Survivors of Koresh's '93 standoff build new church

Howard News Service, December 22, 1999
By Penny Owen

Followers of David Koresh, who was killed in 1993 during a standoff with federal agents near Waco, Texas, are hoping to have a new church built by April.

The new church for the Branch Davidians is being built by volunteers who have hauled hammers, boards and cement in their pickups each Sunday for the last 14 weeks.

The scheduled opening of the church--which is contingent on more donations coming in--will be April 19, the seventh anniversary of the fire that ended the 51-day standoff between the religious sect and federal agents. In the end, about 80 Branch Davidians were killed, along with Koresh and four agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. About a dozen Branch Davidians are still in the Waco area. They have gathered to worship in each other's homes and in the tiny survivors' museum, a ramshackle building a few hundred yards from the original compound.

"Truth will always rise out of the ashes," said Edna Doyle, a Davidian who lives in a trailer on the 77-acre tract with her son, Clive, who survived the fire.

About $35,000 has been raised, but $50,000 more is needed to finish the church, said one volunteer.

One observer described the Davidian services as a "bland Bible study." The members call their Sabbath gatherings "meetings," not services, and consider them a time of serious study.

Davidians don't recruit members. Many of them believe that only a prophet, like Koresh, can make someone a member. They have no leader, so there can be no new members. They simply wait for Koresh to return for the resurrection.

Back To Spiritual Abuse in the Church & Isms

Legal Notice: The administration of this website was taken over about  September, 2004  by Med Trans 1, Inc.. The content on this site was the work of the late Jan Groenveld, and as such, Med Trans 1, Inc. is not knowledgeable about the specific content presented on this website, nor is responsible for any inaccuracies that may be discovered.

We wish to be fair to all parties involved, and there is no intent whatsoever to present inaccurate in formation.  Therefore, if any group or individual feels that information presented on this site is inaccurate, please contact us. If the information is proven to be inaccurate, it will be either changed or removed upon receipt of verifiable proof being supplied to us. Verifiable proof is defined as a disinterested source independent of your group such as newspaper, encyclopedia, public records and similar sources. 

Any group or individual who wishes to supply a rebuttal to any information presented on this site may do so at any time. The length of the rebuttal is to be no more in length (number of words) than the article or material being rebutted. The rebuttal is to be within an e-mail and not as an attachment. E-Mails with attachments are automatically deleted unread due to the large number of virus attacks we received in the past.

Literature, books etc. mailed to us will  be discarded unread unless we specifically requested the materials. Those who send mail that is abusive in nature or combative, will not receive a response from us. Nor will any article be debated or extensive discussions be engaged in regarding an article published.      

Any problems with the website, please contact the webmaster