Behind Closed Doors

For the first time ever, a reclaimed survivor of REACH Inc. tells the inside story of "The Holyland", headed by Bishop Luke Edwards and the harsh reality of what happens there...Kelissa's memoir documents an unforgettable account of one of the most extreme cases of child abuse. At the age of 5 Kelissa had her first alcoholic drink and was sexually abused at the hands of her stepfather as her mother was forced to watch. She learned to tap into her inner survivor as she navigated her way into adolescence. Kelissa had never been out of the State of Michigan until one day at the age of 16 she found herself pregnant and trying not to get caught by the social worker who was looking to place her back into foster care. While dealing with all of this she was also being pressured to help in a murder investigation by the police concerning her unborn baby's father who was incarcerated. Almost overnight she made the decision to protect her and her unborn baby. She packed up, left the life she knew, and boarded a bus headed south on September 3rd, 1984. Arriving to find herself secretly recruited to a religious commune over 1000 miles away from home where she became a follower and "The Holyland" compound became her home in Emelle, Alabama. Upon meeting the man who called himself "The Bishop" for the first time he came across as very nice and welcoming.She soon found out that this was a ruse. Over a decade had passed before Kelissa became frustrated with how her life was going, dealing with the criminal things that were happening to her, and watching the unprotected abuse happening to many of the adults and children. She remained there until Spring, 1994. In this book, Kelissa explores why so many people came to believe that "The Bishop" was truly divinely inspired. You'll meet some of the men, women and children of "The Holyland" . You'll get an inside look into the day-to-day life of the community. You will also get to look at life inside a cult from the stand point of a survivor. Not forgetting to mention that this was government monitored and licensed compound.... " I wonder sometimes if I was really secretly recruited" Kelissa says....