Answer. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. An iconic five-star international hotel Our hotel is located in the heart of the city and provides 180 rooms and suites. 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 . They are both prevalent in Ohio. 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 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. Martindale seems determined to remake The Way and close ranks, which may result in an increasingly cultic mindset. 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. Homey, reported that 163 sodomiteshad been purged, marked and avoided by January l995.3. Im so sorry for your loss. Thank you thank you for replying and contributing to the thread. I dealt with it as a kid by pretending not to notice the issues in my family and in the cult. People were eager to engage, but I dont think answers were ever very satisfying. 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). However, we are still driven by their nefarious existence. Out of the Way: The Offshoots - GreaseSpot Cafe Youre not going to have to perform penance. 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. Meanwhile, he promotes his book, The Rise and Expansion of the Church, through weekend seminars. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. Have others committed suicide? In addition, the account includes several insights into The Way. That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. Reportedly, a few people have even considered suicide or entered mental institutions. Started in the early 1950s by the late Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985), the original organization was called the Way Incorporated. Needless to say, growing up in a large communal living situation for 2 years of my childhood had unique benefits and DEFINITE drawbacks. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. They also feel the need for teaching and fellowship with other believers. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. This is where I experienced most of the abuse. Sometimes area twigs would get together for a branch meeting, and less frequently a limb meeting. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. 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. 13 Address: Pacific West Fellowship, P.O. The other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. Can you imagine? I think the biggest thing I would emphasize is that the biggest way faith organizations control you is by fear. For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. Gross, right? In 1983 I became involved with the cult the Way International or as it is commonly referred to by members, "the Way." I had a B.A. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). Bill Green, who handles some public relations for The Ways New Knoxville, Ohio headquarters, declined to be interviewed about the classes and related developments. 5 Lamsa considered himself an apostle and believed in clairvoyance and universalism. 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. Accordingly, several groups have arisen to try to meet these needs. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the "foundational class" and wouldn't shut up about it. Although Guideposts helped popularize Cliffes writings and he claimed to be Anglican, Cliffe held New Thought beliefs, seeing God as impersonal principle. 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. Oral Robertss The Red Thread in his Lifestyle of Gods Word. At 29yrs old. 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 group's misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. The termination of the WOW Ambassador program led to the start of the Disciples of The Way Outreach program. Eventually, all you have is them and all you know is that they love you and that's why they're abusing you, because they've convinced you you're terrible and you deserve the abuse because it's helping you get closer in your relationship with God. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. 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. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. 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. TWI's splinter groups, formed at TWI's implosion in the late 1980's, are bigger than . (The PFAL classes had been open to anyone who paid the $50 fee.) There are certain rules Mandalorians must adhere to . She didnt take the class. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship. Many have realized that they have also been falsely taught on Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and have turned to evangelical beliefs instead. Except they pretty much worship the bible. 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. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships. I am sorry for your loss. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. 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. We are talking about a lot of people who fall for get-rich-quick schemes and fad diets. About The Way International There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. Meli Vinpearl Phu Ly. It has shrunk in size and, as often is the case in cults when the original leader dies, splintered into various rival movements. Geer and trustee Howard Allen apparently believed that the behavior of the trustees, not strokes and cancer, caused Wierwilles death. While ex-Wayers want the groups to be much different than The Way, there are many similarities in teaching and goals. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. 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. Soooo, I guess to answer your question about how she was allowed to do non-Christian activities, I think the thing to remember is that the Way picked up steam in the late 70s when a big wave of evangelicalism was sweeping through the US. My parents are still standing, as they say. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. SPIRIT AND TRUTH FELLOWSHIP / CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / JOHN LYNN. 2013-08-09T12:10:58-05:00 Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. My parents met in the Way in the late 80s through the WOW program. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. In the meantime, I want to share about her thread with you. 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. True Story: My Family Was In A Cult - Yes and Yes They all have been visible in speaking, writing, and leadership positions such as Region and Limb Coordinators and headquarters staff (Region Coordinator is the highest Way position other than Trustee). That is to say, other people are nice and fine, but its only the true Believers that are truly living Godly lives. . The Way International | Christian evangelical group | Britannica I dont know if any of this is helpful to you. The Way International introduced sweeping changes at the annual Rock of Ages gathering last year. Current Way affiliates are more than welcome to utilize . Splinter Cults are WORSE..not better. A Profile of The Way, International This is a big hurdle, because V.P. 6 Albert Cliffe, Let Go and Let God (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1951), 157. Hahahaha. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. Also former TWI here, my parents are still in it, and its causing incredible family pain, now between my older sister. 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. Making you afraid of other people and afraid of having attention withheld are other classic manipulation tactics. Beep. But in reality, women in the Way were valued primarily for sex and as caretakers. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International. Youre a survivor. New Zealand Cults, Sects, Religions, Christian Organisations, and other Any recent The Way International (TWI) survivors? : r/cults - reddit Wierwilles ideas on sense knowledge, confession, and healing (among others) he found in E.W. She was loved by many, the brightest light and simply someone you could not avoid noticing. 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. No one is going to beat you. 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 foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can't tell you how many times I took it. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. Many Wayers have accepted these allegations in part because they explain and confirm previous experiences. Geer repeatedly promotes himself as the only man left in The Way Ministry who is fully informed, spiritually adept, and capable of leading the Ministry and stemming its speedy decline. 1 See The Way Tree Is Splintering, Christian Research Journal, Fall 1988. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. In opposition, John Schoenheit produced a paper that confronted this error and biblically explained that adultery is a sin. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. 12 Lynn, Overview of Events. 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. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. 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). "Christian Educational Services"-- The nature, strengths and weaknesses of the largest of the Way split-off groups, led by John Lynn. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members. The CES meeting in May 1988 sponsored two and one-half days of biblical teachings and allowed sales of books by those attending, including Lynn, Lionel Recio, and myself. No Way Out: Why Talk About V. P. Wierwille's Death? She was sobbing and apologized profusely that she hid this from them. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. It is common for ex-Wayers to take several years to fully separate from The Way and reorient their lives. It is apparent that almost all Wierwille taught he acquired from other men, not from original study of Gods word. 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. We are all at a complete loss and clueless in some ways. We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. These people are capable of anything. John Lynn claims that Wierwille and at least four other trustees had sex with literally hundreds of women, many of whom Lynn and other ex-leaders have counseled personally.9 They also claim the Trustees fired long-time researcher John Schonheit for writing a brief paper summarizing the Bibles teaching against adultery. Atheism. If you have done your reading about cults, then you are probably familiar with Dr. Steve Hassan's BITE model. To address your questions about suicides directly - yes there have been suicides in the past as well as other deaths. 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.