the way international splinter groups

I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. How about a little more candor, Vince? Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. He also hopes to produce more printed materials, provide a network of fellowships, and serve as a traveling teacher. The group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. Many people did not believe in medical care. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children. 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. Martindale openly and vulgarly expressed his contempt for the splinter groups during his Rock of Ages 95 sermons. 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. The class aside (because who cares), can you imagine being made to feel like youre a bad person because of things beyond your control? Have others committed suicide? I am sorry for your loss. Until then I was personally fighting acceptance because I wasnt able to understand and someone else had not articulated a realistic and plausible answer. I'd recently read a secular book and they also blamed that. For instance, trustee Donald Wierwille (Victor Pauls son) confessed, I apologize for not having followed my man of God.6. (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. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. They all have been visible in speaking, writing, and leadership positions such as Region and Limb Coordinators and headquarters staff (Region Coordinator is the highest Way position other than Trustee). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. For example we had fellowship in our home 3 days per week and if I were to miss one I might be interrogated about where I was, or told that I'm unequally yoked with "worldly" people, which is how they describe anyone outside the cult. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. 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. This is to say, you can be you with all your quirks and eccentricities because we are all unique people and can come to have unique relationships with God through his Word. 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). 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. My splinter group was one of them. The Ways security force has become increasingly aggressive, quickly and thoroughly investigating anyone who appears at functions like the Rock of Ages conferences9 or is on their campus without a Way nametag. I had been a professional lead singer and performer since I was 16, and although I . Many have realized that they have also been falsely taught on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and have turned to evangelical beliefs instead. This is a big hurdle, because V.P. The Way International is a nondenominational Christian ministry based in New Knoxville, Ohio.The followers congregate primarily in home fellowships located throughout the United States, two US territories and in over 30 countries. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. 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. No one is going to beat you. Martindales classes include material from PFAL as well as new topics. We are talking about a lot of people who fall for get-rich-quick schemes and fad diets. Oh my goodness. The Way Worship Centre. 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. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. Yeah Um would you look at the time? Geer and trustee Howard Allen apparently believed that the behavior of the trustees, not strokes and cancer, caused Wierwilles death. 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. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. 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. In fact, Martindale considers homosexuality to be devil-spirit possession.. Instead of it being an isolated incident that sucks from time to time in life, its framed as The Adversary (the devil) is making your life difficult, and as athletes of the spirit we can outmaneuver him. If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. 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. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. Wierwille credits Stiles with showing him how to receive and manifest the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues when they met at a Tulsa rally in 1951.7 He took his teachings on evil spirits, definition of humans as body-soul-spirit (with his peculiar exegesis), laying on of hands, and his descriptions and methods of operating the manifestations (gifts of the Spirit) from B.G. What practices are different from the 80s? One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. 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. 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. The Way International also claims trademark rights in the following: . Again, thank you for taking the time to provide concise details. What Are Long-Time Wayers Thinking About? When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. 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. 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. application/pdf Kenyon. For example, Vince Finnegan formed a new splinter group primarily from the block of Wayers he led in New . 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. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. And they were pretty insistent on saying that the Holocaust did happen but not nearly to the extent that Jewish people say it did, and that their agenda is to make us feel sorry for them and legitimize Judaism over Christianity. 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). Leonards book and course syllabus called The Gifts of the Spirit are still in print. The Way is considered a cult by many former members, by most mainstream churches, and by certain secular groups. Many of us were had gotten the impression that she was back. The Way stressed that these gatherings were for committed, faithful followers, unlike the Rock, which was open to anyone. 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. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. I am glad I am not the only one who dealt with growing up in TWI. My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. 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. Este artculo es una exclusiva en lnea de Christian Research Journal. As a kid, I was always 1.) 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. 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. Her recent suicide however was as a member in leadership. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. 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. But apparently, he doesn't want people to know what he did in the 1970s and 1980s. I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. I think some of the main differences between the 80's and now is the infrastructure. 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 ). 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. 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. John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157. In that same breathe, her sister/siblings believed she was waking up and coming to her own conclusion about her situation and the life she had created with the expectation that she would removing herself as they did during that similar age period of their lives. For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. Your reply was a lot to unpack, digest, snd accept. 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. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. One Scripture passage (2 Cor. 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. