Deleted article

This article was published online in the Danish newspaper Udfordringen on October 29, 2023.

The article mentions 'René' (not his real name). After a phone call from René to the newspaper's editorial team, the article was retracted within 2 hours of publication, without consulting either Henri Nissen (the author) or Torben Sondergaard.

This is how it happened when a Danish Christian ended up in prison for 412 days without a sentence.

In this exclusive interview, Torben Sondergaard talks about his prolonged detention in prison in the USA. Lawyers are now on the trail of who was behind the false accusations that got him labeled a dangerous criminal.

By journalist Henri Nissen (Danish newspaper “Udfordringen”)

- Two ICE officers (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) led me into a small office and asked about my tax affairs and where I got my salary. I answered them that I get paid through our organization and pay taxes as usual. Then one said: "We’re asking because we've been told you're involved in arms smuggling from Mexico to the United States..."

- When they told me that, I thought it was so far-fetched that it is clear it is a misunderstanding, and there was nothing to fear.

But then they added: "So that's why you're not going home today." And then they put me up against the wall, put me in handcuffs, and led me into a cell. I was allowed to write down some phone numbers, and then they took my phone. They transferred me to another prison - with handcuffs and chains around my hands and feet like a dangerous criminal - and I was terrified…

That's how dramatically things went when the Danish preacher Torben Sondergaard was detained in Florida, USA.

He and his family had already been in the United States for 3½ years. They had escaped from a very hateful atmosphere in Denmark, which a TV2 series "God's Best Children" had whipped up against him by, among other things, mixing his christian work with Hedegaard's movement "Evangelist" and Ruth Evensen's sect "The Father house.”

Manipulation

– In the trailer for God's Best Children, they showed a boy in underpants. Birgit Boserup from The Children Welfare (Børns vilkår) commented: "It is clear to see that he is traumatized. This must be banned!” But he was not traumatized. It was a boy with autism during a meeting in London with baptism. He wanted to go to the pool and swim with the others. So he had removed his clothes to jump in the pool, and the mother said: "You mustn't.” But he got mad and started crying because he wasn't allowed to swim. And the TV team cut that scene together with images of people lying on the floor and being delivered, explains Torben.

- To date, I have not received a single complaint about children who have been traumatized. But the TV crew put these pictures together with pictures from the Father House, and I don't know what happened there. In society's eyes, I was already guilty because I followed what was said about me in the Parliament.

I could see that it was me they wanted to target. On TV, they discussed me and a new law that should work against "Mental abuse.” At the same time, they came to our home to speak with our girls, and we got scared and left.

Called for an interview

In the US, I shared with lawyers what had happened, and they encouraged us to apply for asylum. We did it and followed all the rules, so when 3½ years later I was called to a meeting about my asylum case, I wasn't nervous, says Torben.

- It is normal for foreigners to be called for an interview with Immigration after a few years. It didn't happen to me. But one day, I got an email saying I had to come to Florida for a meeting regarding my case. I lived in California at the time. The email was from the Department of Homeland Security. Now, I will finally have my interview. My lawyer said it wasn't the normal way to do it, and she saw a lot of red flags. She advised me not to go. But we Danes are dutiful, and I didn't want to live in the US without showing up for something I was summoned to. So I left and was very surprised to be arrested.

'I broke down'

Torben was placed in a room with 16-17 criminals and spent the first night in this terrifying way. He understood nothing. The next day, he was driven four hours to a prison in MacClenny.

It was definitely not a hotel. It was filthy, and I was shocked to see it. They locked me in an isolation cell without information. I found out later that it was because of Covid that I went into isolation, but no one said that. It was very uncomfortable to have the door closed behind me. And then I broke down..., says Torben, tears welling up in his eyes. He pauses briefly to regain his voice as we sit in a cottage on the west coast.

Kissed the Bible

- I had no phone, Bible, books, or anything to write with. I had nothing to do.

Three days later, someone came and gave me a Bible. I was so happy that I kissed and hugged it. It was an old King James translation of the Bible, which is not easy to read, but I read and read. After 11 days in this isolation, I was transferred to a 4-person cell.

In a cell with criminals

- Here, some criminal types had to stay until they were deported. Many of them were accused of murder. One of them had murdered a homeless man, and he was so mad that they found out who the homeless man was. Because if not, he would not have been sentenced to 10 years in prison. So he was mad but felt no remorse. Another had stabbed his boss in the back with a knife. Everyone spoke Spanish and not much English. But they shouted and screamed, and I felt uneasy. I'd rather be in solitary confinement than here.

A big and crazy guy started harassing me. I ended up alone with him because the other two in my cell were sent away. But then I was transferred to another dorm.

Hit rock bottom

- For the next three weeks, I was hitting rock bottom. I didn't understand what was going on. There was no information, and I had no idea what was happening.

