that discipline keeps a child from becoming mean-spirited and disrespectful of authority.”’

They are, you will not be surprised to hear, not into gays. On the site, they call homosexuality “a great evil” and say it will “lead only to misery and destruction.” They’ve also compared gay people to dogs, writing that “dog” is “the only name that the righteousness of God can call such people, for they have degraded themselves to the lowest of all creatures, dogs.” Which seems unnecessarily mean to both gay people and dogs.

You will most definitely not be surprised to learn they’re opposed to abortion. And probably only slightly surprised to hear that they’re anti-birth control, anti-divorce, and don’t allow their members to have TVs, radios, or newspapers. You might be a little surprised to learn that they’re opposed to children playing, short hair on women, and taking painkillers during childbirth, though.

After spending an entire day in their establishments, I hadn’t come across any of this. Not just the stuff about child abuse that the group obviously doesn’t want publicized, but the Twelve Tribes’ core beliefs on sexuality, women, and minorities. I wondered if perhaps there had been some effort to conceal those beliefs from their customers.

I called the Yellow Deli in Vista and put this to one of their employees, a man who identified himself as Jacob Franks. He told me that while he was aware people found the beliefs of the Twelve Tribes to be objectionable, they were not attempting to conceal them. “I think we live and speak pretty openly about what we believe,” he said. “As far as what I have in my heart, and what I’ve understood, is that we love all people. Every human being. Doesn’t matter who they are or what they’ve done or anything. We would be free to express what we have in our hearts if a customer would come in and ask specific questions on how we feel or what we believe.”

He also told me that the money the restaurant makes goes towards funding the Twelve Tribes and their activities.

Which… doesn’t make me feel great. I guess if you want a nice veggie burger and are looking to financially support homophobia, segregation, the hitting of children, and the subjugation of women, then I would highly recommend this place. Everyone else hit up the Cheesecake Factory. Their veggie burger is better than you’d think.

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WWOOFers in France (link here to translated article)

We did some woofing in a “community” . After a warm welcome by the charismatic leader, we gradually realized that it was a real cult. All people have Hebrew names, beard (for men!) A scarf (for women) and a diadem on their heads.

The first days were rich in emotions and many fits of laughter. We were surrounded by illuminated who believe that their community, protected from the outside world which is in full decadence,, was the most marvellous place on earth and that they would succeed in convincing us to stay.

Photographing was prohibited during the ceremonies , so we will not be able to share these great moments: when illuminated traditionally dance on Hebrew songs, everyone thanked “our father Joshua (Jesus in Hebrew),” for having left that “disaster” (the outside world), and for sharing moments lived with their brothers and sisters (the other members of the community). After everyone raises his hands to the heavens and shouts “Thank you Joshua”. We cried because it was so hilarious (indeed they were not too happy about it).

The schedule was very strict: getting up at 5 am, the ceremony preparation (shower getting ready), ceremony at 6 am, breakfast at 7 am, work in the garden from 8am to 12am, lunch at 12am, dishes and help cooking until 4 pm, 4 to 5pm work in the garden, 5 pm: preparation for the ceremony, ceremony, still a little gardening, dinner, sleep … (shower again!). and once more !

No time to think, no time to read … Besides the only book present in the community was the Bible.

We asked them many questions : why you do not read other books? why don’t you ever go out? don’t you feel that you are lacking freedom? etc ….

And everytime the answers revolved around God, their happiness in the community and the complete rejection of everything that comes from the outside world.

In the end, we thought that these people are happy and good for them because before entering the sect most of them were poor, and / or on drugs, etc … At least they found a very healthy lifestyle ( organic food, no drugs, no alcohol …).

However the education of children didn’t seem right.  The schooling is organized by the women of the community, children work in the garden, cooking, and playing football on Sunday for the boys, they participate in all ceremonies and quote the Bible by heart ….

We had trouble accepting the lack of freedom, the illuminated were constantly after us all day because we had to hide to read, or just to have a private quiet conversation and then we tried to miss the ceremonies …which proved impossible as they came to get us.

My Wwoof experience with the Morning Star Ranch

Source: A medium corporation

Tracy Ratledge

Nov 10, 2015

In broad daylight, a local sheriff is cuffing a hoodlum in a non-descript white t-shirt and pants hanging low enough to allow his forest green plaid boxers to take center stage. It’s just another Friday afternoon in Downtown Vista. Middle school mini-bikers and skater punks are loitering to watch the arrest. Why aren’t they in school, you ask yourself? Behind it all: a mural of a cat in an astronaut suit, floating around like it’s the last scene of Gravity among a hodgepodge of planets in no scientific order. Off to the side, a local Instagrammer is frolicking in his natural habitat. There’s always at least one. He can’t resist the photo op, and quickly snaps a few pictures from various angles. Nearby, an abstract statue that seems to be a cross between a detective and the Tin Man is plopped at the edge of the parking lot. His eyes seem to follow you around the corner where you arrive at The Yellow Deli.

A vine-wrapped pergola invites you in to meet the gatekeeper. Today’s gatekeeper looks like he’s in his early 50s; his weathered olive skin is highlighted by wire framed glasses and a grizzly beard. His salt and pepper hair is parted in the middle and tucked away in a neat low bun. He’s preoccupied with writing guests’ names on the wait list. He looks up after he’s finished asking Michael, who works upstairs, about availability. He shifts his gaze to the latest hopeful to apply for a table, and asks, “Have you ever been here before?”

Our House Is a Very Very Nice House

The Yellow Deli is a hotspot for an array of North County San Diegans. Old friends in their twenties come to reconvene for weekend brunch around 10am-1pm; middle-aged men and women alike tend to gather for gregarious lunch breaks on the patio during weekdays from 11am-1pm; and college students corral the indoor seating and the coveted study room from 10pm-3am.

The adobe style exterior and accented wooden paneling distinguishes the Yellow Deli from its surrounding concrete jungle. It looks less like a food establishment and more like an elaborate boarding house with its plethora of rooms, a dumb waiter, and a jarringly narrow staircase. The downstairs includes an outdoor patio with bonfire pits, tables and chairs festooned with iron-welded daisies, and a couple of murals for good measure.

One of the murals is on the outside wall of the second story. It shows a side profile of pale brunette woman with the Yellow Deli’s philosophy painted across her face in a faint powder blue: “Even longer ago, and even farther away, the idea actually sprouted up of a society where people could work together and live together in peace and harmony. The ‘utopian’ ideal of a society of complete sharing has come and gone across the face of history over the years, but few realize that the roots of this type of living was demonstrated most vividly in the ‘First Church’ as they practiced complete communal living… Somehow it must have appeared to them to be the perfect way to live out all the demands of Love, going the ‘extra mile.’ So, why not live that way today?”

The second mural shows the Morning Star Ranch in Valley Center, CA, a vast yurt-dotted expanse of land where Yellow Deli employees reside, farm and practice sustainable agriculture. The idyllic mural depicts the Morning Star Ranch’s property “lined with palm, trees leading to the persimmon orchard where the cows graze,” fields and red barns, all framed by a vignette.

Gargantuan mahogany front doors transport you into what seems like a southern plantation. The windows in the front room are draped with yellow gingham curtains to give some indication that the Yellow Deli’s roots are in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The booths are miniature bungalows; each one is enclosed in its own little niche along the walls with hanging stained glass lamps that match the front door.

Then your eyes shift to waiters and waitresses buzzing around with trays piled high with yellow mugs and tantalizing entrees. Most of the employees could probably be thrown together in a last minute production of Hair without any help from costume and wardrobe. Men and woman alike have long hair parted down the middle and pulled back into either a ponytail or bun. The women are dressed in a variety of parachute and harem pants paired with a neutral peasant tops and sensible Mary Jane walking shoes. Similarly, the men are usually clothed in a flannel shirt, well-worn denim and hiking boots. Although you might wonder if the Yellow Deli employees shower regularly, they clearly don’t intimidate newcomers with their Woodstock-meets-comfort attire. Their homogeneous outfits hint at how the employees work exchange for clothes, shelter and other goods provided by the community.