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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?. There are certain rules Mandalorians must adhere to . 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 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). Lynnes new teachings include the assertions that interpretation of tongues must always be praise to God (never a message to believers), and that believing does not work for saint and sinner alike, but is receiving Gods promises. Our dear and sweet beloved friend. Offshoots - Splinter Groups : How Many Are There? Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. John P. Juedes is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Highland, California, and has written extensively on The Way International. Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. These people are capable of anything. Bill Green, who handles some public relations for The Ways New Knoxville, Ohio headquarters, declined to be interviewed about the classes and related developments. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream Ultimate question, do you think The Way or anyone that endorses the way is worth pursuing as - culpable? %PDF-1.7 % They believed that God heals and if you believe enough he can heal anything. .~?mq3\n7C. Like Wierwille, Berg drew young people from the Jesus movement to form his own group, the Children of God (now called the Family of Love), which uses sexual promiscuity to win new followers. Although the group emphasizes that it does not have members, it keeps very detailed records of its class graduates and donors, which are used as criteria to determine peoples status with the group and their access to some of its functions. Myself and others are looking to cope and find closure or understanding from a recent loss/death due to suicide. 2 John P. Juedes and Jay Valusek, Will the Real Author Please Stand Up? uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 3 Highlights of The Way Corps Graduation (June 1995), cassette tape. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. If you weren't in good standing, you didn't get tapes of the way singers or of "reverend" Martindale. Scientology front group. 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. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. And unjustified bullshit. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. 1987). 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. As Wayers recognize false teachings, they further see the inaccurate scholarship Wierwille used to defend his teachings.11 Therefore, they also criticize Wierwilles skill as a Bible researcher and teacher and call into question everything they learned from him. 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. Boop. 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. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? The Way, International Profile 7:15). 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). Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). 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. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. A name used by Share International. What do they make members do? The Way sent out 138 Disciples to 15 cities during the Rock of Ages 1995 conference, far below a peak of 3,100 WOW Ambassadors it claimed to have sent in 1982. 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. 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. I grew up in the Way Ministry in the 80s and left in my last year of high school in 96. 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. 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 is where I experienced most of the abuse. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Atheism. Good call. All of these classes are weeks long, have an enrollment fee, and have their own expensive materials (books, binders, etc.) Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. I think another thing to think about with the Way is that it is in many ways a pyramid scheme. This conflict has increased as ex-Wayers have persuaded many of their friends to leave Martindales group. 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. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. But they are open to friendships and the Bible, and are reevaluating many teachings and practices. Think of the creed is their unwritten Bible. I want to be clear that if you think something nefarious has happened here, go with your gut. He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. 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 was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. . And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. (The PFAL classes had been open to anyone who paid the $50 fee.) Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. . However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. Gross, right? We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. She probably could have just gone and not told anyone because its not like anyone checked your bank account, but her guilt consumed her and a couple days before, she called our fellowship coordinator over and confessed to him that she had debt. Except they pretty much worship the bible. Many remember current leaders as friends, but at the same time despise them for wrongs they believe they have done or allowed. The Way, International, page 2 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. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. You were expected to advance through them, and you typically developed bonds with your cohort in the Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced classes. Nonetheless, many ex-Wayers desire publications, traveling teachers, regional meetings, and a network of fellowships similar to those they had in The Way. 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. Conveniently situated in the Minh Khai part of Phu Ly (Ha Nam), this property puts you close . . Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. (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). The creed and The Way are very much one and the same; The Way is just the religion they follow. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. Show love and patience throughout this trying time of change. He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. 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. 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . This is his first book, and the first book produced by this Biblical Research and Teaching ministry in over 10 years. At the time, Schoenheit was on The Ways research team. "rev" gerry wrenn raises wierwille from the dead! 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). With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. 4-5 maybe? I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions. Its not interested in interrogating deep questions of being and it doesnt hold up well to fact based challenges. 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. My story might be pretty different compared to those of you who grew up in the 80's/90's. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. 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. Can you imagine? The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. 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. 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. 10 These are actual experiences which Wayers, ex-Wayers, and others have shared with me. Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. Although Wierwille has written against spiritism, he welcomed this spiritist with open arms. 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.

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