I only had a date two months ahead when I had to go before a judge. Then, I was told that I had "overstayed" - found myself in the country illegally. But it wasn't true. I submitted my papers within three months and got a receipt, a Social Security number, and a driver's license. So it didn't make sense.

Prayed and fasted

In desperation, Torben began to fast. But after eleven days on only water, he fell ill because the water was bad. He started eating a little again. He started working out and got his body going. But he lost 20 kg during this terrible time.

- When I was moved to another 'dorm.’ There were no violent people there. It was more about immigration. So that way, it was better. But they all spoke Spanish, and our TV was in Spanish. When we played cards or did other things, Spanish was spoken. It wasn't easy. So, I kept to myself most of the time in my cell. It was a two-person cell, and I was often alone in the cell and only went out when I had to get food.

Where were the brothers?

In this sad and incomprehensible existence, Torben wondered why no one from the church in Denmark came to his aid. He knew very well that many had become angry with him because he had criticized the established churches and spoken of the need for a new reformation. Some of the way he did it, he regretted being here in prison. He has also broadcast a video in which he apologizes for his attitude towards the "church.” Because here in prison, he understood that all Christians need each other, especially in difficult times. And when one member suffers, all suffer, writes Paul. But it didn't feel that way. It could almost feel as if some were rubbing their hands over the fact that he had been taken out of the way and ended up in prison.

Difficult for Lene and the children

The wife, Lene, has gone on a long walk while I interview Torben. She does not want to unravel the traumatic case again. While Torben was suddenly arrested on an absurd charge of arms smuggling, she had to deal with a lot she was not used to.

- She had to choose lawyers. She had to find a new house and move. And then there was a man who had made a bunch of videos against us, and our lawyers wanted to know what the truth was. She had to watch many of those videos because she was the only one who could tell what was true or not. She had to answer many emails and make many decisions. And she could never call me. I could call her, but only when the phone was free. Gradually, the pressure became too much for her, and her body said stop. She could do no more. So she fell ill and had to go to the hospital.

Revival among prisoners

- I had prayed and prayed and felt that everything was black. But suddenly, God began to intervene. I got in touch with someone who knew English. They were the first to be saved in prison. And they became my interpreters when I started holding meetings for the Spanish-speaking inmates.

Some inmates had dreams and were converted, saved, healed, delivered, and baptized..., says Torben.

- Every time a man gave his life to Jesus, I took him up in front of the others, and then they told their testimony—one after another. I baptized five in one period with a cup of water on their head, and then they went into the shower. It was the only way we could do it. I taught them based on "Bible Discovery Groups,” a worldwide teaching method where we study the Bible together.

I found three men who knew English. I trained them in the morning, and the three became study group leaders in the afternoon for the others. At one point, 22 prisoners out of 25 took part in this training.

One of my good disciples was transferred to another dorm. And when I met him again, I found out that he had started a Bible group where he was. It also happened to others who had been moved. So it all grew and grew, and we had a great time!

At last, I no longer knew what to teach, for I had explained all the fundamental truths to the people. But one day, God told me, “Tell about Jesus from the Old Testament." I had never been good at that, but I could see that the apostles had done it. So I started doing that now. I went back to Creation, Abraham, David, and the covenants, and I did a study through the entire Bible.

With a security prison pen, which is soft because you are not allowed to use it as a weapon, I wrote it down into a book of over 300 A4 pages. I also used the time to write a diary and a testimony book.

I got to the point where I felt free even though I was in prison. I had read about Paul, Silas, and all the others and thought: "How can they handle it the way they do it?!" But now I tasted that same freedom and am thankful I didn't come out after just a few months. Because then I had come out with fear. And I would have warned everyone not to go the same way as me. But now I can say that God is faithful and has a plan with all of it. I have seen how He has used this to transform me and do a deep work in me.

Radical repentance

Torben grew up in Brande. His family were “Culture Christians.”

- We had no Bible in our home but sang a Christian song every Christmas Eve. I was working as a baker when a childhood friend suddenly became a devout Christian. My reaction was that he had gone crazy and brainwashed. I thought I had to save him from the sect he had joined!

One day in April 1995, I went with him to a meeting in a church in Brande. I became a Christian. And that changed everything for me!

My girlfriend at the time didn't want Jesus. So, I asked God to lead me to the right girl. A few months later, I was at a concert in a church in Aalborg, and I sensed that God said: "The girl standing behind you will be your wife one day." I turned around and saw Lene.

On the way home in the car, I told my friend Michael that I had just met my wife, but I didn't know her name, how old she was, or where she lived! But later, I got to know Lene, and we got married.

