She was loved by many because she was easy going, fit in with many and different groups - a legitimate interest in others, etc. Third, help them to relearn. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. Most ex-Wayers are confused, not knowing where to turn, whom to trust, or what to believe. Geer repeatedly promotes himself as the only man left in The Way Ministry who is fully informed, spiritually adept, and capable of leading the Ministry and stemming its speedy decline. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. The false apostles disguises are being pulled from their faces, and the virgins who were led astray are returning to the one true Jesus, Spirit, and gospel, and the church of Jesus Christ. This is very hard. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. 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. John P. Juedes is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Highland, California, and has written extensively on The Way International. 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. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. 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. 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. 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. No one is going to beat you. Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). How about a little more candor, Vince? Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. . A Profile of The Way, International 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. %PDF-1.7 % Geer and trustee Howard Allen apparently believed that the behavior of the trustees, not strokes and cancer, caused Wierwilles death. About The Way International. It has now become apparent to many of them that Wierwille was instead an eclectic plagiarist. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. The main groups vying for control of rural settlements - including the National Liberal Army (ELN), two rival splinter or "dissident" groups composed of reconstituted FARC remnants, the Gulf Clan and smaller illicit bands - are now the focus of government efforts to pen deals aimed at halting the hostilities. 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. 2 John P. Juedes and Jay Valusek, Will the Real Author Please Stand Up? I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. 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. 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. 8 Whiteside, 197-200. The Ways decisions to terminate the WOWs and PFAL classes are partly due to the damaging influence of Way splinter groups. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. I'm a robot. graduates of the PFAL Series (Power For Abundant Living) may find links to fellowship, study, friends, and loved ones, believers and seekers of all congregations or none at all may find wonderful links at this page. 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. Making you afraid of other people and afraid of having attention withheld are other classic manipulation tactics. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. You were expected to advance through them, and you typically developed bonds with your cohort in the Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced classes. Somewhere in the 90s someone in charge of such decisions recognized that it was probably a good idea to stop calling it twig because it sounds weird to newcomers. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. Long story long. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. A number of people died. 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. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. I dealt with it as a kid by pretending not to notice the issues in my family and in the cult. The immediate cause was metastatic melanoma of the liver, which means that the cancer spread from the eye to the liver. I am sorry for your loss. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. 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. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). All of these classes are weeks long, have an enrollment fee, and have their own expensive materials (books, binders, etc.) My parents met in the Way in the late 80s through the WOW program. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. As a result, many Wayers view Geer as being the true spiritual heir to Wierwille. One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. 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. Many people did not believe in medical care. 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. Hahahaha. Way security personnel try to intimidate outsiders by dressing as police officers complete with utility belt, holster, CB-style microphone clipped to a shoulder, metal badge with the word patrolman prominently stamped on it, and white vehicles with a seal painted on the door and emergency lights on top. While accusing the Christian church at large of being divisive, the new groups (like The Way International) practice division much more stringently than most Christian denominations or churches. A place for discussion about cults and other new age religious movements. But thats the thing: the adversary throws you curve balls, and its our job as athletes of the spirit to make smart moves. Sann distributes a free tape, A Ministry in Crisis: An Editorial on The Way International, in which he asserts that The Way became hierarchical in the 1970s, causing a deterioration of the Ministry in many areas. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. First, the assumptions and structure of the new groups are like The Way International. Take The Diary of Anne Frank for example. Your last sentence though. dagger to the heart ..internal turmoil reconciling her faith with just being a person in the world. Its not interested in interrogating deep questions of being and it doesnt hold up well to fact based challenges. Conveniently situated in the Minh Khai part of Phu Ly (Ha Nam), this property puts you close . (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), 209, 174, for Wierwilles claim that his book is the most original coverage of the subject, and p. 178 for his claim that God audibly promised to teach him directly and personally. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? 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. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 Youre a survivor. 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. The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. The last fatal attack on a police officer in Northern Ireland was the April 2011 killing of Constable . 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. They did not understand that Wierwille preached another Jesus (who was only a man) and another spirit (not the Holy Spirit personally indwelling them). 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. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff A few, but not tons. He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. 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). I was told by a leader that having an understanding of the Word as it is supposed to be understood helps you form opinions. 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. That is to say, other people are nice and fine, but its only the true Believers that are truly living Godly lives. They have been active and effective at exposing problems in The Way through personal influence and meetings of Wayers around the nation. I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. Este artculo es una exclusiva en lnea de Christian Research Journal. Until then I was personally fighting acceptance because I wasnt able to understand and someone else had not articulated a realistic and plausible answer. 