the way international splinter groups the way international splinter groups

A number of people died. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. 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. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. 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. The reason it was called that was because we imagined the whole ministry all over the world as one big tree. Wierwille exercised very little discernment in learning from others, readily accepting teachings from itinerant mystics, Christian Scientists, and spiritists. The class aside (because who cares), can you imagine being made to feel like youre a bad person because of things beyond your control? 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. "rev" gerry wrenn raises wierwille from the dead! I am also former TWI. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. Could you elaborate on the manipulation? And you mentioned twig earlier. I mention these because these are classic isolating manipulation tactics. OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . Subforums. 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 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. 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. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. These people are capable of anything. After Dr. Weirwill died and leadership was given to Craig Martindale, TWI essentially split into those who followed Craig and stayed in TWI's proper organization, and those who moved into splinter groups. Most ex-Wayers are confused, not knowing where to turn, whom to trust, or what to believe. 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. Take The Diary of Anne Frank for example. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. I told them never to bring up The Way in my presence again. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. But in reality, women in the Way were valued primarily for sex and as caretakers. 2.) Maybe it will help to read what I experienced. 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. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. 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. (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), x. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. 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. I was raised "in the word" as they say, meaning I was a born into the cult. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. as I got older I was terrified of doing something that would have me cast out because my whole life THESE were the people I knew and had history with, and it made me deeply sad to imagine suddenly being cut off from that. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. Except they pretty much worship the bible. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 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?. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. That exes from his life are all crazy.. The Way, International Profile She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. 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. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. 4-5 maybe? Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. Offshoots - Splinter Groups : How Many Are There? The level to which people beat themselves up for falling short, though, is intense. uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 You were expected to advance through them, and you typically developed bonds with your cohort in the Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced classes. 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. 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. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. There are certain rules Mandalorians must adhere to . The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. This conflict has increased as ex-Wayers have persuaded many of their friends to leave Martindales group. A few, but not tons. When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? Again, thank you for taking the time to provide concise details. In the meantime, I want to share about her thread with you. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. Martindales classes include material from PFAL as well as new topics. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. I was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. 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. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. Oh! The other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. Kenyon. I grew up in the Way Ministry in the 80s and left in my last year of high school in 96. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. This practice was common back in the 70s-80s as well as taking people's medications away so they could "prove God." This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. Ultimate question, do you think The Way or anyone that endorses the way is worth pursuing as - culpable? Good call. His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. Nonetheless, many ex-Wayers desire publications, traveling teachers, regional meetings, and a network of fellowships similar to those they had in The Way. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Again - really helpful and it has expanded my perspective as well as empathy much more. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. There is also an intermediate and advanced classes. Hahahaha. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please. 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. Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. How do they suffocate you as a person? 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream Long story long. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? Additionally, ex-members have on file letters and transcripts in which Way president L. Craig Martindale defends sex outside marriage in many situations. This is a big hurdle, because V.P. At 29yrs old. 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. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. 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. Gotta run! This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). Its current headquarters are in New Knoxville, Ohio; estimates of its membership range from 3,000 to 20,000. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? Leonard. With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. application/pdf Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services) 6.3k posts. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. 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 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. 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. The share and contributions of another Reddit member way help you with perspective and provide some form of comfort or solace as you and your family are ensuring the struggle currently. The most prominent of these groups are John Lynns Christian Educational Services (CES) and Chris Geers The Way of Great Britain. What do they make members do? I cannot stress enough how much the control and fear is internal. The Way stressed that these gatherings were for committed, faithful followers, unlike the Rock, which was open to anyone. This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. 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. Spirit and Truth Fellowship International, Out of the Way: The Offshoots Latest Topics. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. Needless to say, growing up in a large communal living situation for 2 years of my childhood had unique benefits and DEFINITE drawbacks. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. The Way began to grow significantly only when Wierwille traveled to California and recruited followers from the Jesus movement.16 Like Eve and the Corinthians, these young believers (and many since the 1960s) were virgins with simple devotion to Christ, but were not grounded in Scripture and thus were easily led astray. The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. Heart-to-heart sharing with those who have . 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. 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). 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. 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. 1987). Household Prayer would be around 6am or earlier sometimes, which you couldn't miss or again you would be reprimanded. I know this is a bit long, but I hope it gives you some insight into what it's like to be inside this group. A Profile of The Way, International Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God. That made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. Okay. And Im not sure I can completely answer your question about stepping out of line and facing consequences. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. The Way Worship Centre. But they are open to friendships and the Bible, and are reevaluating many teachings and practices. Eventually someone outside the house stepped in because they knew what was wrong and got me to the hospital.