This is a timeline of vpw and his time in twi, from his birth to the year he died.
As compiled on the thread, "the Way: Living in Wonderland."
Edition 5.6 of my timeline.
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This timeline is mostly from publications OF TWI.
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Let's see.
victor paul wierwille was born to a large family of German descent.
(Born December 31, 1916.)
According to locals, Ernst, his father, was an alcoholic with negligible
education, with a bad temper who acted as a bully.This was true in his dealings
with locals AND with his own family.Each child had their own chores.
Little Victor chose to neglect his chores, and would vanish for hours into the woods nearby.
(It has been noted that this running off may have been as much to avoid
an abusive father as it was to avoid doing any work. Or it may be unrelated.)
He claimed that when he was young, he once told a minister that he wanted to be
a man of God like him. Other than this statement, Little Victor showed
no actual involvement in the church, no actual effort or work in the things of the church.
So, this seems to suggest an interest-not in being a man of God- but in being
the man the whole community turned out to see, to have their respect.
As a teenager, young Vic continued to lack any qualities of a man of God. In fact, he went out of
his way to earn a reputation going in the opposite direction. He was a bully, a showoff and a braggart.
(He seems to have been taught this at home.)He did all sorts of things for attention. He was quick
to start a fight or mouth off at others. He had a quick wit. One of his common ways of showing off
was to tear up and down the streets of New Knoxville on his motorcycle, trying to get attention.
His demonstrated talents seemed to be limited to his quick wit and his ability to play a guitar,
which he showed competency in.
Old Man Wierwille was preparing to pass on thefamily farm to young Vic, as was the family
tradition. Young Vic balked at this. He'd had plans to go to college. At first, he considered
a few fields-business and so on- but by this time, he had decided upon the seminary.
(This was before the time he referred to as "believing the Bible as the Word of God".)
Old Man Wierwille was skeptical of this, and said that young Vic, having shown lack
of hard work on simple manual labour on the farm, would never make a good preacher.
Young Vic convinced him he would do better with books than with sweating out in the field.
Young Vic went to school for the ministry.
His community thought it was some kind of joke- everyone knew he lacked the proper character.
(He never overcame that impression with them.)
Victor had the option to study "Bible Languages" or other subjects requiring hard study. He instead
chose to study Homiletics, the "softest" option he could have learned. (He never overcame his
deficiency in study in Bible languages, church history, etc.-not even to the level of an informed
layman as of 2004.)
Victor was married July 2, 1937(Mr was 20, Mrs was 21). According to vpw, he and Mrs W married
secretly while he was still in college. No reason for this was ever given.
Victor suggested he played on his college's basketball team, and that after college
he played on the professional team "the Sheboygan Redskins." His claim of each was
phrased ambiguously ("I played basketball all through college" "I was involved in the
Sheboygan Redskins") and the purpose seems to have been so that he was believed
to have said he did both without actually making the claims. Later, he began
making claims that he also "invented the hook shot" at this time.
He graduated with a BA from Lakeland College in 1937. Donald was born in 1940.
Victor graduated Princeton Theological Seminary in 1941, with a Masters in Practical Theology.
He did his "trial sermons" in 1941 in Payne, Ohio for the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
According to his memorial in 1985, he started his first pastorate July 1941,
and was ordained July 29, 1941.
(According to his account in TW:LIL, his first pastorate began in 1944 in Van Wert, Ohio,
and continued until 1957.)
Victor entered his first pastorate and wasted little time becoming a bully and a
control freak AGAIN. He himself claimed he started his job by immediately
doing whatever the elders told him not to do- even though it hampered his ability to do his job
properly. According to him, they confronted him on this, he mouthed off at them, and they just
let him go about his business, and the local church prospered as a direct result of him.
He was known for building a fairly interesting sermon, and getting people involved,
including the youths. (This was STILL before the time when he claimed he believed
the Bible was the Word of God.)
He said the following year, (1942) he slowly became discouraged and was searching.
