skyrider

SoCrates.....you might want to check out THIS LINK

p. 36 ... Born Again to Serve "On the first Sunday in February 1943, a special collection was received in order to pay off the mortgage on the [Payne] parsonage. And on March 7 we held a special mortgage-burning service." "After our move into the new parsonage, Rev. Wierwille found a room a block away from the church, formerly a dentist's office, which he rented and made into his office/study. Not a particularly patient young minister, he got pretty discouraged by not knowing how to handle various challenges within the congregation. At one time he told me that he was ready to quit the ministry if he didn't learn how to handle these seemingly helpless situations. Something seemed to be lacking in answer to prayers." "I'd had the best education money could buy; but with all that I knew, I just could not help people. I was discouraged the first year in the ministry, 1941-42. I thought, 'Had my dad spent all that money to educate a fool?' I prayed a great deal about it. Even then I was discouraged with my life. The principles of the ministry bothered me. The shallowness bothered me."

Mrs. Wierwille's book, Born Again to Serve, details how young wierwille was nearly ready to quit the ministry after just one year in. While in his Paine and Van Wert pastorates, wierwille was searching far and wide for answers. In 1953, after sitting thru Rev. B.G. Leonard's class (twice) in Calgary, Alberta.....vpw rushed home and began signing people up for this "new class" that he, vpw, would teach in October 1953. After taking Leonard's class....EVERYTHING CHANGED. Wierwille shifted to a class-based ministry, class registrations, teacher-student format, class materials, bookstore operations, subsequent classes, fnd/int/adv classes, etc. Years later, wierwille came up with the name "Power for Abundant Living" class (from J.E. Stiles ??). Here at GS....thread after thread documents the plagairism that has surrounded wierwille thru the decades. The man's work was not original. Everything from his self-proclaimed "black snowstorm" to his India itinerary to his "law of believing" to his published works.....have been served a strong brew of reality here at The Cafe.

With a narcisstic point man like wierwille, I suppose "The Steady March of Polarization" in twi was inescapable. Add to the fact that twi was/is a closed-corporation with zero community or business involvement and an inner-culture that breeds all sorts of unhealthy, unchristian competitiveness. The gauntlet of "gaining God's favor" started with pfal......then, intermediate and advanced class. All those other classes were a sideshow of commitments to be "fully instructed after taking twi's advanced class." Had one now arrived? No. The journey to walk with all nine manifestations was beginning. Now, the "fully instructed one" was informed that there were a series of mountains to climb beyond the summit that he had just reached. And, further......now, the devil was really out to get you. The devil will do everything in his power to disrupt your commitment to standing with twi. Your parents, your family, your friends, even YOU......are not to be trusted. Go WOW......don't go to college or worldly paths that entice you. Go Corps....from a disciple to a doulos. Year after year, from 1971 to 1984(?)....the corps numbers and polarization swelled. The non-corps were being "sidelined" as corps grads filled all the major staff, region and field positions. Wierwille was consistent in promoting his corps program as the cornerstone to spiritual growth. Even Don and Howard were publically recognized as "honorable corps status" for all to see. The corps program polarized twi like none other. Twi proclaimed it as the path of spiritual leadership. What? Really? See how they kept moving the goal posts? Wasn't the advanced class the "fully instructed" class? Now, wierwille and co. held the power of telling you whether or not you were spiritual enough to walk with God. In effect, wierwille had become the puppeteer in the parallel universe of "spirituality." The Steady March of Polarization.......to the edge of the cliff. Jump and twi will catch you and hold you up. Give yourself 100% to twi-doctrine for this research is 7 X 7 purely pure. The "household of zion" is the true household was the mantra of the moment. Still is. In the end........wierwille died of cancer, a devil spirit (according to his adv class). Thus, he was either possessed or his teachings in this "fully instructed" class was full of holes. Trusting in...... Wierwille........thud. Martindale.......thud. Geer.............thud. Rivenbark........thud.

Give us cash, give us cash Do it every day. Oh what joy, it is to know your faithful giving to the way! God will bless, our success as the investment grows each day, No more woes, as we all know Needs are met when old and grey.

