skyrider

From the early 1970's to present-day TWI, the mission statement: PFAL = The Word. Prior to wierwille's claim of "the 1942 divine promise"....... "I was praying. And I told Father outright that He could have the whole thing, unless there were real genuine answers that I wouldn't ever have to back up on. And that's when He spoke to me audibly, just like I'm talking to you now. He said He would teach me the Word as it had not been known since the first century if I would teach it to others. Well, I nearly flew off my chair. I couldn't believe that God would talk to me." ......twi was struggling to find a distinguishable identity in the vast ocean of religion. Even though wierwille took B.G. Leonard's class in 1953 and soon taught it as his own....TO SUSTAIN TWI'S MOVEMENT, WIERWILLE NEEDED MORE. The India itinerary, the release of publications, the move to the wierwille farmstead, building the brc, the spiritual 70 club, ......... wierwille still NEEDED more. In 1967, the pfal class was filmed. Then, with efforts to engraft others' ministry works [i.e. Doop, Hefner, etc].......twi saw the surge of youth. BUT..........wierwille NEEDED MORE. He needed "a divine promise" that would catapult his status from "the teacher" to MOG. Thus, in the early 70's wierwille lays claim to hearing the audible voice and promise of God.....a "divine promise" that anchored his ship in deep waters! Wierwille's claim is irrefutable......only he was there. From these questionable beginnings, twi's mission statement: PFAL = The Word.........was launched, and continues to this day. Of course, most who propound this mission are STILL with twi.......but there are some notable mavericks, for sure. Even here at GreaseSpot, the "divine promise" claim is AT THE VERY EPICENTER of thread after thread. Cunningly and craftily, the deception has been made.....PFAL = The Word. As I reflect back thru my 24 years of twi involvement, I realize that TWI'S MISSION STATEMENT never was altered or fluctuated. Twi was, indeed, anchored to wierwille's 1942 claim......stemming to the sold-out belief that pfal and "The Word" were one and the same. The class was, is, and will continue to be THE INDOCTRINATION TOOL......and even though twi has another class, it's still anchored to the wierwille mysticism. Even today......notice the many threads of pfal, the orange book, vp and the snowstorm (promise), etc. Of course, one only needs to look at Scripture to see the deception.......the idolatry. Adhering to wierwille's words and "revelations" is one of the oldest tricks in The Book.

If the "clues" are hidden in "the revelation that wierwille was getting"......does that suggest one is to study the intricate details of wierwille's short stories? Embedded in a sleuth searching of mystical secrecy, if one were to step off the westbound train in Jubbelpor, India and travel a camel's day (eight miles) due east......the secret inscription on the Balaam A$$ Market Wall, flanked by red drapes, gives precise GPS coordinates to a secret vault under the Wierwille Barn.... the exact location where wierwille discarded notes and paradigms of revelations long abandoned. Kinda silly how most pfal students actually thought that they were attending a Bible class.

From the VP and the Snowstorm thread, this topic needs it's own separate discussion. The following quotation is from Mike........he "figured it out." The only rule for faith and practice for wierwille......was the revelation he was getting??? Hidden clues, deeper secrets....?? Wierwille hid them from us?? Please continue...........

Or......saying he took all his books to the dump does NOT make it so. After all has been learned about wierwille........am I supposed to BELIEVE IT cause he SAID IT?

JeffSjo...........yeah, lots of corruption and deceit OUT THERE. <_< What a huge chasm between words.....................................and deeds. According to Scripture, teaching AND manner of life are to be in synch, in harmony with one another. Obviously, Jesus taught the vast difference between 1) a true shepherd and 2) a hireling, who would forsake the flock at their time of need. The aspect of Living Epistles quickly comes to mind as well.....those who are known and read of all men. Or, a good tree bears forth good fruit. Of course, some like to simply cling to "teachings" without regard to one's life (fruit)..........but that is FIRST-BASE DECEPTION in my book. No one should be able to "run the bases" when knowledge and transparency are in full view. I like this verse (and section) in the New International Version: Paul's Charge to Timothy You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings, --- what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. II Tim 3:10,11

And further....... Since "this stuff" was ALREADY known and taught......the "audible voice and promise" that wiewille heard is laced with falsehood and fabrication. Period.

now I see............yeah, "what kind of man DOES this stuff????" What kind?..........a predator who cunningly isolates his victim and strikes when vulnerable. ISOLATION.........at a campus "compound" that has 24 hour security/patrol from outsiders. ISOLATION.........from family and friends and support. ISOLATION.........late at night during the cover of darkness, requested by the "man of god" ISOLATION.........in the secret, ultra-private world of his motorcoach and bodyguard stationed outside. ISOLATION.........serving drinks, or mickys, to facilitate his lusts and conquest. ISOLATION.........if she later speaks out, the mog claims that "she got possessed" THE MOG RULED IN HIS LITTLE KINGDOM OF ISOLATION.