He was still the man he had been, which is to say he was prideful, arrogant, boastful,
liked attention, and viewed the clergy as a PROFESSION and not a holy calling.
(He could have been just as "called" as an accountant or actuary, say.)
During 1942, he claimed he was ready to give up being a minister.
About a year later (Payne, 1942, August), he met Rosal1nd R1nker. She was a former
missionary to China and Korea. She's remembered as the anonymous person
who asks vpw
"Why don't you search for the greatest of all things in life
which would teach Christians the HOW of a really victorious life?"
This woman fixed a great deal of attention on him, and had a forceful personality.
She spent some time with him alone. It was of this time that he later claimed
he asked forgiveness of God. He also credits her with DOGGING HIM
"on the Bible being the Word of God",
and she "got me STARTED on the right track".
which, until this time, he hadn't believed, not even in all his years of school.
During 1942, he claimed he was ready to give up being a minister in August AND September.
One month later (September 1942), an event happened that he later showed a habit of re-writing.
As Victor told God he was getting ready to quit (again), He claimed that God spoke to him and said
He (God) would teach him (Victor) His Word (God's Word)
like it had not been known since the 1st century,
if he (Victor) would teach it to others.
(This is the famous 1942 promise.)
vpw did not discuss this event with anyone until he told the early corps-according to Mrs W.
Thus, the earliest possible origin-point of this story is 1969,
when the "zero corps" was begun.
Victor of course lacked the education in church history to contextualize this claim-
since it was inaccurate as stated. This implies that this was a made-up story,
or it came from a god lacking knowledge in history.
Victor later added a second part to his story- a snowstorm.
He said that he required PROOF of God, and asked God to let him see it snow.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, and he saw a veritable blizzard out his window.
The later addition to this story suggest that he felt it needed more support
after using the initial story. Victor showed no marked improvement, neither in
character, nor in behaviour, thru the rest of the 1940s (nearly the entire decade after this
supposed promise), which strongly supports the rather direct assertion that he lied thru his teeth.
vpw referred to this as one of the two most significant days of his life.
October 3, 1942, vpw did his first radio broadcast. He continued to do a radio show
under one name or another for several years- Vesper Chimes, aka Chimes Hour Youth
Caravan. Its name changes to Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947.
Rhoda joined its staff in 1947.
(Supposedly, the name "the Way" was in the documentation for this group since 1942.)
In 1948, vpw was issued a "Doctorate" from Pikes Peak Seminary, an organization lacking
accreditation and formal classes (among other things.)
At some point, vpw began claiming that he took EVERY class
Moody Bible School's Correspondence program issued.
According to official records at Moody, vpw never turned in a single class of
their correspondence school. This may mean he took classes and never
finished ANY (which indicates laziness), or that he was lying about taking
any of their classes.
At one point, Rufus Moseley attempted to minister Holy Spirit to vpw, but vpw demonstrated
an inability to receive it. In 1951, he visited missionaries in Honduras.
In 1951, vpw made another claim he was ready to give up on the ministry
(even after, supposedly a direct promise of God about really important stuff
which promptly failed to materialize.)
In November, 1951, vpw attended the Full Gospel Rally, in Tulsa, Oklahoma
(a big Evangelical conference.) He made several claims of this conference.
People at the conference OTHER than vpw supposedly had no difficulty beginning
speaking in tongues. He claimed he faked speaking in tongues in a clever
way, and others were unable to tell. He was further disillusioned about working for God.
He then claimed a miraculous snowstorm blocked him into the city entirely, and
ALL the evidence there NO blizzard whatsoever (and there was a WEALTH of evidence
-at the airports, Amtrak and bus depot, the hotel staff, the attendees,
etc) was concealed by angels. vpw also, apparently, never approached a window,
or they made an illusion at the window.
vpw has referred to this as one of the two most significant days of his life.