My Yellow In This Case Is Not So Mellow

The last chorus of a hymn sung in three part harmonies:

“Restoration of all Things”

On the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays there’s a live band congregating around the bonfire pits from 7–9pm. It’s a gospel folk jamboree; the band is made up of a guitar, mini guitar, violin, zither and an upright bass. They strum a hymn that sounds dangerously close to a reprise version of “Come On, Eileen,” but obviously with very different lyrics. After they are done playing their set, an open forum takes place upstairs where anyone can be informed on the Twelve Tribes and its credos.

The open forum is basically open recruitment to the Twelve Tribes, an over zealous apocalyptic religion founded in 1972 by Eugene Spriggs in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Even though the Tribes use a lot of Hebrew and follow certain Jewish traditions, they differ from Judaism in their belief that the Messiah, Yashua (Jesus), has come to earth. Spriggs is known as Yoneq within the group (Hebrew for young plant), and was initially involved in a teen ministry group called the Light Brigade. The Light Brigade then decided to live communally in order to recreate the Twelve Tribes of Israel that Paul spoke of in Acts 26:7 and renamed themselves accordingly. In 1973 the first of eventually eleven Yellow Delis opened its doors in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Over time, the other ten locations sprung up in California (Vista, Valley Center), New York (Oneonta, Oak Hill), Vermont (Rutland, Island Pond), Tennessee (Pulaski), Colorado (Boulder), Canada (Chiliwack) and Australia (Katoomba).

This particular open forum’s theme is “Marriage: The Supper of the Lamb.” Paul, a member of Twelve Tribes, leads the discussion. The subject of marriage isn’t discussed much beyond noting that among Twelve Tribesmen, the community must approve a couple before they can even begin a relationship. Also, Paul mentioned that the bride and groom are separated for a week before the wedding. Paul mainly answers the questions of two inquiring high school girls who appear to be interested in joining the Twelve Tribes. He joined the Twelve Tribes with his family in 1979. His parents divorced and his father took custody, so he didn’t return to the community until he was 22 in 1992.

Paul stresses that the “nucleus of our life is living together.” The Twelve Tribes believe that by living together they are “putting greed and envy under their feet.” Which is saying something, because the alleged enemies of the Tribes are pride, lust, greed and selfishness. Paul claims that Christians are not as apathetic as the Tribes because they are waiting for God. He argues that God is waiting for something to happen on earth that will call him to return. And that something is seeing people love one another and live in communities according to Isaiah 49:6.

“You should be my servant to raise tribes”

Paul seems to avoid aspects about the church that don’t involve dancing, drum circles and choruses of kumbaya. He doesn’t mention that upon joining the Tribes, you’re required to give all your possessions to the community. Nor does he share that after joining, members rename themselves in an Old Testament flower child-like manner with names like Zahara. He doesn’t disclose that the community abstains from mind-altering substances including alcohol. When asked about the use of technology, his face grows serious, departing from his previous animated state, and he says that “as a culture we don’t want to be corrupted by technology and would refuse any donation of items such as iPads.” The group noted Paul’s changed demeanor from wide eyed to disgruntled after technology was brought up, leading one of the guests to discreetly tuck away his Kindle fire.

Brian, a portly middle-aged man with mousy brown hair dressed in a faded green polo and jeans, arrives late to join the group. His affiliation with the church is that his daughter joined when she was 26 and a single mom. Ostensibly many single parents join the tribe in order to obtain the community’s strong sense of family. It also doesn’t hurt to have an arsenal of babysitters on hand to help raise their children. Brian says he’s not a part of the community because he’s “got his own thing going on.” He clearly deviates from at least one pillar of the Tribes’ doctrine by periodically checking his smart phone. He chuckles and says, “Well, if the police were after me, this (the tribe) is where I’d go.”

-Intermission-

A round of Yerba Mate is served.

After a few sips, Paul goes on to tell how the first Yellow Deli in Chattanooga, Tennessee came to be. From the way he describes it I wouldn’t be surprised if birds decorated the window displays and mice swept the floor. The story begins with Eugene Spriggs, the man who founded the community in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1972. Eugene’s wife, despite her agnosticism, used to gush about the community while she was waiting tables, long before the Yellow Deli came to be. Apparently, the restaurant she worked at didn’t appreciate her proselytizing for the community on her shifts. Therefore, she thought, it only seemed logical that she and Eugene should open up a deli for her to talk freely about the community.

According to Paul, Eugene allegedly just waltzed home with a pair of keys to a vacant building. Eddie Wiseman, a carpenter, happened upon the premises and decided to lend them his services. They repurposed the building with “junk” and barn wood. Oodles and oodles of yellow paint were miraculously donated. That’s how the yellow falls into the picture. Maybe it’s the years of oral tradition, but Paul’s storytelling makes the construction of the first Yellow Deli sound like it was part of the week of Creation rather than a Burning Man-esque collaboration.

Paul alludes to there being thousands of Yellow Deli locations; yet their website only features eleven (nine in the US, one in Australia and one in Canada). The story of the construction of the Vista location doesn’t follow the magical tone of the first Yellow Deli in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On the website, the tribes complain about the seven years of figuring out building permits and working with architects and engineers. Impressively enough, they built it from the ground up and crafted their own windows, doors and cabinets.

The Yellow Deli might be above a lot of things but they aren’t above merchandising. Besides the profits from the deli, they make their living by selling their produce at various famers markets around North County (most prominently in Vista and Leucadia) as well as their wooden crafts at Commonwealth Millworks in Vista.

The House of The Rising Yeast

There’s a basket on every table containing menus and a laminated letter about the bread. The letter from the bakers reads, “Here at the Yellow Deli we bake our own bread. It’s very good, but we have come to learn that some consider themselves allergic to wheat. That is sad and we have tried to make something here that will meet their need. As Bakers we are accustomed to using wheat but we have made a pleasant dough with rice instead that seems to please our customers with this allergy. It does not have the quality of “stick-togetherness” that our good bread has, so xanthan gum is added to hold it in place. It works ok… not well. Thus it is hard to compare it to our regular ‘bread’ in using for our sandwiches. We are not so sure how good that xanthan gum is for our customers, but because we are asked so often, we are putting on our menu. BUT BEWARE: Our bakery is FULL OF GLUTEN, SO WE CANNOT ASSURE OUR DEAR CUSTOMERS THAT A FLAKE OF GLUTEN MIGHT NOT HAVE FLOATED INTO OUR RICE CAKE…Thus for the really allergic we would recommend that you should not feel comfortable eating your meals in a bakery that specializes in nice sourdough and yeasted breads.” This hilariously passive aggressive PSA against the gluten-free fad is the first of many suggestions that Yellow Deli isn’t your run-of–the mill natural food cafe. Don’t be fooled by their sassiness and talent for tongue and cheek, though; their humor begins and ends at their menus.

The other trademark item on the menu is the Green Drink. The Green Drink is composed of kale, rainbow chard, wild spinach, collards, grapefruit juice and specially imported Yerba Mate from Brazil. It’s the best way to inhale a salad without having to go through the mundane exercise of using a fork — plus it has a nice jolt to it. The Green Drink also comes in bar form. The Green Bar is “packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and blood building chlorophyll.” Weighing in at a whopping three ounces, the Green Bar is assembled with the same green vegetables in addition to organic oats, rice krispies, peanuts, peanut butter, local honey, maple syrup and carob chips.

