And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light; therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their deeds. The Way International is a small, fundamentalist, Bible-based organization headquartered in New Knoxville, Ohio, on property that was once the family farm of the founder, Victor Paul Wierwille. Splinter Cults are WORSE..not better. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. The 27-storey building hotel is the tallest building in Phu Ly and has been carefully designed for contemporary travellers looking for sleek comforts, simplified luxury and bleisure. 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. Also former TWI here, my parents are still in it, and its causing incredible family pain, now between my older sister. I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. To me this is the core of the Way: the planting of the idea that its us against them. Over time that can be very isolating considering that there arent that many people in the ministry. The new policy may reduce The Ways recruitment. Some still in The Way are ignorant of the controversy, while others refuse to listen to the charges, deny them, or rationalize how Wierwille could have done such things without guilt. 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. It is not known if Martindales strong stand against homosexuality is in some way related to widespread reports of rampant adultery and promiscuous sex in The Way, including the highest levels of leadership. application/pdf What practices are still common? The Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. Since many WOWs are in the second year of the Way Corps (leadership training) program, it is likely that many homosexuals were also in the Corps. I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. Press J to jump to the feed. These classes replace the Power for Abundant Living (PFAL) classes by Way founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, who died of cancer in 1985 after losing an eye to the disease and suffering strokes. 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 is where I experienced most of the abuse. Defectors also accused Way leadership of practicing and approving adultery as a godly practice. I don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. nase ahora para acceder a este contenido exclusivo para suscriptores de Journal, http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/, To the Cancel Culture: We Respectfully Decline When Believers are Told What We May or May Not Say, Polite Refusal is Called For, Christ or Lucretius: Nature and Natures God in the poems of Mary Oliver. Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. CES includes many past Way celebrities and clergy such as John and Pat Lynn, Ralph Dubofsky, Robert Belt, Sue Pierce, Tom Reahard, and John Schonheit. nase ahora para acceder a este contenido exclusivo para suscriptores de Journal, To the Cancel Culture: We Respectfully Decline When Believers are Told What We May or May Not Say, Polite Refusal is Called For, Christ or Lucretius: Nature and Natures God in the poems of Mary Oliver. Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. The Way not only teaches that Jesus Christ is not God, but also has instruction on tithing, the law of believing (whatever one believes will happen to one, whether bad or good), and the accuracy of the Bible (as translated by Way leaders). We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 In fact, Martindale considers homosexuality to be devil-spirit possession.. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. At the time, Schoenheit was on The Ways research team. Way-Showers. Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. 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. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. 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. My sister, mom and I put up with constant abuse from our dad, who was a fellowship coordinator after we moved to Arizona in about 2008. 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. Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. My mom thought God helped her get a good parking space once (Im not kidding). Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? 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. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. 16 Wierwille noted that acquiring young people from the Jesus movement caused the Ways growth (Whiteside, 230-35). But apparently, he doesn't want people to know what he did in the 1970s and 1980s. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. 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. TL;DR: the Way seems chill and relaxed on the outside but its pretty intense on a personal level. They use Wierwilles teachings, jargon, and writings, and have drawn off many of The Ways followers by accusing International of authoritarianism, misuse of power, adultery, misuse of funds, spiritual corruption, departure from the Word of God, and denominationalism. 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. 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 video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. Martindale hopes that the Disciples will have more strict and disciplined lives than WOWs did, which itself is an implicit indictment against the lifestyles of many WOWs. The Way published three books by Lynn, more than any author other than Wierwille. Rev. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. I mention these because these are classic isolating manipulation tactics. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. See also Elena Whiteside, The Way Living with Love, 2d ed. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited "college." 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. At the time Martindale saw the suspension of WOW as the response to an attack by evil devil spirits, but by the summer of 1995 he recast the suspension as a Way victory. After Dr. Weirwill died and leadership was given to Craig Martindale, TWI essentially split into those who followed Craig and stayed in TWI's proper organization, and those who moved into splinter groups. What practices are different from the 80s? John P. Juedes is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Highland, California, and has written extensively on The Way International. We are talking about a lot of people who fall for get-rich-quick schemes and fad diets. One Scripture passage (2 Cor. 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. 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. 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? uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. The kind of stuff people go to therapy for years to get over. And you mentioned twig earlier. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. For example, Vince Finnegan formed a new splinter group primarily from the block of Wayers he led in New . I thought of myself as a good person, but Id grown up to believe that you couldnt be both good and a homosexual. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. This conflict has increased as ex-Wayers have persuaded many of their friends to leave Martindales group. . This is to say, you can be you with all your quirks and eccentricities because we are all unique people and can come to have unique relationships with God through his Word. 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 ). Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle. We can love rock music. Sann also circulates periodic newsletters and regularly publishes teaching tapes. 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 group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. Answer. They believed that God heals and if you believe enough he can heal anything. Followers are now tasting the matured fruit of The Way Tree fruit of promiscuity, adultery, plagiarism (a form of lying), authoritarianism, false teaching, unfaithfulness, and lack of self-control. If you weren't in good standing, you didn't get tapes of the way singers or of "reverend" Martindale. Atheism. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". Needless to say, growing up in a large communal living situation for 2 years of my childhood had unique benefits and DEFINITE drawbacks. