However, we are still driven by their nefarious existence. Geer believes Wierwille actually caused his body to die: There were two points when I felt that he might change his mind and decide to go on living.I am fully convinced that he believed to stop the functions of his body.8 He seems to believe that Wierwille chose to commit suicide, using his spiritual weapon of believing, rather than to continue fighting the spiritual decline of the trustees. Each link takes you to a menu of articles on that topic, most by Dr. John P. Juedes, who has researched TWI for 30 years. Gross, right? My Mom got heavily involved in the ministry straight out the gates - going WOW (their outreach program) shortly after taking the PFAL class in the early 80s and then we went Family Corp right after that. Youre not going to have to perform penance. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. But at this point my goal has transitioned to educating the young and vulnerable population of college students by presenting an unknown and challenging thought. How do they suffocate you as a person? Spirit and Truth Fellowship International, Out of the Way: The Offshoots Latest Topics. 1 John P. Juedes and Douglas V. Morton, The Integrity and Accuracy of The Ways Word (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1980), 43-48. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. 17 Rick Lessing, An Analysis and Critique of the Theology of The Way International: An Evangelical Christian Response to Victor Paul Wierwilles Concept of the Trinity (unpublished paper, 1986), makes a case that Wierwille misunderstood Trinitarianism as (alternately) Sabellianism and polytheism, and that when Trinitarianism is properly explained, it is clearly biblically valid and coherent. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157. This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. Im not saying that people in the Way avoid doctors entirely, but theres definitely a sense of what counts and doesnt or that people are putting waaay too much trust in men and not in God. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. It is common for ex-Wayers to take several years to fully separate from The Way and reorient their lives. TWI's was (and still is in a smaller capacity) an actual institution with employees, an unaccredited college, and evangelist programs that relocate people and had actual methods for indoctrination. Each year The Way had sent out hundreds of WOW (Word Over the World) Ambassadors as volunteer missionaries to cities around the world, which was its primary outreach for 25 years. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ Some say that the Way International is a cult. Offshoots - Splinter Groups : How Many Are There? Additionally, ex-members have on file letters and transcripts in which Way president L. Craig Martindale defends sex outside marriage in many situations. Beep. Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups pleas to join up. Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way doctrine. His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. The Way International, The Way, La Voie, El Camino, PFAL, The Way of Abundance and Power, The Way Magazine, The Way Corps are trademarks registered by The Way International in the United States and/or other countries. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". Nevertheless, The Ways situation has improved. Children who grew into adults in the Way are another matter because it is hard to go out into the world and maybe get your own place or go to college and have your worldview challenged by people you were taught were lazy, selfish, or had an agenda. Almost every long-time member has had at least one question such as: Why did Dr. Wierwille never speak against adultery in his Christian Family and Sex class? Why does my Limb leader often spend the night with certain twig leaders of the opposite sex? Why did our womens meeting leave the impression that a woman should satisfy any physical desire of visiting Way leaders? Why do Way leaders give contradictory answers when I ask about the biblical stance on sex outside of marriage? Why did the twig leader make sexual advances toward me the first time I attended?10, Ex-Wayers are increasingly charging The Way with false teaching and scholarship. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. James K. Walker For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. He told Corps grads that the Ambassadors had accomplished their mission of getting Gods Word over the world. He called it WOW redefined, but he never explained how reaching only a fraction of a percent of residents of the United States (much less of the world) constitutes completing the mission. Im not educated or enlightened by any metric, but reading that after your personal experience as well as observation grounded and solidified what you were sharing. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). And if the world thought you were a good homosexual it was because you had an agenda to legitimize your perversion (the way Jewish people use the Holocaust to legitimize their ungodly faith). I grew up in the Way and drifted from it the year I went to college (though I went a few times reluctantly to a new fellowship in the town where my college was). Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? Scientology front group. mediacodec bufferinfo size avocado mattress reviews; rpx regal premium experience 2d vs 2d hair 504 drug test; 500mg test before and after reddit appleton rummage sales 2022; opala schedule It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. Most ex-Wayers are confused, not knowing where to turn, whom to trust, or what to believe. When he first presented it verbally to gatherings of Way leadership (at which, John Lynn reports, he carried a large-caliber pistol for self-protection), it caused tremendous turbulence, and its content was kept out of general circulation. After I had a fight in elementary school, TWI advised him to beat me into submission. I don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. .~?mq3\n7C. Here's a copy of. How about a little more candor, Vince? The Ways decisions to terminate the WOWs and PFAL classes are partly due to the damaging influence of Way splinter groups. CES includes Wayers who were respected or well known, such as Lynn who had three books published by The Way, more than any author except Wierwille. My splinter group was one of them. The name became "The Way" in 1955, no doubt a reference to Jesus' statement that He is "the way, the truth and the life" ( John 14:6 ). Except they pretty much worship the bible. Her recent suicide however was as a member in leadership. J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. Sometimes these classes had add-ons like Advanced Class Specials that were held in a hotel conference center in another city and had associated registration and travel fees. The Way International is a shell of what it was during the lifetime of Victor Paul Wierwille. There is also an intermediate and advanced classes. Last year, The Way Magazine lauded the organizations success at quickly beginning new PFAL classes through street witnessing; but now fewer classes are likely to be held since many recruits drop out of the twigs before attending a full year. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. What practices are different from the 80s? They did not understand that Wierwille preached another Jesus (who was only a man) and another spirit (not the Holy Spirit personally indwelling them). With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. He taught that Jesus Christ was not resurrected bodily and will not return visibly, and that the Holy Spirit is an influence, not a personal being. The Way began to grow significantly only when Wierwille traveled to California and recruited followers from the Jesus movement.16 Like Eve and the Corinthians, these young believers (and many since the 1960s) were virgins with simple devotion to Christ, but were not grounded in Scripture and thus were easily led astray. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. Edited to add: Would anyone be interested in an ex-Way subreddit? But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. Leonard. While PFAL was used to introduce prospects to The Way, Martindales new classes are open only to people who have attended a twig (home fellowship) for a year and have been taught how to receive holy spirit and speak in tongues by the twig coordinator. In response, he defends such Way teachings as that on interpretation of tongues.14 Ralph Dubofsky told the May 1988 CES meeting that the reason they like so much of E.W. For instance, trustee Donald Wierwille (Victor Pauls son) confessed, I apologize for not having followed my man of God.6. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. Disgusting. The leader was arrested recently as he had convinced the fellowship members to give him their eldest daughters which he physically and sexually abused for 9+ years until one girl escaped. The Way founders instruction on how to receive the Holy Spirit by inhaling and the belief that speaking in tongues cannot be counterfeited were derived from J.E. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. They assume that honest, objective biblical research and a fellowship of true believers cannot be found among Christians outside Wierwilles heritage of teaching, so they limit research and fellowship to their own narrow circles. It's 2am and so I decided to reminisce in Google-land by doing a search on the The Way International; a group I was once affiliated with . The complexity and overarching theme of shame as well as guilt is much bigger than I ever imagined. She probably could have just gone and not told anyone because its not like anyone checked your bank account, but her guilt consumed her and a couple days before, she called our fellowship coordinator over and confessed to him that she had debt. Subforums. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. There are less and less full time ministers on the field and in many Regions only one full time couple in the entire Region. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. A number of people died. The most important change involves the new The Way of Abundance and Power classes by Way president, L. Craig Martindale. Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. Many of us were had gotten the impression that she was back. We can love rock music. They have been active and effective at exposing problems in The Way through personal influence and meetings of Wayers around the nation. My impression is that BGSU Staff/Administration is unaware that she was a Way member. No one is going to beat you. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. Eventually, all you have is them and all you know is that they love you and that's why they're abusing you, because they've convinced you you're terrible and you deserve the abuse because it's helping you get closer in your relationship with God. Our dear and sweet beloved friend. that you have to purchase to participate. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. There hasn't been a good gathering place for survivors since the Greasespot Cafe and I think there is a need for one. Boop. Although the group emphasizes that it does not have members, it keeps very detailed records of its class graduates and donors, which are used as criteria to determine peoples status with the group and their access to some of its functions. 14:21-23); stringent laws are done away with when one is born again (Col. 2:20-21); God punished David for killing Uriah, not for having sex with Bathsheba; and the Bibles word for adultery has a spiritual, not a physical meaning. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". Cules son las creencias bsicas del budismo? Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. The Way Worship Centre. 15 H. A. Ironside, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1938) addresses the relation of the gospel to the church, the Bride and body of Christ, baptism, and related topics. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. I was raised "in the word" as they say, meaning I was a born into the cult. The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. The Passing of a Patriarch greatly damaged The Way because it summarizes the accusations Wierwille made against the three trustees who alone are technically members of The Way and who control all assets and policy. For example, Geer describes Wierwille as one who was very hard to live with, often lashing out at those closest to him and hurting them.5 It includes a reproduction of handwritten notes in which the three trustees admit that the accusations against them are true. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. Tired from excessive bible study, didnt share and/or complain about any of her home life and doodled a lot which always made me ponder what she was thinking about?. And as much I would dislike the idea of looking into my own rear view mirror her close friends and myself would deeply appreciate your vulnerability and transparency. 1987). Leonards book and course syllabus called The Gifts of the Spirit are still in print. She was loved by many because she was easy going, fit in with many and different groups - a legitimate interest in others, etc. Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I think it may be important for you to identify whether she was in TWI proper or a splinter group. I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. The false apostles disguises are being pulled from their faces, and the virgins who were led astray are returning to the one true Jesus, Spirit, and gospel, and the church of Jesus Christ. 