WARNING: This story describes child abuse.

A woman from the Comox Valley is sharing her story of alleged child sexual abuse she endured as a teen while part of a secretive Christian sect.

Lyndell Montgomery was a member and was 14 years old in 1989 when the alleged abuse took place while she was a member of the Two-by-Twos, or 2x2s.

She claims her alleged abuser was 2x2s minister or 鈥渟ister worker,鈥� Lee-Ann McChesney. The alleged abuse happened when McChesney took Montgomery from her family home in the Comox Valley to Terrace where McChesney鈥檚 family resides. 

In May of 2023, Montgomery made a victim statement to the RCMP that led to an investigation against McChesney and her time as a 2x2 worker. 

McChesney, 60, was arrested in January and charged with one count of sexual abuse and one count of sexual exploitation after an investigation by the Delta Police Sexual Offence Section and Vulnerable Sector Unit.

She has since appeared in Surrey provincial court six times for the two charges against her. Montgomery鈥檚 case against McChesney is set for trial in September 2025.

All allegations in the story are yet to be proven in court.

In addition, there are allegations of abuse against at least three other sister workers within Canada. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States is also looking into reported allegations worldwide. 

According to private investigator Cynthia Liles of Salem, Oregon, who has been tracking allegations since the , there are more than 995 people within the 2x2s who have allegations against them worldwide, many with multiple allegations. A lot of the alleged abusers are still active in the church, attending meetings and conventions and around children.

Montgomery decided to come forward after reading an article in the Comox Valley Record in January 2023 about a worker in the 2x2 who was found . She wanted to speak out about the abuse she had suffered and hoped to help those who might also have suffered similar abuse within the 2x2 sect.

鈥淚'm choosing to use my voice and my name and put myself out there. This story is so much bigger than me,鈥� she says. 

Montgomery left the 2x2 sect once she suffered the alleged abuse from McChesney. At 14, she walked away from the organization and her family as they were still a part of the 2x2s. Montgomery鈥檚 father was an Elder in the sect. 

鈥淢y entire family is still in. My adopted brother, he was never in, he was like whoa, you're all f****d. He never participated.鈥�

While the 2x2s consider themselves to be the 'one true church' and follow the teachings of Matthew in the King James Bible, Montgomery says they are a cult. 

鈥淚t's taking the playbook from other large organizations that have had success in maintaining membership and illegal activity and control - 100 per cent. So I can tell you that the way it's set up is entirely about hierarchical control.鈥�

Montgomery decided against a publication ban for her case. Part of the reasoning was to help get the word out about the 2x2 sect and the rampant cases of allegations of child sexual abuse. 

鈥淧eople aren't standing on the side of supporting victims and holding this ministry accountable for its past crimes. To be able to move it forward into something that, at its heart a lot of the members want it to be - then (they) are complicit,鈥� she notes. 鈥淚t's not a binary situation and I don't like living in a binary kind of mindset. So if you can be in or out, those are the only options from the ministers. I'm going to say from this perspective, (they're) either working to dismantle it or (they're) fortifying it.鈥�

Montgomery also hopes that telling her story will help others be allies to victims. She points out those who want to help in the direction of local organizations that need volunteers, such as sexual abuse crisis lines and abuse survivors resources, rather than approaching the victim directly. 

If you have experienced sexual abuse or are currently in crisis, please visit these resources:

If you are a former 2x2 member who is looking for support visit:

If you have an instance of abuse to report regarding the 2x2 church visit:

This is the third part of a three-part series on the 2x2 church. The first article is available and the second article is available .