(Many people currently feel that vpw completely made up the story that God spoke
to him in 1942, and that his dependence upon this event plus the event at the
Full Gospel Rally to establish his authority were both dressed up with made-up
snowstorms to make them sound more spectacular. The specifics of both
appear to support this position-especially since vpw was fond of increasing
the magnitude of his claims in things as time went on.)
Supposedly, a woman came up to him and told him that she knew a man who can help him-
JE Stiles. He claims God told Stiles to attend the conference with the sole purpose
of ministering the Spirit to vpw. vpw met with Stiles, and made a few chauvinistic
observations to himself, before going off with Stiles.
Stiles worked with him for a few hours nonstop, hammering across to vpw what
the Bible says on speaking in tongues, and working over his doubts one by one.
Finally, vpw was able to speak in tongues.
It was during the 1950s that vpw's behaviour was noted to finally improve,
although he still did not stop including inappropriate words or concepts in his sermons.
In March, 1953, vpw found out about BG Leonard, and pushed his way into BG Leonard's
CTC Gifts of the Spirit class, which Leonard told him was closed, but permitted him
to enter after vpw arrived. vpw took this class twice, bringing several people with him
the second time. (That second time was July 1953.)
vpw then went off for a few months by himself, then told Leonard that he'd like to run
Leonard's CTC Gifts of the Spirit class locally for his congregation on a one-time basis.
Seeing the benefit to other Christians, Leonard agrees.
vpw then ran the first of "his" Receiving the Holy Spirit Today classes, (October 1953)
and took a photograph of that class. He told the students that this is "his" class
called RtHST, with NO mention of Leonard's class from which 100% of the content
had been directly lifted. The students had no reason to think he's lying. vpw sent
the photograph to Leonard and told Leonard that this is a photo of the class that took
Leonard's class on a one-time basis that was run locally. Leonard took vpw at his word,
and had no idea that vpw continued to run Leonard's class with vpw's name on it,
defrauding both Leonard AND the students. That the classes were interchangeable
in terms of material was the opinion of vpw himself- anyone who had graduated
Leonard's "Gifts of the Spirit" class was considered to be-by vpw- a graduate of
"vpw's" RtHST class.
To this day, many students STILL think this was was vpw's class, even when
evidence is introduced to the contrary. Later, vpw added the contents of JE Stiles' work
on "Gifts of the Spirit" and Bullinger's work on the Holy Spirit as well as
"How to Enjoy the Bible", and expanded the class into a class that was the
sum of the 3 men's work-Stiles, Bullinger and Leonard-rather than just Leonard.
He also renamed the class "Power For Abundant Living", rather than
"Receiving the Holy Spirit Today".
vpw later made a few offhand comments here and there that the material in the class
is not original, but its compilation was.
(However, as it was constructed, vpw could have been sued by copyright holders for
Bullinger, Stiles, and Leonard. Leonard found out but chose not to prosecute.)
It is often noted that the supposed 1942 promise claimed vpw would be taught-by God-
things unknown since the First Century Christians, if vpw would teach others-
yet ALL the material vpw taught was all taken from Leonard/Stiles/Bullinger/Kenyon
and a few others, and thus, it was all KNOWN. Therefore, if a god gave vpw revelation
in 1942, it was a god that lied, since vpw's source for everything was
MAN and NEVER represented information lost since the First Century AD-not even once.
In 1953, vpw also took JE Stiles' "Gifts of the Spirit" book, changed a few words,
and self-published it as the 1st Edition of "Receiving the Holy Spirit Today."
That it was the same year is no coincidence-it was the "original" textbook for
the "original" class. ("Original" in the sense that they were the 1.0 version of
his class, not that they originated at that time.)
Later editions would include incorporation of material from Leonard and Bullinger,
and would include more cosmetic changes in the order of the words and the
specific words used in an attempt to make it look less like Stiles' book.
Among the changes was the deletion of a reference to an anonymous Christian
who "put it together" for vpw (that was Stiles), who was missing by the 4th
edition book, where vpw put it all together himself.
vpw ran "his" PFAL classes continually from 1953 onward, with some success.