If one were to follow TWI's example.....'tis the season for hoarding, not giving. How the board of directors in twi can sleep at night is beyond me. Stashing away this $52 Million (or more?) and bleeding dry those outlying areas is unconscionable. Season after season, year after year.....wierwille and co. had built the organization on "giving the word to the masses" as the ultimate in christian duty. By cherry-picking a couple of verses, and ignoring scores of other clear verses to the contrary.....twi attempts to project a christ-like giving that is unsurpassed by any church/community groups around the nation or world. After decades of following wierwille's well-worn deception.....MOST are no longer fooled by the shenanigans and shell games. Of course, the millions squirreled away thru the decades continue to accummulate a modest return. Will $60 million be enough for tw? Or, will $100 million bring them security and ease? Is there a point where twi will awake from its lasciviousness and want for more? How does one arrive at the point of playing "the law of believing" card on their followers at every turn....ie having a conscience seared and preying on the weak, poor and feebled? 'Ye shall know them (their spirituality) by their STASH. 'Ye shall know them by their "believing" for prosperity. NOT And, any offshoots playing the same game......what makes you different that twi? Is every meeting a time to pass the horn around? Is every gathering an opportunity to guilt them into "abundantly share?" Woe unto you.....as well. Happy Household Holiday.........to all those who still worship at the altar of twi's "household." .

Centralized Authority and bloated bureaucracy..... From 1974-1984, twi's hq staffing grew to ridiculous levels to "coordinate outreach" from cornfield ohio. As monies poured in, how much went OUT to strengthen areas or states? All the levers of power were closely guarded by wierwille. As corps grads numbered into the thousands, they were NOT treated like alumni.....for the most part, corps grads were treated like property. With each passing year, the wierwille and co. disdain for aspiring leaders was evident. Did wierwille really think that corps leadership were going to be little flip-chart pfal instructors a lifetime????? Wierwille stole BG Leonard's foundational class and was PARANOID that corps would do what he did. Yeah, slic-vic knew the game he played and tried putting "firewalls" around everything that advanced the corps grad......professionally, financially, etc. Worse than "stuck-on-stupid"........wierwille/martindale/rivenbark/geer -- applauded abuse to advance their agendas.

Wierwille structured his multi-level marketing "ministry" in patriarchal prominence. Twi became the image that wierwille groomed in mirrored-vision. There was a profound reason why Chris Geer, after the death of wierwille, wrote.....The Passing of a Patriarch. Time and time again, many posts state things like "well, that wasn't going on in the 1970s".....or, "the micromanagement of rosalie's rule is astounding." Rulerships, like tsunamais, take time to grow significantly and impact destructively!! BUT, without the baby steps of..... 1) Send all your tithes to twi 2) Ask no questions during pfal 3) No right to dissent from the mog 4) Once corps, your life is not your own 5) Inner circles of yes-men and sexual predation 6) Isolate, Intimidate, Indoctrinate 7) Rewrite twi history and whitewash sins 8) No tolerance for debate or dissent 9) Mark and Avoid...the untimate weapon 10) The Pyramid/Patriarch system remains ........twi wouldn't be the entrenched, ungodly organization that wierwille founded. Matthew 15 comes to mind.

In the wierwille-cult.....who needs the Bible when you got a "man of god" telling you what it said? One of the four fronts of the devil, in Dealing with the Adversary class.....was yourself. You know, I found it really difficult "planning ME out of MY life." What a crapola sandwich all those classes were.........

Yeah.....I get what you're saying. Years ago......on a similar topic, Sunesis made some very profound points on how God's blessings were able to surface from a deceptive wierwille and an abusive ministry. In short, many of the simple truths of the scriptures, the simplicity that was in Christ, was plagairized from true ministries (ie Stiles, Leonard, others) and trumpeted in pfal classes. In walking in love, light and circumspectly (Ephesians).....one could see the power of God. There seems to be strong evidence that wierwille didn't believe any of it.....and died a hypocrite and con artist. But that doesn't negate those who were hungry and thirsting for the truth. No, not the "all truth" that twi boasts....but enough truth to start growing and walking. Milk and meat and all that. That credit goes to God and His saving grace. Twi's structure was corrupt. Twi's leadership programs were indoctrinating tools. Twi's leaderhsip are/were elitists and power-grabbers following in the ways of wierwille. But not ALL were groomed in corruption. Not ALL came through twi's fiery furnace with the stench smell of smoke. All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light.

newlife.......lots of stuff to unravel, eh? For me, in 1974.......it WAS different, it WAS real. When I took pfal, it was the simple truths of the life, death, resurrection and ascention and pentecost.....that changed me! I had no interest in joining a group. With laser-like focus, I embraced my heavenly Father's love for me and the deliverance He so freely gave. Life was simple. Life was awesome. Far from Ohio......I had NO INTEREST in the wierwille spiels. I had zero interest in wierwille anything! I was too involved on reading my Bible and walking with the Lord. I saw some healings and small miracles. My zeal for all things Christian was my world. On the twig level........it was simple and sweet. Sure, there were the "needy" people and a couple of moochers, but most were just trying to live for God and "find purpose" as members in particular. Heck, that first year.....I don't remember ever listening to a sunday service tape or tape of the month. It didn't matter. Wierwille didn't matter. It was God's calling and delivering His people.......nothing else mattered. Well, almost nothing. :) After two years WOW.....and some pressuring me to go corps, I signed up. The corps indoctrination was all about wierwille and serving in "his" ministry. I detailed this stuff plenty here at GS. Had it been different.......had wierwille been "the man whom Christ wanted him to be"......then, I seriously doubt that there'd be this GreaseSpot Cafe website. Without the fraud and deception and narcissism and sexual predation......those whose who wanted to live the twi/christian lifestyle would have, and those who didn't want it, wouldn't. End of story. What a strange journey it's been.

