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He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children. Stiles, a leader in the early charismatic movement. Gotta run! Boop. I had been a professional lead singer and performer since I was 16, and although I . This is a part of growing up for anyone, but I think its especially hard for people who grow empathy and conscience and recognize the way they grew up was manipulative and mean-spirited. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. Cliffes book Lessons in Successful Living addresses similar topics. 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. Atheism. During WOW training at the 1994 Rock of Ages conference, however, Way leaders decided not to send WOWs, because nearly 10 percent of their Ambassadors were homosexual. Based at . 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). Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. James K. Walker In spite of its name, however, The Way . She was born into it and her home was a Twig if my verbiage is correct. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. Ex-Wayers also charge that The Way teaches falsely on the topics of believing, abundant sharing, tithing, interpretation of tongues, and athletes of the spirit (the belief that every warfare metaphor in the Epistles should be understood as an athletic metaphor instead). Household Prayer would be around 6am or earlier sometimes, which you couldn't miss or again you would be reprimanded. First, it is helpful to present facts of doctrinal, organizational, and personal error in Way leaders. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. Another splinter group By Fredchopin, September 3, 2021. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. 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. Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. These people are capable of anything. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. She didnt take the class. Take The Diary of Anne Frank for example. 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. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . 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. Although Lamsas blemished translation of the Bible appears in Christian bookstores, he held New Thought (Christian Science-like), not evangelical, beliefs.5 Wierwille drew his laws of believing, of tithing, prosperity, mental imaging (imagining good things to bring them to pass), and the more abundant life from Albert Cliffe. He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. 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. Omg this info about splinter groups is shocking. I told them never to bring up The Way in my presence again. Most still feel hurt from being betrayed by The Way, are suspicious of any new organizations, and hesitate to connect themselves with any Christian church. The creed and The Way are very much one and the same; The Way is just the religion they follow. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . There are less and less full time ministers on the field and in many Regions only one full time couple in the entire Region. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. 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. 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. 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). One of the many difficult things about digesting this for us is that her personality and character did not reflect this at all. 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. 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. The immediate cause was metastatic melanoma of the liver, which means that the cancer spread from the eye to the liver. Rev. I want to be clear that if you think something nefarious has happened here, go with your gut. I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. A few, but not tons. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1987), 50 pp. 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, International, page 2 The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. Answer. Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). I'm a robot. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. 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?. In addition, anyone who is well-acquainted with Wierwilles writings and reads Kenyons and Bullingers books is struck by the close parallels, even though one cannot always trace exact word-for-word plagiarism. My parents met in the Way in the late 80s through the WOW program. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. 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. The Way published three books by Lynn, more than any author other than Wierwille. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. One ex-member said the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello, with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, wife swapping, and even gang-rape.4. 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. Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. My story might be pretty different compared to those of you who grew up in the 80's/90's. Offshoots - Splinter Groups : How Many Are There? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. As a result, many Wayers view Geer as being the true spiritual heir to Wierwille. Dont get me wrong, we should all have some financial literacy, but the extent to which Believers internalized their shortcomings was heart-breaking. As a kid, I was always 1.) Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. I've even attended a wedding at HQ. %PDF-1.7 % I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. Making you afraid of other people and afraid of having attention withheld are other classic manipulation tactics. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. However, we are still driven by their nefarious existence. In fact, Martindale considers homosexuality to be devil-spirit possession.. This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. 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. 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. After I had a fight in elementary school, TWI advised him to beat me into submission. We can love rock music. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. 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. An iconic five-star international hotel Our hotel is located in the heart of the city and provides 180 rooms and suites. Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. 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. 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). This is his first book, and the first book produced by this Biblical Research and Teaching ministry in over 10 years. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. TL;DR: the Way seems chill and relaxed on the outside but its pretty intense on a personal level. The Way International (TWI) has been on cult watchers' radar screens for decades. Spirit and Truth Fellowship International. Wierwille was always more effective at turning people away from the church of Jesus Christ than he was at turning people toward the Bible or The Way International. See also pp.38 and 52. 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. I grew up in the Way Ministry in the 80s and left in my last year of high school in 96. And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult. Started in the early 1950s by the late Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985), the original organization was called the Way Incorporated. 