Abandoned cult mansion in the Berkshires- former home of The Bible Speaks (Lenox, MA)
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- Опубліковано 26 жов 2021
- "The Bible Speaks cult, based from 1978 to 1987, had their headquarters here in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The Rev. Carl Henry Stevens Jr., founder of the church, and later of the Greater Grace World Outreach in Baltimore, died in June 2008. After a $5.5 million lawsuit prompted Stevens to leave The Bible Speaks’ sprawling campus following his declaration of bankruptcy, he formed Greater Grace in Baltimore. Stevens’ ministry was marked by controversy, with former members alleging that the church practiced mind control, sexual misconduct, child molestation, fraud and extortion."
An interesting note about the Spring Lawn mansion which was one of the many summer cottages built in the Berkshires in 1904 - "It was one of the first buildings designed by noted architect Guy Lowell, who later went on to design the New York State Supreme Court Building, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Charles River Dam in Boston."
**Video courtesy of CBS 60 Minutes, photos courtesy of Berkshire Eagle / Associated Press. Intended as copyright Fair Use for educational purposes. I do not own this content. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
#abandoned #urbex #newengland #berkshires #massachusetts #exploring
It's hard to believe decent military veterans are homeless while these places and empty malls exist all over America.
Thanks Obama
@@RoastBeefQueefSniffer…I’m conservative, and I agree with him. What do you think Jesus would say?
@@Batya-Grace I don't honestly care what Jesus would say.
Lay not up for treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume everything, and where thieves break through and steal;
But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break through or steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21
Thank you! I grew up in this cult and unfortunately my parents are still in it. It is in Baltimore, Maryland since 1987 and it now called Greater Grace World Outreach and the Bible "college" is called Maryland Bible College and Seminary and the call in show is called Grace Hour. They are still quite active. I spoke out last year in December and it has been made known to me that members and leadership are quite angry with me including my own parents. I have no regrets and they need to be shut down.
I’m so sorry. I hope one day they’ll wake up. 🥺
Interesting term “cult”. Apparently you have a self-contrived definition of the word because TBS/GGWO is simply a Bible believing, doctrinally “Baptist” church. Guess you have quite a hateful prejudice!
Same here. My parents were members of an affiliated church in Swansea, Ma. Members from the Lennox group would visit us and vice versa several times year when I was a boy in the mid 80s. So strange to think of it all now
Carl Stevens was surely a False Bible Teacher.
However I don't agree GGWO is a CULT.
Yes - they are abberent in Theology which becomes Sociologically Cultic when a Charismatic personality takes over as a Pastor of the Church.
Then they become - Rule Laden.
They are definitely Sound in Theology atleast Basic Doctrine.
But Sociologically become cultic.
They are not FULL BLOWN
Cult
@@TheClearpuddle whereabouts in Swansea?
Life experience has taught me the folks who preach it the most are the folks who practise it the least.
I talk about God everyday on Facebook, and I also practice it the best I can, because none of us are perfect. Everyday is a sanctifying journey for Christians.
The true Christian still makes mistakes, and occasionally falls down, sometimes flat on their face even, but the true Christian doesn’t stay down. They don’t play in the mud, because it’s no longer enjoyable like it used to be, and yes, sin used to be fun when Satan was our father, but now that God is our father, we no longer enjoy it.
The true Christian also learn from their mistakes, unlike false believers, and they grow in grace and faith just like any honest person would grow mentally or intellectually.
Christians are not perfect people. That’s where many go wrong. Some people have put Christians on a pedestal, and then when some of them fall down, they have no backbone to stand. Their identity was in a person, but not the person of God.
The Christian walk is about our own relationship with God, not living life through others. We aren’t saved by our parents faith, nor our pastors faith, or our best friend’s faith. We must have our own.
You cannot judge a whole faith based upon your world view, and bad life experiences within some Churches, or individual Christians. There are billions of people in this world with their own life experiences, some good, and some bad. I have had bad experiences too, even some horrible experiences in the church. Our faith and trust must be in God, not man.
People fall away from faith when they never trusted God, but it’s a learning process. We all get hurt by our leaders at times. God uses this to show us how to lean on him alone, if we are open to him and his Word, because even if the leader is in error, God’s Word is always true.
If our whole identity is in the leader of a church, then he falls, and everyone falls along with him. Their identity was in man, not God, but When your leader is Jesus Christ, you aren’t putting your faith, or trust in fallible man. You also aren’t blaming God for negative experiences within, or without the church, and we know that the church is not the only place of pain and abuse, but if you are following Jesus Christ, and the church leader falls, you remain a Pillar of strength, knowing God is true, God is good, and God is faithful in your life.
