As a result, Martindale told everyone to eliminate this and other spirit-driven malignancies from Way circles. Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. Wierwilles death certificate lists ocular melanoma, or malignant tumor of the eye, as the underlying cause of death. The Way To Happiness International. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. What practices are different from the 80s? The termination of the WOW Ambassador program led to the start of the Disciples of The Way Outreach program. Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. Take The Diary of Anne Frank for example. We both are still active in the remnants of one of the many splinter groups and have become the inheritors of a fellowship in limbo. 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. Kenyon. They now favor home fellowships which are self-governing, self-financing and self-propagating. This is a reaction against The Way, which governed home groups, received and dispensed their income, and directed all the propagating efforts (which focused on promoting Wierwilles videotaped Power for Abundant Living class). This is very hard. To address your questions about suicides directly - yes there have been suicides in the past as well as other deaths. Youve saved me an extensive amount of grieving. Wierwille exercised very little discernment in learning from others, readily accepting teachings from itinerant mystics, Christian Scientists, and spiritists. A number of people died. 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. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. 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. I think some of the main differences between the 80's and now is the infrastructure. in English, I was well traveled as an Army wife, and never dreamed I would be embarking on events that would change my life forever. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. My splinter group was one of them. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. These were known as splinter groups and were always talked about as deceptive as if they were scheming their followers. Hahahaha. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. In spite of its name, however, The Way . I was berated, told I did this to myself because I didn't have my head in the word enough and allowed devil spirits in. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. So obviously if you're feeling depressed or suicidal you CANNOT tell ANYONE or you will likely be told you're possessed and have to have it cast out of you, at which point you have to pretend to be healed or else it means you're a bad believer and it's your fault you harbor spirits. Many have realized that they have also been falsely taught on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and have turned to evangelical beliefs instead. 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). An iconic five-star international hotel Our hotel is located in the heart of the city and provides 180 rooms and suites. application/pdf TWI now is less than a tenth of what it was in the early 1980s, but TWI was far less than a tenth of what its . She didnt take the class. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. How do they suffocate you as a person? How come she was allowed non-Christian activities such as going to dances/concerts, have a boyfriend or a job prior to college and Way Disciples Training? Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way . Several thousand followers have severed ties with The Way International as a result of the allegations and evidence they have seen, including the entire state (Limb) of South Carolina in April 1988 and about 80 percent of the Washington, D.C., Limb. 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. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. Since the Martindale faction controls these, it views visits by ex-Wayers as enemy infiltration. 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. 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. They have rejected some Christian teachings (such as the Trinity17) primarily because they have accepted Way caricatures and have not fully understood them. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. A good example of this is John Lynns 12-session class Keys to Victorious Living. The Class is nearly an exact duplicate of Wierwilles Power for Abundant Living class, teaching over two dozen of the same specific doctrines and using the same proof texts Wierwille used (though Lynn corrects some of Wierwilles most glaring misinterpretations). This thread is like a walk down memory lane - Sunday Service tapes, the Rock of Ages, Athletes of the Spirit, all the lingo others have quoted, and Martindale's violent tirades against homosexuality in the mid 90s bring me right back. They perpetuation of mental health that manifested in suicide with no accountability. Until then I was personally fighting acceptance because I wasnt able to understand and someone else had not articulated a realistic and plausible answer. Press J to jump to the feed. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. That is to say, other people are nice and fine, but its only the true Believers that are truly living Godly lives. I've even attended a wedding at HQ. See the CultFAQ page Types of Cults for information about cults of Christianity or see CARM's The Way International page for more about the group. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. The Way International is a nondenominational Christian ministry based in New Knoxville, Ohio.The followers congregate primarily in home fellowships located throughout the United States, two US territories and in over 30 countries. Unlike the WOWs, the Disciples program is open only to Advanced Class graduates, and therefore probably consists mainly of members of the Way Corps. Instead of it being an isolated incident that sucks from time to time in life, its framed as The Adversary (the devil) is making your life difficult, and as athletes of the spirit we can outmaneuver him. I think another thing to think about with the Way is that it is in many ways a pyramid scheme. Most ex-Wayers are confused, not knowing where to turn, whom to trust, or what to believe. It's another thing entirely when the leader of a "Biblical Research and Fellowship Ministry" delivers a fire and brimstone sermon threatening to chain gays to the back bumper of an RV and go for a little drive. Not even post TWI as a survivor. No one is going to beat you. My mom thought God helped her get a good parking space once (Im not kidding). John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. All of these classes are weeks long, have an enrollment fee, and have their own expensive materials (books, binders, etc.) Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. At 29yrs old. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. 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. Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God (WCoG). We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). The Ways security force has become increasingly aggressive, quickly and thoroughly investigating anyone who appears at functions like the Rock of Ages conferences9 or is on their campus without a Way nametag. James K. Walker He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. The other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. For example we had fellowship in our home 3 days per week and if I were to miss one I might be interrogated about where I was, or told that I'm unequally yoked with "worldly" people, which is how they describe anyone outside the cult. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited "college." . Homosexuals Purged, Wow Ambassadors Terminated, Martindale also hopes the new classes will hinder homosexuals from joining The Way, because he condemns homosexuality. Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. CES now wants to be seen as an independent ministry, not just as a Way splinter group, even though its glaring similarity to The Way is obvious to outsiders. . Explain teachings carefully, and give them time alone to read the Bible in a newer version (such as the New International Version or New American Standard) which has clearer wording and lacks Wierwilles marginal notes and deletions marked in their old King James Versions. 7 Whiteside, 205-9. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. 16 Wierwille noted that acquiring young people from the Jesus movement caused the Ways growth (Whiteside, 230-35). I was a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. The Way International fits the criteria outlined to a T. One thing I didn't see mentioned much in the thread is how incredibly patriarchal and misogynistic the Ministry was, and I am sure that has not changed. Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle. New classes were also needed because the existing video version, filmed by Wierwille in 1967, was obviously dated in its style, production, and dress. The complexity and overarching theme of shame as well as guilt is much bigger than I ever imagined. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). Please keep in touch. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). It has now become apparent to many of them that Wierwille was instead an eclectic plagiarist. Incidentally, only Geers group has published a book by Wierwille since his death. He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. I think others have covered the most common manipulation tactics the group used. The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions. 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?. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. My family transitioned to a splinter group in the mid 90s, and later when I was a teenager I moved into a "Way Home" which is like a group home for the cult. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. By word, character, and example, show them that there is more-than-abundant life outside The Way International.Dr. Gotta run! Way trustees fired Schoenheit for writing the paper and sternly warned Wayers not to read it, ask about its contents, or have contact with those who read it. The creed and The Way are very much one and the same; The Way is just the religion they follow. I did not take your explanation about The Way members as rude. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. 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). 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. What Are Long-Time Wayers Thinking About? 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. My home life was very turbulent because of TWI. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. The logic has more dangerous consequences when people literally think God will cure their Cancer, Lupus, diabetes. The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. I dealt with it as a kid by pretending not to notice the issues in my family and in the cult. He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. 1 John P. Juedes and Douglas V. Morton, The Integrity and Accuracy of The Ways Word (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1980), 43-48. Second, give ex-Wayers space to vent their emotions and hurts, and pray for them and their healing. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. Additionally, ex-members have on file letters and transcripts in which Way president L. Craig Martindale defends sex outside marriage in many situations. 2.) TWI's splinter groups, formed at TWI's implosion in the late 1980's, are bigger than . When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. She was born into it and her home was a Twig if my verbiage is correct. Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. Lynn retains all the critical Way doctrines of concern to Christians, such as anti-Trinitarianism, ultradispensationalism, soul sleep, and the belief that speaking in tongues is infallible and essential proof that one is saved. The immediate cause was metastatic melanoma of the liver, which means that the cancer spread from the eye to the liver. It begins to be the only thing you can do and the only people you can see. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. Groups like the Way Ministry where you are expected to have instant familiarity with and trust for other members (who are practically strangers) by virtue of you all being "like-minded" is an environment absolutely rife for abuse. In my research since leaving in 2013 I have found a number of people who reported that their loved ones died in the way dating back to the 70s. Although Wierwille has written against spiritism, he welcomed this spiritist with open arms. The CES meeting in May 1988 sponsored two and one-half days of biblical teachings and allowed sales of books by those attending, including Lynn, Lionel Recio, and myself. https://www.reddit.com/r/BGSU/comments/mlu753/the_way_international_twi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. There is also an intermediate and advanced classes. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . I am also former TWI. Unless you have endless funds to fight in Court for an extended period of time, I fear that battle would only add to the pain you have already experienced. Also former TWI here, my parents are still in it, and its causing incredible family pain, now between my older sister.
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