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. I was forced to eat food I'm allergic to in order to prove God healed me. I am sorry for your loss. The Way, International, page 2 uuid:a0e7d6d5-45d0-8c4c-9602-8d6d3c43e9ff In addition, the account includes several insights into The Way. 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 . And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. We ourselves have two articles in our website concerning that movement. True Story: My Family Was In A Cult - Yes and Yes And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult. (St. Louis: Personal Freedom Outreach, 1987), 50 pp. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). My parents are still standing, as they say. Oral Robertss The Red Thread in his Lifestyle of Gods Word. I was isolated from my family physically because they didn't live close, and during private conversations about leadership I was told that my family didn't love me and that they could understand why because I was so horrible, but at least I had them. At that time I had recently come out as bisexual to my mom, which went as well as you'd expect. Not something I wanted to read, but something I needed to read. 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. Splinter Cults are WORSE..not better. See John P. Juedes, Looking at Lamsa, Personal Freedom Outreach Newsletter (Jan.-Mar. I get the impression her experience was exactly as youve shared. That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. Despite a pattern of members losing their lives to the insanity of this group, proving negligence/culpability in Court regarding a suicide is very, very difficult. Box 18503, Anaheim, CA 92817. "Michael John Rood is an ordained nondenominational Christian minister and Messianic rabbi," according to a brochure Rood produced to promote his seminars which . 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. Since many WOWs are in the second year of the Way Corps (leadership training) program, it is likely that many homosexuals were also in the Corps. 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. 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. 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 . 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. My sister, mom and I put up with constant abuse from our dad, who was a fellowship coordinator after we moved to Arizona in about 2008. The reason I created that thread was initial to gain some more insight. Most still feel hurt from being betrayed by The Way, are suspicious of any new organizations, and hesitate to connect themselves with any Christian church. They have rejected some Christian teachings (such as the Trinity17) primarily because they have accepted Way caricatures and have not fully understood them. 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. Geer is damaging to The Way because of his previous close ties to Wierwille. Stiles, a leader in the early charismatic movement. 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. How do they suffocate you as a person? 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. My mom thought God helped her get a good parking space once (Im not kidding). First, it is helpful to present facts of doctrinal, organizational, and personal error in Way leaders. uuid:d7ca4186-7029-344b-a237-3b86f585aa59 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 Advanced Class was first presented in the fall of 1995. 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). 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. Spirit and Truth Fellowship International. Personally I was depressed and suicidal most of the 5 years I lived there and for years after until I was able to seek help. Somehow I always imagined theyd be better than the original TWI. OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS. Press J to jump to the feed. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing me. The name became "The Way" in 1955, no doubt a reference to Jesus' statement that He is "the way, the truth and the life" ( John 14:6 ). 0 replies; 812 views; Fredchopin . Wierwille was not the only former minister to draw away young disciples David Berg was one of several others. How come she was allowed non-Christian activities such as going to dances/concerts, have a boyfriend or a job prior to college and Way Disciples Training? 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 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). 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). - Nowadays, Finnegan runs another Way splinter group called Christian Biblical Counsel. I can remember being a teenager and being intellectually curious and asking a lot of questions. He added, We have flushed homosexuals and homo fantasizers and sympathizers out of our Way Corps and Staff.2 The Corps coordinator, a Rev. However, BGSU is a Way Campus where members are sent for their education as well as recruiting practice; all things already mentioned. Gotta run! Martindale told his followers at the 1995 Rock of Ages conference that new classes were needed because The Ways opponents had attended PFAL classes and learned how to use this material against The Way. Reportedly, a few people have even considered suicide or entered mental institutions. 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. Martindale openly and vulgarly expressed his contempt for the splinter groups during his Rock of Ages 95 sermons. Boop. I'm pretty sure that "The Word" has quite a bit to say about murder. He is a former follower of The Way International, the same group from which I escaped in 1987. This led to Martindales promise that all new Way Corps grads would obtain paid positions, which hadnt been done for over 20 years. Youre a survivor. (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. Este artculo es una exclusiva en lnea de Christian Research Journal. I figured out I was gay in college, and having grown up in a household that called people faggots, fudge-packers, rump-riders and played count the queers when we went to amusement parks, I knew this wasnt going to fly. For the most part this conceptualizing of the world as being on Gods side or influenced but the Adversary makes me roll my eyes. However, it sucked to consider our loved as anything less than brilliant, observant, and aware. She was loved by many because she was easy going, fit in with many and different groups - a legitimate interest in others, etc. 