Concerned Christians member leaves doomsday group

Associated Press/April 4, 1999

DENVER -- A member of a doomsday cult whose members left the Denver area last year in anticipation of the Second Coming reportedly has withdrawn from the group.

John Bayles left the Concerned Christians and returned to his family in Pennsylvania, where he is undergoing counseling, according to KCNC-TV.

The Denver Rocky Mountain News also reported Bayles' secession from the group but said he may have gone to New Jersey.

"To go to a family he's been told is Satan (by fellow cult members) is a big step," said Denver police officer Mark Roggeman, who has been tracking the Concerned Christians.

Bayles was among 14 cult members who were rounded up by police in Israel in January on grounds they planned to commit acts of violence near Jerusalem holy sites in hopes of triggering a bloody Armageddon that would bring about the return of Christ.

Bayles appeared in court in Israel and said he never planned to harm anyone. Appearing in court with Bayles -- then listed as a Denver resident -- were Terry Smith, 42, of Eagle, and Eric Malesic, 36, of Westminster.

All 14 cult members were deported to Denver, where they stayed in a downtown hotel until leaving in early February. Members of the cult were later reported in Greece.

Last fall, more than 70 Concerned Christians members left the Denver area when their leader, Monte Kim Miller, predicted a catastrophe would befall the city.

Miller, 44, has claimed that God was using him as a vehicle to speak to his followers. His whereabouts are not known.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.