Point by point, thread after thread.......GS takes off the mask of The Way Scandal. Just like the professor of physics letter of resignation where he lays bare his reasons for RESIGNING.... 1. Major issues ignored and a systematic silencing of debate 2. Elitism and bullying tactics to marginalize the truth 3. Manipulation, fraud, and other forces at work 4. Attempts to bring the subject into the open 5. Refusal of Council to address petitioners and abuses 6. Secret and stacked committees organized against us SOUND FAMILIAR..?? And this physics professor gave 67 years of his life to this.........

Like all scandals....there are the perpetrators, the enablers and the victims. Had wierwille not meshed it so inclusively in those early years with "serving God"......I would like to think that I would have sniffed it out much more quickly. But I didn't. When I saw some disturbing things in 1978, 1979 and years follwing, I kept DENYING WHAT I SAW. After all, twi was conditioning me that one of the four fronts of the adversary was....ME. I simply was not seeing things clearly. I shouldn't be thinking evil of twi leadership. The mog-wierwille constantly walks with God. Even though some of my close friends/co-workers were leaving hq staff.....they just didn't have the commitment level to really serve the Lord. Right? Twi has always been a revolving door. But I would focus on the good, and refuse to murmur or dissent, because that's what I was taught. If twi's research is in error, they SAID they'd fix it. Right? If only I'd been paying closer attention..... Yeah......I woulda got out earlier. Yeah......I shoulda got out earlier. Yeah......I coulda got out earlier. But I didn't...... So that's one of the reasons why I've posted here at GS for the past 10 years to help others see THE WAY SCANDAL. Perhaps, it's of little consequence to do so.....but I hope that my contributions help others dismantle this hoax to the point where it holds no power anymore. I won't get fooled again.....!!! BESIDES.......others in life see scandals as well. Click Here

Twi's cliches.....sorta like having a shotgun in the dark. front lines ---> battlefield scenarios defeating the adversary ---> four fronts (and one of the enemies was ME!) dog soldiers ---> staked to twi's "truth" .......and then, in 1984, martindale moves all twi towards the SPIRITUAL ATHLETE, the SPIRITUAL COMPETITION .......and then, in 1995, martindale proclaims that to reach the promised land and the prevailing word, ONE NEEDS TO CROSS THE BRIDGE.

Yeah......moving target extraordinaire. Signed on the line to become my best for God......and then, 3-months into inrez, the corps coordinators were yelling at us that "IF WE WEREN'T COMMITTED TO STANDING WITH TWI FOR A LIFETIME, THEN WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE CORPS COMMITMENT." Manipulation-mongers..!!! The 1978-1982 era was filled with contraditions....corps numbers were soaring and the trustees were sending double signals, NOT ALL CORPS would be filling leadership spots and should delve into support services for twi. In other words, some of you will be good in business professions and will be huge supporters of wierwille and co. via your talents/money. Wierwille publically stated to the 7th/9th corps that he was waiting for the day when someone would donate one million dollars to twi.....which, obviously, spurred many to set out on that goal. In retrospect, the corps program was too vague, too generic......ON PURPOSE.

And, to add...... 1) Before the Emporia/Rome City campuses became the full-throttle project of developing "leaders".......Fellow Laborers was one of the "farm teams" before hitting the "major leagues" (ie corps training). 2) When wierwille & company had enough money/support to start funding campuses.....he then was able to "increase" and all state programs (grassroots) became "lesser." Of course, this was his narcisstic plan all along.

Didn't E@rl Burt0n move from NC to Ohio? Possibly....he started this one before wierwille assigned him to Ohio?

The gig is up.....and the wizard is no longer able to pull his levers and push buttons in secrecy. Maybe some like to stay in their little social circles and eat cookies twice a week....but most cannot deny the pathetic existence of trying to pimp for the way international. For the past 15 years, class sign-ups and participation have been absolutely dismal. Yeah, the parents' kids are signed to take classes, but the new arrivals from witnessing jaunts ain't happening. Zilch...zero. How many attended that hq advanced class last year....... 69 (?) How many graduated from the corps program last year...... 7 (?) And, if that isn't dismal enough......I tend to think that this struggling economy will suppress class participation and abs numbers even more. When discretionary spending is pinched in one's household fund, the practical issues have a way of squelching the fantasy of "following the yellow brick road."