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. Wierwilles ideas on sense knowledge, confession, and healing (among others) he found in E.W. The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. I think some of the main differences between the 80's and now is the infrastructure. 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). 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. 4 Lionel Recio and Steve Lefevers, The Way of Life or the Way of Death (self-published, 1987), 106. About The Way International 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. The last fatal attack on a police officer in Northern Ireland was the April 2011 killing of Constable . After Dr. Weirwill died and leadership was given to Craig Martindale, TWI essentially split into those who followed Craig and stayed in TWI's proper organization, and those who moved into splinter groups. Out of the Way: The Offshoots - GreaseSpot Cafe 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. Former Member: The Way International Biblical Ministry Was Rife With There were some other elite leadership groups in the faith (like Way Disciple that you mention) but the three I listed are the ones that most people in fellowships are expected to take. PDF The Way, International Profile - Watchman Fellowship The Way To Happiness International. 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. I told them never to bring up The Way in my presence again. 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. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. For Feb 24, 2023 | Christian Articles, en Espanol. She probably could have just gone and not told anyone because its not like anyone checked your bank account, but her guilt consumed her and a couple days before, she called our fellowship coordinator over and confessed to him that she had debt. 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. This group was formerly known as American Fellowship Services. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. 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. The creed and The Way are very much one and the same; The Way is just the religion they follow. Prominent ex-Way leaders took with them networks of ex-followers of TWI. x*"fhR*_l*I&mLRQnG.O@o(UU7Wn?\6t]~mak-tX}zn[z,.o,o.*?Y~,vYj8P]w1$'ZfL1sr&E7pc'R7_\veb_ Rev. This practice is intended to weed out any opponents. Experiences, questions, observations about offshoots who trace their roots to The Way International, Off-shoot of The Way (formerly Christian Educational Services), Accused sex predator Victor Barnard a victim's story. (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). Disciples serve only four months, and The Way plans to send out two waves a year. Answer. All of the various groups claim to hold the true legacy of Wierwille's teachings. TWI's splinter groups, formed at TWI's implosion in the late 1980's, are bigger than . 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. His appendices offered reasons Way leaders gave to justify adultery, along with his own rebuttals. The Way is predominantly financed via its course fees and tithing. The past two years have been a very unsettling time for Wayers. This article only sketches the most prominent and publishable charges. I don't talk to my family that's "in" much anymore though I do see them every so often. Can you imagine? 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." Some people were asked to leave the ministry for some big transgression (maybe they were gay, maybe they bucked chain of command in some big way), and they were considered marked and avoided (I think stemming from the Cain and Abel story in Genesis). 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. Although Wayers project a curt and indifferent attitude toward the many who have left the group, they have undoubtedly been hurt deeply in recent years. 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. 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. Martindales classes include material from PFAL as well as new topics. Geers book also claims that Geer alone is spiritually able to reform The Way Ministry. Still involved. I'm way-adjacent. That ego had gone to their heads; that the Adversary had gotten to them. 35 0 obj <> endobj 60 0 obj <>stream They use Wierwilles teachings, jargon, and writings, and have drawn off many of The Ways followers by accusing International of authoritarianism, misuse of power, adultery, misuse of funds, spiritual corruption, departure from the Word of God, and denominationalism. Because of the work of splinter groups, in recent years The Way has been marked by heightened paranoia, attention to security, and bitterness. 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. Heads up on Another Splinter off the Way International Tree. The most prominent of these groups are John Lynns Christian Educational Services (CES) and Chris Geers The Way of Great Britain. 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. Atheism. 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. Okay. And Im not sure I can completely answer your question about stepping out of line and facing consequences. About The Way International has the most comprehensive collection of articles on The Way International found anywhere-- over 110.
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