Catherine Grove Leaves Church of Wells, Reunites with Family

LUFKIN — Officials say Catherine Grove, 28, has left the Church of Wells and is reunited with her family in Arkansas. According to KETK, Angelina County Sheriff’s Office Captain Alton Lenderman says Catherine left Lufkin for Fayetteville, Arkansas, with her father, Andy, around 2:00 a.m. Friday. Grove left Wells around 9:30 p.m. and was spotted by a passerby, a woman, walking on U.S. 69 toward Angelina County. The woman stopped to talk to her and recognized Catherine from past media reports.

Lenderman said his department then received two 911 calls. “[We] received two 911 calls around 9:30. The person calling identified herself as Catherine Groves and she was requesting a ride by the sheriff’s department to the women’s shelter and then another person called with the same information.” A deputy then responded to the scene and picked up Catherine.

After Catherine was taken back to the Sheriff’s Office, she told Lenderman she wanted to go to a women’s shelter, but they learned she did not meet specific criteria to qualify. Catherine then agreed to call her parents in order to find a safe place. Lenderman stated his office was not there to get involved with the situation, but to make sure Catherine was safe and doing what she wanted. “We would do whatever she wanted to do, we would help her in any way,” said lenderman. “I just wanted her to trust me and I wasn’t going to do anything she didn’t want to.”

After charging her phone, Catherine spoke with her father, who was in Denton, Texas, at the time. When Andy arrived, the two spoke in private, but she still refused to leave. At this point, Lenderman said he knew she didn’t’ want to return to the Church of Wells and stepped in to speak with Catherine on a personal level. “I told her a father is always a father and a daughter is always a daughter. Nothing changes that,” Lenderman told her. There was still one more problem. Andy had another passenger with him to help make the long drive. Once all parties had agreed for only Catherine and her father to drive back, the two began their journey home to Arkansas.

Sheriff Greg Sanches said Lenderman’s training was pivotal in keeping Catherine from leaving, as she had done in the past. “He is very versed in how to deal with people. I think that was a very important part of this to give her time and be patient,” said Sanches. Lenderman said Catherine spoke very little, but did leave with some parting words. “She said she couldn’t help me, I didn’t know God and that I never would.” Lenderman said. “She was just very disturbed and I didn’t want to disrespect her beliefs at that moment.”

It is almost a year to the day since KETK last spoke to Catherine at the annual Wells Homecoming Parade. According to witnesses and authorities who attended last year’s celebration, members of the Church of Wells, described as a cult by the surrounding communities, began taunting young children who were riding on floats during the parade. The members reportedly began shouting, “You’re going to hell,” to the kids and that is when a parent of one of the children said they took matters into their own hands. Punches were thrown and the squabble ultimately had to be broken up by law enforcement.

Friday morning, Catherine’s mother’s Facebook page was flooded with congratulatory messages and words of encouragement. Patricia posted the following after what was surely an emotional evening: “Dear friends we see your posts, your messages, your prayers, thank you, Our hearts rejoice. At this time our family is taking this time to maintain our privacy as our prayers are answered during this beautiful Easter celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection on the cross of Calvary.” Patricia also included Psalm 23 in the post. The Church of Wells has continually defended itself against allegations but had no immediate response to this latest development. The 26-year-old nursing student disappeared from her home in Fayetteville on July 2, 2013.