Jesus Freaks Out in the Street, Handing Tickets Out For God

Paul explains the magic of Israeli circle dancing, a dance that occurs at holidays and festival times. He recounts the most famous example of circle dancing at a Grateful Dead concert on April 3, 1989. The Peacemaker bus, a double decker maroon and cream colored bus with leather detailing, rolled up to the Dead concert and the police stopped them. The police warned them that a riot was breaking out and that it wouldn’t be safe. Their driver proceeded without taking heed of the warning. Then they got off the bus and starting dancing in the riot. Sure enough the riot dissolved instantly, and everyone was dancing, dancing in the street. The policemen present called the tribes members “peaceful peacemakers.” Or so they allege.

The Twelve Tribes propaganda has a long association with 70s musicians, specifically The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd. In the past the tribes would tour around on the Peacemaker bus to meet concertgoers and invite them to take part in their communal way of life. The deli offers a few newspapers analyzing Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You’re Gone,” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” They use these songs and artists to draw comparisons between the lyrics and the tribes’ beliefs. One of their newspapers asserts that Dylan was a pseudo-spokesperson for their beliefs from his declaration that “people who believe in the coming of the Messiah live their lives right now as if he was here.”

Cult Fiction

Part of what draws people to the Yellow Deli is a morbid curiosity about what goes on beyond closed doors. This curiosity is mainly driven by the controversy the Twelve Tribes stirs up. While they pride themselves on being set apart from mainstream society, their unorthodox practices tend to deter people, rather than wrangle them into the Morning Star Ranch.

Over the years, the Twelve Tribes have been charged with labor code violations, child abuse, gender inequality and racial discrimination. Dorian Hargrove’s 2013 exposé in the San Diego Reader clarifies that “all work is performed in exchange for food, shelter, and clothing.” Labor commissioners have inspected both the Vista location and the Valley Center location for not conforming to minimum wage requirements. Their investigation concluded that employees were not being properly compensated. The tribes were fined a grand total of $14,000 for this violation. The tribes argued that they were a “tax exempt religious community…allowed to operate business ventures” and those who were working were not employees but “volunteers.” When volunteers are working eighteen-hour days without pay, the state will ordinarily intervene. Edward Sifuentes’ article in the Union Tribune shows that “the San Diego judge agreed with the Labor Commissioner that the Yellow Deli and Morning Star businesses were set up by individuals, with individual owners, and therefore not eligible for exemption under the IRS code 501 (d), religious communal organization.” Since their workers were listed as volunteers instead of employees, the Tribes tried to argue that they didn’t have to be held to the same restrictions. But in the end, the Tribes caved in to “modifying the way they ran their business” in order to avoid a lawsuit by the state.

Furthermore, the Tribes have racked up countless allegations of child abuse and extreme child rearing policies. Testimonies from formers members online indicate that a thin bamboo rod is used to punish children at least daily. On September 5, 2013, police in Germany caught the tribe on film “persistently beating children for the most trivial offenses,” resulting in forty children being rescued and put into foster homes. Children aren’t allowed to own commercial items like Hello Kitty or Raggedy Ann, or engage in “time wasters” such as watching television or playing video games. A similar raid occurred in Island Pond, Vermont, but the children were returned to the tribe due to lack of sufficient evidence to embark on an investigation.

The overtly patriarchal aspect of the Tribe doesn’t adhere to gender equality. James R. Lewis’ Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects and New Religions divulges “each local community is ‘covered’ by a council of male elders (one from each household). Decision making appears to be a collective process by listening to the qualms of community members, group prayer and the Bible.” Women are forced to wear headscarves during “church and gatherings to demonstrate their submission to their husbands and male elders.” Moreover, a website called TwelveTribe-ex.com (a hyperlink from The Yellow Deli Truth Facebook page), unearths a traumatizing experience from an anonymous source, recounting how her friend’s father sexually abused her with the notorious “punishment rod” when she was about six years old.

An essay on the Twelve Tribes’ website called, “Multicultural Madness” sheds light on their skewed view of coexistence. The essay exclaims, “Let’s face it. It is just not reasonable to expect people to live happily alongside others who are culturally different.” It continues to criticize society’s rejection of discrimination by questioning why “integration must be forced upon people” and reaffirming that “it’s completely normal to find your own culture the most desirable.” Their lack of tolerance doesn’t end at race. The tribe “does not approve of homosexual behavior.” They “do not regard it as a genetic variation, a valid alternative lifestyle or a mere psychological quirk.” Like many other religious groups that do not condone homosexuality, they cite Leviticus and “embrace what God says on this subject regardless of political correctness.”

However, the tribe’s labor code violations and bigotry are not without precedent in Southern California. Another eccentric religious group that has gained similar notoriety is the star-studded Church of Scientology. In 2012 the Los Angeles Times’ Maura Dolan revealed although the Sea Organization sect of the church “failed to pay the Headleys, two former members who later sued the CSI (Church of Scientology International),” the CSI won the lawsuit against them because the Headleys had “plenty of opportunities to leave the church.” Likewise, Lawrence Wright’s New Yorker piece, “The Apostate,” examines renowned movie director Paul Haggis’ struggle to remain in the church with its anti-gay sentiment. He was distressed that the Church and community where he once found solace were using homosexual slurs and considered homosexuality a perversion. To make matters worse, after his daughter came out, members of the Church began slandering her as a 1.1; 1.1 “refers to a sliding Tone Scale of emotional states that L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, published in a 1951 book, The Science of Survival.” Hubbard states that a “1.1 is the most dangerous and wicked level.” The witch hunt against his daughter combined with vehement disagreement with the Church’s stance on Prop 8, the 2008 amendment that banned same sex marriage in California, led to Haggis resigning from the Church His letter of resignation from the Church circulated in the media at the time due to his previous staunch defense of the Church.

Goodbye Yellow Deli, Where the Dogs of Society Howl

Exiting the Open forum makes you feel like the Von Trapp Family Singers fleeing Austria through the Alps to neutral Switzerland. The Deli is a mere ruse to gain more members. The sheer amount of fliers, pamphlets and weekly open forums reveal a dedication to recruiting members that clearly outshines the restaurant’s passion for cuisine. The rose colored glasses are off and what may have passed as Berkeley co-op at first is clearly cut from a different and much more conservative cloth.

There are plenty of people who are not in the know about the Twelve Tribes’ affiliation with the Yellow Deli. In fact, most San Diego regulars at the Yellow Deli just think the restaurant is a little quirky, and appreciate a healthy alternative in the 24-hour dining category. While the tribe advertises that they welcome anyone into their community with open arms, there are clearly some limitations. You can live with them in peace and harmony — as long as you’re willing to sell all your worldly possessions and hand over the profits to the church. You’re free to do as you wish, as long as your wishes include adhering to strict dress codes, abstaining from technology and enforcing subordinate roles for women. It becomes a debate on what place the cult has in society. Does the cult’s existence infringe on everything a progressive society holds dear, and therefore should be expunged? Or does the cult simply not affect anyone who doesn’t willingly get themselves involved?

As you leave the forum and the Yerba Mate lounge, a chill runs down your spine as the brisk winter breeze and the truth behind the deli hit you all at once. On the patio, shadows dance around the flickering flames of the fire pits. Close by a young brooding man attempts to read an autobiography of Kurt Cobain while his wispy shoulder length hair keeps blowing into his field of vision. The live music is long gone and replaced with the drone of arpeggios being plucked on a Spanish guitar. The repetitive background music blares through the speakers planted in every corner. The families that were once gathered around the fire pits earlier have been swapped with college students clad in sweatpants. All eyes are glued to smartphones while waiting impatiently for a spot to open up in the study room. The aroma of carrot cake and cinnamon rolls waft through the air as the night grows later and the allure of empty calories goes stronger.

I sip my last few drops of apple cider out of my yellow mug, and head out past the astronaut cat to my car, wondering if this should be my last Yellow Deli visit for a while. I don’t know if I’m willing to let my hair or guard down, and join the circle dance anytime soon.