11:2-4, 13-15) gives insight into the nature of this controversy, Wierwilles work, and his followers: For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. I dont know if this is still true, but a weird criteria at the time was that you had to be debt free to participate. Just after Wierwilles death, Geer published The Passing of a Patriarch, which is a rambling account of Geers final conversations with Wierwille shortly before his death. I know this is a bit long, but I hope it gives you some insight into what it's like to be inside this group. Sale of assets, reduction of overhead, smaller Corps classes, large numbers of defections (which left more staff openings), staff purges, and the sale of the The Way College of Emporia, Kansas, campus helped make this possible. Many people follow Wierwille in part because they were impressed by his claim that he took over 3,000 books on theology to the city dump3 and resolved to study the Bible alone without mens teachings.4 Although Wierwille sometimes said he learned from others, he often explicitly claimed originality. The manipulation tactics come from many angles. As a kid, I was always 1.) By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber They have forsaken the right way and gone astray" (2 Peter 2:1-3, 15). Allen wrote, I read it and all is true.So I will change to do my best for the man I helped kill.7 They apparently could not reconcile the death of the man of God with their teaching of the law of believing. Since they considered Wierwille the epitome of believing, he should easily have been able to will himself to health simply by believing he was well and free of cancer. The last fatal attack on a police officer in Northern Ireland was the April 2011 killing of Constable . Someone previous mentioned and shared something that we really needed to hear and hit home profoundly, she expressed that (paraphrasing) she was struggling to reconcile with her faith and being a person in the world. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. Martindale told his followers at the 1995 Rock of Ages conference that new classes were needed because The Ways opponents had attended PFAL classes and learned how to use this material against The Way. Wait, it's "The Word of God" and then some other follower will utter "The Word of God is the Will of God" like some sheep bleating "four legs good". Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. I was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . Have others committed suicide? Many remember current leaders as friends, but at the same time despise them for wrongs they believe they have done or allowed. Pacific West Fellowship,13 headed by Steve Sann (who also was once a Limb and Region Coordinator), seems to be the second most aggressive splinter group. They also feel the need for teaching and fellowship with other believers. https://www.reddit.com/r/BGSU/comments/mlu753/the_way_international_twi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf. The Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), 209, 174, for Wierwilles claim that his book is the most original coverage of the subject, and p. 178 for his claim that God audibly promised to teach him directly and personally. Many people did not believe in medical care. First, it is helpful to present facts of doctrinal, organizational, and personal error in Way leaders. Lynnes new teachings include the assertions that interpretation of tongues must always be praise to God (never a message to believers), and that believing does not work for saint and sinner alike, but is receiving Gods promises. I would lovingly suggest that your time might be more effectively spent honoring your friend's memory by educating others about the harm that cults cause and working with a counselor to process the grief of losing your friend twice - first to a cult and then to suicide. It is fundamentalist due to many non-negotiable beliefs, most notably the inerrancy of the Scriptures, and it is a cult, a high-control group, due to its social . I'm way-adjacent. 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . The kind of stuff people go to therapy for years to get over. Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). 5 Lamsa considered himself an apostle and believed in clairvoyance and universalism. If youve seen the documentaries about Scientology or even that Nxivm sex cult this is practically a template for revenue income for these religious organizations. Rev. If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. It has now become apparent to many of them that Wierwille was instead an eclectic plagiarist. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. The Way stressed that these gatherings were for committed, faithful followers, unlike the Rock, which was open to anyone. I figured out I was gay in college, and having grown up in a household that called people faggots, fudge-packers, rump-riders and played count the queers when we went to amusement parks, I knew this wasnt going to fly. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. It begins to be the only thing you can do and the only people you can see. Your reply was a lot to unpack, digest, snd accept. Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . There was a Corp program called LEAD where participants had to hitchhike from Indiana/Ohio to New Mexico in a short period of time with very little money (less than $20 if I remember correctly) to go mountain climbing. Wierwille always told them that they could only go as far as they had been taught, and the new groups demonstrate this principle by organizing themselves in the same ways, and on the same assumptions, which Wierwille used in building The Way Tree. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. I tried explaining to the family member that "reverend" Martindale just advocated for mass murder. "rev" gerry wrenn raises wierwille from the dead! These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. Christian can also help (ex-) Wayers through four basic steps of reorientation: 1) expose, 2) emotional reaction, 3) relearning, and 4) reconstruction. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Omg this info about splinter groups is shocking. New classes were also needed because the existing video version, filmed by Wierwille in 1967, was obviously dated in its style, production, and dress. This article first appeared in the in the Ask Hank column of the Christian Research Journal, Feb 20, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol, Feb 13, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. . This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle.
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