Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. My Mom got heavily involved in the ministry straight out the gates - going WOW (their outreach program) shortly after taking the PFAL class in the early 80s and then we went Family Corp right after that. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . Omg this info about splinter groups is shocking. 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 grew up in the Way Ministry in the 80s and left in my last year of high school in 96. Until then I was personally fighting acceptance because I wasnt able to understand and someone else had not articulated a realistic and plausible answer. The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. 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. Sann also circulates periodic newsletters and regularly publishes teaching tapes. My story might be pretty different compared to those of you who grew up in the 80's/90's. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. Eventually someone outside the house stepped in because they knew what was wrong and got me to the hospital. 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. The Way International, Christian evangelical group founded in 1942 as Vesper Chimes, a radio ministry broadcast from Lima, Ohio, by Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-85). 12 Lynn, Overview of Events. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. 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. We are talking about a lot of people who fall for get-rich-quick schemes and fad diets. The Way Worship Centre. 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. 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. Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. 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. Okay. And Im not sure I can completely answer your question about stepping out of line and facing consequences. This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. 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. haga clic aqu para obtener ms informacin. Im so sorry for your loss. A Profile of The Way, International My parents are still standing, as they say. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. A few, but not tons. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. Some say that the Way International is a cult. 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. 5 Christopher C. Geer, The Passing of a Patriarch (Attrincham, Cheshire, U.K.: European Christian Press, n.d.), 34. Have others committed suicide? Disgusting. In the weeks leading up to it, she got sick and missed a few shifts at work and ran up a few hundred dollars of credit card debt to cover bills. 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. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. Way-Showers. 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 made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. Although the Way brags that 5,027 people have attended these seminars, that figure actually indicates an average of only about 100 per state. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. 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. 3 Highlights of The Way Corps Graduation (June 1995), cassette tape. 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?. Im not saying that people in the Way avoid doctors entirely, but theres definitely a sense of what counts and doesnt or that people are putting waaay too much trust in men and not in God. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. "Michael John Rood is an ordained nondenominational Christian minister and Messianic rabbi," according to a brochure Rood produced to promote his seminars which . For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. 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. Pacific West Fellowship,13 headed by Steve Sann (who also was once a Limb and Region Coordinator), seems to be the second most aggressive splinter group. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. While ex-Wayers want the groups to be much different than The Way, there are many similarities in teaching and goals. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 that you have to purchase to participate. In the meantime, I want to share about her thread with you. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. Can you imagine? 5 Lamsa considered himself an apostle and believed in clairvoyance and universalism. Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. 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. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. The Ways decisions to terminate the WOWs and PFAL classes are partly due to the damaging influence of Way splinter groups. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. As well as the original post questions. J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. 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. There are less and less full time ministers on the field and in many Regions only one full time couple in the entire Region. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. But at this point my goal has transitioned to educating the young and vulnerable population of college students by presenting an unknown and challenging thought. We were taught that the Adversary is always looking for ways to break down our spiritual fortitude and that can come in the form of media, indoctrination in schools and even our own families. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? Michael Rood is a self-proclaimed Messianic preacher who was ordained as a Christian minister in The Way International (TWI).. Rood has continued many of the themes and practices which made TWI theologically a cult of Christianity. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. Household Prayer would be around 6am or earlier sometimes, which you couldn't miss or again you would be reprimanded. The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. We were taught that debt was inherently evil and that it made you a slave to the lender. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". I was a Girl Scout as a kid and all through high school, and I devoted myself to community projects my whole life. With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. But apparently, he doesn't want people to know what he did in the 1970s and 1980s. 1987). Started in the early 1950s by the late Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985), the original organization was called the Way Incorporated. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. 7 Whiteside, 205-9. 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). I think youre absolutely right in that educating others will help with the grieving process. (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. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. 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. These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. 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. 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. I was isolated from my family physically because they didn't live close, and during private conversations about leadership I was told that my family didn't love me and that they could understand why because I was so horrible, but at least I had them. I was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. The termination of the WOW Ambassador program led to the start of the Disciples of The Way Outreach program. And unjustified bullshit. He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. Our dear and sweet beloved friend. What practices are still common? At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. 