TWI's was (and still is in a smaller capacity) an actual institution with employees, an unaccredited college, and evangelist programs that relocate people and had actual methods for indoctrination. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. I think it may be important for you to identify whether she was in TWI proper or a splinter group. haga clic aqu para obtener ms informacin. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. 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. 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. I was told by a leader that having an understanding of the Word as it is supposed to be understood helps you form opinions. Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. If youve seen the documentaries about Scientology or even that Nxivm sex cult this is practically a template for revenue income for these religious organizations. (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), x. 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 don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. I was berated, told I did this to myself because I didn't have my head in the word enough and allowed devil spirits in. Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. It endured so long largely because members of The Way (Wayers) viewed Wierwille as their Father in the Word, who heard Gods audible voice and taught Gods Word as it had not been known since the first century.. He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. 4v$gi People were eager to engage, but I dont think answers were ever very satisfying. The CES meeting in May 1988 sponsored two and one-half days of biblical teachings and allowed sales of books by those attending, including Lynn, Lionel Recio, and myself. In spite of its name, however, The Way . Wait, it's "The Word of God" and then some other follower will utter "The Word of God is the Will of God" like some sheep bleating "four legs good". 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. 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." It's 2am and so I decided to reminisce in Google-land by doing a search on the The Way International; a group I was once affiliated with . He would beat me for nearly any infraction. In the meantime, I want to share about her thread with you. 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. 60, Bien Hoa Street, Minh Khai Ward, Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province,, Minh Khai, Phu Ly (Ha Nam), Vietnam, 400000 - See map. 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. However, we are still driven by their nefarious existence. Her recent suicide however was as a member in leadership. 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. They are both prevalent in Ohio. Show love and patience throughout this trying time of change. That made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. 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. 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. I did not take your explanation about The Way members as rude. With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. 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. 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. Think of the creed is their unwritten Bible. 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. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. An iconic five-star international hotel Our hotel is located in the heart of the city and provides 180 rooms and suites. 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. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. In 1983 I became involved with the cult the Way International or as it is commonly referred to by members, "the Way." I had a B.A. The Way president is accustomed to using crude speech and profanity, even in public settings. While Believers with a history of Way International affiliation, esp. That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. 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. This is a part of growing up for anyone, but I think its especially hard for people who grow empathy and conscience and recognize the way they grew up was manipulative and mean-spirited. They also feel the need for teaching and fellowship with other believers. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). Dont get me wrong, we should all have some financial literacy, but the extent to which Believers internalized their shortcomings was heart-breaking. Defectors also accused Way leadership of practicing and approving adultery as a godly practice. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. Almost every one of Wierwilles teachings can be traced to other sources (see sidebar for descriptions of some of Wierwilles teachings). The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. Although Wierwille has written against spiritism, he welcomed this spiritist with open arms. I'd recently read a secular book and they also blamed that. Christian can also help (ex-) Wayers through four basic steps of reorientation: 1) expose, 2) emotional reaction, 3) relearning, and 4) reconstruction. As a result, Martindale told everyone to eliminate this and other spirit-driven malignancies from Way circles. They have been active and effective at exposing problems in The Way through personal influence and meetings of Wayers around the nation. Anyways, one summer afternoon on a car ride to grandma's with a Way following family member: the tape deck had one of these Sunday service tapes start playing when they started the car. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited "college." Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". 1987). The leader was arrested recently as he had convinced the fellowship members to give him their eldest daughters which he physically and sexually abused for 9+ years until one girl escaped. 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. Yeah Um would you look at the time? Because of the work of splinter groups, in recent years The Way has been marked by heightened paranoia, attention to security, and bitterness. Your experience brings so many new things into perspective and reflects the things we noted about her 10yrs when we were younger but never questioned because well how much can a teenager really articulate? 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. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". Boop. In my research since leaving in 2013 I have found a number of people who reported that their loved ones died in the way dating back to the 70s. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. 13 Address: Pacific West Fellowship, P.O. 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. At 29yrs old. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. 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. The logic has more dangerous consequences when people literally think God will cure their Cancer, Lupus, diabetes. 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. Martindale openly and vulgarly expressed his contempt for the splinter groups during his Rock of Ages 95 sermons. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. The Way International is a small, fundamentalist, Bible-based organization headquartered in New Knoxville, Ohio, on property that was once the family farm of the founder, Victor Paul Wierwille. 