Chain of Command part 3

Chain of Command part 3

From PRETEND by Creative Babble, LLC

May 26, 2026 · 34 min · Season 26 · Episode 3

About this episode

This episode explores the experiences of individuals raised in the New Testament Christian Churches of America, focusing on issues of sexual assault and the church's stance on reporting abuse.

In part three of Chain of Command, we hear from those who grew up in the New Testament Christian Churches of America. From Victor Johanson, a former Army soldier who confirms on tape that NTCC ministers got vasectomies because children would interfere with their ministry. From a woman we're calling Kaylee, who was raised inside the church and was groomed and assaulted by a family member who was also an NTCC minister. And we look at how the church's CEO, Michael Kekel, has publicly stated at one point that no church is under a legal obligation to report child abuse. This episode discusses sexual assault and the grooming of minors. Please take care while listening. Want to keep going? Bonus episodes featuring the full unedited conversations with Victor Johanson and Kaylee are available right now on PRETEND+ on Apple Podcasts and on Patreon. You'll get bonus episodes and full access to the PRETEND archive. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio Resources mentioned in this episode: Stay Away From NTCC (former member YouTube channel run by Tracy Pelfrey) The Mountain News (Bruce Smith's reporting on…

People in this episode

Guests: Victor Johanson, Kaylee

Topics covered

  • sexual assault
  • grooming of minors
  • religious abuse
  • New Testament Christian Churches
  • child protection
  • military support

Keywords

  • NTCC
  • sexual assault
  • child abuse
  • military support
  • grooming
  • religious groups
  • victim support

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Testament Christian Churches of America, Military OneSource, Stay Away From NTCC, The Mountain News, Washington State Senate

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