This podcast is interview styles of survivors, members and ex members of the IFB community discussing the good the bad and the ugly of the IFB. IFB stands for Independent Fundamental Baptist.
Jay was sent to Agape Boarding School under the belief that he needed to be “fixed.”
He shares that, in his heart, he believes he was sent away in an attempt to “pray the gay away” — a decision rooted in fear, theology, and misunderstanding. What his parents may not have realized is that sending him to an all-boys boarding school would become one of the most traumatic chapters of his life.
In this deeply honest conversation, Jay opens up about the abuse he endured at Agape — being physically attacked, jumped by other students, spiritually manipulated by staff, and living in an environment fueled by shame and control.
Jay also bravely speaks about sexual abuse and the lasting trauma that follows — the confusion, the silence, and the long road toward healing.
Olivia and Jay have an important conversation about the lack of love shown to the LGBTQ+ community within certain Christian spaces, and what it truly means to reflect Christ. They discuss the difference between faith and fear, accountability and condemnation, and how Christians should treat every human being with dignity and compassion.
This episode is not about politics.
It’s about humanity.
It’s about what happens when identity is treated like a sin instead of a person.
Jay’s story is raw, courageous, and necessary.
18 Feb 2026
From Foster Care to Agape
Ron was just 12 years old when he was sent to Agape Boarding School in Washington State in the mid-1990s — years before the school relocated to Missouri.
In this deeply vulnerable episode, Ron speaks publicly for the very first time about his experience.
Before Agape, Ron’s life was already marked by instability, navigating foster care and searching for safety in a system that failed him more than once. But what awaited him at Agape would compound that trauma.
Ron opens up about the horrific abuse he endured at the hands of staff — and the dangerous culture inside the school where older boys often preyed on younger ones. He bravely shares about the sexual abuse he experienced at Agape and later at another ranch program he was sent to after leaving.
This is not an easy conversation.
It is raw. It is painful. And it is necessary.
Ron’s story is a reminder that abuse at Agape did not begin in Missouri. It existed long before — and it impacted children who were already vulnerable.
By speaking out for the first time, Ron is choosing courage over silence. His voice joins a growing number of survivors who are breaking decades of secrecy to say:
You are not alone.
18 Feb 2026
Surviving Both Sides of Agape
James was sent to Agape Boarding School as a teenager — a decision that would change the trajectory of his life.
In this episode, James shares what it felt like to be sent away and subjected to the physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse that defined the culture of Agape. He opens up about the fear-based environment, the punishments, and the trauma he and so many other boys endured.
But James’ story takes a complicated turn.
After aging out, he remained at Agape and was hired as a staff member. For six months, he saw the system from the inside — not just as a student, but as someone expected to enforce the very structure that once harmed him.
And then he was fired.
Not for misconduct.
Not for breaking rules.
But because he “wasn’t mean enough.”
James discusses what that experience revealed about the inner workings of Agape, the expectations placed on staff, and the culture of control that thrived behind closed doors. He also shares insight into the filming of Teen Torture Inc., the legislative process surrounding the bill that was eventually signed, and his thoughts on the closure of the school.
We talk about what it means to survive something that was designed to break you — and what he would say today to those who once tried.
This episode sheds light on the systemic nature of abuse at Agape and why closing a building does not close the wounds left behind.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
22 ratings
Spotify
4.0 / 5
27 ratings
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