Kriti Mehrotra
With HBO Max’s ‘Slaves of Faith: Heralds of the Gospel’ exploring the allegations of psychological manipulation within the titular religious sect, we get an insight into the dark side of humanity. The docuseries comprises not only archival footage and records but also exclusive interviews with former members as well as their loved ones to really underscore their truth. Amongst those to thus feature in this original production is Pedro Luiz Budel, whose experiences in the organization seemingly changed him in a way no one could have ever imagined.
Pedro Luiz Budel Joined Heralds of the Gospel as a Teenager
It was May 1998 when Paraná, Brazil, native Pedro Luiz Budel was invited to join the Heralds of the Gospel, at a time when it was just building its base before being officially founded in 1999. According to records, the then-14-year-old was at home when an elderly man came to sell some religious goods, following which he began talking about the traditionalist group. It was reportedly billed to him as just a place where like-minded Catholic youngsters get together on the weekends and engage in recreational activities like camping, games, and karate.
The idea of such an establishment really intrigued Pedro, driving him to convince his parents to join while he continued to attend a local public school on weekdays with great pride. As per his accounts, he really enjoyed his time there at first, but things changed a bit once he realized there was also an internal boarding school, as he noticed a lack of individuality. “There was something weird about it,” he said in the aforementioned show. “They all acted the same way. They did the same things. They all looked alike. They all said the same things and talked the same way.”
Nevertheless, Pedro continued his journey with the group, which led to him learning that founder João Clá Dias was almost treated as a messiah. In fact, he claims his first encounter with the leader was in a group setting, during which an acolyte pushed him to the front, urging him to touch the elder to be awarded his holiness. It was in the ensuing months that things turned upside down for the teen as he left his public school “with a heavy heart and my parents’ disapproval” to enroll in the Heralds’ boarding school. “I won’t say the Heralds made me do it because they never directly asked me to…,” he admitted in the original production. “But they dropped hints.”
Pedro Luiz Budel Believes He Was Manipulated and Regulated by the Heralds of the Gospel
According to Pedro, his elders at the traditionalist group turned religious sect told him his public school “has girls” to distract him and “bad people with no morals who want to harm” him. He claims they also indicated, “It’s not healthy for you to be in an environment without the Heralds,” before telling him that studying alone will not save him; instead, what will actually have an impact on his soul is his willingness to do good, fight evil, and pray. In other words, he now believes he was psychologically manipulated into making the decision to leave his public school on his own accord.
Pedro still vividly remembers being continuously monitored/watched from the moment he entered the boarding school, as well as all the rules he had to follow, per his account in the series. He alleges that every aspect of his being was regulated, including the way he showered, how he dressed in his uniform, his hairstyle, his social interactions, and his communication with his parents. He claims he was not only reported for breaking even a single rule, making close friends, or laughing too hard, but also encouraged to cut contact with his family because they could hold him back.
The entire environment was military-like, Pedro claims, but it was the way families were regarded that shocked him most, as they were looked at as hindrances rather than caregivers or supporters. He also alleged in the series that there was discrimination based on gender, skin tone, weight, and more, detailing how individuals not deemed worthy were pushed out with the help of force or lies. What’s more is that he remembers affection in any form being frowned upon before later being taught to use rifles and be prepared to go to war.” You had to be ready to kill those close to you.”
After the Heralds, Pedro Luiz Budel Has Managed to Build a Good Life For Himself
From what we can tell, after years of serving as a Fundraising Coordinator at the Heralds of the Gospel, Pedro left the organization for good in 2012 and gradually began rebuilding his life. He enrolled at Candido Mendes University for a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (2012-2015), years before he earned a Master’s in Business/Corporate Education from Tuiuti University of Paraná (2018-2019). He even kick-started a career in the real world during this period, working as an Administrative Coordinator in a local church in 2012 and at the Ocular Microsurgery Center from 2013 to 2014.
Pedro subsequently became a Senior Business Analyst at Access Global Consulting from 2014 to 2016, after which he switched gears to serve at Afece as a Fundraising Expert until 2022. He then held the titles of Senior Project Analyst at Grupo Marista from 2022 to 2023 and Senior Business Executive at Marista Brasil from 2024 to 2025, all the while continuing his fundraising work. In fact, since September 2024, he has been making use of all his past experiences to proudly serve as an independent entrepreneur – a Fundraising & Partnership Mobilization Consultant.
It appears his current focus is on working alongside Civil Society Organizations, helping them with their financial needs, internal management, legal compliance, revenue diversification, strategic planning, and more. On the other hand, he is also the Head of Partnerships for local companies developing tools that integrate data and technology into society and its social ecosystems. On a more personal level, he has managed to rebuild his relationship with his family after years of alleged minimal contact or monitored meetings owing to his position as a Heralds member, which brings him real joy. It’s also worth noting that the self-proclaimed foodie and travel enthusiast is now happily married to a man named Renato GS, with whom he shares a loving daughter as well as a few adorable pets.
Read More: João Clá Dias: How Did the Founder of The Heralds of the Gospel Die?
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