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. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). I am glad I am not the only one who dealt with growing up in TWI. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 Some people were asked to leave the ministry for some big transgression (maybe they were gay, maybe they bucked chain of command in some big way), and they were considered marked and avoided (I think stemming from the Cain and Abel story in Genesis). %PDF-1.7 % 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. 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. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. 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. My splinter group was one of them. 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. We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. Each year The Way had sent out hundreds of WOW (Word Over the World) Ambassadors as volunteer missionaries to cities around the world, which was its primary outreach for 25 years. The level to which people beat themselves up for falling short, though, is intense. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. It is fundamentalist due to many non-negotiable beliefs, most notably the inerrancy of the Scriptures, and it is a cult, a high-control group, due to its social . Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services) 6.3k posts. 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. 60, Bien Hoa Street, Minh Khai Ward, Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province,, Minh Khai, Phu Ly (Ha Nam), Vietnam, 400000 - See map. Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. Yeah Um would you look at the time? I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. 2.) Youre a survivor. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. 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. 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. I think it may be important for you to identify whether she was in TWI proper or a splinter group. The most debate arose when the topic of financing CES was raised, which prompted fears that their donations would be misused by yet another organization. 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. Another splinter group By Fredchopin, September 3, 2021. Third, help them to relearn. The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. So I dont think youre going to find any one person in her fellowship circle to point a finger at, but I can imagine your friend, as a young, thinking, caring person was having a lot of internal turmoil reconciling her faith with just being a person in the world. She was born into it and her home was a Twig if my verbiage is correct. 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. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. CES now wants to be seen as an independent ministry, not just as a Way splinter group, even though its glaring similarity to The Way is obvious to outsiders. 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 Way, International Profile But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. 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. Heart-to-heart sharing with those who have . 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. 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). Im terribly sorry to hear that feel free to message me privately if it helps. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. 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. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. 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. This is his first book, and the first book produced by this Biblical Research and Teaching ministry in over 10 years. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. 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 The group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. For example, Vince Finnegan formed a new splinter group primarily from the block of Wayers he led in New . One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. 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. Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. 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. 8 Whiteside, 197-200. Many of us were had gotten the impression that she was back. 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. 4-5 maybe? 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. Still involved. Offshoots - Splinter Groups : How Many Are There? Wierwilles ideas on sense knowledge, confession, and healing (among others) he found in E.W. Its not interested in interrogating deep questions of being and it doesnt hold up well to fact based challenges. 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. 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. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. Answer. But thats the thing: the adversary throws you curve balls, and its our job as athletes of the spirit to make smart moves. 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. Not even post TWI as a survivor. I mention these because these are classic isolating manipulation tactics. Jun 10, 2009. They now favor home fellowships which are self-governing, self-financing and self-propagating. This is a reaction against The Way, which governed home groups, received and dispensed their income, and directed all the propagating efforts (which focused on promoting Wierwilles videotaped Power for Abundant Living class). Lynn retains all the critical Way doctrines of concern to Christians, such as anti-Trinitarianism, ultradispensationalism, soul sleep, and the belief that speaking in tongues is infallible and essential proof that one is saved. 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. James K. Walker Oh! Spirit and Truth Fellowship International, Out of the Way: The Offshoots Latest Topics. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff 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. How come she was allowed non-Christian activities such as going to dances/concerts, have a boyfriend or a job prior to college and Way Disciples Training? The foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can't tell you how many times I took it. In spite of its name, however, The Way . The Way, International, page 2 And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. Wierwilles death certificate lists ocular melanoma, or malignant tumor of the eye, as the underlying cause of death. Just as 100 different Mormon groups all revere the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, because of founder Joseph Smiths attachment to it, the many Way splinter groups also revere Wierwilles New Knoxville, Ohio family farm and books. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God (WCoG). My mom thought God helped her get a good parking space once (Im not kidding). Atheism. Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. And you mentioned twig earlier. 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. For instance, trustee Donald Wierwille (Victor Pauls son) confessed, I apologize for not having followed my man of God.6. 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. They are both prevalent in Ohio. 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. 11 Morton and Juedes, Integrity and Accuracy, reveals many of Wierwilles errors in scholarship and Bible interpretation. 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. I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions.