Podcast Summary

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey

Episode 1275: Cult Survivor: Child 'Maiden' Escapes & Set Free by Jesus | Lindsay Tornambe
Original air date: December 5, 2025
Host: Allie Beth Stuckey
Guest: Lindsay Tornambe

Episode Theme & Overview

This harrowing episode centers on the testimony of Lindsay Tornambe, a survivor of a manipulative and abusive cult led by Victor Bernard. Allie and Lindsay journey through Lindsay's upbringing in The Way International offshoot, her experience as a so-called “maiden” in Bernard’s inner circle, her eventual escape, and her ultimate redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. The conversation is both heart-wrenching and deeply hopeful, aiming to encourage those who have suffered spiritual betrayal and abuse.

Key Discussion Points

1. Lindsay's Background and Early Faith (01:29 - 05:22)

• Family faith: Raised in The Way International, Lindsay was taught “God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit were all three separate beings” and that Jesus was not God (02:05-03:17).
• Spiritual experiences: Early on, she had a childlike faith, prayed for classmates, and engaged with Scripture at home, but not in a traditional church.
• Cult involvement begins: The family met Victor Bernard, who would later claim to be a God-ordained apostle seeking to “shepherd his flock” (05:33).
• Subtle changes: Bernard’s influence grew, shifting the family's focus from everyday life (e.g., Lindsay’s athletic dreams) to “urgency of Jesus Christ coming back” and spiritual separation from non-group members (07:00-09:06).

“When Jesus Christ comes back, he's not going to care how many gold medals I won, and that none of that mattered in this life.” – Lindsay, reflecting on her mother’s words after Bernard’s visit (07:00)

2. Life at the Compound and Early Warning Signs (09:06 - 17:19)

• Move to Minnesota: The family moved to Bernard’s “Shepherd’s Camp” after being pressured—severing ties with extended family (12:10-13:26).
• Camp life: The camp housed about 80 people, with communal meals, homeschooling, and child labor in animal care, gardening, etc. (14:01-14:40).
• Authority and fear: Bernard displayed volatility and aggression, including spitting and chair-throwing at dissenters. Lindsay describes being afraid, but normalized the situation as her parents condoned it (09:11-16:35).

“I saw him spit in people’s faces and throw chairs… gave me the impression I never wanted to make him mad.” – Lindsay (09:11)

3. “Summer of Love” and Grooming of Young Girls (17:19 - 28:52)

• Abuse structure: Bernard emphasized his spiritual “marriage” to the church, separating from his wife publicly, twisting doctrine for control (18:11-18:50).
• Targeting girls: Victor created the “maidens” – all young girls, justified by Old Testament “firstborn sacrifices” (27:20).
• Manipulation techniques: He used practices like “grazing the sheep”—private, intimate gatherings with girls and women only, building trust, fear, and confusion (19:24-20:20).
• First abuse incidents: Lindsay describes her first nights alone or near Bernard, feeling fear and confusion (23:09-25:25).
• Escalation: At age 12, Lindsay was abused for the first time by Bernard. She was threatened into secrecy and left in emotional isolation (25:25-27:16).

“He told me not to tell anyone, that nobody would understand… that this was just between him and me and God.” – Lindsay (26:38)

4. Becoming a “Maiden” and Enduring Systematic Abuse (28:52 – 37:49)

• Definition and duties: At 13, Lindsay became one of ten “maidens,” tasked with domestic, personal, and sexual services for Bernard. Daily routines included cooking, cleaning, personal care—and, for some, involuntary sexual acts (29:36-30:46).
• Isolation: Lindsay thought the role was temporary, only to discover it was meant as a “lifetime commitment” (32:02).
• First rape: Lindsay recounts being called to Bernard’s lodge, interrogated, slapped, and then raped at age 13 (33:05-36:18).
• Psychological impact: Struggled with guilt, isolation, and manipulation regarding faith and salvation—tied to her loyalty to Bernard and the group.

“He led me back to his bedroom… it was almost like an out of body experience… I was just laying there, so scared.” – Lindsay (35:39)

5. Ten Years as a Maiden: Control, Indoctrination, and the Slow Awakening (36:55 – 44:05)

• Dedication to the cult: Lindsay describes years of manipulation—her fear of not being with Bernard in “heaven,” gradual emotional dependence, and self-sacrifice (37:06-37:49).
• Birth control: Bernard ensured his victims wouldn’t get pregnant, emphasizing pleasure and control, not reproduction (38:03).
• "Sisterhood": Over time, maidens became a surrogate family, and routines normalized; Bernard’s predation expanded to married women (39:35-40:58).
• First steps toward freedom: Sent to Brazil in 2009, Lindsay got a small taste of outside life and realized the outside world wasn’t tracking her every move (41:18-42:45).

6. Leaving the Cult: Re-entry and Aftermath (45:01 – 51:14)

• Breaking away: Contact with outside world, exposure to a normal life, and personal convictions led Lindsay to declare she was “done being a maiden” in June 2010 (45:07-45:57).
• Confrontation: She withstands retribution and guilt from cult members and Bernard; leaves the group and returns to her family in Pennsylvania, still semi-affiliated with Bernard (46:00-46:52).
• Relearning life: Now 23, Lindsay is naïve to basic modern culture—cell phones, texting, the internet, pop music—after more than a decade of total isolation.
• Secular spiral: Despite leaving, she remains spiritually numb for years, turns to promiscuity and “living in sin,” feeling lost and disconnected from God (47:52-49:32).