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. Youre not going to have to perform penance. The splinter groups made a lot of sense because fellowships (church) was held in people's homes anyway, so they continued to hold them and they all have their own little names like "Harbor Light Fellowship" or "Living Word Fellowship" however they still are Weirwill purists and teach his ideas. Your last sentence though. dagger to the heart ..internal turmoil reconciling her faith with just being a person in the world. I was a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. This is where I experienced most of the abuse. It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. Edited to add: Would anyone be interested in an ex-Way subreddit? The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please. I did look your friend up on facebook and we have friends in common from the cult (I should probably just start a new FB to rid myself of them), which would lead me to believe it's a splinter group since the two don't typically mix. The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. Some find it hard to reevaluate the Trinity, perhaps because they heard Way leaders ridicule Trinitarianism so often, and because they themselves also berated the teaching. 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. In fact, Martindale considers homosexuality to be devil-spirit possession.. Way-Showers. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. A place for discussion about cults and other new age religious movements. CES includes many past Way celebrities and clergy such as John and Pat Lynn, Ralph Dubofsky, Robert Belt, Sue Pierce, Tom Reahard, and John Schonheit. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. My family transitioned to a splinter group in the mid 90s, and later when I was a teenager I moved into a "Way Home" which is like a group home for the cult. 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. Prominent ex-Way leaders took with them networks of ex-followers of TWI. 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). All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. Children who grew into adults in the Way are another matter because it is hard to go out into the world and maybe get your own place or go to college and have your worldview challenged by people you were taught were lazy, selfish, or had an agenda. 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. Jun 10, 2009. My impression is that BGSU Staff/Administration is unaware that she was a Way member. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. 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. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. At the time, Schoenheit was on The Ways research team. I had been a professional lead singer and performer since I was 16, and although I . We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. This is certainly helpful and appreciated. The class aside (because who cares), can you imagine being made to feel like youre a bad person because of things beyond your control? 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. 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). After I had a fight in elementary school, TWI advised him to beat me into submission. 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. One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. But thats the thing: the adversary throws you curve balls, and its our job as athletes of the spirit to make smart moves. The Way International (TWI) has been on cult watchers' radar screens for decades. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. Many people did not believe in medical care. Im going to say something rude here: my experience of adults in the Way is that they arent exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. 11 Morton and Juedes, Integrity and Accuracy, reveals many of Wierwilles errors in scholarship and Bible interpretation. At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. Answer. This practice was common back in the 70s-80s as well as taking people's medications away so they could "prove God." In opposition, John Schoenheit produced a paper that confronted this error and biblically explained that adultery is a sin. Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. Many have realized that they have also been falsely taught on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and have turned to evangelical beliefs instead. Gotta run! 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. Scientology front group. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. 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). 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. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. %PDF-1.7 % 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. "Michael John Rood is an ordained nondenominational Christian minister and Messianic rabbi," according to a brochure Rood produced to promote his seminars which . This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. 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. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. Since the Martindale faction controls these, it views visits by ex-Wayers as enemy infiltration. Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. 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. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. Followers 0. (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. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? 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. Some still in The Way are ignorant of the controversy, while others refuse to listen to the charges, deny them, or rationalize how Wierwille could have done such things without guilt. 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). I think another thing to think about with the Way is that it is in many ways a pyramid scheme. Homey reported that it liquidated $29 million of debt by mid 1995. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. Lots of people in the world are critical of the ways churches spend money on a building that sits empty six days a week: home fellowships remove that and focus on whats important to them. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. 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. I'm way-adjacent. 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). Accordingly, several groups have arisen to try to meet these needs. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. 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. 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. 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. I've even attended a wedding at HQ. The Way not only teaches that Jesus Christ is not God, but also has instruction on tithing, the law of believing (whatever one believes will happen to one, whether bad or good), and the accuracy of the Bible (as translated by Way leaders). These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. The most prominent of these groups are John Lynns Christian Educational Services (CES) and Chris Geers The Way of Great Britain. 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. 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. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. 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.
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