At 14:49 you should add text "Throne Words". It would be a great inside joke for those who attended the Bible Speaks Ministry. Lol.
Great video. Just some advice, when you go and search these properties, bring friends, family, you never know what you will run into 🤪. Take care and be safe!
So weird to see this -- it was my dormitory in 1961-62, when it was part of The Lenox School for Boys (run by the Episcopal Church), long before the charlatans of "The Bible Speaks" took over the property and ruined it. You entered my room at 13:49 -- the marble fireplace is still there, but the built-in glass bookcases in the alcoves to the left and right of it are gone; also, the door into the adjoining room to the left near the windows was evidently taken out. You briefly showed the shaft of the rope-driven elevator at 13:19, but you completely missed the "secret panel" behind the base of the serpentine staircase! (It was installed during Prohibition...so was obscured for obvious reasons.) There were tennis courts at the base of grand exterior staircase. It was a lovely building in decent condition when I was a student there, and sad to see how it has deteriorated. Unfortunately, in my youth, I took it all for granted and didn't appreciate the grandeur of it all! What a shame it has fallen into such disrepair.
Martin- thank you so much for your comment. Really cool to hear from someone who lived here & experienced the property in its glory. Bummer I missed the hidden panel, how neat it was put in during prohibition… Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for sharing Your story. I live for I live for the comment section to learn more.
Martin, do I know you? Doubtful.. you were before me. I think of my father walking in the front door to argue with Dr Curry that I should graduate. The dread of the headmaster office (just to the left from the front door) if those walls could talk.
I don't think so, John -- the name is not familiar. I pretty much severed ties with the school after leaving, although we did have some fun class reunions. I graduated in '63. I don't know why I went there, actually...I was neither a gifted student nor an athlete -- and I've been an atheist ever since!
@Martin Bryan we have a decent alumni association. You were gone by the time I got there in 65. The alum association is actually fun. Lots of atheists because of the theology classes. Knowledge is power. LOL
What a cool building!!!!! Very interesting history behind the place. Just subscribed too!!!!
Thank you, Jay!!!
Gotta be the worst toupee I have ever seen.
Loved your content tho thank you from Michigan. 🤗🤗
Bro, I've been there! It's crazy seeing a place by me online. Glad you enjoyed it. Awesome area with lots of history.
What's the address?
Whats the address? I can’t find it
It was headquartered in an array of buildings around Kemble Street (Springlawn mansion, Ventfort Hall and most of what is now Shakespeare & Company were all absorbed into the Bible Speaks community).
Technically it's 2 Kemble St., but the overhead view from google maps makes the building look like it's numbered "10". Please don't trash it, that's all I ask. :)
I loved this thanks for sharing
Thank you for watching, Judy!
I was the one who unscrewed that board where you entered, since they had recently boarded up the window on the southeast side that Tanglewood students used to enter through.
You are very strong girl.... Very interesting video.. Thank you... From Jordan 💞💞
Schermerhorn Hall was the classiest of the buildings that comprised the dormitories of Lenox School for Boys, from 1926 through 1971. Financial betrayal or mismanagement ended with the school trying to make a union with a New Jersey military academy, Bordentown, which (speaking as one of the Lenox School boys with Vietnam service-- I think we all were enlisted, none drafted) during the Vietnam war did not fly. This was the most significant use of the property until the present occupants of the grounds, Shakespeare and Company, took it over in (I think) 2005.
We Lenox School graduates who survive and return to the old school for our reunions are very grateful that, in time, the place that deeply affected many of us, including myself, became property with another worthwhile and valuable use. The Bible Speaks was an ephemeral, transitory, perhaps pseudo-religious organization which never amounted to near as much as this tour of Schermerhorn seems to make of it. I would suggest that future chroniclers of the building, grounds and history, please see either Shakespeare and Company, or some of us Lenox graduates.
William P. Homans III
Lenox School for Boys, 1965-68
I know you posted this months ago, but I wanted to tell you this was fascinating to watch. As soon as you showed the building in the video I was thinking, "That's Schermerhorn." I never knew it was called Spring Lawn. My family joined The Bible Speaks in the mid 1980s when I was in elementary school and we moved to Massachusetts to be part of the church (ahem, cult). We lived just outside Lenox at first but after a year we moved onto the main part of the campus (the part which is now owned by Shakespeare & Company, if I'm not mistaken) into one of the family dormitories. Every winter we would sled down the long hill behind Schermerhorn (we called it Schermerhorn Hill, for obvious reasons). It was the best hill ever for sledding! Down at the bottom of the hill to the left there was a path through the woods to the main campus and the building we lived in was just on the other side of the woods. I don't remember the second building you went into; I was never in there that I recall (I was never inside Spring Lawn either, just used the hill a lot to sled on!). Our Bible school classrooms for K through 12 were on the main part of the campus. Back before Shakespeare & Company bought the campus my husband and I drove through it sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s, just so I could take a trip down memory lane. I've always wanted to explore all the buildings I never got to see inside as a child, so the fact that you showed me a glimpse inside Schermerhorn is something I'm grateful to you for. I'm glad that raccoon didn't bite you! I've long since left that church (again, for obvious reasons) but it was a huge part of my childhood. So thank you!
