Latoyia Porter and Harry Sonny Simon: Two Voices Who Should Have an Important Place in Today’s Advocates for Abuse Victims Community

Posted on by January 6, 2025avatar

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. Saint Augustine

I often find myself overwhelmed as I try to keep up with TWW. There are so many stories about sexual and physical abuse in the broader church as well as narratives of how churches spiritually and emotionally abuse the faithful. Yet, my children are grown and married, and my husband still works long hours. However, as I wrote Latoyia’s story last Friday, I realized that she has three biological children and 15 adopted children. Along the way, she founded two ministries: Together We Stand Outreach and Walk With Me Community Improvement Center.

Yet in the midst of this, they have a YouTube, which has been hard work, not only telling Latoyia and Sonny’s stories of abuse but also featuring many people who have been harmed in ministries like Reformed Temple Ministries. I spent some time at Church Diaries Unlocked and was astonished by their accomplishments.

They sound a lot like us: a one-minute discussion!

A short video discusses “Ten Signs That Show You Are in a Cult.” See if you agree with its ten points.

Denials and a child rape victim.

As the video progresses, they discuss a little girl who was raped by a man who leads music for the church. Listen to Wendell Archie deny that there are molesters in this church. Go to mark 12:44 thru 13:45.

They host Bible studies to understand what the Scriptures say, not what man has said.


What Chief said, or what Jesus says?’

At this link, you will hear people quoting “Chief” in a Bible study at Refige Temple Ministries. They are quoting Chief Apostle Wendell Archie.

Some thoughts

They do so much more, including Zoom meetings with victims. I don’t know how they do it all. That also means that I will need to up my game. 18 children! Well done!

I believe Latoyia Porter and Harry Sonny Simon have important voices that need to be heard by those in the abuse advocate community. They have been immersed in an Apostolic ministry and have emerged from Chief Apostle Wendell Archie’s Refuge  Temple Ministries with their faith in Jesus intact. They clearly express their disagreements with their former church and are dedicated to helping victims of abuse find a voice and seek justice. I hope to hear their voices on social media. We need them.

Their plans

They have hope to seek justice in the days to come. I have offered to write victims’ stories and let Latoyia and Harry write a post at TWW.

Comments

Latoyia Porter and Harry Sonny Simon: Two Voices Who Should Have an Important Place in Today’s Advocates for Abuse Victims Community — 15 Comments

  3. They have been immersed in an Apostolic ministry and have emerged from Chief Apostle Wendell Archie’s Refuge Temple Ministries…

    Wait… CHIEF APOSTLE??/
    Where have we heard that one before?
    Like Chuckles Mahaney, Head Apostle of the People of Destiny?

    “If you ever encounter a preacher who has titled himself ‘Apostle’ or ‘Prophet’, RUN!”

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  5. Off topic, but not really off topic for the contents of this post:

    Pedophile Dr. Donn Ketcham, Association of Baptists for World Evangelism missionary in Bangladesh, who sexually abused at least 20 underage girls while in Bangladesh, has died in Michigan without ever legally ‘paying’ for his crimes. There are posts about him here at TWW. ABWE made many,many mistakes. They finally admitted their guilt.

    I had been “following” his life after he was sent back to the states because of a marital affair with a missionary nurse and read about his continuing crimes against another child in the US. His medical license was finally taken.

    I never saw his obituary. But, his wife had a published obituary and it said he died six weeks prior to her. That was in the Fall of 2023.
    He has met his maker and his fate.

    May his victims continue to have special blessings from God. I pray for their healing…..

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  8. Muff Potter,

    “Can never be ‘good’ enough?
    One of the cruelest lies ever hatched by the devil.
    That God cannot and will not accept anything short of perfection.”
    +++++++++++++++++++

    yeah… doesn’t have to be worm theology (constant focus on depravity).

    it can be nickel-&-diming the goodwill & honest efforts of folks, because it’s never done well enough, despite going the extra mile.

    ever clawing out more and more of their goodwill, talent, skill, energy

    i don’t know if it’s some sick desire to deny them the satisfaction of a modicum of success.

    or if it’s a sick desire to keep stringing them along, keep them going after that elusive carrot in order to control them.

    gawwwwwwd, i was caught up in this (on the receiving end of it)… it’s mind-boggling how it happened. i thought i was better than that.