Dr E.E. Higgins was one of the students in the October 1953 class. She's known as
the anonymous person who would call vpw at night and ask what God
showed him that day. In 1954, Dr Higgins first introduced vpw to EW
Bullinger's books, and gave him his first copies of the Companion Bible, and
"How to Enjoy the Bible." The contents of both these books later became integral
parts of "vpw's" class.
According to his published memorial, Bishop KC Pillai took PFAL in 1954,
and began teaching a class on"Orientalisms of the Bible".
(Pillai also wrote 3 small books: "Light Through an Eastern Window"
and Volumes I and II of "Orientalisms of the Bible.")
According to the memorial in 1985, 1955 was the year they officially chartered
"the Way".
In 1955, JP was born. 2 months later, VPW left JP with family for the next
year or so, and took his wife and eldest son on a tour of the mission fields in India,
on the Evangelical and Reformed Church's dime.(1955-1957) (Per TW:LIL)
He was irritated that he's reminded he is not officially designated as a spokesman
or investigator of theirs. According to his account in TW:LIL,
he there met Bishop KC Pillai, whom he later invited to teach.
According to the memorial, this tour of the mission fields ran from 1955-1956,
and included stops in Great Britain, Europe, India, and "the Bible lands."
According to the memorial, 1956 was when he wrote
"the Dilemma of Foreign Missions in India."(According to TW:LIL)
In 1957, vpw returned to Van Wert. He cut his ties with the Evangelical and Reformed
Church, and took "his" PFAL class with him.In 1957, he and Harry bought out
their brothers and bought the family farm outright. Rather than take ownership
themselves, they declared it the propertyof "the Way", a church organization
(thus tax-exempt.)(Per TW:LIL, Harry said this was the time they chose the name
"the Way".) Work began on fixing up the farm.
In 1959, he ran a Wisconsin Summer Camp. In 1960, he ran an Indiana Summer Camp.
In 1961, he moved to the farm (refurbishment being sufficient for the move). Bishop Pillai
arrived and taught at the summer school. (Per TW:LIL.)
In 1961, he ran a Miamisburg, Ohio Summer Camp.
In 1962, he moved the summer school to the farm (refurbishment being sufficient
to hold classes there in the new BRC.)
In 1962, Lamsa taught at the summer school.(Lamsa is another unconventional teacher
who claimed special knowledge of the Bible and special status as a man of God.)
In 1963, vpw went to Lima, Ohio and filmed the sessions called "the Teacher".
(Despite this, success STILL had not taken off as vpw wished.)
According to the memorial, 1967 was when "Are the Dead Alive Now?"
(which is adapted from some of Bullinger's books) was published, and PFAL was filmed.
This was the edition of PFAL that incorporated Bullinger's books
(the contents, but not the books themselves) into the curriculum.
In Fall of 1967, vpw first filmed the PFAL class. This was done in a setting
with bright studio lights. (Bright studio lights do not cause cancer.)
vpw claimed that a doctor told him that filming a second day would mean
permanent eye damage, and that he was staring into 8000 watts.
He filmed for 3 complete days, getting sore eyes from the bright lights
(which do not cause cancer.) The figure of 2000 watts seems to be a more
realistic figure for the light level of the filmed class (which is still VERY bright.)
According to TW:LIL, In 1967, vpw read about the Christians at the House of
Acts. vpw went there, impressed them, and convinced them he has extensive,
EXCLUSIVE knowledge they lack. He then turned those he could from unorganized
Christians into a recruitment arm for his class and organization. They agreed
to handle things on the East and West coasts, and many young Christians were
impressed with THEM and join. It's been suggested that one of the reasons he
went there was because he'd heard of the "free-love" movement and wanted to
connect with Christians who would have sex outside of marriage. Thus claim might
sound ridiculous if his accounts of them didn't include little comments about their
displays of affection-and especially since he'd asked one of them-back then and
there-to give him DETAILS on what an orgy was like. He followed up by claiming
that God PERMITTED orgies-but considered monogamy BETTER.
