WICHITA FALLS ( KFDX/KJTL ) — Following the testimony of two women who were allegedly molested as children by a Wichita Falls pastor, multiple witnesses claim the church is actually a cult from the stand.

Ronnie Allen Killingsworth, 78, of Wichita Falls, stands accused of six counts of indecency with a child by contact stemming from incidents involving three alleged child victims that occurred between 2000 and 2011.

Killingsworth is the founder and “pastor-teacher” of Rephidim Church in Wichita Falls. According to previous testimony, Killingsworth was a pastor at a Southern Baptist church in Wichita County before leaving with several members of the congregation to start Rephidim, a church that multiple witnesses have referred to as a cult.

If the jury of seven men and five women find Killingsworth guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the six counts alleged in the indictment.

Testimony began on Wednesday afternoon, May 1, 2024, in the 78th District Court, with Judge Meredith Kennedy presiding. Bill Vassar and Dayve Jo Estes with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office have served as special prosecutors in this case, while Chuck Smith and Ron Poole have served as defense counsel for Killingsworth.

Stepfather of victim regrets trusting Rephidim pastor

On Thursday morning, following testimony from two alleged victims, the prosecution called a victim’s stepfather to the witness stand. The victim’s stepfather testified that he married the victim’s mother following the death of her biological father.

The victim’s stepfather testified that he learned of the alleged abuse from his wife and that he preferred not to know the details. He testified that of his wife’s two children, he had a closer relationship with the victim, who was the younger of his wife’s daughters.

The victim’s stepfather said he and his wife left Rephidim Church “quietly” after learning of the alleged sexual abuse of his stepdaughter. He testified that he didn’t file a civil lawsuit against Killingsworth or Rephidim Church.

According to the victim’s stepfather’s testimony, he’d taken the victim deer hunting when she was 8 or 9 years old, and she’d shot her first deer. He said Killingsworth’s son, Allen Killingsworth, a detective with the Wichita Falls Police Department, processed the deer’s head to be mounted, and that the “pastor-teacher” had made a mount for the head.

The victim’s stepfather testified that Killingsworth asked him if he could take his stepdaughter into his office to present the mounted deer to her, and he let the child go into his office alone because he respected Killingsworth and wrongfully trusted him.

With tears in his eyes and a breaking voice, the victim’s stepfather testified the extreme guilt he still feels to this day after learning what really happened inside Killingsworth’s office.

“I’m supposed to be the protector of my family,” the victim’s stepfather lamented from the stand.

The victim’s stepfather then testified that shortly after he and the victim’s mother were married, he helped with the construction of “The Farm”, an encampment built near Thornberry in Clay County that was later revealed to be a “Y2K Camp” intended to prepare and protect the members of Rephidim Church from the impending end of days.

According to the testimony of the victim’s stepfather, he began questioning Rephidim Church and the teachings of Killingsworth around 2014 or 2015. He testified that Killingsworth’s teachings had become more “off the wall”, and that he taught the congregation that Jesus Christ would return to earth on a UFO.

The victim’s stepfather testified that his fact checks of Killingsworth’s teachings didn’t quite add up, but he feared leaving the church because he was worried his wife, who was born into Rephidim Church, would leave him.

The victim’s stepfather testified Killingsworth had control over the entire congregation and that people who questioned Killingsworth to his face were either told to shut up or removed from the church.

Third alleged victim of Killingsworth tells her story

Following a recess of the Court for lunch, the prosecution called the third alleged victim, now in her 30s, to testify. She said from the witness stand that when she was a child, Killingsworth touched her inappropriately in his office.

The third victim testified that she suffered from severe ADHD as a child and that she did not behave. She testified that her mother, a member of Rephidim Church, had Killingsworth assist her in disciplining her for her bad behavior.

The third victim testified that Killingsworth told her no one would believe her if she told them what had happened. She said when she tried to tell her mother, she was hit in the face.

The victim testified she was afraid to notify the police of the abuse because Killingsworth “was the police,” claiming Killingsworth was still close friends with police officers and that his son, Allen Killingsworth, was an active duty police officer in Wichita Falls.

