14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. When Wierwille wrote, he commonly used these mens writings and copied them, idea by idea and often word by word. I'm a robot. Para ms informacin o para Join now to access this Journal subscriber only content. 4 Lionel Recio and Steve Lefevers, The Way of Life or the Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. Its not interested in interrogating deep questions of being and it doesnt hold up well to fact based challenges. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. 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. I am glad I am not the only one who dealt with growing up in TWI. Three editorials which answer misconceptions common among followers and ex-followers of The Way such as distrust of Christians outside The Way and the forming of Way splinter groups. We are near 70 years of age now, but the "Way" still affects us. New Zealand Cults, Sects, Religions, Christian Organisations, and other 5 Christopher C. Geer, The Passing of a Patriarch (Attrincham, Cheshire, U.K.: European Christian Press, n.d.), 34. This is certainly helpful and appreciated. Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. Pretty sure "in good standing" meant you "tithed" over a certain amount each month. I'd recently read a secular book and they also blamed that. Our dear and sweet beloved friend. As a kid, I was always 1.) 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. The Way, International, page 2 I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. Beep. 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). It was heavy-duty indoctrination using known "brainwashing" techniques like sleep deprivation and intense manual labor mixed with a hippy commune mentality and a healthy dose of college hijinks thrown in. She didnt take the class. 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. Heart-to-heart sharing with those who have . 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. I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. 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 All of these classes are weeks long, have an enrollment fee, and have their own expensive materials (books, binders, etc.) I dont know if any of this is helpful to you. https://www.reddit.com/r/BGSU/comments/mlu753/the_way_international_twi/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf. 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. He taught that Jesus Christ was not resurrected bodily and will not return visibly, and that the Holy Spirit is an influence, not a personal being. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. CES holds two national meetings per year in Chicago (drawing about 150 people per meeting), publishes Dialogue magazine bi-monthly, circulates periodic newsletters, and distributes tapes. 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. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. that you have to purchase to participate. No. 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? 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. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. The group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. 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. The group itself says it is a Christian ministry. He also was a spiritist and claimed, Many of the subjects I have given in my Bible class have been dictated to me by the loved ones long since passed on.6 It would appear that Wierwilles gnostic leanings, healing emphasis, camp/advance (retreat) formats, divine laws, stress on physical exercise, desire to be the best, and even the term The Way itself were derived from New Thought speakers Glenn Clark, Starr Daily, and Rufus Moseley. Incidentally, only Geers group has published a book by Wierwille since his death. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. How about a little more candor, Vince? Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. Subforums. 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. Protecting Colombia's Most Vulnerable on the Road to "Total Peace We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. 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. Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext International b275 tractor bonnet - gqqa.wikinger-turnier.de To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. Carol's Story: About The Way Part One The Life and Times of Bruce He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. 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. 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. When he first presented it verbally to gatherings of Way leadership (at which, John Lynn reports, he carried a large-caliber pistol for self-protection), it caused tremendous turbulence, and its content was kept out of general circulation. 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. 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 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. %PDF-1.7 % Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. I grew up in the Way and drifted from it the year I went to college (though I went a few times reluctantly to a new fellowship in the town where my college was). Prominent ex-Way leaders took with them networks of ex-followers of TWI. 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). The Way International - Free Christian Ministry It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. TWI's splinter groups, formed at TWI's implosion in the late 1980's, are bigger than . Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly, Phu Ly (Ha Nam) | 2023 Updated Prices, Deals At 29yrs old. Ex-Wayers also charge that The Way teaches falsely on the topics of believing, abundant sharing, tithing, interpretation of tongues, and athletes of the spirit (the belief that every warfare metaphor in the Epistles should be understood as an athletic metaphor instead). Sann, on the other hand, considers people like Lynn to have gone too far in rejecting valid teachings. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. It was founded by Victor Paul Wierwille in 1942 as a radio program, subsequently becoming The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947, and The Way, Inc., in 1955. A Profile of The Way, International See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. 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. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. application/pdf While ex-Wayers want the groups to be much different than The Way, there are many similarities in teaching and goals. 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. You were expected to advance through them, and you typically developed bonds with your cohort in the Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced classes. 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.