penworks

Think she'd like a signed copy of my book? It'll be out soon. :-)

Has this new prez been announced in the local newspapers? Is there an inauguration ceremony planned? Do we get invitations by mail or email? :-)

Welcome, StayQuiet. Hope you don't stay too quiet too long. Can you estimate how many Way followers are active in Canada?

Hi everyone, In August 1984, since I'd had in-house training at The Way in Aramaic over the years, and I was a loyal 2nd Corps grad, I was invited to work on the biblical research team at Headquarters with Walter J. Cummins, Bernita Jess, John Schoenheit, and others. It was an "exciting time" in research ... we were getting ready to publish the long-worked-on Aramaic concordance (we did that the following year). But George Jess was dying in the hospital when I arrived at HQ, and he passed away November '84. Sad time for Bernita. For all of us who loved him. He was the first director of the Way Corps, a gentle man, although was misled like the rest of us about VP. In the research room I was surrounded by other members of the team who, in recent years, had published books for Wierwille but it was his name on the cover, not theirs. When I joined the HQ research team, LCM had been president for two years. Less than a year later, in May 1985, V.P. Wierwille died and took many, but not all, of his secrets with him ... Oops, this thread asked for memories about 1981 - 1984. VPW died in 85. If you want, you can read about more of my experiences in TWI from 1970 - 1987 in my memoir coming out next month: Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International Cheers, Charlene

This is your invitation to visit my UPDATED website with lots of information about my book. Hope you enjoy! Undertow's webpage is live!

Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International is my memoir that will be out this November. Check my website (now being updated) next week for ordering information. http://charleneedge.com Meanwhile, I thought I'd share my joy over a few more endorsements for Undertow: “A magnificently written life story that sheds light on the enticing ways of cult recruitment and indoctrination that engender conformity, obedience, and loss of self. Nevertheless, thankfully, the seed of doubt grows, as the author strives for acceptance through hard work and deep faith. Edge’s prose captures the essence of cult life and the personal devastation of having to acknowledge not only corruption and plagiarized teachings but also a “sex ring” at the top levels of leadership. An important and must-read book – more gripping than a mystery. Undertow will sweep you away.” — Janja Lalich, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Sociology, author, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships “In Undertow Charlene Edge has written a brilliant and engrossing warning to the future by dissecting the past. There are really two books here: one is on a cult called The Way (one of the largest fundamentalist cults in America with about 40,000 followers [in its heyday]). The second book is an examination of the dynamic of all personality, religious, and political cults. By looking (from a heart-wrenching insider’s point of view) at a misuse of power in one specific group, Edge has written a book that unpacks a far greater truth. What she exposes to bright liberating daylight is just how our political and religious worlds actually function based on the mesmerizing enticement of belonging to an “in”-group. This is a brilliantly written and timely warning against falling into the trap of thinking we're the self-proclaimed “chosen” (be that religious or secular, left or right) as we exclude the feared ‘Other.’” — Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back and New York Times best-selling author of Keeping Faith “Charlene Edge writes with clarity and sensitivity. This memoir on her experiences in The Way International will help readers understand the subtleties and complexities of cultic groups.” — Michael D. Langone, Ph.D., Executive Director of the International Cultic Studies Association, Editor of Cultic Studies Review, ICSA Today’s Editor-in-Chief, and Editor of Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse. “Undertow is a cautionary tale for all young people, especially those who are preparing to leave their familiar surroundings to go to college, join the Armed Forces, or move to start a new job. However, the same warning applies to anyone at any age who is going through any life change, such as the loss of a job, a divorce, or the death of a loved one. The names of high-control groups like The Way will be different, their teachings will vary, but the basic techniques of recruiting and mind control are the same. The extreme difficulty in leaving these organizations is evident in Charlene Edge’s story.” — Marjorie Patton, parent of an ex Way Corps member who received successful exit counseling before Corps graduation. “This is a very personal and eye-opening exposé of the hidden world of life in a destructive group. It took great personal courage and strength for Charlene to break away and build a new life for herself and daughter. A must read!” — Patrick Ryan, graduate of Maharishi International University, cult intervention specialist since 1984 at Intervention 101.com, contributing author in Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, edited by Michael Langone, PhD.

