That was deep, honest and almost liberating because it brought some of us closer to understanding as well as closure. The Way, International Profile He would beat me for nearly any infraction. Not even post TWI as a survivor. Im terribly sorry to hear that feel free to message me privately if it helps. Leonards book and course syllabus called The Gifts of the Spirit are still in print. 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. As well as the original post questions. Strangely, that means that TWI is responsible for my birth. The logic has more dangerous consequences when people literally think God will cure their Cancer, Lupus, diabetes. The Way Worship Centre. This includes Wierwilles plagiarism, approval of adultery, authoritarianism, errors of scholarship and Bible interpretation, and so forth. Second, the doctrine of the splinter groups is nearly a carbon copy of Way . 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. The crowd of 11,000 applauded the changes, hoping that this would help remedy the severe decline and turbulence of the past 10 years. Until then I was personally fighting acceptance because I wasnt able to understand and someone else had not articulated a realistic and plausible answer. That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. 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. 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. Instead of it being an isolated incident that sucks from time to time in life, its framed as The Adversary (the devil) is making your life difficult, and as athletes of the spirit we can outmaneuver him. 2.) I thought of myself as a good person, but Id grown up to believe that you couldnt be both good and a homosexual. 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. Answer. Wierwille always told them that they could only go as far as they had been taught, and the new groups demonstrate this principle by organizing themselves in the same ways, and on the same assumptions, which Wierwille used in building The Way Tree. Are other families struggling to watch their loved ones involved? Lynn summarized this when he assured listeners that many stories would curl your hair.12. What practices are still common? My mom was a single mother and had registered for an upcoming class. Fourth, help them through the reconstruction of their Christian lives by introducing them to sincere, Bible-believing Christians, small group fellowships, and churches. 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. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God (WCoG). 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." I did not take your explanation about The Way members as rude. 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. %PDF-1.7 % 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses. I can't speak much on what the formal organization is doing now but the splinter groups just don't have the financial or organizational power as they did before they split off. Long story long. Rev. This is very hard. About The Way International. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. Sometimes these classes had add-ons like Advanced Class Specials that were held in a hotel conference center in another city and had associated registration and travel fees. CES includes Wayers who were respected or well known, such as Lynn who had three books published by The Way, more than any author except Wierwille. It's another thing entirely when the leader of a "Biblical Research and Fellowship Ministry" delivers a fire and brimstone sermon threatening to chain gays to the back bumper of an RV and go for a little drive. To me this is the core of the Way: the planting of the idea that its us against them. Over time that can be very isolating considering that there arent that many people in the ministry. I cannot stress enough how much the control and fear is internal. In the weeks leading up to it, she got sick and missed a few shifts at work and ran up a few hundred dollars of credit card debt to cover bills. 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. 12 Lynn, Overview of Events. 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. Prominent ex-Way leaders took with them networks of ex-followers of TWI. Like when life doesnt go like you expect, whether its a health problem or an issue at work. 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 . Beep. She didnt take the class. So obviously if you're feeling depressed or suicidal you CANNOT tell ANYONE or you will likely be told you're possessed and have to have it cast out of you, at which point you have to pretend to be healed or else it means you're a bad believer and it's your fault you harbor spirits. The Way of Life or The Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. 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. Dont get me wrong, we should all have some financial literacy, but the extent to which Believers internalized their shortcomings was heart-breaking. Pretty sure "in good standing" meant you "tithed" over a certain amount each month. The splinter groups made a lot of sense because fellowships (church) was held in people's homes anyway, so they continued to hold them and they all have their own little names like "Harbor Light Fellowship" or "Living Word Fellowship" however they still are Weirwill purists and teach his ideas. Your reply was a lot to unpack, digest, snd accept. And we have to consider the times: inspired by peace movements and anti-war efforts. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Mac OS X 10.7.5 Quartz PDFContext One ex-member said the Corps residence training was sometimes like a bordello, with promiscuity, adultery, orgies, wife swapping, and even gang-rape.4. 14 Letter by Steve Sann, Pacific West Fellowship, 2 March 1988. Second, give ex-Wayers space to vent their emotions and hurts, and pray for them and their healing. While PFAL was used to introduce prospects to The Way, Martindales new classes are open only to people who have attended a twig (home fellowship) for a year and have been taught how to receive holy spirit and speak in tongues by the twig coordinator. Still involved. Boy howdy that was an ear-full. I dont know if this is still true, but a weird criteria at the time was that you had to be debt free to participate. 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. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ It begins to be the only thing you can do and the only people you can see. Nonetheless, many ex-Wayers desire publications, traveling teachers, regional meetings, and a network of fellowships similar to those they had in The Way. Youre a survivor. I tried explaining to the family member that "reverend" Martindale just advocated for mass murder. 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. And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult. The teachings are framed such as we are athletes of the Spirit and we are always honing our research skills to better know God. I was lucky enough to leave in high school when I was about 16. The complexity and overarching theme of shame as well as guilt is much bigger than I ever imagined. 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? Martindale openly and vulgarly expressed his contempt for the splinter groups during his Rock of Ages 95 sermons. I think youre absolutely right in that educating others will help with the grieving process. Some people started their own non-Way affiliated Bible fellowships.