We in the Community in Vista were very saddened by the situation that happened here at our home on Friday, June 5th. As we understand it, some of the family members of Robert Martinez, who is a member of our community, attempted to take him away forcibly against his will. This was a great surprise to him and to us, as we have had an ongoing relationship with the family and have opened our home and our hearts to them on many occasions since Robert became a part of our community almost five years ago. We are very thankful that he is back at home with his wife who is expecting their first child next month. We do not know of the motives for this action. Yet we are very sad because it is true as the proverb says: “A wicked person listens to malicious talk; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.” (Proverbs 17:4)

Robert and his wife and all the members of the Community in Vista have come together of our own free will in what we believe is God’s calling on our lives to live out what He commands in the Scriptures (Acts 2:44). We live as a big extended family because we love one another. We love to work together in our Yellow Deli, where many, many people in Southern California come and continually witness our life and our relationships. We are not hidden or inaccessible to anyone, including our family members. In fact we continually invite and welcome folks into our very special life. We have no ill will towards Robert’s family, and have hope of reconciliation and greater understanding in the future. If anyone would like more information about the Yellow Deli they can see our website (www.yellowdeli.com), or about our Community and beliefs (www.twelvetribes.org).
The Twelve Tribes Community in Vista

  By Dorian Hargrove, Jan. 2, 2013 

Images by Howie Rosen   

The Twelve Tribes is an “end times” Christian organization with communities worldwide; one of these is located in Vista. The group believes that humans must return to an ancient communal life, much like that lived by early Christians in first-century Judea, when the New Testament’s Book of Acts was written, in order to achieve salvation and to be one with God.

Members of the Twelve Tribes dedicate their lives and their possessions to the group. They live together, work side-by-side, and eat and pray together.

North County resident Gary Zuber, a former member who has considered rejoining the group, spent four months with them in 2009. Zuber attended weekly dinners and helped at a daily farm stand.

“If you join,” he says, “you give up all possessions. It’s a big step, but everybody there has done the same thing. They are such a community, in the true sense of the word. It’s like a real family. Everyone works for the benefit of the whole group.”

In trying to recreate biblical life, Twelve Tribes conforms to a patriarchal society, where older males are considered elders capable of making decisions for the group. In addition to turning the clock back on gender roles, the group also rejects multiculturalism. Members abhor today’s “I, me, my, mine” culture. They disagree with current Christian doctrine, which puts so much emphasis on personal salvation instead of focusing efforts on improving the entire nation, and on the search for the royal priesthood, as preached in the Bible. Nation-building, according to the Twelve Tribes, starts with them.

There are nearly a dozen chapters of the Twelve Tribes scattered throughout the U.S.; among them are groups in New York, Vermont, Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida.

In San Diego County, members are concentrated in the hills of Vista at a sprawling compound two miles from downtown. The “Community in Vista,” as it is called, has a two-story house on a large plot of land. The house is covered in vines and blocked by trees. Blinds cover the windows, preventing any glimpse into the house. Single men and single women stay in yurts on the property. Families live together.

Members keep busy when away from the house. They pass out religious newsletters at farmers’ markets or work long hours at one of three businesses: BOJ Construction, Morning Star Ranch, or two popular cafés, both called the Yellow Deli, in downtown Vista and in Valley Center.

The group follows three basic tenets: “leave, enter, become.” Before becoming a member, applicants must quit their job and give up all possessions, including houses, cars, and any cash in the bank. After being stripped of earthly possessions, they enter into a sacred covenant, similar to marriage, dedicating their lives to the entire community. Only then can they become a new person. The men adopt a new name and modify their appearance to resemble the Messiah, Yashua, the Hebrew term for the Savior.

Once the three tenets have been effected, members work at one of the businesses, do chores at the house, or watch and homeschool the children.

All work is performed in exchange for food, shelter, and clothing, much as was done in the mid-’70s, when the group’s leader, Eugene Spriggs — known as Yoneq by his followers — branched off from the Jesus Movement in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to start his own community.

After obtaining a psychology degree from the University of Chattanooga, and after three failed marriages, Spriggs, along with his future wife Martha and 50 other members of the Jesus People, moved into a house in Chattanooga in 1974. Shortly thereafter, they opened their first Yellow Deli. Within a few years, Spriggs and the others operated six cafés in the city.

Two years later, the Internal Revenue Service granted Spriggs and “T.H.E. Community Apostolic Order” 501(d) status. The designation, according to the IRS, is reserved for religious and apostolic organizations or corporations with a common treasury, “even if such associations or corporations engage in business for the common benefit of the members.”

In 1979, Spriggs and his followers sold their properties in Chattanooga and moved to Island Pond, Vermont, marking the birth of the Twelve Tribes.

The founders embraced the notion that they were descendants, spiritually speaking, from the original Twelve Tribes of Israel. The original 12 tribes lived as one people, a homogenous culture under God.

Today’s tribe is trying to relive those days, believing that it was a time when the land was the body of God, before possession by the Evil One, Satan. They have faith that restoration of a communal way of life will mark the beginning of the end — the beginning stages of the apocalypse — when Jesus, or Yashua, will return to reclaim the land from Satan.

In 40 years, the Twelve Tribes has grown. Today, the man known as Yoneq oversees ten communities, seven farms in the United States (and one in Germany, three in Canada, and one in Australia), and eight Yellow Delis. The growth of the Yellow Deli has caused some to accuse Yoneq of preying on the weak and then reaping what they sow.

In San Diego County, the tribe has been busy. In two years’ time, they’ve opened two delis. They grow produce at Morning Star Ranch, which is sold at farmers’ markets throughout Southern California, from Ocean Beach to Redlands, in San Bernardino County.

Turning the clock back 2000 years is no easy task. The tribe is embroiled in a four-year battle with the California Division of Labor Standards, after labor commissioners fined each of the three businesses for failing to pay minimum wage and for not providing workers’ compensation. After a judge upheld the fines in March of last year, the group filed an appeal in superior court.

The Twelve Tribes has other problems. Residents in North County have called them a cult and accused them of indoctrinating forlorn youth, keeping them from reading certain material, from owning computers, and from forming individual identities. But others say the organization saves lives and allows members to open their hearts and embrace their faith.

All is on display at the two-story yellow building located at 315 East Broadway in downtown Vista.

The first sounds you hear when entering the Yellow Deli are gentle hymns streaming from wall-mounted speakers. The first items you see are bright yellow walls with large, colorful murals painted on them. One wall features people smiling. Another depicts fertile land with the words “Morning Star Ranch” written in large letters. Vines weave through a lattice above an outside patio. Patrons sit at darkly stained tables. A few feet from the entrance stands a middle-aged man with a beard, a ponytail, and a smile.

The dozen employees working the café all appear to be from a different time and place. The men, young and old, look like 1960s hippies: they have beards and their hair is tied back into ponytails. The women resemble the Amish. They’re bare-faced. Their hair is long, tied back in ponytails. They wear homemade long-sleeved blouses with dresses that flow to their ankles. Most wear sandals with socks covering their feet. An exposed forearm is a rare sight.

Workers range from late teens and early-20s to mid-60s. All move at a relatively slow pace, regardless of the bustling lunch crowd. Workers don’t rely on tips to put food on their own tables. They don’t rely on paychecks, either. The tribe provides all that for them.

In February 2008, a deputy labor commissioner conducted an inspection of BOJ Construction and found that the sole worker onsite did not receive wages, thus violating the state’s minimum-wage requirement. Elders in the tribe refused to pay the fine.

In June 2010, labor commissioners inspected the Yellow Deli in Vista. The commissioner asked to see evidence of workers’ compensation. Todd Thiessen, the host that day, said that there was no workers’ compensation because there were no employees; everyone was a volunteer. The commissioner issued the Yellow Deli a $10,000 citation, $1000 for each of the ten workers present.

Two weeks later, commissioners inspected the Morning Star Ranch in Valley Center. There they found three workers present without evidence of workers’ compensation. The tribe was fined an additional $4000.

In the appeal, the tribe argues that state labor laws do not apply, that 501(d) status designates the group a “tax exempt religious community…allowed to operate business ventures.”