He immediately testified to his faith

- As soon as I was saved, I started talking about God. Lene and I had a fire to serve him. Some friends wanted to create a church in Ringkøbing, and Lene and I traveled there to join. We discovered it wasn't easy, and I still felt I was missing a lot. I read the Acts of the Apostles about the first Christians, but I had never experienced a healing. I spoke in tongues, but everything else I had not experienced. There, therefore, had to be more to life.

Therefore, I decided to fast for 40 days. After that time, miracles began to happen, and people were healed. On a TV show in 2002, I talked about my experience and prayed for the sick. And that was the start of an evangelist ministry.

Through the desert

- From 2004 – 2010, we were on a long desert walk when Lene also fell ill, and we lost our house. But God showed us new things, and many people came to faith. It was during that period that I wrote The Last Reformation book.

I started the Pioneer School, and my books were translated. Groups that said they were part of The Last Reformation sprung up. The first time I heard someone say that, I replied, “How can you be part of a book?” But the message resonated with many tired of just going to church. People wanted to do more, experience more, meet at home, and break bread. The thoughts spread, and it all grew. Gradually, I traveled a lot, also abroad.

In the last years in the US, Pioneer Schools have been in 30 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, and Peru – yes, countries where I have never been. In the US, growth is explosive.

The pioneer school

- In 2015, the former football player Peter Rasmussen bought a place in Aalborg, which we called the Jesus Hotel. After three years of teaching there, things had grown so much that the buildings were too small. In 2018, Peter bought the boarding school in Thisted, which we rented.

At the new location, we had students from 30 countries at once. We had two months of training and three weeks of training, and every team was full. That's how we did it for a year.

Manipulated TV series

- But then you got into trouble?

- Yes. I had done some TV programs with Bjarke Stender from TV2, and I thought he was a nice guy without ulterior motives. He set out to do something about The Last Reformation, repentance, and how people wanted something more with God. It wasn't until a while into the filming that I discovered he also focused on The Father House and Christian Hedegaard.

I have been criticized for everything Christian Hedegaard or The Father House have done. It has been an enormous frustration. I am not Christian; I am not the Father House. I don't want to be compared to them as we do things very differently. But in the program, it was all mixed up in a way where I was blamed for everything.

Who was behind it?

While Torben was in prison, a "legal team" tried to find out why he had ended up in jail.

In the United States, there is a lot of focus on Christians not being persecuted by the authorities. Here, you don’t look at whether you agree with a Christian preacher about theology or preaching style. It is about protecting the rights of Christians.

Because if you don't stand together and protect each other, you risk that the rights disappear according to the salami method.

Torben believes that his problems began in Aalborg in 2016.

A traitor in our midst

- A young Danish Pentecostal, whom we can call René, came to the Pioneer school and worked for us. His father was a Pentecostal pastor, and he was good at everything with technology, writing, translations, etc. So he became my friend and right-hand man.

But gradually, the atmosphere began to change at the Jesus Hotel. One day, Peter Rasmussen, who was on the board, said: “Torben, we have problems. And it's because of you.” He believed the only way we could save the movement was for me to step down. So, I was asked to leave The Last Reformation.

I went on a trip to the USA. Then Peter wrote: "Torben, I don't want to be part of this anymore. I will rent the buildings out to others because it became all about money and control after you stepped out. So I don't want to be part of this anymore.”

What happened next was very strange. I went for a walk and prayed: “God! Now it is all being destroyed.” But then God spoke to me and said: It was a test like with Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son. Now you get it all back. At that exact moment, Peter Rasmussen wrote: "Torben, I feel it has been a test, just like when Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac. We want you back!”

But the problems were still there. We then discovered that it was René who pitted everyone against each other. None of us had noticed. But he had run a game of manipulation and lies. I had even fired one of my friends, Filip, whom I had led to faith. But afterward, I learned that René wanted to get rid of him. He made the others speak badly of Philip.

When we discovered that René was behind it, I thought: "He must be fired!" I asked an employee to change all the codes in our system, and he did it in a few hours. Then I called and fired René.

Deleted years of work

- But a short time later, 'someone' logged into our systems somewhere where we forgot to change the code, and the person deleted everything on our servers, several years of work. Fortunately, our hosting company was able to get it back.

Rene had run a show and made a diary of what people said so he could use it to pit people against each other. And he was very close to becoming chairman of the organization if God had not spoken to Peter Rasmussen and me and revealed who René was.

Since then, René has fought me and has been the leading cause of many of my problems. He has not been public in his opposition but has sat behind and directed people. Just before 'God's Best Children' was broadcast, I discovered he was also involved. I called Bjarke and said I didn't want to participate anymore. But then I was bound by a contract with TV2, and besides, they had almost finished filming.

Danish evangelical church circles believe I put René on the street without pay, as he has also been very active in getting people against me. The true story was that he wrote his contract, which made him a white-collar worker. So it ended up that I had to pay him full salary for over a year while he was trying to destroy me. He also attempted to smear the Christian Trade Union on me but without success.

