We are spiritual beings in a material world, my mom would sometimes say. 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. 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 reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. 15 H. A. Ironside, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1938) addresses the relation of the gospel to the church, the Bride and body of Christ, baptism, and related topics. I was very moved by that story as a young person, and I remember talking to my mom and my fellowship coordinator about it. 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. 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?) Martindales classes include material from PFAL as well as new topics. Many remember current leaders as friends, but at the same time despise them for wrongs they believe they have done or allowed. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. The Way International (TWI) has been on cult watchers' radar screens for decades. I thought of myself as a good person, but Id grown up to believe that you couldnt be both good and a homosexual. %PDF-1.7 % Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. 2.) 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. 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.. I was told by a leader that having an understanding of the Word as it is supposed to be understood helps you form opinions. The Way International was founded in 1942 by Victor Paul Wierwille as a radio program, then was renamed the Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947. Few know that many able scholars have effectively refuted some of Bullingers ideas. 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. 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. in English, I was well traveled as an Army wife, and never dreamed I would be embarking on events that would change my life forever. Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. Please keep in touch. 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. Oh! Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. 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. Followers are now tasting the matured fruit of The Way Tree fruit of promiscuity, adultery, plagiarism (a form of lying), authoritarianism, false teaching, unfaithfulness, and lack of self-control. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. The most prominent of these groups are John Lynns Christian Educational Services (CES) and Chris Geers The Way of Great Britain. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. Nevertheless, The Ways situation has improved. Splinter Cults are WORSE..not better. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. 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. My splinter group was one of them. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . 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. 4v$gi Allen wrote, I read it and all is true.So I will change to do my best for the man I helped kill.7 They apparently could not reconcile the death of the man of God with their teaching of the law of believing. Since they considered Wierwille the epitome of believing, he should easily have been able to will himself to health simply by believing he was well and free of cancer. This is a big hurdle, because V.P. 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. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". I did not take your explanation about The Way members as rude. Jun 10, 2009. These were known as splinter groups and were always talked about as deceptive as if they were scheming their followers. In addition, the account includes several insights into The Way. She didnt take the class. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It begins to be the only thing you can do and the only people you can see. But thats the thing: the adversary throws you curve balls, and its our job as athletes of the spirit to make smart moves. 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). 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. Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups pleas to join up. Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way doctrine. What practices are different from the 80s? 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). 16 Wierwille noted that acquiring young people from the Jesus movement caused the Ways growth (Whiteside, 230-35). 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 was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. 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. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. After all, it is their friends who have left and made accusations of severe error against The Way leadership. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff 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). She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. . For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. 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. Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God (WCoG). About The Way International. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. Nonetheless, hundreds of Way refugees are resisting the new groups' pleas to "join up.". Followers 0. These people are capable of anything. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. 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). 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. 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. If you have done your reading about cults, then you are probably familiar with Dr. Steve Hassan's BITE model. This present controversy is serving to alert pure believers that Wierwille and his successors are false apostles after all. 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. We can love rock music. Third, help them to relearn. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream 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. haga clic aqu para obtener ms informacin. 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. It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. 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. terrified of seeing/interacting with a marked and avoided person because I thought their adversarial ways would rub off on me. 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). John P. Juedes is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Highland, California, and has written extensively on The Way International. 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. 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? Meanwhile, Way leaders apparently have tried biblically to defend adultery. And you mentioned twig earlier. A number of people died. 7:15). It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. It is common for ex-Wayers to take several years to fully separate from The Way and reorient their lives. As a result, many Wayers view Geer as being the true spiritual heir to Wierwille. A Profile of The Way, International Strangely, that means that TWI is responsible for my birth. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. This is his first book, and the first book produced by this Biblical Research and Teaching ministry in over 10 years. For instance, trustee Donald Wierwille (Victor Pauls son) confessed, I apologize for not having followed my man of God.6. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. 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. Youre not going to have to perform penance. 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. 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. (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1987), 50 pp. We were taught that debt was inherently evil and that it made you a slave to the lender. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. Meanwhile, he promotes his book, The Rise and Expansion of the Church, through weekend seminars. See also pp.38 and 52. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. 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 ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. 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. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. Juedes is a Lutheran paster who has written extensively on the Way. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. 10 These are actual experiences which Wayers, ex-Wayers, and others have shared with me. 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. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. 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. 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.

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