The appeal reads: “[The] communities support themselves by operating businesses in various industries. The individual members do not receive any kind of remuneration, wages or the like for their work. No outsiders are employed in any operations in an employee capacity. There are no employees because everyone is a volunteer. Every member working for the Yellow Deli and Morning Star Ranch live, in their way, according [to] the early teachings of the Book of Acts — the way Christ did in the early days, all in a communal fashion.”

The court case is currently open and, says a spokesperson for the state labor division, no additional inspections will occur until the appeal is heard.

The tribe has been through similar cases in other states. In 1994, a workers’ compensation director in Vermont determined that, because of the 501(d) status, the group is exempt from workers’ compensation law.

A letter from director Charles Bond, dated November 30, 1994, reads: “T.H.E. Community Apostolic Order provides for its members the protection called for in the statute and that it is, in the eyes of the State of Vermont and of the Internal Revenue Service, a partnership which does not constitute an employer of the members.”

This exemption, however, is moot for some former members. They say that the tribe profits from those afraid to fend for themselves in the outside world.

Cheryl Lewczyk runs the website twelvetribes-ex.com. Lewczyk claims she was kicked out of the Twelve Tribes in Lakeview, New York, for being unable to work the 16–18 hour-days required by the group.

“I couldn’t work as hard or as long as all the other slaves,” says Lewczyk during a phone interview. “They put me to work in the kitchen right after joining. I did that for two and a half years, despite having herniated discs. My hurt back was never an issue for them, and I hardly ever received any medical treatment.”

Asked why she endured the work for so long, despite the pain, Lewczyk says, “We had no other choice but to work, because they teach that the community is protected by God, and if you leave, then bad things will happen.”

Elders in San Diego County’s group won’t admit to such conditions — in fact, they won’t admit to anything.

In Vista, elder Wade Skinner, known by tribe members as Mevaser, stands at the host table upstairs, holding a small notebook and a pencil. In his 60s, Mevaser is short and thin. A white, wiry beard covers his gaunt face. A cap covers his long, stringy white hair.

When handed a card and asked to comment for this story, Mevaser gives a deep, penetrating glare, as if seeking signs of malice. He says he will talk to other members before he decides.

Three days later, in an email, Mevaser writes: “We talked about your interest in doing the story on us. As you indicated, you are planning on doing a story regardless of our wishes or participation. As I told you, we have not had favorable press from the San Diego Reader, so there is a little bit of a bad taste there for us. Regardless, we have never sought publicity, but always welcomed outsiders who are sincerely interested in our faith to get to know us. We do not think we have anything to add to what we have already said in the past to reporters — and have often been quoted out of context. So we do not see any value in inviting more into our homes. So we hope you can be led by your conscience and your heart to write a balanced piece, but we will not be participating with interviews or opening our homes and gatherings for this purpose at this time.”

When I asked to view the Internal Revenue Service form 1065, which should be available for public inspection, Mevaser responded via email. “This is not something we have on file here in California. We file our taxes with all of the other communities in the United States as one legal entity.” He then provided an address for a post office box in Hiddenite, North Carolina, and gave the name of the treasurer, Caleb Long.

Labor issues aren’t the only problem for the Twelve Tribes in San Diego County. Some North County residents are offended by the group’s radical newsletters and by racism expressed on the twelvetribes.com website.

Many refer to the group as a cult.

The associated stigma is evident at the Yellow Deli in Valley Center on a mid-August day. An older man in baggy jeans and a worn T-shirt, with a salt-and-pepper beard and ponytail, brings food to an outside table, where three women and a young boy sit. After the man leaves, the boy, prompted by his mother, bows his head and says grace. Moments later, two cyclists — one an older man in a bright fluorescent-yellow jersey, the other a middle-aged woman in matching gear — pedal past the deli.

“You know that place is run by a cult,” shouts the man to his fellow cyclist.

She murmurs something inaudible. The man repeats himself.

“That yellow café is run by a cult.”

The group is also accused of racist attitudes toward other cultures.

An essay on twelvetribes.com states: “Let’s face it. It is just not reasonable to expect people to live contentedly alongside of others who are culturally and racially different. This is unnatural, and sometimes forces people to go against what they instinctively know in their conscience.”

“Trent,” a 34-year-old who wishes to remain anonymous, urges people to refrain from dining at the Yellow Deli and from buying other products from the Twelve Tribes.

“It bothers me to see these companies, this deli and ranch, make so much money off of people who are clueless about their beliefs,” Trent said during a meeting at a local coffee shop. “They take money from people from all cultures, but they don’t believe cultures should mix. It’s total hypocrisy, false advertisement.”

Trent accuses the group of preying on young people struggling with drugs or depression. He slides two newsletters across the table.

“Forever 27” is one title. On the cover are pictures of dead rock stars Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix. The stories attempt to connect heavy-metal music to a selfish way of life, and, as was the case with the Nirvana front man, it to suicide.

The second newsletter, aimed at hopeless youth, has a photo of the Clash’s breakout album London Calling on the bottom of the front page. At the top is a photo of a top-hatted punk, the emblem for the popular ska-punk band Operation Ivy.

One of the articles says: “It’s either that we get our friends together and smoke ourselves into a little stupor and cynically joke about anything containing even a notion of sincerity. Or we buy into the system and sit in misery through four or five years of college, hoping one day at the end of it, that somehow we’ll be happy, and if not happy, at least secure.” The article claims that salvation can only be reached when communal life is restored.

Despite being labeled a cult and called racists, some former members have only positive things to say about the tribe.

“A lot of people want to call them a cult. Well, I think they are, but they are a good cult,” says former member Gary Zuber. “I’ve only had positive experiences with them and do not feel like they are doing anything but good for one another…nobody gets paid but everyone’s needs are met.”

Neither did Zuber see any racism during his time with the group. “They try to live biblically. I took a homeless guy, a black guy, off the street, and took him there, and he is still a member of the community. I just saw him the other day.”

Rebecca Moore, PhD, professor of religious studies at San Diego State University, also believes the tribe has been treated unfairly. She says they are not much different than most fundamental religious groups.

“The Twelve Tribes are an apocalyptic Christian group. Most, if not all, of their beliefs are well within traditional Christian doctrine. They expect Jesus to return imminently. The difference between them and other evangelical Christians is that they take their belief to the next level. ‘Live tomorrow’s life today’ is the way they approach life. They are living the life that they believe will have people ready when Jesus returns, so that they can be part of the anointed, or chosen, people. They take their interpretation of the New Testament to a different level. They have to live it out, quite literally.

“This is America, and we have the principle of religious freedom. There are many fundamentalist Christians, or Muslims, or Mormons that share belief in a patriarchal society. Unfortunately, at least in my personal opinion, that is not unusual. We can say, ‘This is not my cup of tea, but people can and will believe what they want.’

“I respect the people in the Twelve Tribes because they made a commitment to their Lord and Savior that requires them to give up what the rest of the world thinks valuable. That’s not a choice I would make. On the other hand, when you look at parts of the Bible, and Jesus says, ‘Give all you can to help the poor,’ or ‘Give up everything to follow me….’ There are all sorts of passages that people don’t want to take literally. I feel that the members of the Twelve Tribes have done just that, and they see it as a good choice.”

Comments:

• Bill Starr · North Park University

  Last night I had an enchanting time with the Twelve Tribes people at the Morning Star Ranch CA. They were most gracious friendly and the meal of fresh caught salmon and vegetables was excellent. I sat at the Gathering singing and dancing. They have an impressive organization and do good works. Unfortunately they are close to how the Mormons and other Communities operate, and are not well grounded in the Bible Old or New Testaments which they have interpreted to their own version for their own purposes of control of those who join them. Basically they are a commune system of living which does appeal to many, especially the young who are searching for life’s meaning and to be loved and accepted. There is a lot of secrecy and control by those in charge. It is not easy to run this type of organization as efficiently as these people have done. They are making Millions tax free which is every American businessman’s dream. Not sure how they have sex in those Yurts, but lot’s of kids running around who were delightful and obedient as this clan believe in corporal punishment applied according to what they interpret God commands to enforce respect for elders and parents. I saw none of the discipline administered. One cute 8 year old male “Lev” was very smart & inquisitive for his age, and had strong interest in Horticulture. I will still eat at the Yellow deli, but not join the GROUP.

