skyrider

Only in cultdom does this hardly raise any eyebrows..... "guard the service and other events".......yeah, doesn't EVERY 'CHURCH' SERVICE have glock-holstered security personnel who eyeball every attendee and ready at a moments notice to toss out the possessed? Notice.....even in this, the BOD have insulated themselves from the unwashed. With two-way radios, they are equipped to 'cast out spirits' and not miss a beat. Either, twi still has the paranoia of the wierwille/geer crowd......or, there are still angry husbands and ex-twiers who are coming to grips with twi's sexual predation history and money/abs deception.

I remember wierwille talking about two nearby farmers/situations..... 1) The farmer across the road near the brc.....wierwille wanted to buy his property. One of the biggest reasons for wierwille wanting this guy's property was to CONTROL TRAFFIC FLOW ON WIERWILLE ROAD. Wierwille thought that if he owned property on both sides of wierwille road, he could then control the access thru twi's property. The one farmhouse at the east end of wierwille road would still need access to their home/property....but that would be the cut-off point into "wierwille's cult-land." The farmer across the road never sold his land and vpw held it against him. 2) In 1981/82....the farmer who owned property to the north of the OSC building suddenly died. Within hours, wierwille rushed over there and made a substantial offer to the widow and/or family. In the early 80s, twi had a large amount of abs-inflow......and this land purchase made way for the Founders' Hall to be built without disrupting the 'sacred roa ground.' The original wierwille property from old man wierwille to harry/vic/reuben........147 acres.

The innies are too encumbered with worldly matters going to local fellowships 3X a week, raising kids, attending school activities, careers, and family.....to drive 250 miles to twi's sunday service and listen to a boring teaching, of which, the cassette tape will arrive on Wednesday anyways. Cultish worship of a spiritually bankrupt twi is a 'Thelma and Louise' wild ride...

It is probably safe to say......I never plan to willfully walk into that viper's nest.

For many....... They shun oppression.....and going to HQ only puts another heaping on their plate. They loathe hypocrisy....and going to HQ simply spotlights it once again. They crave freedom.......and going to HQ brings bondage front and center again. They love to be loved....and going to HQ and parking their bvtt in a seat doesn't do it. Twi is insanity.......doing the same thing over and over and over again.

All dressed up.........and waiting. The Sunday teacher has practiced reading his sermon, way prod is ready to perform, the ushers are at their stations and the greeters are at the doors........WAITING FOR THE PEOPLE. Hmmmmmmmmm.......where is everybody? The Prevailing Word Auditorium seats around 1,440 or thereabouts. The bookstore is stocked with updated hardback copies of the pfal series and coloring books. The brass rails have been polished and the lobby music is playing the Singing Ladies latest tunes. Where are the people? The grass near the entrance has been manicured to perfection. The flower beds have colorful blooms. The parking lot is freshly painted and the Safety Department's SUV is at the intersection. Where are the people? The turbulent years of Martindale's reign are over. The verbal abuse and vicious attacks have subsided. The sexual lawsuits were settled in out-of-court settlements. The WAP class has dialed back some of the homosexual onslaughts. Rosalie is in charge now......and twi is "kinder, gentler." Really. The top-down control is stronger than ever.....but its not the Catholic church. The legalism drips from the bus schedules and mandates, but the staff is all smiles. The debt policy is still in place and no leadership can purchase homes with a mortgage. The corps are instructed to help micro-manage their people, just like Rosalie says. Can't the people see the love? Why don't the people come on Sunday and see where their money is being spent? Why don't the people come and sit in the auditorium and relish in its beauty? Why don't the people come and spend a wonderful sunday with God's household? Why don't the people come ?? <_<

So, Rosalie's solution is..........to micro-manage the innies and schedule busing branches and nearby limbs to their sunday services. Where is the auxano -- growth from within, without compulsion? Why don't they just BELIEVE GOD.....and BELIEVE FOR RISE AND EXPANSION? Why does Rosalie get a pass on such a pitiful presidency for ten years? No teaching ability. No charisma. No people skills. And, now...........NO BELIEVING to fill the auditorium with new people. Coercive "invite"........"You are scheduled to attend the May 16th Sunday service at HQ. Your Branch coordinator, Al Armtwist, has chartered Greyhound Bus #666 for your travel. Believe God to have a great time."

