The following article appeared in The Knoxville News-Sentinel on April 3, 1997 

Electronic age brings on sinfulness, Oakmont School leaders believe

By David Keim, News-Sentinel staff writer

Oakmont School eschews computers out of a desire to promote a simple, Christian faith, two of its leaders said Wednesday.

Standing in the spring sunshine outside the nondescript red-brick school on Tazewell Pike in North Knoxville, administrator Floyd Rochat and Tom Holt, a director of the school, said the school aims to educate children free from those parts of the public school curriculum that clash with their beliefs.

The school has 21 students from sixth to 12th grade.

''We got out of the public schools to get away from computers, sex education, teaching of evolution,'' Rochat said. ''We didn't get completely out (of public schools) because our grades one through five are still there. . . . We don't know what we'll do in the future about grades one through five.'' Rochat said they've already been exempted from the state's ''family life'' curriculum, and new legislation would exempt the two-teacher school, and other private schools, from using computers.

''They're part of the electronic age . . . which is finally going to end up with the man of sin,'' Rochat explained. ''He's the one that's going to head up this whole evil side of the world system. (He'll) finally (be) consumed by the breath of the Lord Jesus Christ.''

Asked who supports the school, Holt said, ''Parents and friends of parents, basically.''

The men said their religious organization is ''worldwide'' but has no title. ''We don't take any name. We meet in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,'' Rochat said.

Asked where the group is headquartered, he said, ''Heaven.''

The men said their group's members don't have televisions or radios. Although they looked like most other men motoring around Fountain City on an April afternoon, the women inside the school wore long skirts and had long hair, typical of more conservative Christian believers.

He and Holt said the students will be able to find work despite not learning about computers. Neither Holt's greenhouse supply company, Sonne-gro Inc., nor another believer's firm, The Map Co., use computers, and both succeed, the men said.

''II Corinthians 6 says, 'Come out from among them and be separate, and I'll be a father to you, and you'll be sons and daughters,' '' Rochat said.

He said their beliefs are a simple application of Scripture.

Reported Keim contacted me on April 7, 1997, with the following message.

Mr. Wyman,
I'm a reporter in Knoxville, Tennessee for the daily paper, The Knoxville News-Sentinel. A local religious group here who would only say that they're "Christians" has requested state legislation exempting their school from state computer education requirements.
After our newspaper's initial report last week, four people contacted me to tell me these folks were the Plymouth Brethren. Subsequent research indicates they're actually a splinter of the Plymouth Brethren, evidently connected with James Taylor.
I wondered if you could help me get information on this group. My goal is to present as objectively and factually as possible what they believe. Right now, it seems they've become cultish and abusive of their power over members' lives. I'm willing to have that view challenged. Again, my goal is simply to present who this group is. I've reviewed your website. If you care to respond to this e-mail -- and while absolutely any information would be useful -- I'm specifically interested in the following:

• Information on Taylor's incident in Aberdeen around 1970 and its effect on the Brethren.
• Anyone who's authoritative on the Taylor sect.
• Anyone who knows and will speak on the record about the Knoxville group.
• Other media reports about the Brethren.
  Any help you care to provide will be greatly appreciated. My e-mail is david.keim@knoxnews.com. My phone number is 423-521-1827. I'd be glad to call back, to save your long distance charges.
  
  Thanks,
  David Keim
  reporter

I spoke with Mr. Keim by telephone. He said that after the original article was published, he was called by several people in the Knoxville area with horror stories about this group. He intends to publish a follow-up story.

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