Hi, I am a survivor of seventeen years with The Way (1970 - 1987). I agree with Galen's advice about keeping yourself available to your grown child. If you are interested in getting more help besides from posters here, there is a source I would like to recommend: The International Cultic Studies Association's website. There are many articles on that site that you might find helpful. Check it out. I have been published in their magazine, ICSA Today, and I've met the Executive Director who is a counselor and very caring person. It's a good place to pay attention to. I was in The Way for seventeen years and have a book coming out about my experiences, especially with The Way's biblical research, titled, My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International. Other books already published about The Way by former members include two by authors Karl Kahler and Kristen Skedgell. You can find them on Amazon. Those books may be helpful to you as background knowledge about The Way. But the main thing is to keep the channel of communication open with your son. No matter what happens. Love is powerful. If you want to, you can email me through the Contact page on my website: http://charleneedge.com I send you all best wishes for peace and love and for getting the help you need. Cheers, Charlene Edge

Hi again, I thought these blurbs would interest readers at this site. They are from former Way followers who also wrote books about The Way. In Undertow, Charlene Edge manages to bring to life the inexorable, age-old struggle of light triumphing over darkness, of the search for truth in the misty range of a “false prophet’s” deception which she encountered firsthand as a research assistant in The Way International. While she was promised liberty, she found herself a “servant of corruption.” (2 Peter 2:19). Ms. Edge’s heartfelt and earnest journey will leave you in awe of what the human spirit can conquer when it launches out in the search for truth. Well-written, compelling and inspiring. — Kristen Skedgell, author of Losing the Way A tenderly written, intensely personal narrative about being swallowed alive by a cult. Charlene Edge’s encounters with the abusive Victor Paul Wierwille and her firsthand observation of how The Way’s Research Department twisted the Scriptures are enlightening and chilling. — Karl Kahler, author of The Cult That Snapped: A Journey Into The Way International

Hi everyone and thank you for posting the link to my blog, Rocky. Undertow is my memoir and I'm happy to say it's nearing publication! Some of you know that I was in the Second Corps (with LCM), held leadership positions with my then-husband (another Second Corps grad that Wierwille ordained), and was invited to be a member the biblical research team at HQ 1984-1986. My experiences reveal a side of the story about TWI that not many are familiar with. I hope the book adds something helpful to the ongoing conversation about TWI, its roots, the fundamentalism it promotes, its problems, the idealism so many of us had when we joined it, and the broader, disturbing topic of high-control "religious" groups in general. Here is one promotional blurb from among others that will appear in the book. Charlene Edge’s personal story, Undertow, is a wake-up call to moderate Christians (and everyone else) about the dangers of the respectable-looking kind of fundamentalism that conducts Bible study but in reality twists Scripture to produce self-serving doctrines, demands obedience to a cult-of-personality leader, warps believers’ personal identities, and potentially damages members’ long-term welfare. With non-profit status, such cults are here to stay. Read Undertow and be warned. ~ Julia Scheeres, author of Jesus Land Cheers, Penworks (Charlene L. Edge)

As someone in TWI from 1970-1987, I can say I never heard "mind reading" put that way or taught that way by any Way leader, including VPW. I never feared or hoped that any Way leader could read my thoughts. In fact, during the time I was preparing my escape from HQ, I was VERY thankful none of them could read my thoughts. What I remember being taught was that when a healer laid hands on you to heal you, God would tell them what was wrong with you. As the healer prayed for you aloud, you'd hear the diagnosis then, and the conclusion of the session was the healer saying you were healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Now, if you ask me today what I make of this mind reading issue, I'll say I believe our thoughts are private. Sometimes, when we are on the same "wavelength" with another person close to us, we may "think the same thing at the same time." But I don't believe that is mind reading. Of course, just because I believe or do not believe something does not make it true or untrue. I must test my ideas against evidence. I can believe the moon is made of cheese but then there's some evidence I must contend with that points to the contrary. The mind is a mysterious thing ... one of my favorite writers is William James, author of The Variety of Religious Experience. Now THAT'S a mind blowing read!