It's also believed that San Francisco is where vpw bought the pornographic materials
he showed the corps, some Advanced Classes and CFS classes-like the movie
of the two women with the dog. (He MENTIONED that video to many Advanced
classes and CFS classes where it was not SHOWN.)
According to the memorial, his trip to Haight-Ashbury/House of Acts was in 1968.
As of 1969, sizeable numbers of young people had flocked to twi from both coasts
as a result.
Once there was sizeable membership in both coasts, vpw pushed out the Christians
from the House of Acts and insisted authority would come FROM hq and tithes
would go TO hq. No exceptions. At that point (1969), vpw made his first attempt
at a Way Corps, which resulted in the famous "Zero Corps".
At some point-presumably early in the way corps history, and possibly as early as 1969,
vpw (according to Mrs W's account) first begins to tell his "snow on the pumps" account
to people, starting with the way corps.
At another point-before the early 1970s-vpw began adding to the "special revelation"
that produced the books and classes (which were really compilations of the work
of other Christians with their names removed) and began speaking of special
revelation about current events. He began to expound on some conspiracy
theories to the corps, and about attempts to take over the United States.
vpw was getting this material from the John Birch Society and the Liberty Lobby.
A few people on-grounds were aware of information coming in from them,
but almost nobody knew those were the direct sources of his supposed
"revelation". As he had done often before, he just claimed to mysteriously
know things and never cited a source-leaving the listeners to guess that there
WAS no conventional source, making this ANOTHER thing God just told him.
These conspiracy theorist organizations and their personal biases fill in the blanks
in some of his odder statements. Their anti-Semitism helps explain his claims
that the current Jews were not descended from the historic Jews (which has been
disproven genetically since), and his recommendations of books like
"the Thirteenth Tribe." Their condemnation of rock and roll and musician/celebrities
explain his claims of all musicians being possessed, and his recommendation of
"the Marxist Minstrels" to the corps (which claimed rock and roll was a communist
plot to take over the United States.) vpw even had David Noebel, who wrote
"the Marxist Minstrels" come and lecture the corps.
In 1971, vpw began his WOW Ambassador program. This program underwent some
changes, but primarily was a one-year committment to get sent out,
support yourself, find housing, and run PFAL classes.
According to his memorial, 1971 was when the Orange Book, "Power for
Abundant Living" was first self-published. It contained mostly material from Leonard's
class and from Bullinger's book "How to Enjoy the Bible".
A number of pamphlets called "Studies in Abundant Living" accompanied the
PFAL class from fairly early on (the filmed class names "Studies in Human
Suffering", later renamed "Job:Victim to Victor".)
In 1971, the first 3 volumes of "Studies in Abundant Living" are published,
compiling the pamphlets into 3 small hardbound books.
In 1974, Emporia College in Emporia, Kansas was bought. It was renamed
"the Way College of Emporia". Despite an absence of accreditation, licensed professors,
and a school "library" composed ENTIRELY of used textbooks donated by way members,
it was put forth as if it is a normal, accredited college.
In 1975, "Jesus Christ is Not God" was published. This was the last book-
not counting Vol 4 of Studies in Abundant Living- that was actually put together by vpw.
In 1976, campuses were purchased in Rome City, Indiana ("the College of Biblical Research")
and Gunnison, Colorado ("the Way Family Ranch-Camp Gunnison").
In 1977, the PFAL '77 was done live at Ball State University. According to the memorial,
in 1977, Howard Allen and Donald Wierwille were installed as Trustees on the
Board of Trustees (replacing "Uncle" Harry Wierwille and Ermal Owens.)
In 1977, Volume 4 of Studies in Abundant Living was published.
In 1978, the land for the LEAD Outdoor Academy was purchased in Tinnie, New Mexico.
In 1979, Advanced Class '79 ran (live, I imagine.)
