WayDale stirs up memories
By Judy McElheny-Owen

NEW KNOXVILLE -- A Web site has been created by some ex-members of The Way International, the biblical research center based in New Knoxville.

Organizers say the site provides information that The Way International would just as soon that Way followers didn’t get.

Creators of the WayDale Document Archive say that the online articles are based on their experiences with The Way and their best recollections of meetings and incidents involving many aspects of living at The Way.

They want to make available "insider" documents that they say The Way International would rather that most people never saw.

"It is the hope of the WayDale hosts that with this information, Way rank and file members (all 5,000 of them in the United States) can make more informed decisions as to whether or not they should continue to participate in Way functions," explained one of the site creators in recent e-mail correspondence.

The writers say it’s not their objective to skew the stories or write them in a way that deliberately portrays The Way and its trustees in a bad light.

"We believe you should be allowed to draw your own conclusions," is the message on the site.

Rico Magnelli, public relations coordinator for The Way International, said that the Way’s policy is to keep people fully informed.

"Anyone that has ever been involved in our ministry honestly knows that we explain decisions involving our ministry from A to Z, from soup to nuts, to our followers. This has been the pattern since 1942 from the founding board of trustees clear through to the current trustees and leadership body. We want people to be fully informed because we understand people, no matter who they are, have to make up their own minds," Magnelli stated.

The site delves into recollections and information about a number of aspects of The Way.

For example, the method of payment for Way followers and staff, known as the "genuine need basis," is explained.

The writers say that Way staff and the Way Corps are expected to live on this basis. An individual’s need is established by the personnel director at the time of hiring.

According to the WayDale site, the reality is that the personnel director tells the individual what is the normal or typical amount allocated and the individual then accepts that amount or asks to be an exception.

Being an exception is frowned upon however, WayDale site organizers point out. Also looked down upon is being "minimum-minded" in work efforts. As a result, a large number of the staff reportedly work 60 hours per week.

The site claims that Way pay is not related to the amount of hours worked, or the amount of work produced, with most Way staff getting $75 per week.

"We are a nonprofit organization and all of our employees know up front that they don’t serve on staff to make personal fortunes. We ask them to determine what they genuinely need to meet their expenses and each case is handled individually. No genuine need we know of has ever gone unmet," Magnelli responded.

He indicated that when people come on staff at The Way, they are not familiar with having all of their meals and housing being provided as taxable fringe benefits that are not part of their net pay, so the personnel director may give a "ballpark figure" to get them started.

"As far as anyone going beyond that ballpark figure being an exception, this is not true because every situation is handled individually and it is confidential information, therefore no one would have access to that knowledge to compare," Magnelli said. He added that The Way has had "devoted and grateful" people on staff for over 50 years who have had all their needs provided for.

As for the "minimum-minded" claim, Magnelli said that The Way expects full commitment and dedication of its staff "in order to provide the spiritual service for those who want what we have to offer, namely the Word of God."

He added, "However, each person’s hours are overseen so no one becomes overtaxed."

The WayDale Document Archive address is www.waydale.com

Magnelli said The Way does not have its own Web site. "We don’t work through the Web site in trying to gain people," he said.

Magnelli said he had not seen the WayDale site and had no interest in doing so.

"If someone is antagonistic, I’m not going to change your attitude. Me looking at it (the site) isn’t going to change anything," he responded.

Magnelli felt it was best to be wary of a site created by disgruntled former members or those with an ax to grind.

reprinted from The Sidney Daily News
copyright 1999 Sidney Daily News