Did you know that VP's primary goal with the Corps was to have a work crew? If you can stomach reading the Passing of the Patriarch, you'll see Ge*r reference VP's comments about that. The manual labor aspect was supposed to be patterned after something called The School of the Prophets, which VPW thought he was re-instituting with the Way Corps. We did more manual labor than Bible study in the Corps. I think most of us here understand that any Bible study in TWI was really only VP's interpretation, some of which was plagiarized. TWI's basis for "study" starts with the assumption that the Bible is inerrant. That claim was made up by men (long before Wierwille or Bullinger) who, in my opinion, used it to dominate people, not instruct them honestly about what the Bible actually is--an anthology of different writings over centuries by men from different cultures and languages. Ah but I digress. I'll stop now ... Hey, I get that. Letting the general public know what was really going on in research was NOT going to happen. It would sabotage the money coming in, the adoration of VPW and the acceptance of his authority!

See my post above re: pistis.

What interests me is how people can or cannot change, how willing people are (or not) to adapt to a changing situation. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes. This is a fact of life known since the beginning of time. So, I'm asking Johniam, so what if DWBH wrote in a way that praised VPW in that book, The Living Word Speaks? (I have a copy). That was then. This is now. Over time he changed his views. He woke up. Like many of us here. So what that I wrote a Way magazine article long ago that encouraged people to study PFAL as if it contained THE WORD OF GOD . That was then. Over time I changed my mind after I gained new information. I woke up. Life is a journey. Some people change when they learn new information, new facts, have experiences that show them the error of their ways or that something better for them awaits. I suspect that it is hard for others not to change when new facts and understanding comes to them is because there is some kind of payoff for holding onto the old view. Or they fear what will happen if they change. i.e. they might look bad in other people's eyes. Let's celebrate the fact we can change, learn, grow and not be ashamed of the process. Someone recently tried to intimidate me about my upcoming book, saying it seemed I was proud that it took me 17 years to realize I was in the wrong place (TWI) for me. Proud? That seemed odd to me. It's simply a fact of my life that I was in TWI for 17 years. I often state that fact because for outsiders, it indicates I was not a casual believer and may offer some genuine insight on the subject. So, using an example (citing what DWBH wrote long ago) of what someone said or wrote long ago as a way to discredit what they say today disallows the reality that people can evolve and change. Thank goodness we can. Just sayin'.

And their rejection of you surprises you?

If I could put these two sentences in a flashing neon sign, I would. Speaking from experience, this lies at the heart of fanaticism.

Yes, the Greek word "pistis" as VPW taught it presented problems, although I don't have the details of why or how at my fingertips. I do remember this issue coming up while I was on the research team 84-86 at HQ. I suggested that perhaps someone in the graduating corps might do a research paper on "pistis" (a paper like that was required to graduate), but I was told no, no, no, that topic is a problem, i.e. certain team members knew "we" could not substantiate what VPW taught about it. Maybe VP "borrowed" his teachings about faith/believing from some other man's book/teachings. He was known for doing that.

Well put. Wierwille had his own idea of what "doing biblical research" meant (including plagiarism, which is stealing), and it was different than how people in academia defined it. A clash was bound to happen. It did. Many times. In fact, it had happened long before this incident. Other people had left TWI before this because of uncovering VP's plagiarism, narrow-mindedness, etc. etc. I can't cite names due to privacy issues, but I can tell you they exist. Some were in the Corps, some were not.