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Like the new classes and the Disciples, this is a sign that The Way is striving to further restrict access to its activities, purge anyone who questions current Way leadership, increase control, and consolidate. The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. James K. Walker 8 Whiteside, 197-200. I think it may be important for you to identify whether she was in TWI proper or a splinter group. 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. Myself and others are looking to cope and find closure or understanding from a recent loss/death due to suicide. Few know that many able scholars have effectively refuted some of Bullingers ideas. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext One CES leader, with a touch of irony, attempted to distance CES from The Way by explaining that CES would do "Christian study," not "biblical research" (A Way term). I had been a professional lead singer and performer since I was 16, and although I . Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. Scientology front group. Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . The most important change involves the new The Way of Abundance and Power classes by Way president, L. Craig Martindale. Many remember current leaders as friends, but at the same time despise them for wrongs they believe they have done or allowed. Boop. 7 Whiteside, 205-9. How do they suffocate you as a person? Many people did not believe in medical care. One ex-member said the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello, with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, wife swapping, and even gang-rape.4. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. 2.) John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. Ancient Aliens and the Bible: What the Popular Television Series Says about Extraterrestrials in Scripture, Famous for Jesus: A Review of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty (Brazos Press, 2022), Famosos por Jess: Resea de Celebridades por Jess: Cmo los personajes, las plataformas y los beneficios estn perjudicando a la Iglesia por Katelyn Beaty (Brazos Press, 2022). He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. My parents are still standing, as they say. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. Im so sorry for your loss. We are spiritual beings in a material world, my mom would sometimes say. Some say that the Way International is a cult. 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. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. 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. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. 5 Lamsa considered himself an apostle and believed in clairvoyance and universalism. Despite a pattern of members losing their lives to the insanity of this group, proving negligence/culpability in Court regarding a suicide is very, very difficult. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. And they were pretty insistent on saying that the Holocaust did happen but not nearly to the extent that Jewish people say it did, and that their agenda is to make us feel sorry for them and legitimize Judaism over Christianity. He would beat me for nearly any infraction. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. .~?mq3\n7C. Anyways, one summer afternoon on a car ride to grandma's with a Way following family member: the tape deck had one of these Sunday service tapes start playing when they started the car. Maybe it will help to read what I experienced. Not only is it about reading the Bible and having a personal relationship with God, but there are various levels of classes that you take to be better scholars. https://www.reddit.com/r/BGSU/comments/mlu753/the_way_international_twi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf. Household Prayer would be around 6am or earlier sometimes, which you couldn't miss or again you would be reprimanded. A place for discussion about cults and other new age religious movements. 11 Morton and Juedes, Integrity and Accuracy, reveals many of Wierwilles errors in scholarship and Bible interpretation. Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services) 6.3k posts. What do they make members do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. Wierwilles writings on the topics of interpreting the Bible, soul sleep, the distinction of impersonal holy spirit from the Holy Spirit, ultradispensationalism, gospel harmony, and the mystery are all drawn from Bullinger. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. Ironside, which addresses aspects of ultradispensationalism.15 It is often perplexing to Wayers, though, that teachers Wierwille respected such as Bullinger, Kenyon, and Stiles staunchly held primary orthodox beliefs which Wierwille rejected, including Trinitarianism. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. How about a little more candor, Vince? The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. 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. Third, help them to relearn. 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. Again, thank you for taking the time to provide concise details. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. The Way Worship Centre. Soooo, I guess to answer your question about how she was allowed to do non-Christian activities, I think the thing to remember is that the Way picked up steam in the late 70s when a big wave of evangelicalism was sweeping through the US. Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . I was raised "in the word" as they say, meaning I was a born into the cult. There were some other elite leadership groups in the faith (like Way Disciple that you mention) but the three I listed are the ones that most people in fellowships are expected to take. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. Omg this info about splinter groups is shocking. Many former Way members are flocking to break-off organizations some of which are led by well-known and respected ex-leaders. 12 Lynn, Overview of Events. "rev" gerry wrenn raises wierwille from the dead! 2013-08-01T19:56:36Z J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. And unjustified bullshit. Followers 0. The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. In the 90s as home internet was starting to become a thing, and ex-Way followers were posting their experiences on message boards, I remember fellowship leaders told us to limit our time online and to not Google search (or in those days Yahoo?) 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. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. A few, but not tons. My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. Strangely, that means that TWI is responsible for my birth. 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. 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 article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). People were eager to engage, but I dont think answers were ever very satisfying. as I got older I was terrified of doing something that would have me cast out because my whole life THESE were the people I knew and had history with, and it made me deeply sad to imagine suddenly being cut off from that. There is a great diversity of emotions and viewpoints among those who have left The Way International. I was left on the bathroom floor for a week because "there's nothing we can do if you're not believing God to heal you." The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. When I was talking to my mom about climate change she just waved me off with Gods not going to let it get that bad! Oh. 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. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. 8 Ibid., 67, 68. While Believers with a history of Way International affiliation, esp. 7:15). These people are capable of anything. When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. The most debate arose when the topic of financing CES was raised, which prompted fears that their donations would be misused by yet another organization. Personally I was depressed and suicidal most of the 5 years I lived there and for years after until I was able to seek help. Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. For instance, trustee Donald Wierwille (Victor Pauls son) confessed, I apologize for not having followed my man of God.6. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. At 29yrs old.