Wow, this is fascinating to read, thank you for sharing!! You are correct, Shakespeare & company owns the rest of the Bible Speaks campus now. The history of these buildings & the organization itself was pretty incredible to dig into and I am grateful to hear a first hand account like yours. Thank you :-)
I went to that school as well. K thru 5th grade and I lived on campus with my grandmother who worked as a bookkeeper there. That hill was amazing! There was a tennis court at bottom of hill
My family lived on this campus for about 4 years in the 70's. I was just a kid and don't remember ever being inside the Schermerhorn building, but I definitely remember sledding down the hill! My family lived in the building at the front (I think) and I believe the building was called St Martins... it had the post office and a small store.... I think maybe the girls dorm was also in the building? I would have loved to see the inside of that building :)
I was also at this church and school in the mid 80's, and we used to slide down that hill on a slip and slide made of black trash bags. They used to run a couple hoses down it, and I'll tell you there was never a better ride than that one. Except when you slid off the bags at the bottom of the hill and kept going for a while. 🤣
Very similar experience here from the Swansea church. Did the trip there just to look around a few years ago. Spooky and fascinating.
This place is haunted. I know, I spent a summer there as a camp counselor around 1989. It was haunted, factually speaking. We thought a poltergeist.
I believe it!
Factually haunted? I question your scientific conclusions without evidence.
@@davidabrinton…The fact is, you question her without knowing all the facts. That alone proves you’re not a man of research. Why didn’t you just ask for the information?
@@Batya-Grace Your conclusion that I do no research is weak. I was questioning @butchpilgrim2 claiming "It was haunted, factually speaking".
Factually haunted? I question their scientific conclusions without presenting FACTS of evidence. Maybe you could share those FACTS with me.
@@davidabrinton …I’m well aware of what you were questioning. That is why I responded. You could have asked for evidence first. Maybe they would have happily obliged, but you came at her with accusations instead. It doesn’t make for a good recipe of conversation. Your approach needs work. I don’t know her facts because I was not there. I did attend kindergarten and first grade there, but it was a different building.
I stayed here in the back (down the hill), where there was an awfully decrepit dormitory, while playing in the BU Tanglewood Institue Orchestra. The Bible Speaks members fed us in the main house/mansion and it was most disgusting. The dormitory was dirty, nasty and just totally filthy and smelly. I loved my summer there at Tanglewood but had such a negative experience in this place.
Great Video
I wish you had slowed down on taking you video. I saw a glimpse of a beautiful ceiling and so much more that you missed. I would have loved to renovate this place and make it my home. I really loved the outside.
This man was certainly another Jim Jones crazy man. So sad how this man could lead the people to believe all his lies. We know what the Bible says about false prophets.😔.
Cathy🌻
I know much of the history of the Bible Speaks and Carl Stevens. Comments here comparing Carl Stevens to Jim Jones are entirely absurd. Everything is not simply black and white, and while Stevens did some bad stuff, anyone who compares him to Jim Jones is more than ignorant and lacking any knowledge of the two individuals.
A comparison to jim jones is based on both using cult behavior tactics. Carl stevens didn't kill anyone like jim jones did but he certainly used a lot of cultish behavior by trying to emotionally manipulate people and abuse his power as a pastor to get people to do things. And this behavior was learned then copied by other people and leaders in the church in very negative ways. Some leaders may have done some good but others definitely abused their power. Those that were smart and strong minded might have been able to avoid being hurt but many people that are/were especially vulnerable had their lives ruined by it and followed blindly instead of sticking to teachings of the bible.
Hence the comparison.
@@lamorenalindacopswife The difference goes far beyond "killing people". Jim Jones was more of a communist socialist experiment where Carl Stevens ran a Bible believing Church using his position of power to control. Stevens did manipulate people and abused the "Word of God", which did ruin some peoples lives, but Stevens control over people paled in comparison to Jim Jones
I remember Jim Jones and have read about and watched several documentaries and the differences are night and day. I actually knew Carl Stevens for several years and while I understand outsiders making the comparison, making that comparison is very misleading. I would NEVER compare Stevens to Jones, and would compare Stevens more to a corrupt politician or a bad company boss than to Jim Jones.
