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. Pretty sure "in good standing" meant you "tithed" over a certain amount each month. 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. It's 2am and so I decided to reminisce in Google-land by doing a search on the The Way International; a group I was once affiliated with . Leonards book and course syllabus called The Gifts of the Spirit are still in print. Many remember current leaders as friends, but at the same time despise them for wrongs they believe they have done or allowed. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. 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. 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 . Wierwilles ideas on sense knowledge, confession, and healing (among others) he found in E.W. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. Available from: Capitol Saints/John A. Lynn, 5918 Chesterbrook Road, McLean, VA 22101. While Believers with a history of Way International affiliation, esp. There are less and less full time ministers on the field and in many Regions only one full time couple in the entire Region. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). He rightly exhorted them to reactivate critical thought rather than just change from being a Wierwille disciple to a Bullinger disciple. Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. Oh! Although the Way brags that 5,027 people have attended these seminars, that figure actually indicates an average of only about 100 per state. 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. 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. 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. Another splinter group By Fredchopin, September 3, 2021. Many ex-Wayers continue to read Bullinger, as they did while in The Way. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. 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. I'm way-adjacent. Dont get me wrong, we should all have some financial literacy, but the extent to which Believers internalized their shortcomings was heart-breaking. Im so sorry for your loss. 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. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. But apparently, he doesn't want people to know what he did in the 1970s and 1980s. Homey reported that it liquidated $29 million of debt by mid 1995. This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. She didnt take the class. (The PFAL classes had been open to anyone who paid the $50 fee.) x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ One Scripture passage (2 Cor. Like Wierwille, Bergs teachings became the ultimate authority, and when he committed adultery, he reinterpreted the Bible in order to defend his sinful practice. 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. 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. 1 John P. Juedes and Douglas V. Morton, The Integrity and Accuracy of The Ways Word (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1980), 43-48. Unless you have endless funds to fight in Court for an extended period of time, I fear that battle would only add to the pain you have already experienced. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. This group was formerly known as American Fellowship Services. This is a big hurdle, because V.P. 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. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. A number of people died. 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). Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. 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. Because of the work of splinter groups, in recent years The Way has been marked by heightened paranoia, attention to security, and bitterness. Atheism. Many people did not believe in medical care. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). We could go into particulars like the Holocaust denying, the speaking in tongues, how women are supposed to be subservient to men, the homophobia but I just wanted to provide you with some context. 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. 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. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. In opposition, John Schoenheit produced a paper that confronted this error and biblically explained that adultery is a sin. Lynnes new teachings include the assertions that interpretation of tongues must always be praise to God (never a message to believers), and that believing does not work for saint and sinner alike, but is receiving Gods promises. Can any recent survivors provide their reflections if its not to much: What are the manipulation tactics used? It is common for ex-Wayers to take several years to fully separate from The Way and reorient their lives. 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. Have others committed suicide? Although the group emphasizes that it does not have members, it keeps very detailed records of its class graduates and donors, which are used as criteria to determine peoples status with the group and their access to some of its functions. New classes were also needed because the existing video version, filmed by Wierwille in 1967, was obviously dated in its style, production, and dress. Nevertheless, The Ways situation has improved. 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. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. Since then, The Way has sought to purge (that is, totally shun) all who do not tithe or who question Martindale on any issue. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext With the more aggressive and cultic mindset of current Way leadership, followers can expect more years of turbulence and change. 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). haga clic aqu para obtener ms informacin. 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. 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. - Nowadays, Finnegan runs another Way splinter group called Christian Biblical Counsel. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS. 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. Nonetheless, many ex-Wayers desire publications, traveling teachers, regional meetings, and a network of fellowships similar to those they had in The Way. Bill Green, who handles some public relations for The Ways New Knoxville, Ohio headquarters, declined to be interviewed about the classes and related developments. 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. 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). About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. 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). 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. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . Technically, the group has only three members the trustees who control all aspects of The Way International, Inc. 7:15). My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. 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). At the time, Schoenheit was on The Ways research team. I just wanted to paint a picture here of the laid back approach to Christian faith that makes the Way appealing to people. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. His complaint, however, implies that he realized there were significant errors in PFAL. I'm a robot. There hasn't been a good gathering place for survivors since the Greasespot Cafe and I think there is a need for one. No. 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. Conveniently situated in the Minh Khai part of Phu Ly (Ha Nam), this property puts you close . One of the many difficult things about digesting this for us is that her personality and character did not reflect this at all. All of these classes are weeks long, have an enrollment fee, and have their own expensive materials (books, binders, etc.) No one is going to beat you. Wierwilles death certificate lists ocular melanoma, or malignant tumor of the eye, as the underlying cause of death. The book asserts that the president and trustees were untrustworthy and spiritually corrupt, did not listen to God or Wierwille, killed Way ministries by neglect, avoided responsibility, were hypocrites, led selfish lifestyles, and so forth. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. %PDF-1.7 % Way trustees fired Schoenheit for writing the paper and sternly warned Wayers not to read it, ask about its contents, or have contact with those who read it. My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream Based at . Sometime after reading that I came across Religion Trauma Syndrome (RTS) and learned about repressive cognitive dissonance. Ultimately we would also like to provide and seek justice on her behalf. 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). 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. uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 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. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. The Way Worship Centre. I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. 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. This conflict has increased as ex-Wayers have persuaded many of their friends to leave Martindales group. Scientology front group. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about 35,000 to less than 10,000.1. Maybe it will help to read what I experienced. 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. We both are still active in the remnants of one of the many splinter groups and have become the inheritors of a fellowship in limbo. One ex-member said the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello, with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, wife swapping, and even gang-rape.4. 2.) Word Long story long. In fact, Martindale considers homosexuality to be devil-spirit possession.. These people were rarely spoken of again, and if they were it was in hushed tones. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited "college." 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. 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. Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way . Rev. What practices are different from the 80s? The new policy may reduce The Ways recruitment. Ive started this process in some form and would like to invite you to take a peek at another thread. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157.