In a sleepy Canberra suburb, Bek Condello was raised in a strict patriarchal Pentecostal movement. The influence of the Geelong Revival Centre extended deeply into the lives of the congregation, promoting discipline and dictating how girls and women behaved, who they socialised with and who they would marry. After finding her way out and discovering her own identity, Bek has written a memoir, out on 14 July, called Can You Handle a Girl Like Me. Through her story she hopes she can inspire others to rebuild and thrive after deep loss.
Links
- Can You Handle a Girl Like Me — by Bek Condello, Penguin, 2026
- Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder — Richard Baker's podcast about the Geelong Revival Centre
Credits:
Produced by Sarah Steel
Music by Joe Gould
You can support Let's Talk About Sects here. Sarah will be appearing at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on Saturday 22 August, chairing Anke Richter's session which also features Laura McConnell, more info about that here. And Joe Gould who you'll know as the composer of this podcast is touring with his band The Crooked Fiddle Band for their 20th anniversary – they count Brian Eno amongst their fans. More info about that here.
If you have been personally affected by involvement in a cult, or would like to support those who have been, you can find support with or donate to Cult Information and Family Support if you’re in Australia (via cifs.org.au), and you can find resources outside of Australia with the International Cultic Studies Association (via internationalculticstudies.org). If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or find your local crisis centre via the International Association for Suicide Prevention website at iasp.info. Find Sarah's audiobook Do As I Say here.
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