Yeah....saw this stuff in 1981. At hq, another corps guy and I had several discussions on this very thing. He transferred from another department where an abusive leader had gained strength and authoritarian rule with docvic's nod of approval. I know corps get a bad rap.........but I joined forces with MANY corps thru the years to "relieve the heavy burdens" from oppressors. So often, compassion towards others is simply looking at a situation from their point of view and adjusting accordingly.

Wierwille labeled any corps or clergy who disagreed with him as a "cop-out." For one so spiritual, I never found the biblical reference for this....nor substantiation that disagreeing with wierwille was synonymous with walking out on God...??

Yes....what if there had been more emphasis on love, compassion and kindness and letting people live their own lives? Years ago, I started a thread called "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.........because, to me, there were many issues that fell into each of those three categories. Had there not been lots of good......I never would have stayed so long. I saw the power of God in signs, miracles and wonders on many occasions. Several instantanious healings after praying/ministering to someone...happened! I've shared some of these on GS. Even to this day, many good-hearted people, now ex-twiers, are STILL some of the best friends around. Lots of good.......lots. The bad.......the structure, the hierarchy, the system, the growing legalism, etc. etc. The ugly......wierwille as predator, abuser, drunkard, plagairist, manipulator, etc.....and raising up others who were two-fold the child of hell in his place. Ugly.....agendas, slanted-truth, corps-indoctrination, cultish compound at hq, bunker mentality, conspiracy theories, etc. THAT IS WHY.....the scriptures warn us of wolves in sheep's clothing, hirelings, angels of light, who is bewitching you, you did run well, by their fruits ye know them, form of godliness, evil men and seducers, etc.

On this bugus claim......wierwille set his course to structure a top-down twi hierarchy. Yet, in those early days.....when left autonomous (functioning independently, having self-government) many twigs thrived in the power of God. Week after week, many witnessed in those self-governing twig fellowships a new reality of the presence of the Lord. Some of us enjoyed twig-hopping because each was so different, so unique. Plus, when the youth were left to their independence......twigs were hot, short, power-packed, fun, vibrant, etc. And, twigs weren't the centerpiece of the whole night......they were simply the start! Therefore, when I look back at how wierwille co-opted the true dynamic of christianity.....I see "colonial christianity" where the monarch sits far away structuring and mandating society, searching for "the way" to insert more influence and strengthen his power base. When though the scriptures state "members in particular in the Body of Christ, with Christ as the Head".....or, "the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee"......why was twi constantly establishing a hierarchy? Who beguiled us from the simplicity that was in Christ? When truth of the scriptures are allowed to reign supreme..............twi was the evil master. And, when wierwille/martindale put extensive time to build up "the spiritual buffer zone" in Ohio......clearly, that was a ruse to give window-dressing to twi, to entice its image. Then, the encroachment of "colonial christianity" was on the move to your doorstep.

You'd probably get 320 million answers to that question.....but then, you'd find diverging fault lines based on ethnic, religious, and cultural values. Or, based on who's writing the history books.....their agenda would paint the broad strokes. Just like twi, wierwille framed his ministry in the context of "the Lord spoke to him"......thus, he left his pastorate, he stole BG's class, he plagairized other men's works, etc. etc.....TO FULFILL HIS MINISTRY.

Yes.......I've seen that vague vpw-letter to the corps. Anyone who lived thru the wierwille-daze.....know that slick vic was famous for those vague "hurt your heart" or "broken-hearted" comments. They appear over and over again. Geer used it in his poop paper. Howard told the hq staffers that wierwille died of a broken heart. Speak in generalites......and it manipulates the masses to fill in the blanks.

socks........lots of good points there, thanks. As you noted, wierwille's twi was structured after a business model......yeah, I get that. Wierwille packaged/re-packaged a "product" (pfal), targeted a market cities (satellite offices), established a sales training (corps), had a mission statement (word over the world), put copyrights on his products to keep competitors from stealing them, added new twists and promotions to programs (University of Life and LEAD), national conferences for maximum exposure (PFAL '77, Adv Cl. '79, Victorious Living, Sound Out '84)......etc. etc. From the corps/insider perspective though, I see how wierwille manipulated this Oppressor/victim culture into twi. Thus, to me.....it brings to mind those who fled monarchies for religious freedom from such oppression and heavy-handed taxation. Clearly, "twi christianity" is NOT true christianity. .....Animal Farm -- "some are more equal than others"