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Diary of a Cult

A Visit to The Overcomer;

Ralph G. Stair’s Socialist View of God’s Kingdom.

By Mark Murtomaki

First title:       A Visit to The Overcomer  January 1995.

Second title:  Diary of a Cult. A Visit to the Overcomer; Ralph G. Stair’s                           Socialist View of God’s Kingdom.  June 1995

First printing:  March 1996  by Mark Murtomaki; El Cajon, California.  

No portion of this book may be used out of context for any reason.

This book may not be copied within the first two years without written letter from the author which will be obtained by writing for one to insure you have the latest copy..

Send correspondence to:

Mark Murtomaki

28 Knickerbocker Street

Ballston Xpa, NY. 12020

murtomaki@msn.com

Dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, even God Almighty, who created all things in truth as preserved in the Authorized King James Version exclusively.

Special thanks to those who helped with this project.  This book is strictly educational. 

Preface

            In the total scheme of the events which are occurring in this troubled world, this story is among the most insignificant. It is because of my knowledge of the current and tragic events unfolding in world history that I found myself, like many others, seeking to understand the forces capable of orchestrating such a massive world conspiracy against all that is decent.  Too, I found myself confused about the extreme apathy of the populations of people who, when told of the dangers which await them, turn their heads toward those who preach of peace and safety and defame the bringers of truth and warning.

            It is God who brought me to the truth.  It is God who showed me that his Word will be fulfilled.  And it is God who brought me through the events about which I write; though the story is of minor import, it is still valuable as a witness to others.

            This story is about a visit I made to a “Christian’ community, called the Overcomer, headed by Ralph G. Stair.  Located in a picturesque little town of Walterboro, South Carolina, the Overcomer ministry has become world known over the fantastic influence of Short Wave radio broadcasts - acknowledgeably the last harbinger of truthful world news. 

            My visit with the Overcomer people lasted only a week.  Granted, not much can be learned about an entire organization and its people in such a short time.  My story is one sided; from my point of view; but told as truthful as I can possibly tell it.  It is not my intent to attack anyone by this writing, though I am sure some may accuse me of doing so.  It is my hope that those who this tells of will also find a positive help in it as to make them better representatives of Christianity than they currently are.

            Whenever possible I used the true first names of the characters.  A few individual’s names escaped me, or were not learned.  Substitutions are indicated.  No sir-names are revealed so as to protect the identities of anyone choosing to leave the Overcomer community. 

            I kept a personal log of events as they happened from day to day, so none of the events or conversations are exaggerations.  I only wish I had had a tape recorder along.  It was not my intention from the beginning to write a book, but I had the feeling from the beginning that I should keep a notes.  I’m glad I did.

Introduction

            In late June of 1994, after much consideration over the passed six months, I made arrangements to move to East Texas where, in a small town called Gladewater, I joined “Brother Ben” on his twenty-four acre forested property.  My plan was to leave California for good,  to live on and help farm Brother Ben’s land, and help him with his ministry effort Seventieth Week Magazine.  At the time, Brother Ben had a short-wave radio broadcast on WWCR, and I wanted to encourage that as well.  However, those plans changed due to some unforeseen circumstances and I felt I had to leave Gladewater after six months..  Since I didn’t want to go back to California, I thought hard about my next move.  (Brother Ben’s magazine Seventieth Week can be ordered by writing P.O. Box 771, Gladewater, Texas, 75647.)

            For more than three years I had conversed with a fellow named Ralph G. Stair (“Brother Stair”) who has a short wave radio broadcast over WWCR (of Nashville, Tennessee) out of Walterboro, South Carolina.   Stair is the head of an organization called The Overcomer.  Attached to the Overcomer’s outreach program is a fully operational diversified eighty acre farm and “Christian” commune.  I telephoned Stair and told him I would like to come and see his operation, and possibly stay and work on the farm for three months to learn about Christian living and farming.  He accepted this idea with one stipulation; “As long as you behave yourself ,” he commanded.

