Recover From Coercive Control
A note before you read on:
The information on this page may bring up difficult feelings, particularly if you have personal experience with this group. That's a completely understandable response — what many members go through is genuinely harmful.
It's also worth noting that the overall score presented here is an average. Regardless of where a group sits on the scale, a single adverse experience — like being deceived, manipulated, or pressured even once — can be genuinely traumatic and deserving of support.
If you'd like help making sense of your experience, Renée offers specialised online counselling for survivors of high-control groups. Renée's counselling is built around understanding exactly how groups like this operate.
Pentecostal Christrian
Bible Salvation Assembly
Also known as Roman Catholic Church, Holy Catholic Church, Latin Church, Universal Church, or Western Church
Revival Centres Australia founded by Lloyd Longfield (1958). Specific details about leadership is limited.
1994 -
Launceston, Tasmania
Estimated followers: approximately 180 individuals present during services.
Summary of Beliefs
Ideologically, Falun Gong is characterized by its anti-materialist, anti-modern stance, and a worldview that sees the moral decay of society as a central threat to human existence. Li Hongzhi rejects modern science, medicine, feminism, and homosexuality, portraying them as degenerate influences. The movement holds that spiritual purification through practice is the only path to salvation, and that those who oppose Falun Gong are aligned with demonic forces. Despite its spiritual facade, Falun Gong’s rigid belief system, absolutist morality, and the centralization of power around Li have led many scholars and cult-watchers to classify it as a high-demand, authoritarian group rather than a benign meditative practice.
Analysis Using Renée's Cult Ranking
1. Authoritative Leadership
Score: 3
Reports suggest a centralised leadership structure with a long-standing pastor exerting significant control over the congregation. An account describes the pastor as having “ruled the church with an iron fist for 40 years,” indicating a high level of authority.
2. Control Over Information
Score: 2
The church is described as a closed community, implying restricted access to external information and limited transparency about its practices.
3. Deception
Score: 1
There is insufficient public information to determine the presence of deceptive practices. However, the lack of transparency may contribute to perceptions of deception.
4. Exclusive Knowledge
Score: 2
Affiliation with the Revival Centres Australia suggests adherence to specific doctrines that may be presented as exclusive truths. The insular nature of the community may reinforce the belief in possessing unique spiritual insights.
5. Exploitation
Score: 2
While there are no formal allegations, anecdotal reports describe an atmosphere of control and fear, which may indicate psychological or emotional exploitation.
6. Fear, Guilt, & Intimidation
Score: 3
Personal accounts depict a culture of fear and intimidation, with visitors feeling unwelcome and scrutinised. One individual recounted being met with “hard-faced men” and sensing an “air of control and fear” upon entering the church.
7. Isolation
Score: 2
The church’s closed nature and reports of a congregation composed largely of interrelated families suggest a degree of social isolation from the broader community.
8. Micro-Management of Daily Tasks
Score: 1
There is limited information on the extent of control over members’ daily lives. However, the described atmosphere may imply some level of behavioural regulation.
9. Monitoring Thoughts & Behaviours
Score: 2
Accounts of visitors feeling closely watched and judged suggest a culture of monitoring and conformity within the congregation.
10. Punishment & Discipline
Score: 1
No specific instances of punitive measures are documented. However, the described environment may employ subtle forms of social or emotional discipline.
11. Thought Reform
Score: 2
The church’s affiliation with a revivalist movement and reports of a controlling atmosphere may indicate efforts to influence or reform members’ beliefs and behaviours.
12. Us vs. Them Mentality
Score: 2
The insular nature of the community and emphasis on specific doctrines may foster an “us versus them” mindset, distinguishing members from outsiders.
Total Score: 23/36
Overall Cult Ranking: 6. Cult
Based on Renée’s cult ranking system, the Bible Salvation Assembly scores 21 out of 36, placing it at Level 6: Cult, which is indicative of a high control group. This classification suggests significant control over members, including authoritative leadership, restricted information access, and a culture of fear and isolation. While not formally labeled as a cult, the group’s characteristics align with high-control group behaviours.
Further Reading
Blogs:
Reflecting on NAIDOC Week 2024: Examining the Role of Major Churches in Aboriginal History
Church Act of 1836: The Reason Why Australia is a Secular Country Today
Understanding Cults: The Evolution of Perspectives on Coercion and Control
“Confess, Comply, Conform”: How Cults Weaponise Forced Confession and Public Shaming
IS IT A CULT?: Response from
Bible Salvation Assembly
No known response.
Support available for anyone impacted by a high-control groups or relationships, and want to speak to someone who understands coercive control and the road to recovery
These assessments evaluate group dynamics, particularly patterns associated with coercive control. They are not determinations about whether any individual has or has not experienced trauma, abuse, or harm. Personal impact varies widely. Coercive control often develops through an accumulation of influences rather than a single event, though specific moments — such as discovering deception or betrayal — can themselves be deeply distressing or traumatic. If your experiences in a group have affected your wellbeing, support from a trauma-informed counsellor or therapist can be an important step toward understanding, healing, and regaining a sense of autonomy. Assessments provided here are conducted using Renée's Cult Ranking system and reflect her personal opinions, which are based on online sources and personal testimonies. Renée acknowledges that groups can change over time, for better or worse, and that individual experiences within any given group can vary. Renée is open to respectful discussions and encourages diverse perspectives to foster a better understanding of matters raised.