The Cult on the Cape

Episode 29 Born Inside - Part 2

In Part 2 of Bryan Catlin’s powerful story, Bryan shares what happened after he fled the Community of Jesus — terrified, exhausted, and completely unprepared for the outside world. What followed was a mental health crisis, arrest, hospitalization, and ultimately the beginning of rebuilding a life from scratch. Bryan speaks candidly about fear, isolation, survival, and the lifelong effects of growing up in a high-control environment. He also shares the people who helped save him — a social worker who understood cult dynamics, a father who kept showing up, friends who opened their homes, and the woman who would eventually become his wife. This episode is a raw and deeply human conversation about trauma, forgiveness, family estrangement, parenting after coercive control, and learning how to trust yourself after a lifetime of being told who you were supposed to be. At its heart, this is a story about survival, healing, and building a life that finally belongs to you.

Episode 28 Born Inside

In this deeply personal conversation, Bryan Catlin shares what it was like to be born into the Community of Jesus as the Grandson of the Mother and raised entirely within its world. From loneliness, homeschooling, and life with the brothers, to fear, control, emotional confusion, and repeated attempts to leave, Brian reflects on the complexity of growing up inside a high-control religious environment — where even understanding what was “normal” became difficult. This is Part 1 of an honest and powerful survivor story.

Episode 27 8 Months

Note: We have edited the audio to remove the last name of the Community's inside attorney and the Busar mentioned in the podcast. To read the correspondence discussed, go to :8 Months | My Life During and After The Community of Jesus [https://mylifecoj.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/8-months/] Carrie Buddington responds to statements made about her departure from the Community of Jesus After living inside the Community of Jesus for 40 years—including 20 years as a vowed sister—Carrie Buddington says she left with a small suitcase, a bus ticket to Boston, and $1,000. In this episode, Carrie responds directly to comments made by attorney Jeff Robbins in a Cape Cod Times article by Denise Coffey published April 29, 2026. She reflects on the years leading up to her departure, repeated requests for a leave of absence that she says were denied, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life after decades inside a high-control religious environment. The title of this episode, 8 Months, refers to the amount of time Carrie says it took to recover a single personal belonging: a cross-stitch piece she had made herself. This is a conversation about autonomy, loss, survival, and what it means to rebuild a life after leaving with almost nothing — and, most of all, about refusing to remain silent in the face of narratives that do not share the full truth.🎧 Listen as we continue telling the story of The Cult on the Cape.

Episode 26 Before We Knew - Part 2

Ken McCormick on surveillance, control, and seeing behind the curtain In Part 2 of Ken McCormick’s story, the deeper mechanisms of control inside the Community of Jesus begin to come into focus. Ken shares what it was like working with the Community’s audio systems—and the unsettling realization that conversations throughout the property could be monitored through hidden microphones and listening systems connected directly to leadership spaces. What began years earlier as a search for meaning and belonging slowly revealed something far more complicated: exhaustion, fear, hierarchy, surveillance, and an environment where privacy and individuality were steadily eroded. This episode explores what happens when spiritual authority becomes intertwined with control—and the moment when people begin to see behind the curtain. 🎧 Listen as we continue telling the story of The Cult on the Cape.

A Special Episode for International Cult Recovery Day

In this special episode for International Cult Recovery Day, Bonnie shares a speech recorded by her son Brendan for a college class final project. In it, Brendan reflects on the Community of Jesus, Rock Harbor Truth, survivor stories, and the importance of listening to people who have too often been silenced or dismissed. This episode is a reminder that recovery begins when people are willing to speak and to hear the truth — and that the next generation is paying attention. 🕊️