skyrider

Interesting....... Here at Greasespot Cafe.....at our TABLES, we are bringing together people and information. NOW, this twi website is copying OUR setup. Figures...... :D--> :D--> :D-->

only vpw could "wish" vpw's epitaph "I wish I were the man I know to be" not only is he wishing, he's self-centered (I, I, I)

Socks....yeah, "step out of your gig" and get some corps training [programming] and then, by manipulation, you're [my] corps. For a time, some received a recognized status by a one-year attendence into corps training.....others got special treatment and never went inresidence. This "corps status" was such a high degree of spirituality that even Don and Howard were publically recognized for their decades of service to twi and given special corps designation! It just wasn't good enough with the corps nametag?? But my point in this thread......around 1978-1985 there was a distinct mentality within twi regarding service/support oriented people and those striving in spiritual leadership. And, the Word in Business Conferences only perpetuated this thinking and widened the chasm. And socks.......good point about "if there had been no poop, there would have been a poop of some kind eventually." Just too many leaders and too disorganized to remain intact. And hope.....I agree with you that twi had more than two sides to it. I see what you mean, but I wasn't approaching it from that angle. I guess being around Don W. and seeing the progression of WIB had an impact. Plus, several of my staff friends bluntly said that they had NO desire to go into the corps, because they were support people and that was that! Plus, I vividly remember this Acts 6:1-7 being taught at a HQ Staff Meeting. Maybe, what was being highlighted was taken on another tangent? It's happened before. :D--> :D--> skyrider

God willing you never know knock on wood he/she passed away hope this helps :)-->

socks, thanks for adding your insight. So, by 1974 vicster wanted staffers in his corps? I guess this makes sense, since the zero corps bottomed out and the corps-promotion machine gained momentum. It would seem kinda whimpy to have the "corps elite program" with numbers that were laughable and bringing embarrassment to the mog. Yeah.....a happy melting pot initially -- until the pressure to go corps mounted! Just can't let the staff stay in their areas of expertise and NOT GROW SPIRITUALLY ?? Besides, the confusion of which "category" do you fit in was escalating. I knew a 7th corps guy who firmly believed that his calling was to be "a business man" and be the first to donate ONE MILLION DOLLARS to twi.

On another thread, HCW chronicled his staff experience in the 70s and early 80s. One of the aspects of his post singled out Don's leadership priorities over the staff and Craig was the corps director: At one time, there was TWO ministries within twi.....1) the staff -- the business, organizational and professional side of the ministry [Acts 6:1-4] and 2) the corps -- the spiritual leadership [Acts 6:5-7]. For a few years, Don was the voice of reason for business and corporate upgrades. Word in Business Conferences targeted the business and professional people to the point where few corps actually attended. The corps was the outreach arm of the ministry and, for the most part, took assignments on the field while the staff were to be the supportive/organizational arm. The corps were those who were equipped to leave on a moments' notice and go spiritually minister. You see, its right there in the word...in Acts. BUT......years later, lcm debunked this two-fold approach. The staff, to be their spiritual best, need the corps training. The staff, if they are going to lead, need to go inresidence. Old-timer staffers started packing their bags and leaving hq. The policy change was just another way to "sniff-out the slothful." Within a few years, from say 1985-1990 the ranks were thinned and geer's poop paper did the rest. It escalated to the point where, by 1991 (??) all Way Production personnel HAD to be corps. If you weren't corps, you weren't allowed to sing on stage. The sanctity of staff-for-life was over.....unless one was corps-staff and had inroads to bod prejudices, like donna. :)--> Another flip-flop on "the word?" Another present truth policy? Is it reverting back to "the two ministries within twi" as the corps numbers shrink drastically.....and some staff enjoy their comfort zones? :D--> :D--> skyrider

HCW -- thanks and welcome to GS. I, too, remember those days of long ago. Awwwwww........to be youthful again and ensconced in "a community of purpose and believing." At the time, it seemed like God's elite were holding back the forces of evil and the Lord kept the sun from setting. Maybe, just maybe....my youthful zeal didn't see the darkening clouds on the horizon. Also, there were a few years where being at hq was equated with "walking on holy ground" and to be hq staff was reserved for the man of god's special force.......better than being corps. At times, I think this attitude still resides there. :)--> skyrider