The Golden Globes are over........but the "Spiritual Golden Globes" live on in the hearts and minds of wierwille's devout followers. On stage, with cameras rolling......wierwille performed in ministerial fashion holding his bible high in the air while projecting and enunciating his words in reverent tone. He was the producer/director/actor of a movement that *changed* the lives of thousands of youth. Most notably, wierwille's best remembered performances were those short stories in pfal.......the drunk coming to church, the mother's fear, the red drapes, the healing in India, the christ-in-you enthusiasm, and many more. Other notable performances would be when vpw closed his sermon by singing with Debra (7th corps) Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. His public sermons and stage-persona was captivating, for sure. When the cameras were NOT rolling...........wierwille was SOMEONE ELSE ENTIRELY. When I went into the corps, I was expecting this "commited and compassionate minister" to be a man of temperance and longsuffering and exhortation. Yet.....while inresidence, I witnessed wierwille's vehement verbal abuse and disdain for anyone that opposed him on numerous occasions. To my young mind, it was also alarming to see this man chain-smoking in nearly every closed meeting......and hearing from many that drambuie was always in his coffee. For years, I refused to believe that wierwille was a sexual predator......even though, I'd heard the allegations in 1980,81. My mind could NOT fathom how anyone could teach the bible and CARRY ON A DEVIANT NATURE year after year, decade after decade. Surely, if such a thing were true.......other leaders, other "clergy" would deal with it and repentance and reconciliation would follow. After all, I had seen the iron fist come down on many 4th, 5th and 6th corps clergy.....as those corps meetings provided an in-house *red alert* of doctrine and practice. BUT........what I failed to comprehend was that wierwille had spent decades surrounding himself with an INNER CIRCLE OF SECRET SERVITUDE to his whims and fancies and predation. Not only that, but wierwille had facilitated and enticed others in leadership positions to be partakers in his dark world of hypocrisy....[Note: cognitive dissonance/ doublethink] By holding exclusive power to give "a bum's rush" to any opposition or raped victim, this sinister seduction behind closed doors, behind veiled scriptures, behind lock-box lingo.........the unthinkable was happening!!!!! Yet, when the cameras rolled AGAIN...............all smiles, all bible-thumping sermons that claimed "the word was our only foundation of doctrine and practice." What kind of mind can DO this??............What kind of conscience can compartmentalize-away this kind of evil??........What kind of deviant sociopath makes vows to his God and repeatedly destroys and scatters his "flock??" Even at his death.........."the greatest layman in twi" Howard Allen claimed that wierwille "died of a broken heart." Did he really think this LIE would not be found out ??....finding out that WIERWILLE DIED OF CANCER. The cameras are NO LONGER rolling for weirwille..........only the RE-RUNS.

Yeah......the Holy Relics of wayworld. And, another little tidbit off the beaten path.....but it does add to wierwille's "visions." I distinctly remember sitting with my inrez group at Camp Gunnison in 1981 as Wierwille expounded on his vision of his incredible WayCamp. Of course, the folklore of these mighty grounds were going to reach far and wide as a unique restaurant would be built high above the Gunnison river (where the water tower was located). Way-people and travelers alike would partake of the restaurant and lodging and white-water rafting and fishing and horseback riding. Naturally, camp gunnison would be the latest and greatest....another P.T. Barnum sell, for sure. The "family experience" would be testimony to the things of wierwille's way. Heck, even the Way-Brand.....like for cattle branding......was being promoted and Way Productions was becoming "westernized" with songs, and tunes, and High Country Caravan, and "Branded." Lots of energy and promotion was pushing wierwille's "vision".......and more cabins were built, etc. Even wierwille plugged the way-retirees to build a cabin at Camp Gunnison....to live there until death and then, donate it to twi. The "vision" never materialized. Nada....none.....zippo. Lots of scheming and plugging and marketing..............yet, splllaaaaaaat. IMO, another example of wierwille's (marketing) "visions"........so, NO, when it comes to the snowstorm story, I seriously doubt it. The closer one viewed wierwille UP-CLOSE..........the more doubts arise.

Since leaving twi, I've learned that "the product"....yes, plaf (the wonder class) was NOT the word, but a mixture of scripture, stories and leaven. The whole organization was leavened by wierwille's narcisstic views. The wierwille religion is one of laws, legalism, arrogance, license-to-sin, and disdain for other Christians who turn to Jesus as lord of their lives. Today, the wierwille cult has moved from its mog-status beginnings and evolved into a corporate entity of self-proclaimed spiritual stature. No more hoops to jump.....no leader critiquing my spirituality......no daily confrontations......no more manipulation and exploitation......the fresh air smells so wonderful. And now, my deceiver-meter is ALWAYS ON. Thanks to twi, I am very aware of deceivers, false teachers, con-artists, boasters and snake oil salesmen. Life is good.....and I shudder to think where I'd be if I hadn't resigned and walked away.