According to the third victim’s testimony, she left the church when she was 14 years old, at which time her mother separated from her. She testified she lived with friends until she was 16 when she was legally emancipated.

According to the victim’s testimony, she did not want to testify against Killingsworth, but she couldn’t allow him to “get away with it.”

“I’m wholly uncomfortable being here and every part of my body wants to run, but it’s been too long and he doesn’t get to get away with it,” the alleged victim testified.

The third victim testified that Killingsworth himself admitted to having guns under the pulpit because he was worried that former members or criminals he’d put away while he was a police officer would come back to Rephidim Church and seek revenge.

The third alleged victim testified that Rephidim Church and its members kept guns and “doomsday supplies” at The Farm for The Rapture or the prophesied end of days.

Former Rephidim Church members take the stand

Vassar then called several former members of Rephidim Church to testify, the first of which was the aunt of the two alleged victims who testified on Thursday morning.

The victim’s aunt testified that her mother had been one of the founding members of Rephidim Church who followed Killingsworth from the Southern Baptist congregation in Wichita County when he founded Rephidim. She said she attended Rephidim for 48 years, from the time she was 4 years old until the year 2016.

The witness testified that she was part of an “inner circle” and occasionally worked in the Rephidim Church office. She testified she observed Killingsworth assist with disciplining children in his office.

The witness testified that it was considered an honor for Rephidim Church members, including children, to be called back into Killingsworth’s office. She testified that highly sexual topics were taught at the church from the time she was a child.

The victim’s aunt then testified that the Rephidim Church congregation was like her family prior to her departure in 2016. She testified that about three-fourths of the members of the gallery in the courtroom were still members of Rephidim Church.

Another former Rephidim Church member took the stand. She testified she left the church after a contentious divorce with her former husband, who was also a member of the congregation.

The former member testified that she and her ex-husband have a son together and that her former spouse is still a member of Rephidim Church. She said she’s afraid of possible retaliation from church members due to her testifying against Killingsworth.

According to the former member’s testimony, she left Rephidim Church in 2016 because she felt it had become dangerous to her. She said she testified for the prosecution because she was an adult when two of the alleged victims were children, and she wanted to ensure the women felt supported.

The former member testified that Killingsworth had set multiple dates for a “Rapture” that never happened and that things stopped adding up for her prior to her departure. She testified she wouldn’t use the word “church” to describe Killingsworth’s congregation, but rather, a cult.

Day 3 of testimony concludes with former Texas Ranger

The final witness to take the stand for the prosecution on Thursday afternoon was Jacob Weaver, a former Texas Ranger who investigated the allegations against Killingsworth until 2022, when he transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Weaver testified that he was given Killingsworth’s case because the victims and their families were afraid to take the case to the Wichita Falls Police Department because Killingsworth’s son is an investigator with the police.

Weaver then gave a timeline of the interviews he conducted during his investigation, explaining the gaps in progress between late 2020 and 2022 occurred due to multiple other investigations he was involved with.

When asked by the prosecution if Rephidim seemed like a church, Weaver responded, “I’d say it’s a cult.”

Weaver testified that Allen Killingworth, the son of the pastor-teacher, contacted him regarding the investigation into his father. Weaver testified that he identified not as Killingsworth’s son, but as an investigator with WFPD.

Weaver testified that he did not confirm or deny to Allen Killingsworth that he was investigating his father.

Chuck Smith of Killingsworth’s defense counsel began cross-examining Weaver regarding the timeline of his investigation and interviews he conducted with either the victims or family members of the victims until proceedings were concluded on Thursday.

Testimony continues with expert testimony on Friday

Testimony is set to resume at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024, in the 78th District Court, with Weaver returning to the stand for Killingsworth’s defense team to conclude cross-examination.

The prosecution has indicated that it intends to call an expert witness to take the stand on Friday. They said on Thursday afternoon they hope to rest their case after lunch on Friday, at which time Killingsworth’s defense will present its case.

Digital Reporter Josh Hoggard will be live blogging Friday’s proceedings on Texoma’s Homepage.

This is a developing story. Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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