Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God (WCoG). 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). Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. New Zealand Cults, Sects, Religions, Christian Organisations, and other 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. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. The Way International - Wikipedia Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly, Phu Ly (Ha Nam) | 2023 Updated Prices, Deals Think of the creed is their unwritten Bible. I told them never to bring up The Way in my presence again. In 2000, the president of The Way, Craig Martindale, resigned following . Cliffes book Lessons in Successful Living addresses similar topics. 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. Ironside, which addresses aspects of ultradispensationalism.15 It is often perplexing to Wayers, though, that teachers Wierwille respected such as Bullinger, Kenyon, and Stiles staunchly held primary orthodox beliefs which Wierwille rejected, including Trinitarianism. 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Theology of The Way International: An Evangelical Christian Response to Victor Paul Wierwilles Concept of the Trinity (unpublished paper, 1986), makes a case that Wierwille misunderstood Trinitarianism as (alternately) Sabellianism and polytheism, and that when Trinitarianism is properly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. 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. 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. Followers 0. 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. 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. He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. 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. The complexity and overarching theme of shame as well as guilt is much bigger than I ever imagined. 11 Morton and Juedes, Integrity and Accuracy, reveals many of Wierwilles errors in scholarship and Bible interpretation. But apparently, he doesn't want people to know what he did in the 1970s and 1980s. What is The Way, anyway? The Mandalorian's religion and - gamesradar Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. My family transitioned to a splinter group in the mid 90s, and later when I was a teenager I moved into a "Way Home" which is like a group home for the cult. "Michael John Rood is an ordained nondenominational Christian minister and Messianic rabbi," according to a brochure Rood produced to promote his seminars which . 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? She didnt take the class. The Way International Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. This is hard to accept for those who knew V.P. I cannot stress enough how much the control and fear is internal. 2.) A place for discussion about cults and other new age religious movements. Few know that many able scholars have effectively refuted some of Bullingers ideas. 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 . Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. There was a Corp program called LEAD where participants had to hitchhike from Indiana/Ohio to New Mexico in a short period of time with very little money (less than $20 if I remember correctly) to go mountain climbing. I was berated, told I did this to myself because I didn't have my head in the word enough and allowed devil spirits in. Her recent suicide however was as a member in leadership. 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. 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. 3 Highlights of The Way Corps Graduation (June 1995), cassette tape. My parents met in the Way in the late 80s through the WOW program. Jun 10, 2009. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. Wierwilles death certificate lists ocular melanoma, or malignant tumor of the eye, as the underlying cause of death. Homey reported that it liquidated $29 million of debt by mid 1995. These people are capable of anything. 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. If possible, use Way terminology and address Way thought patterns, or put them in touch with ex-Wayers who can. This led to Martindales promise that all new Way Corps grads would obtain paid positions, which hadnt been done for over 20 years. I grew up in the Way Ministry in the 80s and left in my last year of high school in 96. 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. Splintering and Subjugating.as night follows day, Remembering a woman of courage, who stood up to a monster. Protecting Colombia's Most Vulnerable on the Road to "Total Peace Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. 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. I think youre absolutely right in that educating others will help with the grieving process. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. 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?) It's one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it's a sin against God. 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. 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). Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. A good example of this is John Lynns 12-session class Keys to Victorious Living. The Class is nearly an exact duplicate of Wierwilles Power for Abundant Living class, teaching over two dozen of the same specific doctrines and using the same proof texts Wierwille used (though Lynn corrects some of Wierwilles most glaring misinterpretations). My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. The last fatal attack on a police officer in Northern Ireland was the April 2011 killing of Constable . CES includes many past Way celebrities and clergy such as John and Pat Lynn, Ralph Dubofsky, Robert Belt, Sue Pierce, Tom Reahard, and John Schonheit. One Scripture passage (2 Cor. The Way is considered a cult by many former members, by most mainstream churches, and by certain secular groups. Nevertheless, The Ways situation has improved. 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. Strangely, that means that TWI is responsible for my birth. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . About The Way International At the time, Schoenheit was on The Ways research team. Many former Way members are flocking to break-off organizations some of which are led by well-known and respected ex-leaders. Second, give ex-Wayers space to vent their emotions and hurts, and pray for them and their healing. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. The current turmoil surrounding The Way presents an excellent opportunity for Christians to befriend ex-Wayers and help them discover biblical truths they have forgotten or never known. Oh! Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . Accordingly, several groups have arisen to try to meet these needs. The Way International is a shell of what it was during the lifetime of Victor Paul Wierwille. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. The creed and The Way are very much one and the same; The Way is just the religion they follow. Im going to say something rude here: my experience of adults in the Way is that they arent exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. Yeah Um would you look at the time? I wouldnt say my experience is at all recent since that was 2001, but I can absolutely say their tactics are manipulative. The foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can't tell you how many times I took it. This is where I experienced most of the abuse. 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). The Way International, The Way, La Voie, El Camino, PFAL, The Way of Abundance and Power, The Way Magazine, The Way Corps are trademarks registered by The Way International in the United States and/or other countries. But if you fall out of line, you risk being shunned by the people most important to you. That made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. The immediate cause was metastatic melanoma of the liver, which means that the cancer spread from the eye to the liver. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. 8 Ibid., 67, 68. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. Boop. 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. %PDF-1.7 % The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. PDF The Way, International Profile - Watchman Fellowship New classes were also needed because the existing video version, filmed by Wierwille in 1967, was obviously dated in its style, production, and dress. 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. Started in the early 1950s by the late Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985), the original organization was called the Way Incorporated. Unlike the WOWs, the Disciples program is open only to Advanced Class graduates, and therefore probably consists mainly of members of the Way Corps. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. graduates of the PFAL Series (Power For Abundant Living) may find links to fellowship, study, friends, and loved ones, believers and seekers of all congregations or none at all may find wonderful links at this page. See also Elena Whiteside, The Way Living with Love, 2d ed. I've even attended a wedding at HQ. 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). 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. (New Knoxville, OH: American Christian Press, 1972), x. 9 In an April 30, 1996 press release The Way announced it would not hold a Rock of Ages festival in 1996. Long story long. 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. 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. 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. I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. 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. A name used by Share International. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). TWI splinter group leader John Lynn wrote a letter in 2008 defending and praising "the old" Way International, proof that the old Way Arrogance lives on as well. TL;DR: the Way seems chill and relaxed on the outside but its pretty intense on a personal level. I think others have covered the most common manipulation tactics the group used. They run off anyone who is not currently active in a Way-controlled twig and who doesnt have a Way escort. The most important change involves the new The Way of Abundance and Power classes by Way president, L. Craig Martindale. 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. SPIRIT AND TRUTH FELLOWSHIP / CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / JOHN LYNN. Growing up, I remember hearing stories about people who had drifted from the Way, and they were always spoken of as dangerous people. Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. Meanwhile, he promotes his book, The Rise and Expansion of the Church, through weekend seminars. The Way International | Christian evangelical group | Britannica uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 They are both prevalent in Ohio. This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. "Christian Educational Services"-- The nature, strengths and weaknesses of the largest of the Way split-off groups, led by John Lynn. The Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. When I was talking to my mom about climate change she just waved me off with Gods not going to let it get that bad! Oh. 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. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ For example, Vince Finnegan formed a new splinter group primarily from the block of Wayers he led in New . Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle. His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. 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. 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. As a result, Martindale told everyone to eliminate this and other spirit-driven malignancies from Way circles. Scientology front group. Oh my goodness. 9 John Lynn, Overview of Events, two-cassette series, 1987. Not even post TWI as a survivor. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . The largest group seems to be Christian Educational Services, Inc. (CES), which incorporated this fall in Indianapolis. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. (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. 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. And as much I would dislike the idea of looking into my own rear view mirror her close friends and myself would deeply appreciate your vulnerability and transparency. nase ahora para acceder a este contenido exclusivo para suscriptores de 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.