I agree with WW.......another cut-and-paste of wierwille in attempting to catapult his importance. After all, wierwille copied Fuller (iirc) on starting a radio broadcast. Wierwille copied others on his foreign mission trip to India. Wierwille blatantly copied the foundational class of Leonard. And, Leonard wrote of a similar incident........easy for wierwille to cut-and-paste ANOTHER "original." The snowstorm story........a fabricated story

Well......I'm about 99% sure that John is a grad of the 6th corps.

Druids.....

In so many ways.......twi's structure seems like a throw back of the late 1880's England era where savvy businessmen/investors/lords lived apart from the city life and their factories/sweatshops choosing large estates in the countryside. The mansion/minion structure afforded the "master" supreme control of his world......complete with butler/house administrator/kitchen staff/housekeepers/gardeners/farm workers/etc. and extended properties and cottages and horse stables. The factories and sweatshops grind out the work and fuel the investment capital of the "master of the mansion." Layered by supervisors and managers, attorneys and business associates.......the workers never see the personal leisure and life of this country squire. Their lives are consumed with the daily struggle of work and family.....and fear of loss and survival. Twi's "household" is certainly NO household........at least, not in any practical sense. IMO.......no true household would be exploiting its "family" in such manner. No full sharing. No heart-to-heart communication. No togetherness of experiencing life. No concept of the struggles and challenges. Only by spiritualizing the term "household" is twi able to justify such a teaching, a manipulation. Yep.......the mansion/minion resemblance seems about right. Maybe, not horse stables.........but harleys and motorcoaches and planes, oh my!

Just to be fair..........wierwille terminated a fair share of corps as well, but not in such a blatant manner or public setting. Yet, wierwille was much more cunning in "turning the screws" on someone and forcing them out and then throwing the label of cop-out at them. Plus, wierwille was likened "a general" who only had to suggest something......and his men followed out the order while wierwille stayed slightly removed from the situation. In contrast, martindale had few of his mentors' discretions. Martindale was a bull in a china closet......openly displaying disarray and destruction.

When martindale was ramping up the "genuine suspicion doctrine"........after the homo purge (1994,95) was the destructive evil purge, then the unproductive evil purge, then the debt purge, then the dissenters purge who didn't agree that the word was over the world, then the full-time corps purge, then the not-crossing-over-the-bridge-to-the-promised-land purge, etc. Yeah................stupeeedd leader yields more stupeeedder region guys. Of course..........today, the smiles and invites are back. But golly gee..........who in their right mind would ever want to go back to this cornfield cult???

Someone posted this information about a year ago.

Groucho......I agree with you in terms of twi amassing campuses and stashing away $40 million. And, in terms of wierwille living high on the hog.......yeah, he certainly got to live the "celebrity-motorcoach lifestyle" for about ten years. Not bad for a run-of-the-mill "pastor" in western ohio. Knowing quite a bit about the farming industry, I guess that (in hindsight) I now find it absurd that wierwille's 147 acre farm was any claim to the "special" wierwille homestead. For those who don't know.......a section of land is 640 acres and is one mile long, one mile wide. Wierwille's farm was NOT even 1/4 of a section......or 160 acres. Growing up in rural farmland, one of my classmates'....his dad farmed over 15 sections of corn and wheat. Heck, the big farmers out west.......not the corporate ones, mind you......would laugh out loud if one were to mention a 147 acre farm in context with superlative adjectives. As with all of wierwille's boasting.......it ain't squat, really. <_<

Just imagine the spiritual inroads if there's a v3p3........ :blink:

Yeah....when I worked my interim year on staff, we were paid $75 a month. And, you're right........it sucked to be poor. No money to spend and thus, no desire to travel too far and spend money that I didn't have. In such a restricted environment, one is confined to stay "in-house".......walk in the way woods, go to the prayer room, go back to work, or volunteer to help another department (nights or saturdays). Then, on sunday......usher at the sts, or parking crew, or bookstore, or whatever?? Of course, the top-tier go on shopping sprees, go golfing during the week, wine and dine out, etc.........just the double standard in twi. Heck, even back in wierwille's day.......he went deer hunting, elk hunting, girl hunting, and drank like a drunken sailor, rode harleys, watch his porn movies, went on long itineraries with servants, stayed in nice hotels and lodgings, and thoroughly enjoyed his motorcoach privacy!!!

