Michael Travesser / Wayne Bent — Strong City
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- Michael Travesser / Wayne Bent -- Strong City
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Documentary: End of the World Cult
On Dec. 12, 2007, British TV station Channel 4 broadcast a documentary about Michael Travesser (real name: Wayne Bent) — leader of Strong City (more recently referred to as “The Lord Our Righteousness Church”).
Strong City is a cult, as defined both theologically and sociologically [See the difference between the theological and the sociological definitions of the term 'cult'].
Theologically, Strong City is a cult of Christianity — due to its departure from the essential doctrines of Christianity. In addition, the cult’s practices included many cult-like elements (sociologically), and fall outside the norms of acceptable Christian behavior.
Measured by the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, cult leader Michael Travesser — real name, Wayne Bent — is consider to be a heretic.
Michael Travesser says he’s the Messiah and that God has told him the world will end with an apocalyptic event at midnight on 31 October 2007.
As leader of a cult in a remote corner of New Mexico called Strong City, this 66-year-old former sailor, previously called Wayne Bent, has spent nearly 20 years preparing his 56 unquestioning and devoted followers for Doomsday. They say they are all preparing for death, to go to a better place.
In this Channel 4 programme, filmmaker Ben Anthony goes into the heart of the cult to discover how Michael exerts his influence. He hears teenage girls talking about desiring sex with their leader, discovers that this sexual activity extended to Travesser’s own daughter-in-law, and meets parents who have left the cult and are desperately trying to prise their children from his grip. Strong City has come to the attention of the FBI, who are keeping a watchful eye on the group.
- Source: The End of the World Cult, Channel 4, UK, Dec. 12, 2007
Wayne Bent’s Background
Bent said he grew up in Compton, Calif., and joined the Navy Reserves when he was 18. After a two-year stay with the military, he got married and had three children.
One of them is Jeff Bent, who now lives on the Union County property with his father and is extremely loyal.
Wayne Bent said he smoked for nine years, drank the occasional beer and was a fan of Southern California professional sports teams, such as the Dodgers and the then-Los Angeles Rams. He also liked to hunt.
But, in 1967, he had a religious conversion and all that changed.
“All I know is my desires changed, and I didn’t want to do those things anymore,” he said.
He earned a master’s degree in religion at Loma Linda University and became a minister. As it became clear that he was devoting his life to God, he said, his wife left him in 1981 after 19 years of marriage.
“She was never happy to be with a converted husband,” Bent said. “But she did the best she could for 19 years.”
He moved to Idaho in 1982, where he was a pastor for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He left the church in 1987 after having a falling out with a fellow pastor there.
Bent continued to preach and lead seminars teaching the Adventist faith until 2000, when he says God told him to move to New Mexico. His role here changed, he said, that July morning when God spoke to him.
Bent said God gave him three Bible verses during that moment that forever changed him.
“I wasn’t just Pastor Bent,” he said. “Now I was Messiah; and the people knew it.”
Bent spoke matter-of-factly about his transformation, pausing to acknowledge most people doubt his claims.
“I know how unbelievable it sounds, but that is how it happened,” he said. “I know how crazy it is.”
- Source: ‘Messiah’ and His Followers Fast As His Trial Approaches, Vic Vela, Albuequerque Journal (New Mexico, USA), Oct. 26, 2008
Michael Travesser / Wayne Bent – Research Resources
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The Apologetics Index (apologeticsindex.org) 'family of web sites' provides 40,870+ pages of research resources on religious cults, sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, apologetics-, anticult-, and countercult organizations, doctrines, religious practices and world views. These resources reflect a variety of theological and/or sociological perspectives. [More Info]
