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Documents > Corps Notes > Bribery Tape
BRIBERY
Note
from Mr. Allen - This is an word for word transcription
of an audio tape that Way International president Craig
Martindale made in the Trustee
Conference Room and sent to all Way Corps. It is an
angry follow up to his previous "Bribery" letter
of March 1997 (see Adobe PDF Documents section). It
appears that Martindale did not think that some people
were treating him seriously enough. See another photo
of room.
This
transcript warns of Way followers trying to bribe the Way
Corps and being "Sugar Daddies" to them.
Martindale says that these gifts are bringing in devil
spirits.
God
bless you abundantly. This is a tape to our Way Corps. It is
11:15 a.m. We’re in the Trustee Conference Room - Rosalie,
Howard, Don, Donna; Joe Coulter is running the tape. Tom and
Barbara Lally and Michael Fort are with us.
I’m
all up in arms regarding money again and finances. I don’t
believe the first letter I sent out has been met with
large-scale honesty. I think it is because there are so many
old bad habits that it’s going to take maybe a ball bat or
two to wake you up. The adversary is still infiltrating your
Limbs and homes.
The
first thing Dr. Wierwille ever taught us about how spirits
move in terms of burn the chaff is regarding inanimate
objects. That’s happening in many cases.
And
the way it’s happening is first with computers. The
adversary runs the computer world. I think you might be
aware this week what came out in USA Today, that the Social
Security System has put all their records on the Internet.
So now everyone’s personal finances and paychecks..are all
public access.
They
did it to save money, because it is apparently cheaper for
people to get it through the Internet line. So now they’ve
betrayed that confidence.
The
spirits pretty much run the computer world. And we’ve
developed a competitive mind-set among the Limb Leaders on
getting computers. Because I’m telling you, you better
listen to me if you want a ministry before God to still be
functioning. I saw in the 70's the same stuff start going
when John Lynn’s father bought The Way of Indiana Limb
Home--a mansion, and everyone started "believing
God" for a nicer Limb home. That’s what you guys
think you’re doing when you’re getting computers. Not
honestly through the framework of making requests to your
leadership to the end that we can make a decision whether to
buy you one, but you’re accepting gifts. We’ve got five
or six examples that we know of right now where people are
offering to give you computers--old business computers, old
personal computers--and in some cases they’re offering to
buy the Limb a computer that somehow you have made them
think you need. You guys are not being honest. That’s
bribery. I don’t care if it didn’t cost The Way Ministry
technically a nickel, technically you are accepting bribes;
you are hiding from us what you think you need. Many of you
are living under delusions. You don’t need a computer to
run a Limb of 54 people some of you guys! Men and women! And
I don’t know what you’re doing on your personal life!
People offer you things and you take it. You are inviting
the spirits into your home.
I
Timothy 4:15 and 16 tells us to meditate upon these things.
Give ourselves wholly unto them. Do you know what that’s
talking about? Deceiving spirits in the first verse, and
doctrines of devils and how people get their consciences
seared with a hot iron. That’s what it’s telling us to
meditate deeply on. And I’m trying to get your attention
on finances. Been yelling at the ministry on tithing and
debt and abundant sharing for years; sent you that letter
out; some of you subtly are doing the exact same thing that
Corps guy did in meetings begging people to give you things.
They come over to your house. You lack certain things, and
it’s obvious to them. You’re making sure you meet in
those rooms where you lack furniture or you lack wall
hangings, and down in the depths of your mind, some of you
are just wanting people to offer to give you stuff. So they
walk up and offer to give stuff to you, and you are a
sitting duck for whatever devil spirit that infiltrated that
piece that you accept. And you cover it in your mind by
saying you’re believing God. That’s an old wineskin. You
cover it in your mind by saying "this is
self-governing." You cover it in your mind by saying
"I’m saving the ministry money because they’re
giving me this." It’s dishonest. If you think it’s
a need then you convince your overseer.
And
if our overseers, which right now I have very little
confidence in you guys making honest decisions. I might have
to start at the Trustee level showing you how to think
again.
If
we have to make the decisions, then we will run every Limb
from here in that regard. You can teach the Bible and
we’ll make the real decisions that keep your thing clean!
