Unsolved:Faith Assembly Church of Wilmot, Indiana
Faith Assembly Church was a multi-church sect headquartered in Wilmot, Indiana, founded in 1973 by Rev. Hobart Freeman. The group had associated groups across Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The church originated in a barn on a farm near North Webster, Indiana, called "The Glory Barn". During the 1980s they had 2,000 members. The church taught strict adherence to faith healing, and taught that medicine was evil. By 1983, at least 91 of its members, mostly children, had died as a result of refusing medical treatment.[1][2] Multiple investigations were launched and ultimately Freeman was indicted on charges relating to the death of a 15-year-old in the congregation in October, 1984. Freeman said he believed he wouldn't die because of his faith in his teachings. Freeman died in December 1984 at age 64, after refusing medical treatment for a personal illness.[3]
Faith Assembly had the highest number of child fatalities due to medical neglect, out of all US churches.[4][5]
References
- ↑ "New Documentary 'Children of Faith Assembly' Takes on Controversial Faith-Healing Church Connected to 91 Deaths". Christian Post. April 16, 2015. https://www.christianpost.com/news/new-documentary-children-of-faith-assembly-takes-on-controversial-faith-healing-church-connected-to-91-deaths.html.
- ↑ "At least 52 people have died". UPI. May 2, 1983. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/05/02/At-least-52-people-have-died-for-lack-of/3692420696000/.
- ↑ "Hobart Freeman Dies; Indicted Head of a Sect". New York Times. December 10, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/10/obituaries/hobart-freeman-dies-indicted-head-of-a-sect.html.
- ↑ Peters, Shawn Francis (2007-11-14). When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0922.2009.01328_7.x. ISBN 978-0195306354. "Asser and Swan documented fatalities among twenty-three religious denominations in thirty-four states. Many of the churches were small, and some of their names were unfamiliar to most mainstream Christians. The obscure Faith Assembly had the dubious honor of recording the greatest number of neglect-related fatalities among members of any church—sixty-four. The more widely known Church of Christ, Scientist (commonly known as the Christian Science Church) came in second place in this bleak race with a total of twenty-eight deaths."
- ↑ Asser, Seth M.; Swan, Rita (1998-04-01). "Child Fatalities From Religion-motivated Medical Neglect.". Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics) 101 (4): 625–629. doi:10.1542/peds.101.4.625. https://www.childrenshealthcare.org/PDF%20Files/Pediatricsarticle.pdf. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
Table 4 lists child fatalities per church, attributing the highest number of deaths (64) to Faith Assembly. The data in this article covered all US religious institutions from 1975 to 1995.
External links
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