Without A Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult

Author Susan Ashline's book Without A Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult was released on August 6, 2019. To punctuate the launch, a Q&A conversation and signing event was held at the Barnes & Noble store in New Hartford, NY. Susan led a question & answer discussion panel with individuals featured in the book: Anthony Sokolowski, who was an intern working on the case at the Oneida County District Attorney's office; Father Rich Dibble, an Anglican priest, who became an incredibly supportive friend to my father and our whole family; Helen Lehrer Leonard, who was present as a former member of WLCC; and myself.

The store sold-out of the copies they had ordered--55 copies being sold that evening. Another 20 copies were ordered by guests. I would estimate about 50 people attended the event.

My experience working with Susan Ashline on this book during the past 17 months has been memorable. Susan is a woman of great integrity and proved herself to be a friend in search of the truth. Below is the review I have written of the book.

Without A Prayer by Susan Ashline deftly broadens the scope of the true crime genre, delving into the intricacies of how and why noble people can become criminals within the confines of a religious cult. Readers must maintain an open mind throughout the book, giving attention to detail, as the author presents information that may appear convoluted at times, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. Readers will discover that going through the book a second time will afford even greater understanding, as many details will become incorporated to build the story.

Without A Prayer has already received excellent reviews, including prestigious starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. I offer this review with the disclaimer that I am neither a professional writer nor an avid reader. However, I am keenly invested as one whose story is presented in these pages. Lucas Leonard was my little brother.

I have read this book twice now, and I can say I have zero complaints. Susan Ashline immersed herself in the dramatic saga of the Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, NY, enabling her to create an accurate, thorough account from its shadowy origins to its explosive demise. Truly, the author has accomplished an incredible task. From an overwhelming amount of information she compiled a comprehensive yet highly readable work. She wove a tangled mess of threads into a cohesive tapestry, where the whole picture is visible, while each thread remains crucial.

Susan’s use of early sermon quotes to open chapters in part one of the book provides vital elements to set the mood and tone. The significant portions of actual dialog throughout the book deliver a frightening taste of the reality that existed inside the walls of Word of Life. The reader is offered a bird’s eye view and a zoom lens at the same time with perspectives from neighbors, acquaintances, former members, and words of inner-circle members plus the Irwins themselves.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that,” Susan Ashline’s Without A Prayer illuminates the evil that was hidden at the Word of Life Church, exposing the destructive mind control that resulted in the death of my brother. The tragic events of October 11-12, 2015, are unearthed as private communications are flayed for the world to see. The questions and suspicions long surrounding this story are addressed through the author’s skillful and persistent investigations.

This heartbreaking tale garnered international attention and generated far more questions than answers. Without a Prayer provides many of those missing answers, while offering justice to the victims and closure to a distraught community near and far.

 The book is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as many other fine booksellers.

 https://www.amazon.com/Without-Prayer-Leonard-Church-Became/dp/1643130722/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=without+a+prayer&qid=1565289070&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/without-a-prayer-susan-ashline/1129598917?ean=9781643130729#/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thunderings

Image
On October 12, 2015, a lightning bolt struck the destructive cult known as Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, NY. The information compiled here is in honor of the hero who released his strength in one powerful strike -- my brother, Lucas Benjamin Leonard. The shock waves of this explosion continue to ripple and resonate.   Anger rises with a chokehold clutching my trembling frame, smothering my soul with thick, black smoke. Caustic. Sorrow rushes with murky raging floods, a tsunami consuming me in anguish and confusion. Destructive. Questions churn violently in a cloud of ash overhead: “How?” “Why?” Abrasive. Toxic. Desperate, my eyes search for a glimpse of beauty to rise from these ashes, and once more, I see Lukey’s lightning bolt in the midst of the volcanic storm. I remember my promise to my baby brother, to my hero. “I will be your thunder.” Perhaps most importantly you will find answers from insider perspective to the who, why, an
Read more

Debi's Sentencing

Image
My step-mother, Deborah Wright Leonard was sentenced on February 6, 2017, to 5 years in New York state prison. Debi was the first to take a plea deal, which happened relatively early in the case--Dec. 2, 2015. The authentic Debi came forward for a brief period following her arrest and incarceration. When she was asked by Judge Michael Dwyer and the Oneida County District Attorney what the motivation was for the beatings of my brothers, she responded that Lucas had expressed a desire to leave Word of Life Church and had in fact attended a different church the previous August. ...He attended church with me. That was a big no-no, and Debi knew that. She told the judge that she was concerned about what would happen if Tiffanie Irwin found out. When I went to visit Debi in the Oneida County Correctional Facility, she revealed that she thought I had gone behind her and my father's backs to convince Luke to come with me to church. She was quite surprised to learn that Luke was the one who
Read more

Bruce's Sentencing

I have done difficult things. Many of these difficult things have been related to the death of my brother, Lucas Benjamin Leonard, on October 12, 2015. Speaking at our father's sentencing was definitely one of the most difficult. Our father, Bruce Leonard, was originally arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. I immediately knew that this was not an accurate reflection of the truth of what happened. The Grand Jury indicted him along with the other defendants on 13 counts, 6 of which were later dismissed. At the last minute, one day before his trial was to begin, Dad chose to plead guilty to 1st and 2nd degree assault. The sentence would be 15-16 years. Sarah Ferguson's trial did begin the next day. D.A. Scott McNamara asked me to speak on behalf of my father at his sentencing. Typically, the prosecution provides opportunities for victims to speak at the sentencing of a criminal, but Mr. McNamara understood the need for my father's true identity to be presente
Read more