I’m talking to 47 Limbs. I’m telling you to meditate
upon these things.
I
know of one situation where someone got a clergy
discount--100% clergy discount. Computers were given free
because you’re clergy. We were not checked with. I was not
asked. It’s under my responsibility. It’s a bribe. Dr.
Wierwille taught me in the Corps that when he was in Van
Wert, all the businesses offered clergy discounts. He
wouldn’t accept it. He said it was an insult. He paid full
price. He would not accept it. It was a bribe and an insult.
That’s the way I feel about you guys accepting gifts on
equipment and machinery that you say you need to do the work
of The Way Ministry. It is an insult. I am offended so
deeply I could not scream loud enough to convince you by the
tone of my voice. God is offended. You are wrong. And you
accept it without asking, without checking. Some of you have
informed the Trunk, and they’ve made some bad decisions.
We’ll get it straight from our end. You get it straight
from your attitude. You shouldn’t even be considering
accepting a gift that you think you need to run the
ministry. Say no thank you; you want to buy me something,
put it in the abundant sharing.
My
need is met abundantly, personally and in ministry
leadership needs abundantly by the household of The Way
Ministry. I don’t want you accepting any gifts from
anybody, especially dealing with running the ministry.
Because you’re not doing it correctly and you’re opening
the door to spirit infiltration. You say it’s believing
God; I’m telling you you’re accepting bribes. You say
it’s self-governing--the Limb just running itself. You
ain’t running it right. And I’m spiritually responsible
for the ministry.
At
least we know about this: Some guy in the household got four
computers in a warehouse, making them available to a Region.
Four Limb Leaders were given computers--that’s another
situation. That’s worse. They accepted them without
checking with us. So if they did, you guys made the wrong
decision.
The
one situation in my mind is the guy I dropped from the Corps
a few years ago, offering the computers. If you would have
asked me, I would say no. That guy ain’t clean. Not to me.
I wouldn’t accept anything from that guy. You do not have
but a fraction of a clue of what I mean by oversight. It’s
bribery. You are getting contaminated. You are not
meditating upon these things, considering them deeply and
then taking a stand. At least you could think it through
enough to have some doubts; therefore you should kick it up
to your overseer for help.
Sugar
Daddies--you know the term? Somebody pays your way through
life as a special favor. Some of you have Sugar Daddies.
They always drop you a few extra bucks. You’ve started to
depend on it. We’ve even had examples of people paying
vacations for you. It could come through families; a lot of
it’s coming right out of the household, and you should
refuse those gifts. You should take a stand and take charge
of your life spiritually and quit the contamination. No
Sugar Daddies.
We
pay for what you need by the abundant sharing of the
believers. Which means they’re paying for it anyway. We
have the privilege to steward it and see that it’s
utilized properly. This thing was one of the first things I
got on when I got on the Trustees. I started yelling about
vendor’s gifts. Guys that worked for departments or ran
Cabinet areas back in the early 80's that would get gifts
from the vendors that we bought food from, or we bought
equipment from. They’d give them stationery, pens,
jackets. Bribery.
We
are watching over stuff--even pork rinds and a packet of
pens were sent to me to decide what to do with them. What
are you doing? I made a decision. It’s clean. It’s
blessed. You’re accepting gifts mindlessly from Sugar
Daddies and you’re bringing spirits into your life and
into your families. It’s very subtle in many ways. People
babysit your kids and buy them stuff. Have some
self-respect. That’s an insult to you and The Way
Ministry.
You
can meet your kids’ needs. If they’re not met, you tell
us why not and you tell us what you need and you give us the
privilege to make a decision without devil-spirit influence.
There’s a great positive side to gifts if you keep
yourself clean, and I just think right now you’ve got to
tighten your belt, and you almost have to refuse even
personal gifts for a while to get yourself on the mark. Be
gracious.
Someone
will offer you a gift and you’ll say, "Well Rev.
Martindale doesn’t want us taking those anymore."
I’ll fire you as soon as I hear about it. If you don’t
agree with me on this, get out of my ministry. I’ll run
every Limb in this God-forsaken country if that’s what it
takes.