  March 21 at 9:22am
• 

  Kevin Comiskey · Works at Brooklyn boyz pizza

  I thought only God judged who a sinner was·

  · October 7, 2014 at 8:24pm

• 

  Roxane Leilani Rollins · English Teacher at Vista Unified School District

  You might think differently if you lost your oldest son at 21 years of age–the prime of his life–to this cult. He has established himself into this cult and no longer sees us as his family. His name is Hunter and no other name they give him will change that. I believe Hunter feels sorry for us now but thinks he can no longer be a part of our family because we are sinners. The community has made him agree that we are not worthy and we somehow failed him. You cannot imagine the sorrow I feel everyday at losing my son. The good choice you think this cult makes has left our family desperately sad and without hope of ever getting him back. His father weeps over the loss of his first born son. At first the cult allowed us to see him but as time goes on his indoctrination has forced him to make choices that do not include us. Now they see us as a bad influence on him because my Christian husband battles with him about the bible and what the bible says. They do not want the bible interpreted. It goes against their dogma. Until your son or daughter has been stolen from you, I don’t want to read your enlightened opinion about this cult.

  · 6 · April 27, 2014 at 11:57pm

  • 

    Kevin Comiskey · Works at Brooklyn boyz pizza

    I feel for you Roxanne.I pray for God’s will for Hunter and your family! xo, Rachel Mueller AA

    ·

    · October 7, 2014 at 8:23pm

  • 

    Brandon Smith · Works at Self employed

    You say your son was “stolen” as if he was your possession. You can justify Hunter’s decision to adopt a new identity by claiming brainwash. That’s how he justify’s his own decision. The difference is you believe it’s THEM brainwashing and they believe it’s YOU. The important fact of your story is that your son believes it is YOU and so he’s joining the other side. The ensuing struggle supplied by this classic narrative is a direct cliche from the hippie generation which, at your age, should be familiar. Who’s really the bad influence? Well, your direct involvement means you are biased. I’m unbiased enough to tell you that he’ll always be your son, but the changes he’s made could lead him in a more positive direction. Nobody wants to hear this, but changing your own ways is a possible solution. Continuing to play the blame game is another. Personally, I’m siding with them because they offer great food to the community. All I know to be offered from you are sad stories and complaints. Life is hard, good luck!

    · March 26 at 6:57pm

• 

  Frank Soucy · Fuckersberg, Oberosterreich, Austria

  they beat children, they are sexist, and racist. but they dont tell you that . and patriarchy is evil . no equal rights . wtf? i lost one of my buddy’s in this. great jazz musician. they brainwash you pretty good. convince you to stay . and the man who own the whole thing is just another asshole capitalist prick making them work for him for free living under HIS interpretation of the bible. they take people in when they see their weaknesses. mind manipulate them. convince them they live for god, but really they live for the guy who run’s the whole thing and he live’s off of the money they make for him.

  acas107 Jan. 3, 2013 @ 7:47 p.m.

  My daughter’s male friend joined the cult and was forced to sever ties with his sister, mom, and all family members. The only way for this person to bring in his girlfriend was f they married. There are anti gay components and racist elements to this organization.

  

  Jay Allen Sanford Jan. 4, 2013 @ 2:58 p.m.

  Good food at the Yellow Delis. Eating there doesn’t equate supporting the ideals and philosophies of the operators any more than buying a Donny Osmond album equals supporting Mormons. Sometimes a banana (colored deli) is just a banana (smoothie) -

  

  couragehome Sept. 29, 2013 @ 11:04 p.m.

  When you give them your money, you help that totalitarian monarchy of Apostle Elbert Spriggs grow and expand. It’s like supporting a sweatshop. I used to be a member and worked 17 hour days in the cafe, often on my feet the whole time with no breaks. They actually view you and I as cursed if we aren’t part of the commune, Jewish people are especially cursed, and black people should be slaves to white people until they join. It’s like buying something from neo-nazi’s or the KKK. Is it still a smoothie? It’s all about the leader. He takes at least 10% from all the businesses as part of “the Tithe.”

  acas107 Jan. 5, 2013 @ 11:34 a.m.Donny osmond does not represent a cult. big differenceGidon Jan. 5, 2013 @ 4:58 p.m.

  I hear a lot big words being thrown around by a seemingly small mind. Cult, forced,racist!! You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. I grew up in the 12 tribes community and spent a lot of time in Vista and on the farm.
  No one is forced to do anything and certainly no one is forced to be there.
  I’ve been gone for 6 years now and have become quite successful. I visit occasionally and I’m always treated with respect. The intention of the community is to live a whole lifestyle and serve God in sincerity. I’m not particularly religious which is why I’m no longer there, but if you wanna talk about cults maybe you should keep an eye on the new. We live in a society where our children grow up to become all manner of phycos and sociopaths. Perhaps you re aware of a shooting recently occurring at an elementary school. I would spend more time being honest and less time picking on a small sincere group PDF people who have never harmed anyone..

  couragehome Sept. 29, 2013 @ 10:53 p.m.

  TWELVE TRIBES CHILD PUNISHMENT is frequent and painful for even the slightest attitude or foolishness, even for the child imagining they are a truck or airplane. Children must 100% obedient or they will be taken to be hit right away. Corporal punishment may be applied by any adult member with love. “The blueness of the wound drives away all evil.” (October 1980 Child Training -Notes from Teachers Meeting – Page 5) “Unless your son has blue wounds, by this standard, you know what kind of a standard is in you — it is the spirit that hates your son. If one is overly concerned about his son receiving blue marks you know that he hates his son and hates the word of God.” (Execution of Justice – Page 1)

  Read more: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/jan/02/cover-yellow-deli-people/#login#ixzz2gLuWvgsJ

  

  Nabashalam Feb. 8, 2014 @ 9:32 a.m.

  Bull crap Gidon! You know it’s a cult! You went back and forth like a revolving door! They fit all 15 of these check boxes! Now if it looks, acts and smells like a cult…IT”S A CULT!!!
  http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

  STEVEN666 April 3, 2013 @ 10:48 p.m.

  Hello Dorian Hargrove, Concerning The Yellow Deli People, I can say that if it were not for the absolutes, that are demonstrated and lived every minute and with everyone at the Deli, Farm and ANY place that they venture I might not be here to tell you this most incredible tale. That I have defied the Nation’s percentage of casualty’s due to the recently enacted legislation and the social taboo’s attached to certain group of citizens of the US is against all odds. Why is it so hard to admit that maybe we are not the same country that we use to be? When did we loose the ‘Dream’? What are cultures? is it not the same word as the ‘Alarmist’ word ‘CULT’? Many cultures that are forced to accept what they don’t understand will absolutely eventually come into conflict, that is inevitable. So, what culture do you want? Roman, Greek or so other Famous one of the past? I have been in many cultures for many years, US Army, Corporate America, American Christian and several others in my 61 years of living in the ‘Land of the Brave’. But there is one culture that the ‘Brave’ have a difficult time accepting. That is the culture of Peace, Love and Understanding. Yes it does live in the hearts of a very special people, if only it is allowed to LIVE. I challenge anyone to do what I have done and that is to spend your valuable time with those that really know the value of time. See if after only 24 hours that you find yourself in a place that is absolutely the same place that those in ANY culture long for. Genuine, authentic, stable, lawful, wonderful and totally safe place-that is hidden in plain sight. For those that can see. Instead of believing the actions of the IRS is in accord with the Framers of the Constitution intent on who are the true Patriots are. And Dorian, Email me the next time you want to know the truth from someone who has had the incredible luck-ha-of spending not 24 hrs but 24 months. Within the past 4 years. I am still in the Vista. After serving almost 30 years with the CA Nat’l Grd, responding to emergencies of this state from Riots to Deployment and also fulfilling my job at the Telephone Co during that same period.

