Faith Should Never Kill: What the Death of Syble Rossiter Reveals About the Church of the First Born

In 2013, twelve-year-old Syble Rossiter died.
Not from an aggressive illness.
Not from an incurable disease.
She died from a treatable form of diabetes—because her parents chose prayer over medical care.

This week, I revisited her story again. And once more, it punched me in the gut.

Wenona and Travis Rossiter, Syble’s parents and devout members of the Church of the First Born, were convicted of manslaughter in 2014. On December 19 of that year, they were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for the death of their daughter. A courtroom full of silence bore witness as the judge handed down the sentence (KOIN News 6, Tim Becker, 2014).

Their daughter had died a slow and preventable death—because in their church, modern medicine is viewed as a lack of faith. As sin.

I know that doctrine all too well.
I grew up inside it.

As a child in Rocky, Oklahoma, I attended the Church of the First Born. The teachings weren’t whispered—they were instilled. Illness was a test of faith. Doctors were the enemy. Prayer was the only remedy allowed.

Even at a young age, I knew something didn’t sit right. The funerals. The suffering. The quiet compliance of women, children, and entire families whose lives were dictated by a rigid interpretation of Scripture, void of compassion and common sense.

By the time I was old enough to understand what the Church of the First Born really was—what it stood for—I made a choice.

I ran.
I got out.
My families move to Arkansas helped. But more than that, my best friend—now my husband, Danny—and I made a pact: we would never become members. We had seen too much. Heard too many stories. And in some cases, witnessed the consequences of blind allegiance up close.

What happened to Syble Rossiter wasn't just tragic.
It was avoidable.

The state of Oregon knew that too. After Syble’s death, lawmakers closed the legal loophole that once allowed religious exemption to shield parents from manslaughter and homicide charges. Today, in Oregon, you cannot hide behind spiritual treatment as a defense. And thank God for that.

Still, the Rossiters' defense tried to argue that the system was unfair. That religiously motivated neglect shouldn't be treated the same as malicious abuse. But as the judge noted, motive doesn’t erase responsibility. Love doesn’t cancel out consequence. And faith—real faith—should never kill a child.

Syble was twelve. She had a whole life ahead of her.
And she was failed by the very people who should have protected her.

The Church of the First Born still operates. Quietly. Rurally. Rigidly. There are still children like Syble whose symptoms are prayed away, whose voices are silenced under the weight of generational obedience, whose parents believe suffering is sacred.

If you're reading this and you're still inside that world, or were raised in it like I was—I want you to know this: you can choose something different.

You can walk away.
You can raise your children with both faith and reason.
You can still believe in God and go to the doctor.
You can break the cycle.

Syble didn’t get that chance.
But we can honor her by making sure no other child has to suffer in silence.
We can shine a light into the dark corners of these belief systems and say: not anymore.

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Source:
KOIN News 6 (Oregon), “Faith-healing parents get 10 years in prison,” by Tim Becker, December 19, 2014