Twinky.......unless twi has slashed their numbers drastically in the five years, I am quite certain that 320 employees is a fairly good estimate. Back in the mid-80s, those staff numbers had swelled to somewhere in the neighborhood of 550-580, or thereabouts. When the annual holiday party dictated all to be present in the OSC dining room.........it was one crowded party. What do they all do?..........Well, to start a list of departments at hq, how about this?? 1) Rosie / Emeritus Trustees 2) Vice Presidents 3) Presidents' Cabinet 4) Department Coordinators 5) Trunk Area / International Outreach 6) Legal 7) Finance Dept 8) Safety Dept -- Bodyguards / Patrolling Grounds / 24/7 security service 9) Word Processing 10) Architect / Engineer / Way Builders Overseers 11) Electricians / Carpenters / Maintenance / Cabinet Shop / Concrete / Locksmith / Carpeting / etc. 12) Research (?) / Translation (?) / Library / Word Publications / Way Magazine / Printing 13) Corps Director / Event Coordinator / Auditorium Overseer 14) Way Productions / Audio & Video / Tape Duplication 15) Bookstore -- in OSC & Aud / Clerks/Packaging/Marketing/Storage 16) Shipping / Receiving / Warehousing 17) Food Services -- Kitchen / Food Prep / Dining Room / Cleaning 18) Grounds -- Trees / Mowing / Snow Removal / Salting / Flower Beds 19) Housekeeping -- Many buildings and personal homes/units (?) 20) Fleet Services / Auto Maintenance / Fuel Pump Operator 21) Water Treatment / Sewage Area 22) Sewing Dept / Devine Design 23) Personal Assistants / Nanny-types 24) Receptionists / Guest Housing / Visitors 25) Advanced Class Dept / Computer Services / Purchasing 26) Over-lapping Duplicity of leaders overseeing leaders and reporting back Disclaimer: This list is not intended to be a COMPLETE listing of twi's corporate set-up. BUT..........in wayworld, with very little outsourcing....it sure looks like 320+ to me. In a bunker-mentality..........ya gotta prepare for anything and everything.

IIRC.....twi sold off the roa equipment after martindale cancelled any future plans for this event. After all, with the corps numbers dwindling every year.....AND the full-time corps on payroll (Aug 1995 - Oct 1998) the labor force for such an event was NOW AN IN-HOUSE OPERATION EXPENSE.....and exploiting the slave labor for such an undertaking was slipping away. TODAY.......the field-staff payroll is BARE BONES. Heck, some Region coordinators oversee two limbs and possibly run a branch in their own city. Twi continues to spend pennies on field promotion and activity and nickels at their corporate offices in ohio. IMO, it's simply a "house of cards"........no substance. It's a MLM pyramid masquerading as a non-profit organization (cough, cough) and the "product" is a plagairized, re-hashing of prosperity-promises of "abundance" to all class recipients who apply their principles. Twi's corporate "hub" is far too bloated in relation to it's followers, attendees. I mean, how often does the average follower ATTEND twi's hq? Once every other year.....if that? And, the reason to keep some 320 (??) staffers at their hdqrts in ohio is simply window-dressing to entice the on-looker. And, having housekeeping personnel and services at personal homes of the directors, emerituses and such......just perks, and followers' abundant sharing "at work".....or play. How many churches have more than 20 full-time employees? Does twi really need some 320 employees at its compound-corporate setting? Sheeesh.

Could twi be on the verge of cutting jobs? After all, the trickledown-effect in the economy most certainly has alerted those who attend their fellowships regularly.......paying for classes, conference fees, mag subscriptions, books, and the obligatory 12%-15% abs on a weekly basis.....and thus, trimming twi's gross annual income. Of course, I still can't comprehend what 3 staffers in the Purchasing Dept do all day..??? And, besides Sysco delivery of food items......what does the Receiving Dept receive..??? :blink: And, those Finance guys......couldn't trained chimps flip thru the blue forms by now...??? And, several secretaries in Word Processing.......what are they "processing?? Window-dressing, I suppose. But still, the twi "directors" have surely met behind closed doors to discuss this......and is watching closely those who regularly arrive late for work. Somebody is taking notes.

Yeah, WG.....I think that's right. Even back THEN......I thought how eerily familiar that movement was to twi's. And, now in hindsight......my common sense was trying to break thru and tell me that wierwille's stuff was just one of many out there. How many layers does an onion have before reaching its core?................15? 22? 33? If going to "twig" is one layer and taking the class is layer #2.........what layer is way corps? clergy? president's cabinet? trustee? top mog? Aren't there supposedly 33 degrees in the Masonic setup? If The Way is an Onion..............GSC is a sharp knife.