the way international splinter groups

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. I cannot stress enough how much the control and fear is internal. Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. As well as the original post questions. Third, help them to relearn. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. 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). My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. Wierwilles death certificate lists ocular melanoma, or malignant tumor of the eye, as the underlying cause of death. 16 Wierwille noted that acquiring young people from the Jesus movement caused the Ways growth (Whiteside, 230-35). The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. 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). I was a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. 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. SPIRIT AND TRUTH FELLOWSHIP / CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / JOHN LYNN. Reportedly, a few people have even considered suicide or entered mental institutions. The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. The reason it was called that was because we imagined the whole ministry all over the world as one big tree. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. Except they pretty much worship the bible. This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ 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. The Way also teaches its followers to receive an impersonal power (called holy spirit, power from on high, or Christ in you) by inhaling, and that speaking in tongues is the only proof that one is born again. Cules son las creencias bsicas del budismo? This is very hard. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. 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. 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. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. One ex-member said the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello, with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, wife swapping, and even gang-rape.4. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about 35,000 to less than 10,000.1. These people are capable of anything. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Im so sorry for your loss. It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. Bill Green, who handles some public relations for The Ways New Knoxville, Ohio headquarters, declined to be interviewed about the classes and related developments. While Believers with a history of Way International affiliation, esp. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. Answer. (Ex-)Wayers would also benefit from Robert A. Moreys Death and the Afterlife (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), Stuart Olyotts The Three Are One (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1979), and Cal Beisners God in Three Persons (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1985). We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. 4v$gi Again - really helpful and it has expanded my perspective as well as empathy much more. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). 5 Christopher C. Geer, The Passing of a Patriarch (Attrincham, Cheshire, U.K.: European Christian Press, n.d.), 34. It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. Can you imagine? There hasn't been a good gathering place for survivors since the Greasespot Cafe and I think there is a need for one. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. "Michael John Rood is an ordained nondenominational Christian minister and Messianic rabbi," according to a brochure Rood produced to promote his seminars which . I think another thing to think about with the Way is that it is in many ways a pyramid scheme. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. 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. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. 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. 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). Many former Way members are flocking to break-off organizations some of which are led by well-known and respected ex-leaders. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. TWI splinter group leader John Lynn wrote a letter in 2008 defending and praising "the old" Way International, proof that the old Way Arrogance lives on as well. 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. 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. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. For example, Lionel Recio and Steve Lefevers claim that one woman was gang-raped by several Way clergy and that the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, and wife-swapping. A place for discussion about cults and other new age religious movements. Oral Robertss The Red Thread in his Lifestyle of Gods Word. 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). That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. Martindale openly and vulgarly expressed his contempt for the splinter groups during his Rock of Ages 95 sermons. I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. Not even post TWI as a survivor. 11 Morton and Juedes, Integrity and Accuracy, reveals many of Wierwilles errors in scholarship and Bible interpretation. Cules son las creencias bsicas del budismo? When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. The other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. In the meantime, I want to share about her thread with you. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? 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 . The Way president is accustomed to using crude speech and profanity, even in public settings. The new policy may reduce The Ways recruitment. 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. 2 John P. Juedes and Jay Valusek, Will the Real Author Please Stand Up? 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. 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 ). Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. Based at . Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. Dont get me wrong, we should all have some financial literacy, but the extent to which Believers internalized their shortcomings was heart-breaking. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. 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. This present controversy is serving to alert pure believers that Wierwille and his successors are false apostles after all. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. What do they make members do? Wierwille as father, friend, and teacher, but both the Scriptures and the empirical evidence demand it. The most ridiculous instance was when he beat me for clinking my fork too loudly in my plate at the dinner table. 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). 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. 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. The Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. Omg this info about splinter groups is shocking. The Way International was founded in 1942 by Victor Paul Wierwille as a radio program, then was renamed the Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947. I mention this because in the athletes analogy, theres always an adversary. The figure other Christians might call the Devil the Way often calls the Adversary (lol it looks weird to write it out). 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. 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. . 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. %PDF-1.7 % Unlike the WOWs, the Disciples program is open only to Advanced Class graduates, and therefore probably consists mainly of members of the Way Corps. At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. They have rejected some Christian teachings (such as the Trinity17) primarily because they have accepted Way caricatures and have not fully understood them. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . 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. 