A recent investigation has revealed disturbing practices within a secretive US-based religious group known as “The Truth,” where women were coerced into giving up their babies for adoption, some facing abuse and neglect in their new homes. The church, which operates without an official leader, had ministers referred to as “workers” spread its New Testament teachings. Many women, especially those unmarried and pregnant, were pressured to give up their children to avoid being ostracized and threatened with eternal damnation.
Women interviewed by the BBC described the intense pressure they faced, often believing that keeping their child would lead them to hell. One woman, Melanie Williams, recalled how, at 18, she was forced to give up her baby in 1981 after falling in love with a boy outside the church. She was told she could not return to church meetings unless she gave her child up for adoption. “If I keep this baby, I’m going to go to hell,” she remembered thinking. Her baby was taken away before she even had a chance to know its gender. For years, she wondered if her child had survived.
Another woman, Deb Adadjo, who became pregnant after being raped in 1988, was also pressured to give up her baby, fearing rejection from the church. She recalled her final moments with her newborn, holding her close and whispering, “I love you and I’m sorry,” before the adoption was completed.
The adoptions were orchestrated by Dr. Wally Baldwin, a member of the church who oversaw the placement of children, now referred to as “Baldwin Babies.” The exact number of children involved remains unclear, though Dr. Baldwin’s adopted son estimates it to be fewer than 200. Many of these children were placed in families where abuse was a common experience. Six Baldwin Babies spoke to the BBC, revealing instances of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by their adoptive families, with one even removed by social services after extreme abuse.
The lack of vetting in the adoption process exposed children to unsafe environments, with one woman recalling how she was moved from an abusive home only to face sexual abuse by another family within the church. Others described daily beatings and emotional trauma that persisted into their adult lives.
As more stories emerge, former members of the church have found solidarity in online communities, where Baldwin mothers and babies share their painful pasts and find comfort in knowing they are not alone.