Lindy.....sorry I left ya hanging on this question for a few days. ;)--> Yeah....I think its a combination of several things: 1) constant promotion by tapes/magazine/leaders, 2) acceptance and attention given to the candidate by the bot, and 3) no secular goals or employment advancements. Probably a lot more, but these three are always hanging close by. :D-->

socks....good points in your post, thanks. Completely contained [boxed and tightly wrapped] in the Way Ministry... :D--> And some move "this box" to an offshoot ministry... :D--> :D-->

Not quite sure what you mean by "go back to his roots".......but certainly, lcm's "rise in the 70's" is a complex interworking of many, many factors that could never be duplicated again. Some of the responses volley back and forth between "lcm starting his own splinter group" and "lcm having a genuine gift ministry." If lcm is to go back to roots, then maybe he should start with..... .....a bishop must be blameless .....the husband of one wife .....vigilant .....sober .....of good behavior .....given to hospitality .....etc. .....one that ruleth his own house .....having his children in subjection .....etc. etc. etc. If a man knows not how to rule his own house, how can he take care of the church of God? Maybe.....lcm will someday start a cookie-cutter splinter group like others. But he has a wide chasm to cross IF HE CHOOSES to go God's way....and become a genuine minister. Jesus Christ is the bridge. :)--> Not vpw's corps training. -->

:D--> :D--> :D--> Even when I was "in"........this doublespeak bullshxx answer from lcm & co. was NOT one that I could ever swallow. I would have had a better chance at swallowing a football than THAT bullshxx putdown.

Makes ya wanna sign that song.....We're off to see the wayworld, the wonderful wayworld of ours. We hear it is... :P-->

:D--> :D--> :D--> :D--> :D-->

In the past 30 years, since 1974......it seems to me that twi WANTS its "international headquaters" to remain sanctioned and closed from the public, a mystery (of sorts). In twi's early years, at least vpw traveled the country and visited twigs. Also, there were lots of state meetings and region meetings with vpw as the guest speaker. Today, it's a total reversal....its seclusion. Yes, you can come to the Sunday teaching....but please leave, immediately. ;)--> Yes, you can visit during the week....but will be escorted by a guest buddy. --> Yes, you can call the board of directors....but they're in a meeting. :D--> Yes, you can phone staff friends at night....founders hall has phone access in the hallways. Yes, you can bring your branch to hq....but why come and not hear a Sunday teaching? Yes, you can look at twi's financial books....but don't you TRUST them??? Yes, to remain mysterious....is an image builder and a money maker!!! :D--> :D--> skyrider

My3Cents -- no, the twig hopper was the motorcycle with sidecar that was given to vpw as a gift in 1982 at Living Victoriously. It was "a love gift" in appreciation for vpw and "40 years as twi's president." Vpw had his twig hopper up in Ontario and crashed it in October 1982. It was brought back to hq and secretly restored! No prayers for vpw. No mention of the crash. No embarrassment for twi's mog! The mog was a "spiritual man" and didn't miss divine revelation to stop. The silencing of this information SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS!!! It's things like this that give me SERIOUS DOUBTS about twi's history. They silence what they don't want others to know and shout from the rooftops the great "spiritual walks" of mogs. skyrider

Hope --- thanks for attaching those documents to this thread. Concerning your questions about corps housing and things.....yes, a few of the corps were living in sub-standard housing, especially the single corps. As far as corps kids eating lots of macaroni and cheese.....in cases like this, the food budget was probably being diverted into another expense category, namely entertainment. (hahahaha) It really was challenging for corps parents when other school kids & neighbor kids were going to birthday parties, movies, the zoo, campouts, etc. Just didn't seem fair to keep the kids in the back of the house while class was running, day after day. Uuuuugh.