I remember visiting this place as a child. They would have a yearly convention of all the affiliated churches across the world. My family went to an affiliated church in Rhode Island. I was too young to know anything about the controversy.
Very interesting to hear, thank you for sharing!
@@lindseycdI left this ministry but have never experienced anything bad
I really enjoyed the tour through this historic building but it would have been a bit better if you would have done more panning around . I was excited to see that interesting tub you mentioned but disappointed you didn't Pan to your left and let us get a good look at it.
Thank you for the feedback! You’re right on the panning- I’m trying to work on slowing down & being more mindful with the camera :-) appreciate it!
@@lindseycd Problem and I didn't realize at the risk of being caught, you do have to hustle! ☺
Strange, it looks abandoned, yet it has power (lit up Exit signs, thermostat looked a little more modern and looked like it had power...).
I thought the same thing. I assume someone owns it and may or may not be waiting to do something with it. Would love to see it saved and restored
I went to the elementary school from K to 5th grade. I lived on campus and was In Schermerhorn every day because my grandmother worked in the office. My aunt got married inside as well.
I guess the description of an abandoned cult mansion gets a lot more views, but for 46 years, it was part of the Lenox School campus. Then the Bible speaks, then the National Music Foundation, then Shakespear & Co.. they sold the North part of the campus for other than use by a not-for-profit a while ago o. I lived in this building as part of The Lenox School For Boys.. The Bible Speaks was only there for a few years. I lived there from 1967-68.. I've been through the building within the last few years.
As a matter of fact , the display case with post cards on it belongs to our alumi association. The other building was a stable. We also used it as a dorm. The Lenox School failed in 1971. Most of the building is the same as it always was and not vhsngrd by the cult.. it was from Lenox School. The school was founded in 1926. Shakespeare & Co sold that part of the campus 5 or 6 years ago. The Kemble Inn next door was my dorm 1965-66.
24:04 😆 oh no! Whew
Looks cool!
That's a good real estate property.. interesting history
It was 88 acres but who knows what was sold to whom
Daryl hall would probably buy it and fix it up if he knew about it.He buys properties and is such a nice man.
I went to Kindergarten and first grade there. I believe I was only ever in Shermerhorn for school lunch.
Your mirror reflection was a great - jump scare...
Lol love this
yeah it got me too 😹
The building looks sound. Hopefully it can and save. Before mother nature takes hold.
That property needs maintenance
So big house and nobody not use.What waste
Oh please don't do these vids by yourself. Way to dangerous
This bs I went there for years never seen any ofthat
Hello, great explore!
Keep them coming!! Brandon abandoned
Thanks Brandon! Checking out your page now!!
@@lindseycd awesome, I appreciate the support! 👍🏻And again the great video! Im subscribed so I'll be watching you videos as they come out and can't wait!! 👍🏻
sell your home no way
Well Jimmy Baker went to prison for the things he did. He got out, came to Branson and started all over again. People will fall for it unfortunately!
Asbestos roof. Must be why he threatened people with throat cancer. Just kidding.
there is still alot of original architectural features even through the countless renovations through its lifetime
Beautiful building it could b restored she had good bones. ✌🇺🇸
You could have been one of these followers, it seems they only let people with good hair join.
You dont worship the pasture,you worship God. Too many false prophets,with Satans agenda. I don't know the bible by heart and I'm a sinner but I have faith in our Lord God. I'm a believer and have taken the Lord as my personal savior. I will never put faith ,love into a clergyman. I don't trust them. Just a fact. I pray to God. Only.
Wish I could win a big lottery.
This deceiver is possessed👿
Fake churches will crumble
60 mins., you Lie like a rug...🙄🙄🙄. I've been to Lenox, back in the 70's, to a women's conference. I was in my early 20's, but I had friends that want to that Bible college. I still remember the sermon that Pastor Carl Stevens preached. I still have a few daily devotionals he wrote, that changed my life, & I enCouraged others with that message.
Social media is all about Slamming Christian Pastors, & calling any ministry a Cult..., putting it all on tv, & trying to turn away anyone from being a Christian. 🙄
The LORD REIGNS.
I was an involved member there for over ten years and left on bad terms. I do not believe they were a cult but had some cult-like characteristics. Most of my memories are good and I will never regret my time there as I have a better understanding of the complexities involved, while most commenting here are merely speculating. I believe Pastor Carl Stevens was mostly sincere but was enticed by the allure of greatness through church building. Unlike most people here I did know the man and had conversations with him. 60 Minutes did speak much truth but was biased in their telling and twisting of truth.
The woman says cool tub. Door ECT. But never slows down to really show it. Blows by it all too fast. 1 out of 10