Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Zacch Comfort, Part 2: The Bride of Christ Church, and an Important Story From Lola

Mar 22, 2023

Zacch Comfort, survivor of Bride of Christ Church, discusses extreme control tactics of the group, including violence, child separation, and sexual abuse. Lola shares her experience with a man who was arrested for serial rape. The podcast urges victims to come forward and highlights disturbing events within the church. Zacch's life now working in a psychiatric hospital is also discussed.

01:13:38

Creator website

Episode guests

Zacch Comfort

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The leader of the Bride of Christ Church employed extreme control tactics, including separating children from their families and engaging in sexual abuse.

Thomas Clyde Smith Jr. manipulated members through instilling fear, weaponizing confessions, and hypocritical behavior.

Despite escalating abuse, few members voluntarily left the cult, with the group ultimately dissolving when the leader deemed them unworthy and expelled them.

Deep dives

Extreme Control and Abuse Tactics

In this podcast episode, survivor Zach Comfort shares his experiences in the Bride of Christ Church, led by Thomas Clyde Smith Jr. The group's control tactics intensified after moving to a commune, with members being isolated from their families, forced to wear plain clothes, and deprived of access to external media. More extreme measures included physical abuse, such as slapping and beating members, as well as separating children from their families. Disturbingly, Smith cycled children through his own home for sexual abuse. The group's dissolution was marked by violent rituals and the expulsion of members.

Introduction

3min

An Account of Dating Ben Belser

2min

Son's Efforts to Rehabilitate Stroke Survivor

18min

Seeking Justice

14min

Disturbing Events in the Church

26min

A Personal Journey to Working in Mental Health

4min

Praise, Story Summary, and Podcast Information

2min

In part two of Lola & Meagan's interview with Bride of Christ Church survivor Zacch Comfort, they discuss how leader Thomas Clyde Smith Jr's control tactics got more extreme once the group moved to the Oregon commune, including separating children from their families, requiring people to hit each other in church, and cycling children into his home for sexual abuse - as well as how the group ultimately fell apart, and what Zacch's life is like now working in a psychiatric hospital.

Plus, for Lola's cultiest thing of the week, she and her friend Liz Y2K discuss discovering a man they both dated has been arrested for serial rape, and how the police are seeking additional victims to come forward.

Trust Me is sponsored by Thrive Causemetics! Get an exclusive 15% off your first order at ThriveCausemetics.com/trustme

If you have information on Ben Belser, contact:

LAPD's Operations West Bureau, Special Assault Section

213-473-0447

or 877-LAPD-247

Or for anonymous tips:

LA Crime Stoppers

1-800-222-TIPS

LAcrimestoppers.org

If you have experienced sexual assault and you need support, visit https://www.rainn.org/ or call 800-656-HOPE

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