In 1980, "Jesus Christ Our Passover" was published. This was the first book written by
competent staff and researchers. According to the book itself, it was written
"by Victor Paul Wierwille", with no mention of anyone else. It was a higher-caliber book
than twi normally self-publishes.
In 1982, twi celebrates its "Fortieth Anniversary" since the radio shows that
weren't called "the Way". In 1982, vpw installed LCM as the new president of twi
and vpw becomes "president emeritus".
In 1982, "Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed" was published. It also was written by staff,
and said "by Victor Paul Wierwille" on the cover.
It relied largely on the calculations of another writer as well. This book also saw the
breakthrough of proper crediting, since it actually named the other writer
(Martin) and his book.
In 1984, a live PFAL class was taught at Camp Gunnison, and a manor house was
purchased in Gartmore, Scotland. It was named the Way College of Biblical Research.
(aka Gartmore House, or "the big house" to the villagers of Gartmore.)
vpw spent his life drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking cigarettes and cigars-
tobacco products. Although he usually did it "off-camera", many people knew some
of this. Everyone knew he at least smoked, but he seemed to chain-smoke when
"no one was watching." Furthermore, he had a "coffee cup" next to him for morning
meetings and so on-and often, the contents had nothing to do with coffee. Those who
ever commented on it (who were few enough among those who noticed) were
treated to his comments about us not being "under condemnation" and thus it wasn't
sinful, and therefore had no consequences.
However, there WERE consequences....
By 1984, the long-term exposure to alcohol-which damages internal organs, including
those that act as the body's filtration system and also damages the brain-
and long-term exposure to tobacco-which is a known cancer-causing agent
(unlike studio lights)- resulted in some permanent damage to vpw' body.
He acquired cancer of the eye and liver, and suffered a stroke.
vpw quite vocally-and often- announced that the eye damage was the result
of getting cancer from the studio lights used when filming PFAL- thus saying it was
the result of virtuous activity, and used to give the students a guilty conscience.
Once, when addressing the corps, he was speaking on personal committment to
God. He said "I gave my EYE-what are YOU willing to give?"
Further, in private, vpw was MOST disturbed that he had ANY physical problems,
especially this one. He claimed he'd never been sick or needed an aspirin EVER-
not ONE DAY in his life-before this. Not even in PRIVATE did he ever seem to admit
he'd exposed his body to carcinogens for DECADES. He had surgery that
removed the cancer-stricken eye.
The details of the stroke were COMPLETELY hidden-although there were witnesses-
and the existence of any cancer produced a problem. According to vpw's DOCTRINE,
any Christian should be able to believe sufficiently to burn out a cancer from their
body. vpw had slowly manipulated his personal image to the point that he was
frequently seen as some sort of super-Christian-which is what he wanted. However,
this meant he should have EASILY believed away his cancer.
WORSE, he'd taught in the Advanced class that, since a cancer has a life of its own
(like algae), it must be the result of devil activity. Since vpw was supposedly a
super-Christian, he should have been able to deflect such an assault easily.
However, rather than adjust his image, or correct his doctrine-which had already
hurt many other Christians-he simply hid the cause of his descent into death.
In 1985 the "Word over the World Auditorium" opened at the organizations hq on the farm.
vpw died May 20, 1985 at age 68. According to his death certificate, the cause was
cancer of the liver and of the eye. According to most people in twi at the time,
the cause was UNKNOWN. The most commonly-stated reason was
"he got tired of fighting."
In the last few months of his life, vpw visited Gartmore and spoke privately
with Chr1s Ge*r. He (CG) later claimed that his own paper which he wrote
afterwards-"the Passing of the Patriarch"-was based entirely on private
conversations with vpw. (Some people believe him, some do not.)
That paper-among other things-also claims that vpw would have been
able to "believe himself healthy" if he'd wanted to.
Volume 5 of Studies in Abundant Living was published
posthumously. Its contents were from vpw, it was edited by Chr1$ Ge*r.
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I can't post a SHORT explanation. There's an entire thread called "Momentus." here: The briefest posts not on that thread, but related, that I could find: