For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. - Nowadays, Finnegan runs another Way splinter group called Christian Biblical Counsel. I think some of the main differences between the 80's and now is the infrastructure. Incidentally, only Geers group has published a book by Wierwille since his death. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. The group says that it will hold classes and smaller conferences instead, including a weeklong gathering of 2,000 at The Ways auditorium in New Knoxville, July 20-27. My splinter group was one of them. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. 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). 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. 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. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. He never credited his sources, in effect lying to his readers by leading them to believe that he originated his teachings under Gods direct tutelage. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. But in reality, women in the Way were valued primarily for sex and as caretakers. 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. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. The Way is marketed as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry. 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. They perpetuation of mental health that manifested in suicide with no accountability. Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. They include the Foundational Class (Receive with Meekness), the Intermediate Class (Retain with Conviction), and the Advanced Class (Release with Boldness). Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. Although Wierwille has written against spiritism, he welcomed this spiritist with open arms. OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. 1987). 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. J. Juedes, PFO Journal, 1990. Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. Scientology front group. 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. nase ahora para acceder a este contenido exclusivo para suscriptores de Journal, http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/, To the Cancel Culture: We Respectfully Decline When Believers are Told What We May or May Not Say, Polite Refusal is Called For, Christ or Lucretius: Nature and Natures God in the poems of Mary Oliver. The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. 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). Eventually, all you have is them and all you know is that they love you and that's why they're abusing you, because they've convinced you you're terrible and you deserve the abuse because it's helping you get closer in your relationship with God. What practices are still common? 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. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". Not only is it about reading the Bible and having a personal relationship with God, but there are various levels of classes that you take to be better scholars. My parents are still standing, as they say. 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. Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. Although Wayers project a curt and indifferent attitude toward the many who have left the group, they have undoubtedly been hurt deeply in recent years. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? Any time I needed to see a doctor (I've had chronic health issues) I had to do it in secret and lie about where I was going, and have the bills sent to fake addresses so no one would find out. I 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. We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. 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. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. 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. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. 3 Highlights of The Way Corps Graduation (June 1995), cassette tape. 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. uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. 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. 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. 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. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. And I am glad you are with us. Maybe it will help to read what I experienced. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. What do they make members do? She didnt take the class. My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. Rev. 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. The new policy may reduce The Ways recruitment. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. 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. The complexity and overarching theme of shame as well as guilt is much bigger than I ever imagined. (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1987), 50 pp. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . They have been active and effective at exposing problems in The Way through personal influence and meetings of Wayers around the nation. Several thousand followers have severed ties with The Way International as a result of the allegations and evidence they have seen, including the entire state (Limb) of South Carolina in April 1988 and about 80 percent of the Washington, D.C., Limb. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. This led to Martindales promise that all new Way Corps grads would obtain paid positions, which hadnt been done for over 20 years. 5 Lamsa considered himself an apostle and believed in clairvoyance and universalism. 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). Think of an abuser boyfriend who doesnt let you have friendships with other guys or other people, really, because it distracts your attention from him, the most important person in your life. A number of people died. And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult. In spite of its name, however, The Way . He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. The Way International also claims trademark rights in the following: . 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. That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. 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 most debate arose when the topic of financing CES was raised, which prompted fears that their donations would be misused by yet another organization. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. The class aside (because who cares), can you imagine being made to feel like youre a bad person because of things beyond your control? My sister, mom and I put up with constant abuse from our dad, who was a fellowship coordinator after we moved to Arizona in about 2008. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. TWI's splinter groups, formed at TWI's implosion in the late 1980's, are bigger than . The kind of stuff people go to therapy for years to get over. The Way International (TWI) has been on cult watchers' radar screens for decades. 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. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. See also Elena Whiteside, The Way Living with Love, 2d ed. I think youre absolutely right in that educating others will help with the grieving process. During WOW training at the 1994 Rock of Ages conference, however, Way leaders decided not to send WOWs, because nearly 10 percent of their Ambassadors were homosexual.