u/Remarkable-Law7645

I was part of Revival Faith Assembly (RFA), and one of the most harmful teachings I experienced there was around faith healing.

We were taught that true Christians should trust God alone for healing and not rely on doctors or medical treatment. The pastors constantly preached that God could heal any sickness without medical intervention if your faith was strong enough.

People who went to doctors were often viewed as lacking faith. If someone recovered after receiving medical treatment, they were not even allowed to publicly testify or praise God in the assembly. It wasn’t considered a “true” healing from God.

This video describes a church group that is extremely similar to the one I was in — the same emphasis on speaking in tongues, baptism teachings, divine healing, and distrust of medical treatment:

The Saints on trial: How a religious cult let a child die
https://youtu.be/tQXmxrk7dcI?si=erLLfaPWzQEitBtU

What makes this especially painful for me is that I personally saw members become seriously ill and refuse treatment because they believed God would heal them. Some of them eventually passed away.

At the time, I thought this was normal Christianity. Looking back now, I realize how dangerous and psychologically controlling these teachings were. People were made to feel guilty or spiritually weak for seeking basic healthcare.

Leaving the church made me realize how much fear and pressure we lived under. I still believe in God, but I no longer believe a loving God would want people to avoid medical care just to prove their faith.

I’m feeling so happy after leaving the cult group (RFA - Revival Faith Assembly). Today, while walking down Orchard Road, I saw an uncle singing Christian songs, and for the first time it felt enjoyable and refreshing.

My cult used to teach me that Christians outside the group weren’t “real Christians.” I used to look at people like him and think they were going to hell. Now I feel different. I can simply appreciate the moment and praise the Lord together with them.

The turning point for me was watching a video about my church’s (RFA - Revival Faith Assembly) doctrine on British Israelism. I was shocked when I realized our church embraced beliefs that are commonly associated with cult groups. The video explained why the doctrine was flawed, and for the first time I seriously started questioning our teaching that we were the only church preaching the truth.

The Cult I Grew Up In | British Israelism Debunked
https://youtu.be/HaKpI7tpryc?si=llOcY0T2Av06pLdF

After that, I started digging deeper into other issues surrounding the church. I came across the sexual assault cases connected to our affiliated assembly in Geelong and listened to a podcast covering them. Hearing the victims’ stories genuinely affected me. I felt deep sorrow and compassion for what they went through.

Pray Harder - Secrets We Keep
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/introducing-pray-harder/id1699106866?i=1000677811160

What finally broke everything for me was a conversation with my pastor.

I asked him why the church wasn’t more open about these issues and whether we should acknowledge what happened or apologize to the victims. His response stunned me. He told me not to think about it too much, to just follow, and “don’t feel too much for the victims.”

Eventually, he asked me to leave and admitted he had no answers to my questions.

That moment changed something in me. I realized I couldn’t see any love, humility, or accountability in his response. I kept thinking: how can someone claim to be a true prophet of God while showing so little compassion?

That was the moment I woke up and realized I had been in a cult.

When I confronted my pastor, Tony Koh from Revival Faith Assembly (RFA) Singapore, about the sexual assault victims in our affiliated church in Australia, GRC, he said he had no answers and told me to just leave the church. Watching Unbelievable on Netflix made me realise how important it is for victims to receive acknowledgment and an apology when institutions fail them. I can’t stop thinking about how badly the church’s handling of the situation may have affected the victims’ lives.

I’m sharing this to help others think carefully before getting involved.

In my experience, the group exercises high control over members’ lives:

• restrictions on relationships and dating
• discouragement of higher education
• control over social interactions and travel
• strong pressure to conform and avoid questioning
• pressure to shun members who leave the group, including family

I was introduced to the church at a young age. Around that time, my sister experienced inappropriate physical contact involving a pastor. To my knowledge, the incident was not reported to the police. My sister later decided to leave the church, and I left to stand by her.

Years later, during a very difficult period in my life, I returned to religion for support. After a period of contact with the new pastor, Tony Koh, I was allowed to rejoin the assembly. As members became curious about why I had left previously, I shared what had happened to my sister. I was quickly told to stop and warned that I could be removed if I continued. At that time, I was emotionally vulnerable and believed strongly in the authority of the pastor, so I complied.

I later encouraged my sister to return, but she was not welcomed back. I was then instructed by Pastor Tony Koh to cut ties with her. I regret that I followed this instruction, as we were once very close.

The church emphasized separation from the outside world. We were discouraged from maintaining close relationships with non-members, including family. Social activities, travel, pursuing higher education, and even attending funerals of former members were tightly controlled or discouraged.

There was also strong teaching against seeking medical help, with an emphasis on relying only on faith. I witnessed people avoid treatment and pass away from conditions that may have been treatable.

During my marriage, I experienced abuse but felt trapped due to strict teachings against divorce. When I later decided to pursue further education to support myself, I was criticized for setting a “wrong example.”

More recently, concerns were raised about the wider church, including reports about the Geelong Revival Centre in Australia, where the church originated.

Public reporting has raised serious concerns, including:

• coercive control and family separation (government inquiry) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-12/coercive-control-religion-geelong-revival-centre/105146234
• former members describing control over relationships and life decisions https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-12/coercive-control-religion-geelong-revival-centre/105146234
• a court case reported by The Age involving a church member jailed for sexual abuse https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pentecostal-church-member-jailed-for-22-years-over-sexual-abuse-of-geelong-boys-20250128-p5l7nj.html
• concerns about abuse being handled internally rather than reported https://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/2025/07/abuse-reported-to-cult-leader-before-police-inquiry-hearing/

After raising these concerns, I was asked to leave. Within days, I was removed from all communication channels. People I had known for years stopped speaking to me. Losing an entire community overnight was one of the hardest experiences of my life.

My takeaway: it may seem warm and welcoming at first, but over time the level of control becomes clear.

I’m sharing this to encourage others to ask questions and make informed decisions.

If you are in a similar situation, you are not alone.