Ohhhhhh........she is just sooooo spirituaaallll. Spiritual perception personified......and maybe, revelation too. After ten years as prez, is this top-down approach working? Are people coming in droves to the Sunday services? Is the Lord's name being magnified? Are the folks receiving deliverance? Are their Way Disciple program and Corps program filled to overflowing? Surely Rosalie doesn't regard success from their twi portfolio, investments?.......that would be worldly. I mean, c'mon, there are billionaires who are atheists. Surely, Rosalie isn't trumpeting her planning skills and successes by the creature comforts of the day? Or, is that how twi's "abundant living" is measured? Silly me.....I thought it was about preaching the gospel to the oppressed and spiritually hungry and downtrodden and, at times, hazarding our lives for the gospel's sake. <_<

I tend to think that most of those corps moved over to that 'other' site......for corps only. Must do their hearts good to reminisce those campfire sharings and holding hands. No thanks.

Of course..... The theme is synonymous with speaking excathedra "from the throne." Only the mog (and pope) can do that!

Those yearly themes fell into two categories.......even during veepee's presidency. 1) Abundance, Sufficiency, Victoriously, .......ie twi is the best, send in you abs. 2) Go, Stand, Speak, Witness, Ambassadors........move the word, recruit others, run more classes. These same two basic themes were the 'alpha and omega' of twi's themes and marching orders. Take their classes and send money..... Nothing new under the sun.....

Or.........I Tim 6:5 Lord, twi stinketh.

Every businessman knows......"Timing is everthing." Wierwille saw BG Leonard's class as a model for MLM christianity.....and the 1967 pfal class hit the market at the right time. With the Jesus Movement in full swing, wierwille embraced the moment and sold his class on every street corner. Sometimes, I think we give wierwille FAR TOO MUCH credit. Everything in Mrs. W's book shows that veepee didn't have any answers. The spiritual 40 club sponsored the travel expenses and fees of many men......of whom, wierwille took note. A narcissist lives for himself.

polar bear......good to "see" you. Yeah, running 3 fellowships a week, leadership meetings, planning meetings, witnessing events, corps nights AND THE WORK LOAD INCREASED WHEN CLASSES RAN. What did twi leadership think.....we were iron robots? As twi evolved, having more programs and classes......hoops, hoops and more hoops. Even back in 1978/1979......I recognized that 4th, 5th and 6th corps were LEAVING TWI. Yet, wierwille didn't seem to connect the dots, nor did he or his pyramid pals grasp the disconnect. Wierwille certainly didn't like those three 8th corps guys research that differed from wierwille's. Corps nights evolved into a 20-30 minute bi+ching session and then, the "literals according to usage." Besides needing 3 weeks off work each year to travel to Ohio, attend Corps Week and ROA......a majority of those corps assignments CHANGED every three years. Now, starting out at a NEW JOB........how do you get 3 weeks off work and fulfill wierwille's mandates of attending cw & roa? Those living in California, Washington, etc or the International Corps had all these challenges and more. YET....it wasn't any concern for wierwille??? Where was the love...????????

Kinda like.......a eunuch?

So true. Twi's BOD is layered in levels of constricting bureaucracy.....hiding behind stacks of reports......only to mingle at lunchtime with their fawning faithful followers. No......Go, Stand and Speak to all the people. Nope, twi lives in OT times of "Come and See." In the early 80s.....it was commonly understood that the Branch coordinator's job (7-12 twigs, 60-120 people) was the hardest job in the way ministry. Not on twi payroll, the Branch coordinator needed to work a full-time job to support his family. Overseeing classes, writing reports, teaching weekly leadership mtgs, endless phone calls, blue forms. No such thing as a weekend. Twi BOD........hypocrites. They walk the "marketplaces" to be seen of people and desire the adulation and praise of men. They have their reward. No....greatest leader is the greatest servant at twi's hq. Wierwille's structure is a pyramid of the privileged. No....foot-washers. No.....care and concern for field leaders. That's why.....Going, Going -- Gone.