  STEVEN666 April 3, 2013 @ 10:51 p.m.

  I am suppose to be completely financially secure, but due to the culture that was created to fear men of all sorts and after seeking assistance from every agency that this American Culture has to offer to returning heroes and capable father’s, I am homeless, receiving only half of my well deserved retirement from the US Army and had 27 yrs of Tel Co. retirement forced into the stock market $400k-lost. Being betrayed by the culture I worked and trusted completely for for over 55 yrs. How many shootings, Gang deaths, Abortions, Wars and the list goes on, must we endure before the truth shines? I have lived a wonderful life only to see my 11 yr old son loose his rights to see his Dad and the right to live in his home because a rumor was started and never questioned. The Deli were the ONLY people that could understand. I know that every person I have met at the Deli, Farm or wherever for no matter how long, was able to understand the truth that is self evident and not allowed to evaporate, like so many ‘cultures’ that are everywhere, Newest being the Social community. Please write about the Deli again soon. And call on me as a Believer in the Hope that this country can return to it’s roots and live the words that are in our Constitution and in the arms of Miss Liberty in the New York Harbor. “Send…” The Starving World needs the BEST Sandwiches that can be found Anywhere on this Earth. STEVEN chesed99@gmail.com

  Dorian Hargrove April 4, 2013 @ 11:23 a.m.

  Thanks for the comment Steven. I am glad you found a place among the 12 Tribes. I am happy for anyone that is able to find their place in any religion, group, culture, tribe, anything. The article wasn’t intended to bash a religious group and wasn’t meant to label them a cult. The article instead revealed facts about the labor violations — which had never been reported– and the opinions/objections from residents. I apologize if you felt that was not the case.

  Thanks for the comment.

  couragehome May 28, 2013 @ 6:13 a.m.

  Twelve Tribes Community Communal Cult

  17+ hour work days while standing most of the time.

  All believe and do what the founder Gene Spriggs has taught.

  All of Christianity and the Christian Jesus is condemned as

  demonic, and the satanic scarlet whore of the Bible book of Revelation.

  Birthdays, Christmas and other holidays are not celebrated.

  Children are frequently hit with balloon sticks by any adult

  member for any form of disobedience or “foolishness.”

  Childrens toys, dolls, and stuffed animals are not allowed.

  Claim Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. deserved to die.

  Claim black people should still be slaves to whites unless they join.

  Claim to be the only people forgiven and being saved by God.

  Claim to be the only people who have the Holy Spirit.

  Claim to be the only people who will bring Jesus back to earth by

  eventually birthing 144,000 celibate male evangelists and being

  perfectly obedient to God for 49 years.

  Claim to be the only place on earth where anyone can be saved by God.

  Founder Elbert Eugene Spriggs “Yoneq” is unquestioned Prophet Pope.

  Home births and home circumcisions are required.

  Childbirth pain is God’s will and is not to be lessened in any way.

  Males must wear fur-face beards, short ponytails, and untucked shirts.

  Medical and dental neglect is common with no health insurance.

  Medications of any kind are generally not allowed.

  Non-Tribes reading material of any kind is not allowed.

  Shaving any part of the male of female body is not allowed.

  Telephone calls to non-member family and friends is by permission.

  Television, radio, personal music devices and internet aren’t allowed.

  Women are not allowed in any leadership positions.

  You can leave, but you’re damned to Death for 1000+ years or eternal Hell.

  You’re rarely be able to visit friends and family “in the world.”

  Your whole life is scrutinized and completely controlled everyday.

  “It is through many trials and tribulations that we enter the kingdom.”

  “You just need to die, and give up your rotten sticking life in the world.”

  “Where did you learn to think anyway? In the world?”

  “You just need to die and take off your head (personal reasoning),

  and take on the mind of the Body (Twelve Tribes).

  “You just need to die, and receive your brothers and let them handle you.” (If the Twelve Tribes is not a cult, then what is a cult?)

   July 30, 2013 @ 5:56 a.m.

  But if they had a sizeable chunk of the population doing it with them, then these become things you don’t even bat an eye at, right?

  couragehome Sept. 19, 2013 @ 7:46 a.m.

  I would still see it the same, regardless how many people go along with hitting babies and children and teaching that black people should still be slaves to white people unless they join the Tribes. They consider themselves “true Jews” what a joke. They are true pretend jews. Wannabee Jews. I like many of the people I have met in the Tribes and I don’t doubt the sincerity of many of those, but the fact remains it is a very high-control communal group and the founder, Elbert Eugene Spriggs (Yoneq) and wife Marsha (Haemeq) became monarchs with their own “government”. Spriggs is considered “the Elijah” and “the Anointing.” He is neither. It is yet another Abrahamic religion based upon human sacrifice and blooshed. I miss the friendships I had there, but not Yoneq’s doctrines. They say “college is stupid” but they call their own ignorance, “wisdom.” They often only get 5 hours sleep a night working for free. They say they love one another, but they do not really take care of one another. It’s about serving the group, The commune and the movement is far more important than the individual. Women are not allowed in any positions of leadership. What ever Yoneq and Haemeq decided and decide, that’s how everyone believes. And if you decide to believe differently about anything, you will be judged by “Our Father” (God). I finally decided I didn’t need to live at the Tribes to be saved or to earn my salvation before God. That God really is love, and that Tribal membership is not one of His requirements.

  Nabashalam Feb. 8, 2014 @ 9:34 a.m.

  Is not over 30 communities and 3000 members sizable? It’s a freakin Cult! It fits all 15 of these check boxes… http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

  couragehome Sept. 19, 2013 @ 8:56 a.m.

  in 2000 in Connecticut a couple belonging to the group pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and cruelty for disciplining their children with a 30-inch (76-centimeter) fiberglass rod. All parents i’ve know in the Tribes love their children, but the Teachings and child-discipline is very very strict, i’d say severe and because of the frequency of it for trivial matters and because “blue wounds show you love your child” it’s abusive. Yoneq could wake up tomorrow morning and change this, and all the members would have “to take on the mind of the Anointing.” But it’s not likely to happen.

  I guess all this makes me appreciate non-religious people and science, because the whole world of religion can become as dark and murky at times as organized crime. It’s sad. Some people are looking for genuine love, and friendships, and to know God, and sometimes religious groups take advantage of this. When I lived as a member in the Tribes, I had to go along with everything. Everything. Whatever was decided, that’s what you believe, that’s what you think, that’s what you tell others is the truth, whether you really believe it or not. Personally, I don’t think it’s right to worship Jesus/Yahshua, but of course they do that and bow down to bread and wine weekly. If they’d lighten up even a little on the child punishments and get even an extra hour or two sleep each night, it would be a far more healthy lifestyle, but they still would be taught they are the only ones pleasing to God.

  I still have love in my heart for the Twelve Tribes. It was better when we simply called ourselves the Communities. It definitely became more cultic with the Twelve Tribes label and branding. A big mistake. They will not “bring about the end of this wicked age.” Humans have been here for a very long time, and are likely to remain here a very long time, regardless when Jesus returns. The Tribes won’t bring him back, no matter how harshly they discipline their children to try to produce 144,000 male celibate evangelists (“the Male Child”). The Tribes worldwide membership is about 4000 and half the children leave when they get old enough. It could take as many as 300,000 adult members to get enough male children to fulfill Yoneq’s prophecy. Will take a very long time before “The Race” begins to be a perfectly obedient People for 49 years and have Jesus return on year 50. I surmise by then, the Teachings will change, when Jesus doesn’t return when they think he should. The Teachings will change to protect the image of the group. Because the group image is far more important than any individual member or individual health and happiness. I wish it could be the life of love they talk about. But as one brother recently told me, “We’re not really here to make the world a better place.”

   couragehome Sept. 28, 2013 @ 8:20 a.m.

