Former 'Two by Twos' members allege church abuse: 'Horror in the Heartland'

Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673.

(NewsNation) — Former members of a religious group known as the "Two by Twos" are speaking out, accusing church leaders of abuse and misuse of power.

In this week’s episode of NewsNation’s “Horror in the Heartland,” Hena Doba digs into the allegations that have sparked an FBI investigation amid growing calls for accountability.  

Sheri Autrey and Andy Scholl are two former members who are speaking out. They tell NewsNation that what happened behind closed doors went unchecked for years.

“It is literally an organization that protects and promotes the pedophiles, and so to become, to remain a member of that, I don't want any association with that,” Autrey said.

Inside this hidden movement, questioning leadership wasn't just discouraged; it was dangerous. Members were taught that obedience was salvation.

“We are trained to respect the workers like they are the sent ones of God. They are anointed of God,” Scholl said. “They've left their home. They've sacrificed so much for the gospel’s sake, and because of that, people would overlook so much of us.”

Even now, some still defend it, unable to see how deep the control really went,

“There are some people that I guarantee you, even if they're listening to this, they just like, No, it's really not… well, they're just people, or they're just imperfect people too, and they're just this and that I'm like, no, no, no, no. It goes way deeper than that,” Scholl said.

For those who lived it, the cost of silence was unbearable.

“People that were not in the ministry don't really understand how weird and dysfunctional it was and is in the ministry,” Scholl said.

Autrey says the truth had to come out, no matter the price.

“I just have always felt that somewhere, somehow, someday, I would tell my story, if it helps one person get help, not feel alone, if it protects one child. What happened to me was completely worth it,” Autrey said.

A secretive faith empire, the silence that protected it and the voices breaking through. “Horror in the Heartland” unravels these stories and more every Wednesday at 3 p.m. on NewsNation’s YouTube channel.