Rev. Kenneth Garrett, MDiv., DMin, is senior pastor of Grace Church, Portland, OR. For 12 years Ken and his wife Sharon belonged to an abusive, controlling church in which their life-choices, beliefs, and behaviors were increasingly brought under the control of church leaders. Ken and Sharon left church in 1996 with their three daughters. Ken attended seminary and has completed post-graduate research in spiritual abuse as it occurs in Christian churches. Ken and Sharon now enjoy many opportunities to counsel and care for survivors of abusive churches from the Portland-metro area and have established the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE), a regular gathering to promote friendship and education for survivors of spiritual abuse. Ken's book, In the House of Friends: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Abuse in the Christian Church, (Wipf and Stock Press, 2020) describes the inner workings of high-control churches, the pastors who lead them, and the process of leaving and recovering from the abuse inflicted by such churches.

Ashlen Weltz (Hilliard), MSc (she/her) is a Cult Intervention Specialist and the founder of People Leave Cults. She has been featured on NewsNation, HuffPost, BET+, and more!

As a Cult Intervention Specialist, Ashlen collaborates with a team of experts to offer guidance and support to families with loved ones entangled in cult-like groups or relationships. She works closely with these families to craft tailored intervention and recovery strategies. Ashlen firmly believes in a non-coercive approach that empowers clients and their families to make informed decisions.

Ashlen graduated with her MSc in the Psychology of Coercive Control in early 2022 with Distinction and conducted the first exploratory quantitative research on the relationship between reproductive coercion, psychologically abusive environments, and the extent of group identity in a sample of those who have left cultic groups [soon to be published in the International Journal
of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation].

Prior to founding People Leave Cults, Ashlen gained valuable experience in the cult recovery field by working directly with individuals seeking to leave polygamist communities in the Western United States. She later assumed the role of Director of Events for the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA), successfully organizing workshops, webinars, and conferences to
cater to the diverse needs of professionals and individuals affected by the cult phenomenon.

Ashlen has also been a volunteer co-organizer of the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education (SAFE) Meetups in Portland, Oregon since 2020. She recently organized her second conference for survivors and helping professionals in the Pacific Northwest, which successfully connected individuals from all across the country in May 2024.

Ashlen has exciting plans for the future of People Leave Cults, as she continues to explore ways to meet the diverse needs of those affected by coercive environments. She hopes to grow her network and create opportunities for up-and-coming cult specialists. As a member of the queer community, Ashlen is thrilled to be part of the new wave of helping professionals in the cult recovery field.

Kent Burtner, M. Div., M.A., served as a Roman Catholic priest of the Dominican Order for 20 years, resigning from the priesthood in 1994. He subsequently served as program manager for an interfaith social-services agency, director of the agency’s Cult Resource Center, public-information officer for a local county public-health department, and parish business manager. A published author, Kent has also lectured extensively in the United States, Canada and Spain. In 1983, he received the Leo J. Ryan Award from the Cult Awareness Network for his work educating the public about cults and thought-reform programs. Kent makes his home in Portland, Oregon and as a pastoral counselor has consulted with more than a thousand individuals or families about the cult affiliations of their loved ones and about adjusting to life after leaving a cult or other high-control group. wkburtner@aol.com.

Sharon and Ken escaped an abusive, high-control “bible-based” church in 1996. Sharon has a keen interest in all matters related to healing and recovery from spiritual use. She’s played a major role in helping spiritual abuse survivors find recovery over the past 25 years. Sharon is a natural people connector and community builder! If you are interested in helping with our SAFE meetups, Sharon is the person to contact! Sharon also serves as Director of Community Outreach at her church and manages its guest house. She and Ken have three daughters and five grandchildren. She and Ken founded the Spiritual Abuse Forum for Education after finding their community lacked a comfortable, open forum for people from all walks of life to meet other survivors of abuse in a spiritual/religious setting and pursue healthy recovery.