Stewart Trail 10-10-2018 unconfirmed death ?

Oct11

Received word through the x-cobu grapevine today 10-11-2018 that Stewart Trail died in his sleep last night.

Checked searches but no word as of yet. Wonder if it will make the news or even be in searches, other than through those of us who were once concerned or a part of the Forever Family  – Church of Bible Understanding known as the FF and the COBU.

Any one out there have any confirmation?

UPDATE: I was notified by his son that he did die and there was a memorial held as well.

8 thoughts on “Stewart Trail 10-10-2018 unconfirmed death ?”

  1. my name is Rae Sunshine Lee. When I was married to my first husband, we were members of the FF, in Cleveland, Ohio. We were there when the name changed to the COBU, but soon after we left. I have good memories from the FF, but I know if went cult-ish after we left. So glad I missed that. God bless you all, and I pray you survived. Peace. Sunshine

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  2. Hi Sunshine! Yes it did ~ Once they began taking over everyone’s paychecks and closing fellowships and sending everyone to NYC, they commenced the brain washing and manipulation of scriptures through Stewart. I left July 76 skipping the Big Meeting but went to NYC to try to appeal to Stewart thinking it was the Center Leader who was doing wrong but found out there that it was happening to all the centers at Stewart’s direction. I had previously talked to Stewart around Feb when he had come to Center City we were both up late one night and he said to me that they would do anything he told them to do as they didnt rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them but that they relied on him.For a moment it seemed as if he felt burdened by their trust , yet history proved he manipulated their trust and laid shipwreck to many souls in the years that followed.

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    • And there in lies the sadness. As for me, I ended up with a man who became my third husband, and we have been together for almost 40 years. We went through the Way Ministry for awhile, til it succumbed to stupidity, but we survived. God got us through. As I said, I hope everyone got through it, and I am so sorry Stewart went stupid.
      Peace
      Sunshine

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    • That’s just it Ave. Stewart never wanted to be the heavy. He knew it was all about the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t about him. His purpose was to preach Christ crucified. It was up to each individual to find and make it personal with Jesus.
      Stewart had no control over that. (you can lead a horse to water etc)
      Stewart never wanted to be a king of anything.
      “perceiving then that they wanted to take Him by force and make Him king..he withdrew..”

      Look at all the church leader’s today who want to make it all about themselves.
      These are the people you want to stay away from.
      Many found Jesus through Stewart’s teaching’s.
      Myself included.

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      • Hi Joseph, We were in around the same time, when it was still Forever Family. We also got out before things got as bad as they eventually did. While I respect your opinion for the time frame in which you were a member and I also recall my own personal conversations with Stewart at Center City and then how it all transformed leading to older members and leaders leaving, many were later harmed by what evolved into and some are still in recovery.
        I was already a Christian when I joined, a “CC” per FF terms lol, often used as a description of a Church Christian and under the counter used as a label for being what they considered a Contentious Christian.
        Stewart had asked to be prayed for after the first 1000 meeting and after Shirley left.By the Spring of 1976 the change began after the name change on Jan 1976 meeting.Starting the initial food coop was based on my conversations with Stewart but once the salaries began to be collected and food being bought in bulk, it wasnt really off to a good start as money was also being directed for larger real estate purchases and people worked harder and longer hours and were manipulated to learn to do without, to sacrifice what they had and feel reluctance to ask for a need to be met. It basically became a slave labor force for many.
        Over time t here were some improvements but then there was also a culling, a way to embrace those easy to control and to drive away any who might question too much.
        Stewart is now dead. We are all getting older as well and for those who managed to make peace with the memories of their own situations when in COBU, I pray for their continued success and growth.
        My husband was also in FF/COBU having joined in 1973 and was briefly a Center Leader and a Leader in Center City and Reading at different times and was close with Stewart during the familial unrest and eventual breakup with Shirley and the evolving of his relationship with Gayle leading to their eventual marriage.
        We struggled for years after leaving COBU and while we agreed on many spiritual things and biblical understanding, we saw the deviations springing up in Stewarts teachings and were blessed to get beyond those.
        Yes when it was Forever Family, is when I learned better ways to read and understand the bible! We definitely learned more there in the early days than most would learn in churches! It was with great regret to see t he group deteriorate after the July 76 Big Meeting. My husband actually went back for a few months in the mid 1990s and we were all invited to move back ‘in’ but by then it was totally different and didnt provide the environment we needed for the continued spiritual growth of our children.We did visit from time to time and used to be in contact with Joy Ivey as well but lost touch over the passed 15 years or so.
        God bless you and your family 🙂 Ave

  3. It cut me off. Cathy has been faithful to Jesus all this time. We both have struggled like all born again Christians do but he is faithfull even when we fall. I think Stewart and Gail were very motivated and kind people. Cathy and I went to marriage counseling with Stewart and Gail and Joy and Phoebe, Sheila Davis, Bobby & Patty Whipple and Jerry Fair and his wife. We needed help with our marriage and I will always respect them all for their help. I saw a great work in Stewart. He was impatient with all the politics but he was a help to most of us. I still believe to this day that the Jesus I followed then is the same one I follow now. I love Jesus and i for one needed desperately the work we all did. Leading people to Jesus raising new Christians and getting grounded in the bible is the best Christian Fellowship I have ever had. I do not regret getting saved and following Jesus and working as a brother in the Church of Bible Understanding. I hope you are all well and faithful. If not when you are staring at your popcorn ceiling call out to Jesus and ask him to forgive your sins and he will. No job to big or small for Jesus.

    Love,
    Tim and Cathy Jones

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  4. Thank you Joseph Collingsworth and Tim Jones. I joined the FF in 1974 and left in 1988. And yes I lived in Uniontown and Canton Ohio with Stewart. Gayle was my room mate. She never stayed in Stewart’s Room at night during the whole time that I lived there, despite gossip to the contrary. I did much transcription work and research for Stewart and helped organize his tapes. So I listened to many of his tapes. I also spent a lot of time in his room because he also had me do odd jobs for him.
    I had some personal conversations with him and He is the one that convinced me that God loves me.
    He also gave me some advice concerning helping my father rededicate (which he did just before he died.)
    Since I did many of Stewart’s notes for the meetings, I remember what he taught and it wasn’t what some people say that he taught. I also remember when he told us that we needed to read the church fathers because we didn’t understand Christianity. He suggested Eusebius, John Bunyan, John Wesley, Martin Luther, the AnteNicean fathers and and many others. Among more contemporary Christians he suggested were C.S. Lewis, David Wilkerson, and Richard Wurmbrand. I remember that Richard Wurmbrand and Harlan Popov spoke at some of our meetings. I also remember when we saw the movie Pilgrim’s Progress at a Big Meeting. (The old movie with Liam Neeson on the cross.)
    I never told anyone, but I once overheard Stewart talking to Shirley. He said, “If you really can’t stand living with me then don’t. I’ll get you your own home and the children can live with you. You will never have to see me again. I’ll break off with Gayle only don’t leave Jesus. What will you do 100 years from now?” I won’t quote her even though I remember what she said, but it was basically that there is no 100 years from now. I won’t say anything further because I don’t want to malign her. But she did leave him before he got involved with Gayle. Which I definitely agree that he should have waited until the divorce was final. But then again “He who is without sin among you, cast the first stone.”
    To Tim and Cathy Jones if you are from Ohio, I think I know you. I remember you were such a cute, sweet couple. I’m so glad that you’re still together. You may remember me. My maiden name is Sharon Worstell.

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