Jackson’s church (but was never quite certain if it “took”), was thrilled for both young men. She too wanted so much to love and please God, but wasn’t sure how. She’d opened a friend’s Bible once, but it was too overwhelming. None of the three students had church-going families or friends—besides Melinda’s dear Grandma Jackson—or knew much about God’s Word and ways.
That’s why she joined Josh and Harve the following week at the Coffeehouse’s Bible study. She had to borrow a Bible to go, but once there she joyfully absorbed all Pastor Preston taught about God and His Word. She even dusted off her old guitar and helped lead the group in praise songs as she learned them. Josh and Harve were excited, too. In fact, Harve was so enthusiastic, Pastor Preston began asking him to fill in occasionally as teacher of the class.
Harve—now “Brother Harve”—threw himself into this new role. He began preaching in the streets and witnessing on campus, relishing shouting matches and threatening lawsuits with the police and school authorities. To look even more like a renegade Old Testament prophet, he let his hair and beard grow long, loose, and tangled, and sometimes wore a bedraggled white robe (converted from a bedsheet) over his knees-out jeans.
Then Agnes Louise Schroeder, another VVC student, began attending their Bible class also. Soon she and Harve were a twosome. A couple of years older than her boyfriend, tall and painfully thin, this strident math major made up for her lack of beauty with her megawatt enthusiasm, energy, full-throttle ambition, and lust for manipulation and control. Plus her instant determinationthat God could do great things with Harve Osborn - but only if He worked directly through her. After all, she was the only student in the Bible class with a church background and all the pat answers. So she plotted and planned. And spoon-fed him her dreams until they became his own.
Then one night when Harve was teaching the Bible class, he suddenly announced to the other members, “Brothers and Sisters, God says in the Book of Joel that His young men will see visions. Well, yesterday as I fasted and prayed, that’s just what happened to me. God gave me a miraculous vision, He did, halleluia! First, I was filled with glory. Then He said to me, in a voice like thunder, ‘Brother Harve, I’ve chosen and anointed you to start your own ministry’.”
Agnes jumped up, beaming. “Amen, Brother Harve! Praise the Lord! What a confirmation! Why, He gave me the exact same vision yesterday, He did! Obviously He wants us to live lives of holiness and separation to Him in these evil End Times. And the only way we can do that is to leave this world-tainted Coffeehouse and meet strictly by ourselves. From now on, we true believers will be called the Blessed Order of End Times Disciples. With you, Brother Harve, our anointed pastor and leader. And me, naturally, your assistant.”
That really troubled Melinda. Pastor Preston was kind and humble and loving. He not only taught God’s Word, he lived it— just as the Bible said God’s servants should do. So why should they follow Harve instead? Especially since he and Agnes seemed to be increasingly controlling, bossy, jealous, manipulative, vengeful, and far-out. Not the way Melinda understood God’s followers should be.
But Josh and most of the others were mesmerized, so finally she went along with it too. Soon they all spent less and less time with Pastor Preston, and more and more with “Pastor Harve.” Josh’s grades began to suffer. With less time to paint, Melinda missed a deadline for an important exhibit at the school gallery. Harve and Agnes dropped out of classes completely.
Soon their leader had an even more dramatic announcement: that God wanted him and Agnes to marry in a double ceremony, with Melinda and Josh as the other couple. And with Harve— now “Rev. Harve”—helping officiate at his own wedding.
Melinda’s mother was horrified. “Attend a wedding at such short notice? Are you crazy? I have three houses to show this weekend—including one in Bel-Air, thank you very much—plus a big charity ‘do’ with Matt near Rodeo Drive. Why, I’ve barely got time to get my hair and nails done. Don’t bother calling back till you’ve come to your senses.”
So Melinda married the love of her life without the presence or best wishes of either parent, although her father did eventually send a check with the note, “I’ve forgotten; what did you say his name was?”
She was thrilled to have Josh at long last for her very own. Their cramped studio apartment radiated joy. But even as a madly-in-love newly-married man, her dear one seemed to listen to his “pastor” and the “pastor’s” constantly-chattering wife more than to her.
Including their “revelation”—not long after their wedding—that God ordered them all to leave college and “godless” California and start a new life together as a Christian commune in rural Iowa, “in America’s heartland, away from the world’s temptations and influences.” With Harve himself their sole disciple, pastor, and Bible teacher.
Josh was first to sign on—even though it meant leaving families and education and all plans for the future, for somewhere far away that he’d never even been to. Grabbing Melinda in his arms, “We must honor God, darling. And what better way, than by living wholly for Him?”
Back then, they still had their original, normal names and made all decisions together—such as voting to have “all things in common” at their new commune. With each family guaranteed its own living quarters, its own privacy, its own hopes and dreams.
Melinda set up her easel and began painting the natural beauty around her. Josh plugged in his laptop and earned a little on the side helping out local businesses with their computer problems, besides setting up a computer system for the commune, complete with firewalls. Also, for his old company, GottaHaveIt! Industries, he designed Hang Ten!, sequel to his first video game and even more popular. Life glowed with possibilities—especially when Melinda discovered that God was going to send a little one into their lives, their precious son Jeremy.
This, of course, was before the guns, the guards, the gates, the gauntlets. Before their PCs, wallets, wedding rings, IDs, address books, cars, bikes, checkbooks, and other personal items were confiscated. Before all Bibles but the Prophet’s were banned—along with all books and musical instruments (except for Harve’s bongos), all pens, pencils, crayons, and paper, even Melinda’s paints. Before the children were pulled out of the local schools. Before phones were removed and contact with the outside world cut off to all but the Anointed Disciples—that is, the Prophet and Prophetess and their newly-formed Right Hands of Power 24/7 security guards, cell phones and .38s always at the ready.
Back before everyone was given a new, “revealed” name (such as “Sister Abigail” for Melinda) to conceal his or her identity and whereabouts. Before all letters and packages from families and friends of Unanointed Disciples (like Josh and Melinda) were marked “Return to Sender/Refused/Not Here/ Whereabouts Unknown.” (But not Social Security, unemployment, welfare, or other checks—such as for Josh’s video game royalties; these Harve and Agnes forged signatures on and kept for themselves.) And all except for the Prophet and Prophetess and their guards forbidden to leave the compound—a rule enforced at gunpoint.
Yes, prior to the progressively stranger and harsher “signs,” “revelations,” “prophecies,” and “words of authority” that Harve and Agnes insisted came directly from God—their “Orders from Headquarters”—proclaiming him not just pastor to be listened to, but Prophet to be obeyed unquestioningly. “Revelations” that either twisted Scripture or ignored it altogether. Before their feverish warnings about “fiery punishments,” “New World Orders,” “demons of rebellion,” “enemies in high places,” governments “out to get them all with evil laws and taxes,” and the need to prepare for dire End Times hardships and battles.
But all that came later. On that long-ago summer day in the middle of a sleepy Iowa countryside, their leader