            I was not completely ignorant of Ralph Stair’s personality.  I had some concern about a personality clash between us, but I reasoned that good Christian folk could always work out their differences over a period of time.  I made the decision to make the 1250 mile trip, said good-bye to my friends in Texas, loaded up the Volkswagen Vanagon and Datsun long bed trailer, and was on my way by December 6, 1994.

             It is no easy trip across country in an “81 Vanagon towing a trailer, and I knew it was a big decision.  I wanted the journey to be worth the while, not to mention the expense, for  prospect of returning the 3000 miles to California didn’t appeal to me.  I became excited about learning all I could about diversified farming, and I felt very strongly that God was sending me in this direction.   I put all of my concerns onto God’s shoulders.  In retrospect, everything that occurred on this trip had a purpose.  Overall it turned out to be a great test of faith.  My purpose for going to the Overcomer was kept secret from me and revealed only when the entire experience was over.   From the first day, by God, I knew to write everything down.  The following is the shocking account taken from my personal notes of that short seven days visit to the Overcomer.

            Other than spelling and sentence syntax corrections, the following is just as I originally wrote it from my notes.  Please excuse any roughness in the writing.

A Quick Lesson from our Past

            In 1620, the Pilgrims Fathers of America landed at Plymouth rock to start a new community on the new land.  Divine providence had given them an enclave of relative safety in a hostile land.  They first set up a society based on communal sharing.  It was their plan from the beginning to have a “communist” society.  In many ways it was set up under the most favorable conditions.  They were isolated from outside influences, and they were desperately motivated to survive due to that isolation.  They also had a strong religious conviction and were fraternally inclined toward one another.  They were young and industrious people.  Their leader was Governor William Bradford.

            Here is what Bradford wrote of this experiment in communal living:

            “This community... was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.  For the young men that were most fit for labor and service did repine that they should spent their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense.  The strong... had no more division in victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could.  This was thought an injustice... and for men’s wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meet, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it.”

            Yes, even in devout Christian societies, communism always turns into a dictatorship where some will be slaves to the commands to others.  The colonists would have continued to endure this socialistic society if it had been productive.  However, severe problems arose.  The involuntary servitude which developed caused many to act harshly and dishonestly toward one another.  The weak were mistreated and the strong became unwilling to work without threat of force.  The colonist soon faced starvation!

            Bradford continues, “At length, after much debate... the governor gave way that they should set corn every man for his own purpose and in that regard trust to themselves... and assign to every family a parcel of land according to the proportion of their number.”

            In other words, the community discontinued the communal style of living and set the law that every man would have to take care of himself if he were to survive.   In the course of one year Bradford was able to report:

            “This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so that much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been... The women now went willing into the fields, and took their little ones with them to set corn, which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression.”

            Governor Bradford had discovered a great human secret; that a man will compel himself to go much farther than he will permit any one else to compel him to go.  He continues: “...the experience that was had in this common cause and condition, tried sundry years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato and other ancients - applauded by some in later times - that the taking away of property, and bringing it into a commonwealth, would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God.”

            The foregoing is exactly what I found being nurtured within the Overcomer Community.  The men and women were so contentious, so untrustworthy amongst each other, so oppressed by their leader(s), that I found the living there intolerable even for the short time.  Does Ralph G. Stair, the professed “Last Days Prophet,” think himself wiser than God?  I do truly believe he does at times.  If the Overcomer community is to survive, they will have to make great and drastic changes.  Its members are intelligent and will only stand their servitude for a time.  Members will continue to splinter off with discontent and bitter feelings, and possibly with a destroyed faith in our Lord Jesus Christ - God forbid.  This community serves as a direct example of the fact that those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat it to their own destruction.   Almost four-hundred years ago our founding Fathers found out that the human spirit is not fit for the confinement of communal service.  Anyone who thinks that God has this in plan for his soon to come Kingdom is grossly mistaken!!

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