Victor Paul Wierwille, Don Wierwille and Howard Allen were CLUELESS in understanding the mounting responsibilities heaped upon FIELD WAY CORPS. Erkjohn's post in The Final Straw thread......exposes the trustees' bullying of way corps in early 1980s Ironic, isn't it?....wierwille's "heart gets broken" over this? Can you spell m-a-n-i-p-u-l-a-t-i-o-n? Gee, didn't Geer use "wierwille's heart was broken" in his poop paper? Yep! It was ALL about wierwille........and still is. Where was the spiritual perception and awareness at the trustee level? Where was the compassion to listen with the heart and relieve the heavy burdens? Where was the "minister" who said in pfal that he'd NEVER preach another negative sermon? For all of wierwille's "spiritual perception and awareness".....he never figured it out. Thousands of verses of scripture.......and the trustees couldn't understand twi's revolving door. Twi was a cult.........and still is. <_<

E. Stanley Jones traveled to India and wrote about it (1925). Wierwille travels to India and writes a pamphlet on Foreign Missions (1955). Eleven (11) years after this Ashram event.....is wierwille patterning his life after Jones? And, remember those little Way booklets before twi's books? Some of Jones' work in way-booklet form?

Wierwille was the piker..... E. Stanley Jones was *The Teacher*..... Just like in Mrs. W's book, the young wierwille was a back-row student.

And.......there is a reason why some 340 clergy and 2,700 way corps have LEFT twi since 1976. Some estimate that 22,000 twi-followers have moved on, as well. No matter how twi lies and rewrites history.......the details are there for anyone who wants to stop drinking the kool-aid.

Yeah.....the manufacturing of the mog-concept was a ruse. In the E. Stanley Jones Ashram picture........hundreds are in attendance and young wierwille's head is hardly visible in the back row. This picture speaks volumes.

The Way International points to October 3, 1942 as its beginning with a radio broadcast of Vesper Chimes.....yet, Rev. Wierwille was an employed minister for St. Jacob's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Payne, Ohio. The young wierwille was searching for ways to reach his Payne congregation and surrounding community. For three years, from July 6, 1941 to mid-June 1944.....the young man was attempting to inspire a struggling congregation and himself. In mid-June 1944, St. Peter's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Van Wert, Ohio was wierwille's next move. Wierwille's life was dynamically altered as he attended the E. Stanley Jones Ashram (retreat) in the latter part of that July 1944. Along with Jones, Rufus Moseley and Starr Daily and Glenn Clark were key speakers at this North Carolina event. Some notable items that the young wierwille learned: 1) Rufus Moseley's outspoken teachings on being led by the Holy Spirit. 2) Glenn Clark's book How to Find Health through Prayer. 3) Clark's developing concept of Camps Farthest Out.....and predicting a "world movement" the C.F.O.: Christ for Others, a kingdom of God movement of good tidings to spread throughout the world. 4) Starr Daily -- "The power of Christ's redeeming love literally opened the prison doors of steel." He published his personal story in a book called Love Can Open Prison Doors. On page 83, Born Again to Serve....."We learned so much from these people whose names have become household words, such as Rufus Moseley, Starr Daily, Glenn Clark, and others. They taught us various principles because we were eager to learn and because God gave them to us. It seems to me that we took what they taught us and ran with it. What a way to grow up!" The E. Stanley Jones Ashram opened whole new vistas of understanding to young wierwille. This retreat expedition gave vpw the blueprint for what would later evolve into Way Family Camps, promotional and organizational techniques, LEAD Outdoor Academy, Prayer and Healing teachings, etc. Add "The Divine Healing Convention" in Tulsa in 1951 and Rev. B.G. Leonard's class "The Gifts of the Spirit" in February of 1953........and one pieces together how "God taught wierwille things that hadn't been known since the First Century Church." That little radio broadcast of Versper Chimes was NOT twi's beginning point, but rather a shell game to distract from the obvious.......WIERWILLE LEARNED FROM MANY BEFORE HIM. Some he acknoledges, some he disregards but wholesale plagairizes. Wierwille deceived the masses in his attempts to put the spotlight on him. The mog who never was. <_<

Maybe....Human w/o beans is referring to the Founders' Room in the Auditorium. IIRC, twi would sometimes display this material during events. On the walls, are pictures of these men like Rufus Moseley, KC Pillai, Bullinger, etc.

There is a reason why we are admonished in the scriptures to DISCERN between good and evil. Cult trappings are all about controlling the message, the situation, the conversation and....presumably, the outcome. Critical thinking is a beautiful thing. :)

The BOT/BOD "serve".........by serving the people the Word of God. All other leaders must serve tables, string chairs, usher at meetings, set up bookstore tables, nanny-sit the "leaders' kids, etc......AND find time to prepare teachings and serve others the Word in his twig/branch.