7. Finding Healing: Encounter with the Gospel (51:14 – 54:36)

• Motherhood and rock bottom: Her daughter’s birth leads Lindsay to reconsider faith after a period of suicidal ideation (50:04-51:14).
• Gentle reintroduction to faith: Friends in Texas, who exude “light,” refrain from pressuring her but gently invite her into spiritual conversations (51:14-52:26).
• True gospel: Lindsay is moved when her friends contrast the God of Scripture with the God she was taught. She rediscovers the Bible, experiences healing, and finds that the “emptiness” of new-age/self-help was met only by Christ (53:20-54:36).

“It was like coming home to an old friend… knowing and believing that He was there the whole time… that He leaves the 99 to find one.” – Lindsay (53:30)

8. Understanding the Trinity & Healing from Heresy (55:23 – 56:16)

• Lindsay describes the relief and sense of clarity that learning “Jesus is God” brought her, realizing how Bernard’s doctrine was a tool for abuse and why orthodox beliefs matter for spiritual safety.

9. Justice, Family Fallout, and Forgiveness (56:19 – 64:36)

• Bringing Victor to justice: In 2012, Lindsay and another maiden go to the police; lengthy investigation, media involvement, and help from Fox News and John Walsh lead to Bernard’s capture and 30-year sentence (56:19-57:14).
• Family consequences: Lindsay is estranged from her parents, who supported Bernard at trial; she struggles to forgive but ultimately chooses to “put them on God’s hook” (57:19-59:19).
• Ongoing healing: She is still in therapy, wrestling with forgiving Bernard, grappling with the enormity of evil, but learning to surrender justice to God (61:31-62:53).

“In a way, it’s taking them off my hook and putting them on God’s hook… truly believing that God has got it all… being able to truly forgive them...was such a burden lifted.” – Lindsay (57:42-59:19)

10. Encouragement for Other Survivors (60:33 – 66:20)

• Message: Don’t put your faith in people—“it wasn’t God who hurt me, it was a man who hurt me.” Maintain faith in the Lord, not in church leaders or institutions (60:33-61:26).
• Forgiveness journey: Forgiving the abuser is ongoing, sometimes threatened by trauma triggers, but is grounded in surrendering justice to God rather than wishing harm (61:31-62:53).
• Hope: Allie affirms Lindsay’s courage and expresses hope that Lindsay’s story will help and warn others, reflecting on God’s persistent pursuit of Lindsay “even from a young age” (65:23-66:09).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On manipulative leadership:
  “He told us that God had audibly spoken to him and had told him to go shepherd his flock and to find people who had once belonged to the Way International and bring them to his ministry.”
  — Lindsay (05:33)
• First warning sign:
  “I saw him spit in people’s faces and throw chairs at people. He just definitely gave me the impression that I never wanted to make him mad.”
  — Lindsay (09:11)
• Abuse and secrecy:
  “He told me not to tell anyone, that nobody would understand that this was just between him and me and God, and, you know, that I was special.”
  — Lindsay (26:38)
• On spiritual abuse:
  “Believing before that Jesus Christ was just a man… it was so clear being explained that he is God. How Victor twisted it to almost make it into himself.”
  — Lindsay (55:56)
• On forgiveness:
  “In a way, it’s taking them off my hook and putting them on God’s hook...I needed to hold people accountable. But really, truly believing that God has got it all… being able to truly forgive them...was such a burden lifted.”
  — Lindsay (57:42-59:19)
• Message to survivors:
  “It wasn’t God who hurt me. It was a man who hurt me...Put your trust and faith in the Lord, knowing He is good, He is perfect, not in man. Because we ultimately will be let down.”
  — Lindsay (60:33)

Segment Timestamps

• 01:29 – 09:11: Lindsay’s early upbringing, her family’s induction to the cult, introduction to Victor Bernard
• 09:11 – 17:19: Life at the Shepherd’s Camp, Bernard’s authority and isolation tactics, early trauma normalization
• 17:19 – 28:52: Shifting to “maidens,” onset of sexual abuse, spiritual manipulation using Scripture
• 28:52 – 37:49: Becoming/being a maiden, systemized abuse, emotional indoctrination
• 37:49 – 44:05: Years in captivity, awakening, and the first steps toward escape
• 45:01 – 51:14: Lindsay’s departure, re-entry to society, initial struggle with faith and identity
• 51:14 – 54:36: Encountering true Christianity, healing through Christ
• 55:23 – 56:16: Learning the Trinity and differentiating truth from heresy
• 56:19 – 64:36: Bringing Victor to justice, family rupture, therapeutic forgiveness
• 60:33 – 66:09: Advice and hope for other trauma survivors, importance of trusting God

Overall Tone

The conversation is candid, sensitive, and faith-filled. Allie Beth Stuckey weaves empathy and encouragement with robust Christian theology, pressing for hope and healing without downplaying trauma. Lindsay's story is told with humility and courage, never sensationalized but always honest.

Closing Remarks

• How to support Lindsay: She requests prayers and hopes to share her story wider, possibly through a book. Allie highlights the crucial need to heed warning signs of spiritual abuse and offers hope for those harmed by leaders in the name of God.
• Central message: True healing is found in Jesus; do not place ultimate trust in people or organizations, but in Christ alone.

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the mechanisms of spiritual abuse, the impact of cults, and the possibility for redemption and hope, even after the worst betrayals.