I
am very angry, and I think God is very disgusted, and I
think you people had better wake up. Some of you have become
contaminated vessels, like II Timothy 2 tells you not to be.
It says flee youthful lusts. If us old folks are so beguiled
by the luxuries of life that we have grown accustomed so
that we have grown blind to this, then there is only one
alternative, to put young kids in those positions that
haven’t yet experienced those luxuries, and then as soon
as they’re 30 or 35, I’ll fire them and we’ll put new
22-year-olds in. Everything they screw up out of their
immaturity will be worth it to keep our ministry spiritually
clean from the perverse spirits and the slumber spirits. The
sordid spirits, some of the filthiest, have come in on
financial wrongdoings.
Maybe
I’ve got 47 Limb Leaders’ attention now and the Corps in
the state. I think for a stop-gap method, on honorariums,
you should tell people to just get you a small gift under
$20; I don’t want you spending any more than that, and
just give a nice gift. You don’t want cash. My need is
supplied. Just receive a small gift under $20. That’s what
you need to do.
One
Region Leader wrote a memo, thought it was going to bless
me. Where he went through it with his Corps and they went
through all the Scriptures, and no, we don’t have this
problem. I know right out of that Region some of these
things are happening on computer giveaways. Shouldn’t even
be thinking about it. You’re trying to compete with each
other how many fancy logos you can do, or lighthouses. We
don’t have enough work for all that equipment.
Anything
awkward that has anything to do with your job as a minister
should be refused graciously, and if you feel it is a valid
offer, you should get clearance from the Trunk level. So
take it to the Limb. If the Limb Leader feels it’s valid,
take it to the Region Leader, then to the Trunk. Even a
pencil holder or a stapler. Accept nothing. You’re getting
selfish and competitive. It’s so subtle some of you
don’t even want to admit it.
No
Sugar Daddies. You give them the Word; they share of their
abundance with the household, and we supply your need. And
if somehow that’s not working then let’s get honest. We
have never been stingy. If you’re living without
something, then you’re being a martyr, and that’s evil.
That’s an icon. If you men are wearing the same suit every
Sunday, then you’re begging for contributions by the way
you live and the slovenliness of your thinking.
I
don’t know what to do with some of you that have other
income--pensions, retirement funds, family endowments or
inheritances or trusts. At the least you should be drawing
very little salary to live off your family’s money. If you
feel contaminated to take your family’s money, then give
it back! Get yourself cleaned up. No emotional reaction. It
would have to be well-thought through. For large amounts of
money, you would want our advice. You’re a full-time
minister, then we’re supposed to be taking care of you. If
you’ve been covering up money from other incomes, that’s
where I’d have to get very upset with you, and God cannot
be blessing your ministry and capable and able to bless your
people that are abundantly sharing because your
contamination is cutting off their blessings. I think this
is one reason why we still can’t get people to stay
faithful abundantly sharing, and we have to every once in a
while lecture them again--the dishonesty at the leadership
level. Bad habits. I’m not saying it’s cognizant
dishonesty, but it better get cognizant. These are old
wineskins. If you think by people giving you stuff you’re
helping the ministry, that’s a lie. No longer a valid
concept from the start. If it is, it’s an exception; the
decision would be by revelation. And you’re not thinking
soundly enough to receive that revelation, so you better
allow us to. I have not been blinded by this even through
the fog years.
It
is not believing God to get people to give you stuff; to ask
your family to pay for a medical procedure you need because
the ministry won’t pay it. That came up a few months ago.
Someone needed help, and they were asking other believers to
give them a special gift to help them pay for stuff, and
they’re on Staff. They’re at a Root Locale. It’s
practical error, which will become doctrinal error as people
harden themselves. So we have to quit deceiving ourselves.
So
I got a memo: "We don’t have a problem. Thank you for
the Scriptures. In terms of your honorarium decision, if
this is a problem, then fine. Shut it down." That
"if" stood out in capital letters in my heart. How
can a Region, Limb Leader; a Corps person question whether
what I wrote in that letter is a problem? I just told you it
was a problem and gave examples, even things from my
personal life. And then he would be so slovenly about a
letter he writes me about a subject so critical, that he
would put an "if," questioning whether I’m
really upset about anything of value.