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." Wierwille admits going to Alberta, Canada, twice in the early 1950s to hear Leonard teach on the manifestations and get a copy of his syllabus for his use.8 Leonard still teaches in Brownsville, Texas. Youre a survivor. 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. 13 Address: Pacific West Fellowship, P.O. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. The immediate cause was metastatic melanoma of the liver, which means that the cancer spread from the eye to the liver. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. A name used by Share International. The book asserts that the president and trustees were untrustworthy and spiritually corrupt, did not listen to God or Wierwille, killed Way ministries by neglect, avoided responsibility, were hypocrites, led selfish lifestyles, and so forth. It was heavy-duty indoctrination using known "brainwashing" techniques like sleep deprivation and intense manual labor mixed with a hippy commune mentality and a healthy dose of college hijinks thrown in. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. I can't speak much on what the formal organization is doing now but the splinter groups just don't have the financial or organizational power as they did before they split off. The level to which people beat themselves up for falling short, though, is intense. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. 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. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. 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. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. Wierwilles stance that the whole Bible was authored in Aramaic, that parts of Scripture have been lost, that many Bible passages in popular translations were deviously inserted by pagans, and his Nestorian-like view of Jesus Christ (which drives a wedge between the human Jesus and the divine Christ) all trace to mystic George Lamsa. That exes from his life are all crazy.. My parents are still standing, as they say. haga clic aqu para obtener ms informacin. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. And I am glad you are with us. Jun 10, 2009. The apostle Paul warned of deceivers when he told the Ephesians, I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:29-30). Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. Word John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. 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. The Way, International Profile It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. 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 . 8 Whiteside, 197-200. Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . 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. 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. This is a big hurdle, because V.P. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. Splintering and Subjugating.as night follows day, Remembering a woman of courage, who stood up to a monster. 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. He also was a spiritist and claimed, Many of the subjects I have given in my Bible class have been dictated to me by the loved ones long since passed on.6 It would appear that Wierwilles gnostic leanings, healing emphasis, camp/advance (retreat) formats, divine laws, stress on physical exercise, desire to be the best, and even the term The Way itself were derived from New Thought speakers Glenn Clark, Starr Daily, and Rufus Moseley. Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. Spirit and Truth Fellowship International. Brainwashing is in part convincing you that the world is evil and filled with devil spirits that are everywhere and you must be vigilant, and part CONSTANT information about the bible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. Boop. The share and contributions of another Reddit member way help you with perspective and provide some form of comfort or solace as you and your family are ensuring the struggle currently. Some say that the Way International is a cult. The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. 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). 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. Stiles, a leader in the early charismatic movement. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Here's a copy of. 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. He also hopes to produce more printed materials, provide a network of fellowships, and serve as a traveling teacher. Gotta run! Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. 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. How do they suffocate you as a person? She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. I did not take your explanation about The Way members as rude. The Way International (TWI) has been on cult watchers' radar screens for decades. 4 Lionel Recio and Steve Lefevers, The Way of Life or the Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. I dont know if any of this is helpful to you. The Way International, Christian evangelical group founded in 1942 as Vesper Chimes, a radio ministry broadcast from Lima, Ohio, by Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-85). Youre not going to have to perform penance. 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 dealt with it as a kid by pretending not to notice the issues in my family and in the cult. Leonards book and course syllabus called The Gifts of the Spirit are still in print. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . 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. Scientology front group. Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. And unjustified bullshit. 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. 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). I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. 7 Whiteside, 205-9. 3 Victor Paul Wierwille, Power for Abundant Living (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1971), 119-20.4 Victor Paul Wierwille, Receiving the Holy Spirit Today, 6th ed. The foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can't tell you how many times I took it. 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. 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. There are certain rules Mandalorians must adhere to . (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1987), 50 pp. I mention these because these are classic isolating manipulation tactics. The Rock had been held annually for 25 years, and had been used to teach, recruit participants for Way ministries, and send out Way Ambassadors. 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. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff I am also former TWI. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. Show love and patience throughout this trying time of change. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. that you have to purchase to participate. 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. 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. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. 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. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. 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. The Way International has a book value of all assets over $68 million, however believers often pay a facility fee to meet as a State or Branch, or they meet in only "budget" or "free" spaces. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. Long story long. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. If you weren't in good standing, you didn't get tapes of the way singers or of "reverend" Martindale. We were taught that the Adversary is always looking for ways to break down our spiritual fortitude and that can come in the form of media, indoctrination in schools and even our own families. This is his first book, and the first book produced by this Biblical Research and Teaching ministry in over 10 years. 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. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. See also pp.38 and 52. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26.

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