Used the authorities

- At the same time, other strange things happened: The municipality came and wanted to talk to our two girls. The police came to check the passports of all our employees. The fire authorities came. The Food Agency came and checked. Tax checked us. We had to present our papers over several years. They all had a report on us.

When the program was launched, it was very negative. There was an agenda behind it all. Some of those who took part were from the organization InsideOut. The manager had previously been the right hand of Ruth Evensen in the Fader House. She had started the organization to help people who had joined cults. When René was fired from us, he became their chairman sometime later, so he pulled many strings behind the scenes.

We were also visited by two undercover journalists who asked to be baptized, and they were. One was prayed with, and suddenly, he was lying on the floor as if he had met God and seemed happy.

The rich cheating man

- In the third program of God's Best Children, a person with a blurred face was seen. The person said he was very worried about a girl who did not get her medicine and, therefore, wanted to commit suicide. Here, the program ended.

The real story was that a young woman came to our center in Aalborg one day. She was in an illicit relationship with an older businessman who was married and had children. She became a student at the school, met God, and ended the relationship with the man.

It infuriated him.

Before I left for the USA, he sent me an e-mail in which he wrote: “Finally you are coming to the USA. Now, I can destroy you and put you in jail. I have contacts in Washington.”

In the following email, he wrote: "Torben, I have nothing against you; just tell me where Alice (not her real name) is." But Alice had changed her name and gone underground because she wanted to get away from the psychopath that he was.

This dangerous man, whom we can call Fritz, is a wealthy businessman from France. He got in touch with Rene, and we can now see they worked closely together to destroy me. René was the mastermind behind it. Torben later discovered that Fritz was a financier and lodge brother with contacts to the highest political bodies.

False information

- I discovered that my visa application had been canceled in the USA. A whistleblower has since told me that the immigration authorities had received a complaint that I abused children, took money from the sick, etc. The complaint contained the exact untrue words that I had experienced in Denmark.

Paul May was the third man who made negative videos against me on YouTube. He had attended our Pioneer School. But he stopped because we had some problems with him. Later, our lawyers had him questioned under oath for two days. During his explanation, the Danish René was repeatedly mentioned as the mastermind. René had told him a lot of untruths about me, which he easily believed because he had something against me.

Paul contacted an immigration officer who was a Christian but was convinced by these falsehoods that Torben was dangerous.

Torben shows several legal papers, and here you can read: "A witness statement says that in September 2022, Paul May provided false information to Law Enforcement."

Lies upon lies

- I was accused of human trafficking. Paul May admitted to our lawyers that the immigration officer had told Paul May to contact Homeland Security in North Carolina and falsely report me for human trafficking. Paul May claimed that the officer told him specifically to use the term "Human Trafficking" because he knew this to start an investigation. The allegation would then be listed in my papers and be used to create a criminal case against me.

At the beginning of my time in prison, some congressmen wanted to help me, but they backed out because they saw in my papers that I was under investigation for human trafficking...

The immigration officer and Paul May also accused me of financial crime and missing taxes, which Rene had said I did in Denmark.

Through René, Paul had become convinced that I was abusing children, and he was quickly convinced because of the clips from TV2 that he had seen. That's why he went so far.

The same day I came out, the Dutch media Telegram wrote an extensive article about me. It was just a repetition of God's Best Children. And in the Dutch government has been talking about banning The Last Reformation because 'they abuse children.’

I have never been convicted of such a thing, but there has been so much smoke around me that one would think there must be a fire...

I was labeled a national threat, which meant I lost rights that other prisoners had, such as getting out on bail.

Free at last

Torben was finally released from prison. This happened because he was deported from the USA while his asylum case was still ongoing in the USA.

- Two officers took me through the airport. At the New York airport, we were met by a policeman who followed us around, but because the plane was delayed, I was placed in "holding,” a cell at the airport, and after four hours there, I flew to Denmark with an officer on each side, as if I were a dangerous criminal. In the US, several well-known journalists have taken up his case. At the same time, the legal team is working to expose those who were behind the false accusations.

For Torben, it isn’t easy to understand that Christians were also behind the attacks against him. Indirect and direct. And some even with false accusations…

- Some Christians say you don’t go to prison if you haven’t done anything wrong. But I ask: What about Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the thousands of Christians imprisoned for their faith today? We just haven't experienced it before in the Western world.

But I think we will experience more persecution here, too - for example, through new laws that limit freedom of belief. And then it is crucial that we stand together as Christians and not betray each other.

On Torben's new website, TorbenSondergaard.com, there are interviews, documents, videos, and excerpts from, among other things, a congressman who states that Torben was persecuted for his evangelical faith.