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  9. Hello, my name is Jessica I’m 30 yrs old and I attended RtM from the years roughly around 2015-2019..At first it was a Breath of Fresh air. Coming from Aging out of Foster Care. I felt like I found a Safe Haven and Somewhat of a family to call my own.. I sung in TBD youth choir, I went on Street meetings and a few Out of church gatherings with the Church “Fam”.. but shortly afterwards I started getting too close to some of the “saints” and realized thr SAINTS weren’t Saints or holy at all! And to make matters worse, I received Judgement from the same people who claimed to be that way.. I started isolating myself shortly after realizing that thy weren’t all what thy hyped to be and around this time I also noticed they would Idolize the Pastors and brother we dell and If you didn’t agree with Every little thing they said, they would accuse you of Being” FULL OF PRIDE” and I just didn’t agree with that.. Well shortly after I had a session with Pastor Irik and in that session it became Heated real quickly to wear I lost total respect for him after he called me Worthless basically I cursed him out. Coming from where I come from, you’re not going to disrespect me or make me feel to be mAde low I don’t care What your title is so yes it was wrong buy I didn’t regret it..
    Fast Forward he asked me not to come back. But what I do Regret Is being disobedient and coming back anyhow a few weeks later
    . Saints told me that it will be fine.Because he’s a “Man of God “and that you would forgive me.. Welp I found out the hard way that he was not indeed a man of god on my book,he was a “man of FRAUD”.. One night I decided to come back dealing with depression I needed the support and prayer. So I went with at the time with my eight month old to a womens shut in, Sat in the back and was rudely interrupted by the leaders in the middle of service to come and grab me out. Not only that I was told that I was going to wait to speak to the bishop and a few minutes later INSTEAD officers came from the back to the church.. I was quiet The whole time so I was thrown for a loop as to why they started Putting handcuffs on me.. I was told that I had Made “threats” to the church abd to the pastor and was told not to come back.. well part of that was TRUE.. I had been asked not to come back, Even though I made several times to make ammends with Pastor Irik Archie And was not sucsuccful. But I NEVER made threats to him or the church that was A FLAT OUT LIE! I could not Belirve Sister Wendy would go to this degree to lie to the cops like that! We’ll in my most vulnerable mental state,, I lost it and went OFF.. the cops took me to jail for trespassing and my son went into cPs custody of which I never Had the opportunity FAIRLY to get him back because of that incident.. Yes I know I should Not have came back but I Definitely blame r t m for ruinning my life that year. Things have NOT been the same since losing my son.. I want them help ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR LYING TO THE COPS AND MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE LUNATIC TO CPS. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM FOR THAT.. YEARS LATER AND NO APOLOGIES FROM ANY OF THEM AND NO CLOSURE. HELL HAS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR ALL THE EVIL AND BROKEN FAMILIES THEY HAVE SEVERED..

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  10. dee:
    jojo,

    I actually called the clinic where he worked here in the US, but I got nowhere. I am glad they finally admitted their guilt in this, but it was too late for so many. Ketcham finally had met the Face of justice. I prayed for the victims today. Thank you for reporting this.

    Thank you, Dee, for calling the clinic in Michigan when a mother reported about her child. I appreciate your efforts.

    And…..thank you for your prayers for his many, many victims.

    God bless you.

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  13. Jessica,

    “Well shortly after I had a session with Pastor Irik and in that session it became Heated real quickly to wear I lost total respect for him after he called me Worthless basically I cursed him out. Coming from where I come from, you’re not going to disrespect me or make me feel to be mAde low I don’t care What your title is so yes it was wrong buy I didn’t regret it..”
    +++++++++++++++++

    i imagine some of the words you used were the right words. technical words that describe better than any other words.

    it is not wrong to communicate strongly. some circumstances warrant it. being told you’re worthless in one way or another deserves a strong response.

    titles schmitles… function with skill, character & integrity earn respect. titles deserve nothing.

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