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. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. The new policy may reduce The Ways recruitment. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International. How do they suffocate you as a person? I'm way-adjacent. 7 Whiteside, 205-9. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. Splinter Cults are WORSE..not better. Conveniently situated in the Minh Khai part of Phu Ly (Ha Nam), this property puts you close . Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. John Lynn claims that Wierwille and at least four other trustees had sex with literally hundreds of women, many of whom Lynn and other ex-leaders have counseled personally.9 They also claim the Trustees fired long-time researcher John Schonheit for writing a brief paper summarizing the Bibles teaching against adultery. I dont know if any of this is helpful to you. 4 Lionel Recio and Steve Lefevers, The Way of Life or the Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. 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. We could go into particulars like the Holocaust denying, the speaking in tongues, how women are supposed to be subservient to men, the homophobia but I just wanted to provide you with some context. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). 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". 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 other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. This is where I experienced most of the abuse. 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. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. Michael Rood is a self-proclaimed Messianic preacher who was ordained as a Christian minister in The Way International (TWI).. Rood has continued many of the themes and practices which made TWI theologically a cult of Christianity. Some people were asked to leave the ministry for some big transgression (maybe they were gay, maybe they bucked chain of command in some big way), and they were considered marked and avoided (I think stemming from the Cain and Abel story in Genesis). 4v$gi 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. And I am glad you are with us. . I tried explaining to the family member that "reverend" Martindale just advocated for mass murder. Myself and others are looking to cope and find closure or understanding from a recent loss/death due to suicide. Followers 0. 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?) This group was formerly known as American Fellowship Services. 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. 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). These were known as splinter groups and were always talked about as deceptive as if they were scheming their followers. The Way president is accustomed to using crude speech and profanity, even in public settings. 60, Bien Hoa Street, Minh Khai Ward, Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province,, Minh Khai, Phu Ly (Ha Nam), Vietnam, 400000 - See map. 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. The group says that it will hold classes and smaller conferences instead, including a weeklong gathering of 2,000 at The Ways auditorium in New Knoxville, July 20-27. Have others committed suicide? 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. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. 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). Heart-to-heart sharing with those who have . 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. Good call. Ultimate question, do you think The Way or anyone that endorses the way is worth pursuing as - culpable? Pretty sure "in good standing" meant you "tithed" over a certain amount each month. 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. 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. 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. John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. Your reply was a lot to unpack, digest, snd accept. 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. Again, thank you for taking the time to provide concise details. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? Except they pretty much worship the bible. In short, the Way (though it started much earlier) at its highest participation rates was essentially home fellowships with hippies talking about Jesus. Reportedly, a few people have even considered suicide or entered mental institutions. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. So I dont think youre going to find any one person in her fellowship circle to point a finger at, but I can imagine your friend, as a young, thinking, caring person was having a lot of internal turmoil reconciling her faith with just being a person in the world. .~?mq3\n7C. Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. He never credited his sources, in effect lying to his readers by leading them to believe that he originated his teachings under Gods direct tutelage. The Way is considered a cult by many former members, by most mainstream churches, and by certain secular groups. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. 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. See also Elena Whiteside, The Way Living with Love, 2d ed. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. 5 Christopher C. Geer, The Passing of a Patriarch (Attrincham, Cheshire, U.K.: European Christian Press, n.d.), 34. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. 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. Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. They have rejected some Christian teachings (such as the Trinity17) primarily because they have accepted Way caricatures and have not fully understood them. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. I was raised "in the word" as they say, meaning I was a born into the cult. Subforums. The manipulation tactics come from many angles. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. Just as 100 different Mormon groups all revere the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, because of founder Joseph Smiths attachment to it, the many Way splinter groups also revere Wierwilles New Knoxville, Ohio family farm and books. Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way . Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. The class aside (because who cares), can you imagine being made to feel like youre a bad person because of things beyond your control? If the person refuses to read or hear material which exposes such errors, then take the time to obtain the primary sources which demonstrate them and ask his or her opinion of them. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. Think of an abuser boyfriend who doesnt let you have friendships with other guys or other people, really, because it distracts your attention from him, the most important person in your life. Any time I needed to see a doctor (I've had chronic health issues) I had to do it in secret and lie about where I was going, and have the bills sent to fake addresses so no one would find out. 16 Wierwille noted that acquiring young people from the Jesus movement caused the Ways growth (Whiteside, 230-35). Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ Long story long. 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. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. 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.