Introducing: PRETEND: Chain of Command Part 1

About this episode

The episode explores the story of Sarah DeJonghe, a former Navy Seabee who became involved with a church perceived by some as a cult.

In 1996, Sarah DeJonghe was a 20-year-old Navy Seabee stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Two guys in uniform approached her on base and invited her to church. She said no. They came back anyway. Four months later, Sarah was out of the Navy and on her way to a Bible seminary in Washington State. She didn't see it coming. Neither did the dozens of other military members who found themselves drawn into the New Testament Christian Churches of America, a church that has spent decades planting itself outside US military bases around the world, marketing itself as a home away from home for single, lonely soldiers. Former members say it's a cult. *** Listen to PRETEND now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chain-of-command-part-1/id1245307962 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Topics covered

• military
• religion
• cult
• personal story
• Navy
• Okinawa
• faith

Keywords

• Navy Seabee
• cult
• Okinawa
• New Testament Christian Churches
• military base
• religion
• personal narrative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Testament Christian Churches of America

Places: Okinawa, Japan, Washington State

More episodes of Nobody Should Believe Me

• Introducing: Aaron | Betrayal Weekly · June 12, 2026 · 57 min
• Kyle's Story · June 11, 2026 · 1h 22m
• What We Get Wrong About Abuse and How to Prevent It with Dr. Jackie Campbell · June 4, 2026 · 1h 5m
• S07 E10: The Stakes · May 28, 2026 · 1h 18m
• S07 E09: Who America Considers a Family · May 21, 2026 · 1h 21m
• S07 E08: Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory · May 14, 2026 · 1h 20m