She says she was encouraged to cut off contact with anyone outside the church, including her parents. "If you question the apostles, your salvation gets taken away from you. So you don't really dare, questioning them." Members who spoke to CBC say they lived in fear of the apostles, who say they have the ability to take away someone's salvation, according to Wall. Pastor Tobias Tissen, seen centre above, has a warrant out for his arrest for violating public health orders. Members of the Church of God Restoration gather for an in-person service on Sunday, June 6, 2021, near Sarto, Man. She alleged within a few months of joining the church, it felt like preachers turned their focus to instilling a fear of hell and enforcing the need for members of all ages to obey the ministry. Before long, she said, she could only see the scripture in their view. "There's a lot of brainwashing that goes on there," said Wall, who alleges the church interpreted the Bible to suit the organization's doctrines. She alleged the more restrictive measures started for her about four to six months after joining the church. Wall said the church discourages getting medical care during times of critical illness, promoting a doctrine of divine healing instead. Preachers instilled fear of hell: longtime member Tinsman said while the church is "kind of anti-modern medicine," any child that is seriously ill would be taken in for care. And if they didn't personally feel to do that, I would never, ever encourage it or expect it," he told the forum. "We've had my own family members who have died have done that from a very personal conviction. When asked at the forum if a member could face disciplinary action for getting medical care, Tinsman said that would happen "only in a case where someone would throw away something they once stood for." Tinsman, who hasn't returned multiple requests for an interview over the last month, spoke publicly in 2019 at a forum in Greenville, Ohio, about the church's doctrines, which include calling elders when someone is sick and letting the elders use prayer and an oil to heal. The church's website says anyone who is sick should call church elders and let them pray. Wall and another former member, Gloria Froese, said they had routine visits to dentists or chiropractors, but maintained that getting help during critical illness - which they never required - would have been forbidden. I remember when I saw that, oh, my fear of illnesses increased so bad.… It was like, every day, 'What if I get cancer? What if I get no treatment, no help, no nothing?'" She said she went back to the church three times that year before she finally decided to cut ties. Tina Wall left the Church of God in Restoration in 2019.
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