A Southern Baptist, the elder Farmer was shocked by the affection members showed to one another, "hugging my neck," he said.

At first, he said he thought the church was brainwashing his son. "If there's anyone bothering my son," he told one of the church leaders, "I'll get ya."

His son gave him the Bible to re-read, and then the two began to "study the Bible" for three or four hours a day. Last March, the elder Farmer was baptized by his son, and soon afterwards he baptized his wife.

The elder Farmer urged church members to not give up in their attempts to convert their parents.

BCC Intellectuals

Even though the elder Farmer said many of the members are "young, well-educated people," the church preaches a decidedly anti-intellectual and anti-humanist doctrine.

Larson said the "worldly wisdom" espoused by intellectuals breeds distrust and disunity. "This kind of wisdom is from the devil," he said, adding that only God's wisdom is pure.

One speaker at the initial service at Hancock Hall attacked Nietzsche, Freud and Darwin. "They did not have the way," she contended, citing the joyless lives they lived. She pointed to Christ as the alternative.

The younger Farmer spoke later, saying, "Secular humanism reigns rampant in Germany."

But as much as he might object to some forms of secular learning, Farmer has a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard. And many other church members said they are pursuing advanced degrees at local universities.

The Communal Church

During Sunday's service at Winchester High School, Larson entreated members of the church to stand up and find "someone you don't know very well" to talk to for several minutes.

The church members needed little prompting. In general, they were outgoing and friendly toward the Crimson reporters.

Also during the service, the minister invited churchgoers to the front of the auditorium so they could meet with staff workers. After speaking with them, the staff workers requested that the congregation say specific prayers for them.

The friendliness that the church members exhibited also extended outside of the church environment.