4v$gi And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult. This practice was common back in the 70s-80s as well as taking people's medications away so they could "prove God." The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. They believed that God heals and if you believe enough he can heal anything. (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). Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. The foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can't tell you how many times I took it. 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. 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. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. Martindale told his followers at the 1995 Rock of Ages conference that new classes were needed because The Ways opponents had attended PFAL classes and learned how to use this material against The Way. Wierwille exercised very little discernment in learning from others, readily accepting teachings from itinerant mystics, Christian Scientists, and spiritists. Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. 17 Rick Lessing, An Analysis and Critique of the Theology of The Way International: An Evangelical Christian Response to Victor Paul Wierwilles Concept of the Trinity (unpublished paper, 1986), makes a case that Wierwille misunderstood Trinitarianism as (alternately) Sabellianism and polytheism, and that when Trinitarianism is properly explained, it is clearly biblically valid and coherent. Just after Wierwilles death, Geer published The Passing of a Patriarch, which is a rambling account of Geers final conversations with Wierwille shortly before his death. Last year, The Way Magazine lauded the organizations success at quickly beginning new PFAL classes through street witnessing; but now fewer classes are likely to be held since many recruits drop out of the twigs before attending a full year. (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), x. Leonard. 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. My splinter group was one of them. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. 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. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. The Way published three books by Lynn, more than any author other than Wierwille. This group was formerly known as American Fellowship Services. Another splinter group By Fredchopin, September 3, 2021. Edited to add: Would anyone be interested in an ex-Way subreddit? Not that a college degree is by any means the only metric of intelligence, but there arent a lot of college degrees in the faith. 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. 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 Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. I know this is a bit long, but I hope it gives you some insight into what it's like to be inside this group. Press J to jump to the feed. The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. I had been a professional lead singer and performer since I was 16, and although I . 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. Oral Robertss The Red Thread in his Lifestyle of Gods Word. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. 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?) I don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. I dont know if this is still true, but a weird criteria at the time was that you had to be debt free to participate. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International, Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services), Accused sex predator Victor Barnard a victim's story. See also Elena Whiteside, The Way Living with Love, 2d ed. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. 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. 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. Not even post TWI as a survivor. 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. If you weren't in good standing, you didn't get tapes of the way singers or of "reverend" Martindale. 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. 11:2-4, 13-15) gives insight into the nature of this controversy, Wierwilles work, and his followers: For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. Atheism. Please keep in touch. Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. 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 a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. 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. 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. There is a great diversity of emotions and viewpoints among those who have left The Way International. The level to which people beat themselves up for falling short, though, is intense. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. I was forced to eat food I'm allergic to in order to prove God healed me. Wierwille as father, friend, and teacher, but both the Scriptures and the empirical evidence demand it. But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. The Way, International Profile 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. "rev" gerry wrenn raises wierwille from the dead! They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. .~?mq3\n7C. 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. It was founded by Victor Paul Wierwille in 1942 as a radio program, subsequently becoming The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947, and The Way, Inc., in 1955. SPIRIT AND TRUTH FELLOWSHIP / CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / JOHN LYNN. I just wanted to paint a picture here of the laid back approach to Christian faith that makes the Way appealing to people. Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. Think of the creed is their unwritten Bible. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. 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. 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. Wierwilles ideas on sense knowledge, confession, and healing (among others) he found in E.W. 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. 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." 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. 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. This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. Accordingly, several groups have arisen to try to meet these needs. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. I thought of myself as a good person, but Id grown up to believe that you couldnt be both good and a homosexual. I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. The group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions. Since the Martindale faction controls these, it views visits by ex-Wayers as enemy infiltration. 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. Beep. In short, the Way (though it started much earlier) at its highest participation rates was essentially home fellowships with hippies talking about Jesus. The termination of the WOW Ambassador program led to the start of the Disciples of The Way Outreach program. And unjustified bullshit. In addition, the account includes several insights into The Way. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. That made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. Started in the early 1950s by the late Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985), the original organization was called the Way Incorporated. that you have to purchase to participate. 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). My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children. An alarming statement from her the week prior to committing suicide and a recent appearance/presence on social media a few months prior is also what has really shaken everyone. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. By word, character, and example, show them that there is more-than-abundant life outside The Way International.Dr. 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.