  TWELVE TRIBES CHILD PUNISHMENT is frequent and painful for even the slightest attitude or foolishness. Corporal punishment may be applied by any adult member with love. “The blueness of the wound drives away all evil.” (October 1980 Child Training -Notes from Teachers Meeting – Page 5) “Unless your son has blue wounds, by this standard, you know what kind of a standard is in you — it is the spirit that hates your son. If one is overly concerned about his son receiving blue marks you know that he hates his son and hates the word of God.” (Execution of Justice – Page 1)

  

  couragehome Sept. 29, 2013 @ 6:30 p.m.

  Today, the NSPCC has called for an investigation into the practices of a controversial Christian sect in Britain after an Independent investigation revealed allegations of physical child abuse. The children’s charity is calling on Devon County Council and Devon and Cornwall Police to examine the activities of the Twelve Tribes community at Stentwood Farm near Honiton, after the group defended its right to chastise its children with a willow cane in The Independent earlier this month. A former member of the sect, a worldwide movement founded 40 years ago in the US, has now come forward with allegations of widespread physical child abuse and use of the willow cane at the Devon farm. It has also emerged that a complaint about the community was made by a woman claiming to be a former member in 2005 and was investigated by local authorities. The call from the NSPCC comes after authorities in Germany took 40 children at the Twelve Tribes community in Bavaria away from their parents and placed them in foster homes after a journalist filmed six children being beaten with a total of 83 strokes of the cane. “Following the Independent story we have liaised with Devon County Council’s children’s services to… ensure that an appropriate assessment of the concerns are undertaken,” said Phillip Noyes, director of strategy and development at the NSPCC. Vicki, who says she is a former member of the community and spent six months at Stentwood Farm and did not want to reveal her full name, told The Independent: “There wasn’t a day that went by while I was there that children weren’t beaten with the rod. I beat my own son because that is what the group taught me to do.” Children were left “black and blue” according to Vicki, and parents were told by community elders that children had “to bend over” and be “hit on the bare bottom with the stick”. She added later: “You couldn’t do it without leaving stripes.” Vicki says that after leaving the community she made a complaint to Devon County Council in February 2005. Her complaint included allegations of child circumcision and home births carried out without medical supervision. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the allegations had been investigated but “no criminal proceedings were started against any individual”. Devon County Council refused to comment on whether an investigation would be carried out in light of The Independent’s investigation, but a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We can confirm that Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon County Council are working together to thoroughly review the recent information received about the welfare of children in the Honiton area.” The Independent has also seen a document which purports to be a child training manual apparently produced by the sect. It states: “Parents are to chastise by using a rod or balloon stick that can cause stripes… marks like those left by a whip.”

  couragehome Sept. 29, 2013 @ 6:31 p.m.

  continued: The 2004 Children’s Act, which came into force in January 2005, clarified the defence of reasonable chastisement for parents who are charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding or grievous bodily harm, or cruelty to a child. Any hitting that causes bruising, swelling, cuts, grazes or scratches is punishable with up to five years in jail. The Twelve Tribes sect refused to comment for this article but Jonathan Stagg, an elder in the Honiton community, previously said it was the group’s “fundamental right” to use the willow cane and that the community was “still in the realm of English law”. It has also emerged that the sect, which believes homosexual behaviour is immoral and has been accused of anti-Semitism, runs Common Ground, a popular meeting point and café which has operated at Glastonbury Festival as recently as 2011. Vicki alleges the café was an important revenue stream for the sect and a source of new members. A Glastonbury Festival spokesman refused to comment and the group is still included on the festival’s website. However, The Independent understands the group, which rents a space from organisers at the Somerset site, is now unlikely to return to the festival in 2014. The group’s Common Loaf bakery, which is run from Stentwood Farm, also operates at numerous farmers’ markets in the region and ran a stall at the Devon County Show this year. The NSPCC spokesman added: “We’re grateful to The Independent for highlighting this issue and bringing it to our attention. Caning of children or the threat of caning is a completely unacceptable method of disciplinary action to take with any child.” Case study: ‘You are taught  to hit them on the bare bottom’ Vicki says she had been in contact with the Twelve Tribes community near Honiton for about a year and a half before she made the decision to move to Stentwood Farm with her seven-year-old son in 2004. Looking back, she regrets the decision.

  couragehome Sept. 29, 2013 @ 6:33 p.m.

  continued: “Those kids are beaten for anything and everything; they are taught to be 100 per cent obedient. If that means a child is told to sit still and they move then, by the community’s standard you then have to take that child out and beat it,” she said. “I beat my own son as that’s what I was taught to do by the community elders. You don’t know this when you join, but you are taught to hit them on the bare bottom with the stick… it’s their doctrine”. Vicki said a boy with autism “got it worse than anybody else”. She said the group beat their children to “cleanse” their “conscience of the sin of disobedience”. Vicki claims she left the group after six months and now considers it a “cult”. When she told them of her reservations, she said, “they flew off the handle at me and told me I was full of demons. I came to realise this isn’t how Jesus would behave if someone came to him saying they were low and that the Twelve Tribes aren’t really Christian at all”. Vicki says she left the sect after smuggling a phone into her room and calling for a friend to collect her. She now lives in the north of England and attends a mainstream church.

  

  couragehome Oct. 1, 2013 @ 1:08 a.m.

  BLACK AMERICANS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT is condemned as evil. BLACK SLAVERY is taught, for dark-skinned people who do not join the Tribes.

  “What a marvelous opportunity that blacks could be brought over here to be slaves so that they could be found worthy of the nations. A good master would work by the sweat of his brow. If his slaves were lazy and disrespectful he would beat them, which is what he was supposed to do.” (Cham, Island Pond, 3/19/91)

  “Striving for civil rights is of the world – it is disorder to the established social order. In the social order of the world there is distinction between black and white. We shouldn’t try to change it and mess it up. It is going against something fundamental. Cham (blacks) should have been a slave all through history.” (Unraveling the Races of Man)

  “If the slaves were mistreated, it was the fault of the slave. Even if the master was unreasonable the slave was to bear up under it. This was Cham’s (black people’s) discipline. For 4000 years Israel had slaves….Cham was a servant (slave) to Shem. This is the Word. You can’t break the Word. The more men try to liberate Cham (black people), the worse he gets. It is more destructive for man to try to redeem himself, changing social order. The three races are to be distinct.” (Unraveling the Races of Man)

  “Niger means black. When people first started saying this word, it wasn’t bad, but it became a curse word, having a bad connotation. Before civil rights black men would say, ‘Yes, boss man’ in the south. Yes man, no man. This was respect. We need respect in people. We must beat respect into our children. Cham must get this respect in them. These blacks during the pre-civil rights time, were really slaves – they had respect for people. They got along well because they were submissive…” [Unraveling the Races of Man]

  “Cham is no longer, to his detriment, slaves or servants to Shem. This is a terrible thing, a great deception. It is of the anti-Christ to think Cham is emancipated when he really is not emancipated.” [Cham, Island Pond 6/26/90]

  “This is what Cham should be like in the world – like black nannies – this is sort of what they were to do. They were to be helper to Shem. It was to be a natural thing. There is nothing wrong with this. Civil Rights, forced equality is anti-Christ, trying to change the heart – it can’t be done.” [Unraveling the Races of Man]

  “The politicians and Martin Luther King have taken the provision away (a place in the “Nations”). There is no equal for the hatred Martin Luther King had for the black people.” [Cham, Island Pond 3/19/91]

  “Martin Luther King was filled with every evil spirit there is to say Cham doesn’t have to serve Shem. All manner of evil filled that man.” [Cham, Island Pond 3/19/91]