the way international splinter groups

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. Making you afraid of other people and afraid of having attention withheld are other classic manipulation tactics. I was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. 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. These people are capable of anything. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. Boop. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. About The Way International. Her recent suicide however was as a member in leadership. Wierwille always told them that they could only go as far as they had been taught, and the new groups demonstrate this principle by organizing themselves in the same ways, and on the same assumptions, which Wierwille used in building The Way Tree. Scientology front group. And if the world thought you were a good homosexual it was because you had an agenda to legitimize your perversion (the way Jewish people use the Holocaust to legitimize their ungodly faith). Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. 2.) This is a big hurdle, because V.P. 3 Highlights of The Way Corps Graduation (June 1995), cassette tape. 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. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. 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. Show love and patience throughout this trying time of change. Moving on: I know a lot of people who grew up in strict religious contexts, but the thing that I always found kind of culty about the Way was how we were always supposed to prioritize people in the ministry to the exclusion of others. 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. Someone previous mentioned and shared something that we really needed to hear and hit home profoundly, she expressed that (paraphrasing) she was struggling to reconcile with her faith and being a person in the world. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157. I dont know if any of this is helpful to you. Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services) 6.3k posts. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. 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. Meanwhile, he promotes his book, The Rise and Expansion of the Church, through weekend seminars. 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. One Scripture passage (2 Cor. The Way stressed that these gatherings were for committed, faithful followers, unlike the Rock, which was open to anyone. 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. The Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. In addition, the account includes several insights into The Way. She didnt take the class. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. 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. See also pp.38 and 52. Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. 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. 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. 2013-08-01T19:56:36Z See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. 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. I am also former TWI. It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. . All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. TL;DR: the Way seems chill and relaxed on the outside but its pretty intense on a personal level. Homey, reported that 163 sodomiteshad been purged, marked and avoided by January l995.3. While Believers with a history of Way International affiliation, esp. As a kid, I was always 1.) Youre a survivor. 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. If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. 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. Still involved. I was a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. 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. But they are open to friendships and the Bible, and are reevaluating many teachings and practices. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. They have rejected some Christian teachings (such as the Trinity17) primarily because they have accepted Way caricatures and have not fully understood them. Some say that the Way International is a cult. An iconic five-star international hotel Our hotel is located in the heart of the city and provides 180 rooms and suites. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International. 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. 1987). I am sorry for your loss. 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. Disgusting. I think others have covered the most common manipulation tactics the group used. 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. 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. Here's a copy of. 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. Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. That exes from his life are all crazy.. 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. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? 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. 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. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. Leonard. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? They are both prevalent in Ohio. endstream endobj 3 0 obj <> endobj 2 0 obj <> endobj 61 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 21 0 obj <> endobj 25 0 obj <> endobj 29 0 obj <> endobj 30 0 obj <>stream Homey reported that it liquidated $29 million of debt by mid 1995. 13 Address: Pacific West Fellowship, P.O. What practices are still common? Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. It's another thing entirely when the leader of a "Biblical Research and Fellowship Ministry" delivers a fire and brimstone sermon threatening to chain gays to the back bumper of an RV and go for a little drive. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions. The most ridiculous instance was when he beat me for clinking my fork too loudly in my plate at the dinner table. The Passing of a Patriarch greatly damaged The Way because it summarizes the accusations Wierwille made against the three trustees who alone are technically members of The Way and who control all assets and policy. that you have to purchase to participate. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. After I had a fight in elementary school, TWI advised him to beat me into submission. Many former Way members are flocking to break-off organizations some of which are led by well-known and respected ex-leaders. 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. Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited "college." 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). The Way To Happiness International. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. Most ex-Wayers are confused, not knowing where to turn, whom to trust, or what to believe. 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. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please.