If
all things are clean, unsolicited, giving of people to bless
you, it could be OK, but we’re at such a bad state in
this, I can’t accept that at any level on your say-so.
Especially dealing with ministry needs. Tell the farmer to
sell his produce he wanted to give you and abundantly share
it out of his profits.
It’s
a cloak of covetousness--Thessalonians and II Peter. It’s
a cloak of greed. It’s a pretense. You saying I’m
believing God and saving the ministry time, effort, and
money by getting these things given to us. You say this is
just a Limb or Branch being self-governing; it’s become a
cloak of covetousness, and through inanimate objects or
Sugar Daddies, the spirits are getting in.
Some
of you still have stuck in the back of your minds that evil,
possessed statement John Townsend made at Corps Fellowship
when the Patriarch was dumped: "Dr. Wierwille never
meant for the money to come to Headquarters. He meant for it
to stay in the states, and we decide on the state-level how
to spend it." That was a lie. The Trustees saw that the
adversary is too sharp, too tough. People cannot possibly
make sound decisions in this jungle of the love of money as
the root of all evil.
Some
of you still have that in your mind--that you’re capable
of stewarding 100% of the money that you engender in your
state. That’s a delusion. If we didn’t send them our
tapes, and do what we do from here, how much would you
engender? If you think you could steward it, you’re under
a spirit of delusion--spirit of slumber is working its way
into your brain if you don’t wake up. If you get possessed
in financial matters, how could you be trusted anyway?
People
were not telling us they had need, but asking people to pay
for their hospital trips, etc., instead of working it
through the household and allowing us the privilege to use
the money that people give for that very purpose--to meet
your need so you can be a full-time minister. It’s so
wrong, so evil.
I
think I’ve hit every aspect of it. I think you have to go
through in your heart and your discussions with your Corps
where you need to slam the door shut on the enemy.
At
the Trustee level we’ve brought up how to help our
employees who have college-age kids. We’ve never been able
to do it. Now I know why: still too much dishonesty. I know
God’s got a way we could help your kids. It’s directly
on how you’re handling ministry need and ministry
expenditures. You’re not spending too much. You’re not
keeping it spiritually clean on the decisions you’re
making. It’s dealing with accepting bribes; therefore
you’re not giving us an honest portrayal of what your need
is so we can’t possibly make an honest decision. You’re
causing us to sin. You cause the Lord’s people to abhor
the offering.
They
don’t really believe that when they increase the
proportion they’re going to get blessed back. They don’t
believe that abundant sharing is the best investment of
their money they could possibly make. Why gamble in the
stock market, when the greatest investment, return, is
sharing their abundance with The Way Ministry? The greatest
return, documented, comes back with their investment in The
Way Ministry. Yet people don’t really believe that. I
think some of this is why they still don’t believe it yet,
because you’re allowing the adversary to still cut their
blessings off. I think this is the greatest reason why we
don’t see the signs and wonders we should be seeing.
It’s financial lying.
Don’t
you dare yell at people in a Twig or Branch about money. You
don’t bring up money until I tell you you can. You drill
yourself and your Corps. Keep it within the Corps household
and get ourselves clean, and I’ll let you know when it’s
time to teach the people again about debt or giving or
bribery. Or you listen to what I do on a Sunday to know
whether you got a green light.
I
love you and you’re God’s best. I’ve said some very
adamant, abrupt things. But they’re true. I’m not just
venting. I’m talking about real problems.
I
think in all 47 Limbs, there’s weakness somewhere. It
won’t be in the same category. We have to look at the
giveaway. This thinking is not correct. You just basically
refuse them, unless you really do need it, then get our help
in making that decision. I’m not saying unplug the
computers, but in some cases that might be a valid
point--unplug them and put them in the closet until you get
straight on it.
This
stuff is real. It’s so hidden, covered, subtle. I know
everything I’ve said is valid, but once the spiritual heat
is over, you almost wonder how it could be that potentially
devastating. That’s why God has manifestations and why He
works in us. At the point you’ve got that guidance,
nothing can talk you out of it. You deal with it once you
recognize it, and then deal with what God wants you to do.
Example: Mary saying be it unto me...then the angel
departed; the revelation was over. God stays right on you.
