Catherine Grove Returns to Church of Wells, Set to Marry Fellow Church Member

LUFKIN — Word came in Wednesday that an Arkansas native who was at the center of a controversy involving the Church of Wells has returned to the church and is engaged to be married to a fellow church member. That’s according to the Lufkin Daily News. The deep East Texas newspaper reports Catherine Grove intends to marry Ronnie Saltsman. Grove told the news outlet Ronnie proposed to her on her birthday, January 15. The couple hasn’t set a date, but she says she wants to marry her fiance in the church’s new building once construction is complete.

With the help of a passerby and local law enforcement, the 28-year-old Grove recently left the church, based in the southern Cherokee County city of Wells, and reunited with her family. KETK reports Grove left Lufkin for Arkansas with her father about 2:00 a.m. on Good Friday, April 3. The family said it had long been praying for Catherine’s safe return from the church, described by many as a cult. Family members said they were especially thankful the reunion came during Easter weekend. They had no immediate response to the news that Grove was going back to the church.

The church’s Jacob Gardner told KETK, “As you all have probably heard, Catherine is back and is doing well, by God’s grace. We are requesting the day to consider what step we will be taking with you all, and plan on contacting you all again in the morning, Lord willing.” Grove disappeared from her Arkansas home in July 2013.