Yes, I remember that letter. Initially, it frightened me into remaining loyal to TWI. I still have that letter today, as well as many others from VPW, since I was a Second Corps grad (graduated in 1973). Perhaps if the letter had been more widely known, more people would have left TWI back then, but who knows? I knew of those three men. I was on the biblical research team at HQ 1984 - 1986. After escaping HQ in 1987, I began the long journey of writing my story. I quote that letter in my memoir: Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International. Target publication date: January 2017.

Thanks for providing the link!

Good morning, I would have chimed in earlier but I've been sick. Nothing serious. For any new visitors to this site, I want to say that DWBH is an extremely important voice on TWI inner workings, big and small. The facts he has that back up his assertions are first-hand experiences. I knew him personally. For one thing, we were both at HQ at a critical time, 1986, when that scathing and disruptive (understatement) so-called Passing of a Patriarch letter was written and read by Chr*s G**r. My heartfelt suggestion is for visitors (and anyone who has not heard it) is to listen to the GSC radio show on this website titled, Through the Fog. I think it will give you some idea of the evil that occurred. DWBH mentioned a book I am writing, Undertow, so I want to let you know it is near publication. When it's ready, GSC folks will be one of the first groups to know. A side note: Yesterday the world lost one of the most important memory keepers and voices on human rights abuse (understatement), one that expressed moral outrage in a way we could embrace... Elie Wiesel. https://www.washingt...omepage%2Fstory I would like to thank GSC for providing a place where we can express moral outrage over the spiritual, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse perpetrated by "spiritual" leaders we trusted. Hopefully, our voices can make a difference in this world. That's the point, right? To inform and help. To shed light, understanding, and healing. That, by the way, is why I wrote my book. Cheers, Penworks, a.k.a. Charlene

As a woman in the 2nd Corps, I was offered this opportunity but declined it because I was married to a 2nd Corps man who Wierwille had already ordained and that "was good enough for me."

I have many of these in my own files at home in hardcopy, the originals that were mailed to us Corps people. It is highly probable VPW had help writing them, just as he had an assistant, Allis*n Hean*y, write his articles titled, By The Way, that were published in the St. Mary's Evening Leader newspaper during the 1970s and 1980s.

I just discovered that someone hosts a website of TWI information, including letters Victor Paul Wierwille wrote to Way Corps members during the 1970s and 1980s. I received those letters and have kept many of them in my own files. To read them yourself, visit: https://sites.google.com/site/corpsnewsletters/system/app/pages/subPages?path=/home

Hi, I'm writing this to anyone considering whether to break ties with TWI: please keep reading threads like this at this website. The Way sub-culture that Skyrider describes is real. It was real for hundreds of us, especially those of us in the Way Corps who gave everything to Wierwille's perverted, narcissistic, dangerous-thinking goal of Word over the world. During my 17-year experience in TWI, I came to see (especially while on the research team) that there was no "Word" as VPW described it and no realistic way to "move it over" the entire world. That goal was an hallucination that emanated from a sick mind full of dangerous ideas. Think about it. The Way ministry running the world! VPW's teachings dominating everyone's thoughts? Plagiarized books with VP's name on them for sale in every town? Yikes! The idea that we knew more of "the Word" than anyone else on the planet was very silly indeed. (that's an understatement in case you're wondering). Besides, who wants to live in a world where everyone thinks and behaves the exact same way? That is the farthest thing from democracy that there is! That's a nightmarish world of science fiction. So, TWIexit as soon as possible. You'll be glad you did, no matter how difficult exiting might be for you. You can find support here. You can search for resources at places like the International Cultic Studies Association. Check out some of these videos: https://www.youtube....1HtMvoa8kRcLcig Cheers, Penworks

That quote from the newsletter is more than sad. I knew the author of it long ago at ECU. Seeds of this thinking were planted then. I dare say they were fed and watered by VPW himself. Without the VPW influence, I wonder where JAL would be today? Sad, really sad ...