On Boxing Day 2018, Joy Morgan vanished after a party at her church in Hertfordshire. Months later, the 20-year-old midwifery student’s body was discovered — and a fellow congregant was convicted of her murder. But for Joy’s family and many who knew her, unanswered questions remain.
A new investigative podcast, The Missing Sister, launching today on Wondery+, revisits Joy’s story and the church she had joined: Israel United in Christ (IUIC). Hosted by journalist Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff (New York Times, Guardian, gal-dem), the six-part series looks at how Joy became involved in IUIC, and whether the organisation itself bears responsibility for what happened.
IUIC has faced mounting scrutiny worldwide, including a recent ban in France, and former members describe it as controlling and abusive. Through interviews with Joy’s family, friends, and ex-members of the church, the podcast explores allegations of misogyny, racism, and coercion within the group.
Brinkhurst-Cuff, who first reported on Joy’s case in 2019, said the aim was to honour Joy while digging deeper into IUIC’s influence. “From everything we’ve learned about her, we know that Joy was brilliant and bold, with a big smile, a loud laugh, and a huge intellect. The Missing Sister honours her memory by revealing the truth about an organisation that claims to be a refuge, but in reality is something much darker.”
Across six episodes, the investigation travels from South London to the U.S., where IUIC was founded, in an attempt to reach its leadership and confront the church about Joy’s death.
Sensitive and unflinching, The Missing Sister asks questions not only about one young woman’s life and death, but also about faith, belonging, and the structures that can both protect and endanger their followers.
The first episode is available on Wondery+ from September 10th, with wider release following six weeks later.