Discerning of spirits: God keeps jelling in you until you
take action and eradicate it. Then it’s over with.
Example: Dr. Wierwille and pain in ovaries. The pain stayed
until he dealt with it.
I
think that about covers it. We need a more honest response
to this thing. It’s the Corps household. I don’t want it
leaking outside. I love you, and this is our problem right
now and let’s get straight on it. Let’s burn those old
wineskin habits of giveaway, welfare logic and calling it
believing God, and let’s really be up front and honest
about what we feel is a genuine need.
We
decided that these people we’re dropping from the Corps,
we’re not going to move them outside of a 250-mile radius.
We will finance local moves. Those who are now alumni should
stay under the leadership who smoked them out. You’re the
ones that are going to help them the best. They should stay
under the Region jurisdiction, at the very least, who’s
confronted them. The adversary is trying to milk us, hurt us
financially on these released Corps. All they had to do was
rise up and discipline themselves, and they wouldn’t be
facing these things.
So
many of these people we’ve dropped since January should be
active Corps. They have the ability; it’s just pure
slothfulness. It would be stupid to invite them back in
residence. They’ve had their shot. After all this time of
confrontation, what proof do I have they’ll overcome their
problems if they come back in residence? Released two
couples from Corps during LEAD program--Corps with spouses.
People can hide for years--stubbornness, treasonous
mind-sets. We’re bringing a few back in residence this
year, but we’ll see.
Eli
heard what God told Samuel. He said "It’s the Lord.
Let Him do what He sees fit." Didn’t have any energy
to fight, be humble. He just conceded the consequences. What
these old Corps have done. So why bring them back in
residence? I am more hurt than they are that they’ve blown
their call to be a minister. I don’t know how to recover
it. They’re just embarrassed. They don’t feel
spiritually bad like I do and you do. Even if they are in
the household, that’s a very small consolation. Some of
them, this is the only thing that got their attention to
start working on their personal problems. But they have
blown ministries. They ain’t supposed to be faithful
disciples but ministers. The gifts and calling of God are
without repentance. It’s a constant pain in my soul. Dr.
Wierwille was so hurt when clergy copped out. I’ve covered
for the majority by saying God called them as a Twig
coordinator, but we’re at a point now where that logic
doesn’t fit. If they don’t have the ability to be
leaders of 10s, etc., they wouldn’t still be Corps.
They’re just blowing ministries.
God
had to tell Samuel to quit mourning over Saul and get busy.
That’s the answer and what I did. I just bring it up as a
teaching illustration, but it cuts you so deeply. You
can’t totally explain it, but you make approximations of
where a man’s mind should be. Eli had no willingness to
get his soul clean. Samuel could have been his salvation. I
don’t think Eli will be in the resurrection of the just.
But he was genuinely called. He blessed Hannah. But they
give up; they quit. I’m not saying run them all off.
That’s God’s business ultimately to deal with. It all
starts with practical error. If people harden themselves
then it becomes doctrinally error and then their conscience
gets seared. If it wasn’t for incorruptible seed, they’d
be in the lake of fire. They’re going to have a rough time
facing up to their lack of faithfulness. You know it’s
true. You have to use everything you can to wake people up,
to accept the consequences of what they’re doing. I’m
trying to get their attention, and then they have to make a
decision to love God. That recovers them out of the snare of
the adversary.
We
should never forget the lesson: you should never want to
succumb to practical error, because it isn’t a snap to get
out of it. It takes work. The mind doesn’t change
overnight. Emotional reaction to truth doesn’t mean your
mind has changed a bit. It just means you are alerted. Now
you must drive yourself against the old wineskin. Use the
rod of correction on your own brain. Set a boundary and
don’t go outside of it for a while. Revelation goes above
and beyond the written Word--now it will be much easier to
see what is revelation and what is just my mind jumping to
things that are old. Your old Limb Leaders did some of these
things; that’s why you still think it’s valid, but it
isn’t. Keep it at arm’s length until you get sound
reasoning of what’s right. Now you can recognize
revelation if you get it on a valid exception.
At
times it would be beautiful if a believer gave you a gift,
but not now. Be sure you especially go through this one. |