Daughter's Harrowing Escape from Mother's Brutal Cult and Its Aftermath
Sarah Green, now 53 and living in Hawaii, vividly recalls the moment she realised the religious community she was raised in was deeply wrong. Her mother, Deborah Green, forced three women to live in a locked shed, renaming them Forsaken, Barren, and Despised as punishment for perceived sins. Sarah, despite being groomed to believe her mother was God's oracle, felt sickened and secretly sneaked food to the imprisoned women. This marked the beginning of her fear that she could be next on the chopping block.
Deborah Green, originally named Lila Carter, was a charismatic figure who founded the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (ACMTC) in Sacramento, California. Initially known as Free Love Ministries, it evolved into a controlling, army-like cult with Deborah and her husband Jim as generals. Deborah, who endured a difficult childhood and embraced her differences, presented herself as a vessel for God, manipulating followers with her claimed divine insights.
A Childhood Marred by Trauma and Control
Sarah's early years included a traumatic rape at age four by a caregiver in Mexico, which led the family to leave their missionary work and adopt a nomadic lifestyle. Initially, family life seemed functional, with Deborah being nurturing and teaching Sarah practical skills. However, in 1981, Deborah began hearing directly from God, leading to a descent into what Sarah describes as craziness.
Sarah was removed from school at age 10 and educated on the cult campus, where lessons quickly devolved into Bible studies only. Discipline was harsh, with Jim beating the children at Deborah's behest, using belts and withholding food. Sarah's story is detailed in Harrison Hill's book, The Oracle's Daughter, which recounts how she was whipped into submission and at times ate from trash cans.
Forced Marriages and Desperate Acts
At 14, Deborah tried to force Sarah into marriage with a male cult member, claiming it was God's will for her to have multiple children. Under pressure, Sarah agreed, but when her fiancé trapped her, she slit his arm with a blade in self-defence. This incident led to isolation and suicide attempts, as Sarah felt hunted like prey. She tried overdosing and starving herself, but her mother refused hospital treatment to avoid exposure.
In 1988, Maura, one of the women imprisoned in the shed, escaped and sued ACMTC, winning a $1.2 million judgment. The cult went on the run, moving through several states before settling in Fence Lake, New Mexico, where they built a compound. Conditions worsened, with children uneducated and illnesses untreated.
Trafficking and Escape to Freedom
Deborah, inspired by the Shakers, encouraged celibacy but sought to grow the cult by adopting children. In 1997, she and Jim traveled to Africa, devising a trafficking scheme where they paid struggling mothers to give up their babies. Sarah was sent to Uganda to collect a baby, Trinity, whom she raised as her own for two years alongside her biological sons, Josiah and Isaiah.
Trapped in a hated marriage and the cult, Sarah hatched an escape plan with a newcomer, Anthony, leaving her children behind—a decision that haunts her. She fled to Seattle, becoming homeless but valuing her newfound freedom. She later met Geoff, had a daughter, and in 2002 returned to the compound to retrieve her children, but Deborah refused, and Sarah never saw Josiah and Isaiah again.
Legal Battles and Ongoing Fear
In 2016, police contacted Sarah about a criminal case against her parents, involving charges of child abuse, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Deborah was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to 72 years for child rape, kidnapping, and abuse, plus 18 years for her role in the death of Enoch Miller, a boy denied medical care. Jim received 10 years, and Enoch's mother Stacey got nine years.
However, Deborah's conviction was vacated in 2020, and she was released in 2022 while awaiting retrial. In April 2025, the New Mexico supreme court reinstated her conviction for Enoch's death, but she had disappeared. Sarah fears Deborah may return to harm others and hopes her story in Hill's book raises awareness about cults and resources for escape.
Sarah, now reconnected with Trinity and living peacefully, reflects on her journey with a mix of tears and laughter, emphasising the importance of freedom and recovery from PTSD.
