the way international splinter groups

This conflict has increased as ex-Wayers have persuaded many of their friends to leave Martindales group. Bullinger is that they had already heard Wierwille teach Bullingers material as his own. We are near 70 years of age now, but the "Way" still affects us. 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. Many former Way members are flocking to break-off organizations some of which are led by well-known and respected ex-leaders. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. 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. The Way To Happiness International. 2013-08-01T19:56:36Z 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. 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). I've even attended a wedding at HQ. Un apologista cristiano responde a la actuacin satnica de Sam Smith y Kim Petras en los Grammy, Connect with the Christian Research Institute. Nevertheless, The Ways situation has improved. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. Their arguments included: women who traveled with Jesus and Paul supplied them with sex because it satisfied their legitimate needs; men have needs for sex with a variety of women and God provides for this; all things are lawful when done in faith (Rom. 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 . 8 Ibid., 67, 68. See the CultFAQ page Types of Cults for information about cults of Christianity or see CARM's The Way International page for more about the group. Although Lamsas blemished translation of the Bible appears in Christian bookstores, he held New Thought (Christian Science-like), not evangelical, beliefs.5 Wierwille drew his laws of believing, of tithing, prosperity, mental imaging (imagining good things to bring them to pass), and the more abundant life from Albert Cliffe. We can love rock music. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. Subforums. The Way sent out 138 Disciples to 15 cities during the Rock of Ages 1995 conference, far below a peak of 3,100 WOW Ambassadors it claimed to have sent in 1982. 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. To address your questions about suicides directly - yes there have been suicides in the past as well as other deaths. The Way International fellowships are located throughout the United States, as well as over 30 countries. And you mentioned twig earlier. My splinter group was one of them. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. As Wayers recognize false teachings, they further see the inaccurate scholarship Wierwille used to defend his teachings.11 Therefore, they also criticize Wierwilles skill as a Bible researcher and teacher and call into question everything they learned from him. 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 . Good call. This book condemned not only the trustees but all Way leadership, including the clergy, headquarters staff, regional leaders, and Corps around the world. All because of "homosexual devil spirit possession" will not be welcome at their festival. I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. The Way stressed that these gatherings were for committed, faithful followers, unlike the Rock, which was open to anyone. This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). The termination of the WOW Ambassador program led to the start of the Disciples of The Way Outreach program. It is common for ex-Wayers to take several years to fully separate from The Way and reorient their lives. To be honest, it sounds nice on paper in many ways. She didnt take the class. If you have done your reading about cults, then you are probably familiar with Dr. Steve Hassan's BITE model. 1987). The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. Edited to add: Would anyone be interested in an ex-Way subreddit? 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. They believed that God heals and if you believe enough he can heal anything. (Ex-)Wayers would also benefit from Robert A. Moreys Death and the Afterlife (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), Stuart Olyotts The Three Are One (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1979), and Cal Beisners God in Three Persons (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1985). As well as the original post questions. These classes replace the Power for Abundant Living (PFAL) classes by Way founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, who died of cancer in 1985 after losing an eye to the disease and suffering strokes. The level to which people beat themselves up for falling short, though, is intense. Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is the university she attended as a non-traditional student and place of employment. However, we are still driven by their nefarious existence. In that same breathe, her sister/siblings believed she was waking up and coming to her own conclusion about her situation and the life she had created with the expectation that she would removing herself as they did during that similar age period of their lives. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light; therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their deeds. The Way Worship Centre. Disgusting. This is just awful, horrible and egregious in every way possible. Each fellowship was just one small twig connected to a branch, then a limb, then a trunk and so on. Explain teachings carefully, and give them time alone to read the Bible in a newer version (such as the New International Version or New American Standard) which has clearer wording and lacks Wierwilles marginal notes and deletions marked in their old King James Versions. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. But in reality, women in the Way were valued primarily for sex and as caretakers. The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those "in good standing". 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. 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. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. TL;DR: the Way seems chill and relaxed on the outside but its pretty intense on a personal level. I don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. Still involved. Some retain great respect for Wierwille, while a few joke about him. 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. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. Conveniently situated in the Minh Khai part of Phu Ly (Ha Nam), this property puts you close . Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way . 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. No. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. If you weren't in good standing, you didn't get tapes of the way singers or of "reverend" Martindale. Martindale hopes that the Disciples will have more strict and disciplined lives than WOWs did, which itself is an implicit indictment against the lifestyles of many WOWs. 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. Many people did not believe in medical care. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. 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). 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). Oral Robertss The Red Thread in his Lifestyle of Gods Word. A number of people died. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. I'd recently read a secular book and they also blamed that. At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. They have been active and effective at exposing problems in The Way through personal influence and meetings of Wayers around the nation. They are both prevalent in Ohio. About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110. When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. Again - really helpful and it has expanded my perspective as well as empathy much more. It has now become apparent to many of them that Wierwille was instead an eclectic plagiarist. In addition, anyone who is well-acquainted with Wierwilles writings and reads Kenyons and Bullingers books is struck by the close parallels, even though one cannot always trace exact word-for-word plagiarism. For example we had fellowship in our home 3 days per week and if I were to miss one I might be interrogated about where I was, or told that I'm unequally yoked with "worldly" people, which is how they describe anyone outside the cult. This group was formerly known as American Fellowship Services. 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. The stories which former (and current) Way insiders hear include many more specific charges about shocking events. The car parking and the Wi-Fi are always free, so you can stay in touch and come and go as you please. And unjustified bullshit. 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. In short, the Way (though it started much earlier) at its highest participation rates was essentially home fellowships with hippies talking about Jesus. Leonard. At 29yrs old. We are spiritual beings in a material world, my mom would sometimes say. He cultivated an image of being an original Bible researcher and his followers have seen him as such. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I saw your post a few days ago when it was first posted and having been thinking about it ever since. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. This led to Martindales promise that all new Way Corps grads would obtain paid positions, which hadnt been done for over 20 years. Rev. The other classes were filmed from February through April of 1995 and are currently being used. Youve saved me an extensive amount of grieving. Point out that Wierwilles adultery and lying (plagiarism) mark him a false teacher, not just a teacher with failings (Matt. John Schonheits paper on adultery was a thinly veiled accusation that Wierwille and other leaders falsely taught that adultery is a biblically acceptable practice. 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. - Nowadays, Finnegan runs another Way splinter group called Christian Biblical Counsel. "Christian Educational Services"-- The nature, strengths and weaknesses of the largest of the Way split-off groups, led by John Lynn. And they were pretty insistent on saying that the Holocaust did happen but not nearly to the extent that Jewish people say it did, and that their agenda is to make us feel sorry for them and legitimize Judaism over Christianity. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. As a minister in the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ), Wierwille developed . That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. The most prominent of these groups are John Lynns Christian Educational Services (CES) and Chris Geers The Way of Great Britain. Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. 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. Could John Lynn be the undisputed king of Offshoot ministries? Oh my goodness. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. Participants were sensitive (having been wounded by The Way), were open to friendships and ideas, and were reevaluating their beliefs. 1 John P. Juedes and Douglas V. Morton, The Integrity and Accuracy of The Ways Word (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1980), 43-48. Take The Diary of Anne Frank for example. 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. Accusations have disturbed many people and strained or broken numerous friendships. The share and contributions of another Reddit member way help you with perspective and provide some form of comfort or solace as you and your family are ensuring the struggle currently. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. I was left on the bathroom floor for a week because "there's nothing we can do if you're not believing God to heal you." There are certain rules Mandalorians must adhere to . A few, but not tons. My impression is that BGSU Staff/Administration is unaware that she was a Way member. uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff The Way is considered a cult by many former members, by most mainstream churches, and by certain secular groups. 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. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ Maybe it will help to read what I experienced. Just after Wierwilles death, Geer published The Passing of a Patriarch, which is a rambling account of Geers final conversations with Wierwille shortly before his death. 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 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. One Scripture passage (2 Cor. Splintering of the group since 1985 has greatly reduced its active membership, from a peak of about . I thought of myself as a good person, but Id grown up to believe that you couldnt be both good and a homosexual. 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. 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. 4-5 maybe? 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. Oh, so when I say curveballs I mean it in the figurative sense. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. I remember he looked at her with sympathy but didnt say anything. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International. Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. An Open Letter to You Who Are Disillusioned with The Way Ministry, J. Juedes PFO Journal. 2 The Way Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1994, 26. Boop. What Are Long-Time Wayers Thinking About? 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. In opposition, John Schoenheit produced a paper that confronted this error and biblically explained that adultery is a sin. Your reply was a lot to unpack, digest, snd accept. One response still in print is Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth by H.A. Wierwille exercised very little discernment in learning from others, readily accepting teachings from itinerant mystics, Christian Scientists, and spiritists. 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. %PDF-1.7 % Homosexuals Purged, Wow Ambassadors Terminated, Martindale also hopes the new classes will hinder homosexuals from joining The Way, because he condemns homosexuality. Show love and patience throughout this trying time of change. But small IRA splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces. We believe and speculate it was attributed because of the known cult The Way International. SPIRIT AND TRUTH FELLOWSHIP / CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES / JOHN LYNN. First, it is helpful to present facts of doctrinal, organizational, and personal error in Way leaders. I'm still dealing with a lot of the trauma. Many of us were had gotten the impression that she was back. The Ways security force has become increasingly aggressive, quickly and thoroughly investigating anyone who appears at functions like the Rock of Ages conferences9 or is on their campus without a Way nametag. John Lynn described in detail how Way leaders practiced and tried to justify adultery in the audiotape, Overview of Events-1.. 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. The appeal was in its casual nature, balanced with an accessible way to become disciplined in Biblical scholarship.