LCM's ultimate statement on micromanaging way corps: In January of 1998, when the emergency cost-cutting policies (found in the document section) were being dictated on consecutive corps hook-ups.......lcm, in vehement anger, stated: "I'll run every damn twig in the nation if I have to so its done right!" I almost burst out laughing. :D--> :D--> :D-->

WOW, Wayfer Not!......worse with rosalie's rule?

TheHighWay.....in my opening post, after giving a brief explanation of the new classification, the alumni corps and the "demotion" from active corps, I was attempting to understand this question,... Understandably, your post highlights the hurt and rejection you experienced from being unjustly tagged as alumni corps, mandated from lcm. Absurdly cult-like.....because what other organization "pulls and discredits a graduation certification" that they handed out years before? I have talked with several corps grads (i.e. alumni corps) in the past few years who stand with twi and, somehow, express that its "better" now. Has anyone else encountered these people and this attitude? And why do they stay in twi?

Microbe.....you bring up some interesting points. Oh, there is SO MUCH isn't there? I remember lcm screaming on a couple of corps meetings regarding corps questioning our futures. Honest questioning about one's future was not only squelched.....it was BURIED DEEP IN CONCRETE. After lcm's screaming, spitting, vein-popping rebuttal, those who needed more assurance over their future quickly packed their belongings and left twi. How dare the corps ask questions about the future and try to make decisions that would best suit individual/family/business goals! And......it in a couple short years, twi was laying off 80% of these corps. Abso-damn-lutely, the corps had EVERY RIGHT to ask about their futures. Pathetic liars!

Around 1995 or 1996 (???) lcm coined a new term for those who weren't quite up to par with his standard of active corps.....the new term, alumni corps. The alumni corps were those corps graduates who failed to qualify, at least in lcm's rule book, for active corps status and assume yearly assignments from twi. In twi's caste system, the alumni corps were to be a step higher than advanced class grads......or, "the best of the best of the advanced class grads." With corps having graduated from the corps program, lcm searched for a classification that would designate their commitment level and appease twi's expectations. After all, even though it was NEVER in writing, twi fully expected (and manipulated) the corps to stand fully engaged in the salted corps commitment a lifetime. So......"demoted" to corps alumni, why is it considered "better" for them now? Could it be... ...being active corps was never intended to be a lifestime commitment to twi? ...being active corps, and moving every few years, was fiscal suicide? ...being active corps was a waste of time? ...being active corps was like being a brown-noser? ...being active corps was not in one's business/family goals? ...being active corps under lcm's reign was insane? ...being active corps was mearly propaganda and buzzwords? ...being active corps was _____________? There are still lots and lots of alumni corps who throw abundant sharing money to twi. Maybe its their way of saying, "I will stay involved with twi, but only on my terms and the standards that I deem fit for my family and life." Any comments on this? skyrider

Thanks houseisarockin. I always find it interesting to see how they move these region couples around to give them a change of scenery. It's like.....once a region leader always a region leader. Must be centered on job security. Nothing new here....same ole, same ole.

:D--> :D--> :D--> Thanks Belle....I needed that!

Thanks everyone for adding to this thread. As I go back into the files of my mind to write this insanity......MORE details surface. My purpose in posting this information is to elaborate on what happens when false prophecies are dictated from twi's mog. The rippling effect is astounding, the devastation is massive, and no two areas experience the same spiritual calamity. The epicenter of this destruction came from martindale's arrogant braincells. Don and Howard had NO spiritual insight to stop it. The president's cabinet gave their approval. The region men nodded in agreement......and the waves of destruction were unleashed. At times, I feel "dirty" to have been caught up in all of this. I had very strong objections at different points in time, but I, too, was sucked under and shipwrecked. As corps, I apologize for not being stronger, more spiritually sharp. My prayers go out to those of you who were seriously hurt by corps who obeyed and/or struggled with lcm's false prophecies.

I know what you mean.....but I think that the "paper blizzard" has passed. Once again, martinfail's "revelation" put his a$$ on the line to produce. And, his psychopatic perserverence led to micro-micromanagement of every detail. Maybe from THAT perspective......it really is better now? :D--> :D-->