5 things to know about Profundity Yours, a group causing concerns in East Texas

Last year, a group called Profundity Yours moved into Cass County. Led by a woman named Linda Good McGillis, the group and its members say they hope to build a self-sustaining community in rural East Texas.

During their first year in Cass County, the group kept a relatively low profile. But after they purchased the only restaurant in the tiny town of Marietta this March, rumors and scrutiny started following the group. Some locals became concerned Profundity Yours is a cult.

Here are five things to know about the group and locals’ reaction to their presence:

Who is Linda Good McGillis?

McGillis was born in Portland, Ore., and grew up in Montana. She began gaining a following in new-age spiritual communities on YouTube and Facebook about 10 years ago.

She managed Facebook groups where followers could help one another address and confront trauma, and presented herself as a stargazer and lightworker — someone who sought to help others reach soul-awakening epiphanies.

As McGillis began gaining more of a following, something switched, some followers said. While it had always been difficult to succinctly describe McGillis’ ideology — she told her followers they shouldn’t have any beliefs — they said she became more arcane in her advice and more conceited in her descriptions of herself.

McGillis described herself to followers as the Alpha and Omega. She said she was the “I am.” She compared herself to Jesus Christ. Her beliefs could seem esoteric to most people, but they made sense to some of her core followers.

Who are members of Profundity Yours?

Profundity Yours members come from around the world. Many have undergone a sort of deep trauma, and found community in the groups McGillis set up on Facebook.

About a dozen people live permanently on the ranch, though the population fluctuates as people from around the world come and go. Several of the group’s core members work in the restaurant.

What have former members said?

The Dallas Morning News spoke with two former members of the group, Michele Nahas and Vicki Grunstad, who described their initial interactions with McGillis and her followers as therapeutic while both were dealing with trauma. Nahas’ son had been killed and Grunstad was taking care of an ill and aging father.

McGillis lavished them with love and attention. But they both said she would take their trauma and turn it against them. They said McGillis was prone to fits of screaming rage.

McGillis did not provide a comment in response to the allegations from Grunstad and Nahas.

What do locals think?

Some Marietta residents have welcomed Profundity Yours, saying they aren’t bothering anybody, have worked to integrate themselves in the community and have made the food served in the town’s only restaurant better than it ever has been.

Others aren’t as welcoming. Several residents who spoke with The News described Marietta as a God-fearing town in the Bible Belt, and that the group’s beliefs go against their deeply held religious principles. Residents have also said they’re concerned about McGillis’ common-law husband, who is serving a federal prison sentence on charges related to child pornography, making Marietta his home once he is released from prison.

An anti-Profundity Yours campaign on social media has caused some Marietta residents to fear the group.

What are their future plans?

Profundity Yours hopes to build a self-sustaining community for members on their ranch in Marietta, where they grow their own food.