OldSkool

Why, whatever do you mean.... http://www.theway.org/multimedia.php?page=concert12_item02&lang=en

Sounds about right to me.

:eusa_clap: I finally understand.

Ya, that is just a meaningless TWI catchphrase.

I taught a service - once. Thank God it was only once. The teachings are beyond scripted. You are assigned a topic, you work the topic using ONLY approved ministry "research", you turn in an outline for approval, once approved the outline is crafted into word for word notes that are resubmitted for approval --- oh, you also have to record yourself (on cassette) presenting the teaching and turn that in as well. The entire process is used to control every word spoken. By the time you get around to actually presenting you teaching all of "you" has been carefully removed from the teaching and presentation. All that is left is an individual with a creepy smile, scared to death of misspeaking, reading word for word from their notes. The content is purposefully dumbed down. Why? Because all of the teaching should be fully understood by a 12 year old all the way to an untaught (by TWI) senior citizen. It was one of the most unnatural, uncomfortable experiences in relation to public speaking I was ever involved in.

The STS (Sunday Teaching Service) as it has been renamed, happens at 3pm now. When I was around in 2008, it was EMPTY. There was also a host of unfilled staff positions, which made the emptiness even worse. So what did Rosalie and the gang do to try and hide the emptiness? They started scheduling field visits from across the country. Charter a bus(es) and coerce as many people as you can to get on board. The only problem is there aren't enough people left in TWI (or enough of them that want to participate) to do this every time there is a service. So most of the time the auditorium is EMPTY. Let's define empty. Typically, without a bussed in audience, they had trouble filling the center of the first three rows. I kid you not. The only times the place came close to capacity was pentecost, the anniversary, and perhaps a concert where the local community was invited to attend. By community I mean all the various and sundry business contacts that showed up out of obligation. But then only the lower auditorium was used. The top is only used at pentecost and the anniversary - maybe.

Yep, their rules will keep a person poor. But hey, you can always qualify for Medicaid.

Ya, had me convinced it was for a noble cause. At least for a little while anyways.

Bingo! I have a mortgage on one and the other is free and clear, so to speak. For both homes I would be willing to pay rent and not deal with upkeep, taxes, insurance, etc. My wife feels differently, but she isn't the one who has to deal with issues.

Owning a home is extremely over rated, unless you are willing to plant deep roots and stay the duration - IMO. I own two at present, one a foreclosure I got on the cheap (pics on my FB page are of that house) and the other mortgaged relatively cheap, but a decent place that should appreciate with the right amount of sweat equity. Personally, I wish I owned neither. There is freedom in renting that should be enjoyed until you know where you really want to be for the next 20 years or so. Then the benefits of ownership (that significantly outweigh renting) can be fully enjoyed. TWI is full of it when they speak against having a mortgage. My mortgage is roughly 1/3 of going rents in my neighborhood. Circumstances in my life, as you well know, were such that dictated I stay in Ohio. Now that those circumstance have changed, and I have freedom apart from TWI's yoke, I am not sure how much longer I want to be in Ohio. Thus my dilemma. So now what do I do. Hire a property management company and be an out of state landlord? Sell both properties? Stay put? mmmm....ya. There is time to figure it out though.

Thanks excie and chock!

Ahhh!! That's what went wrong!

I have found out something interesting about myself and I wonder the correlation the the way international. I was in my very early twenties when I got involved with TWI. The no debt policy came along right after I got involved. Accordingly, I never made any significant financial moves. Never bought a new car, had a mortgage, any credit card debt, no investments, etc. I can say that after four years away from TWI, I have made just about every dumb financial move I could make. I attribute most of these mistakes, while pushing 40, simple inexperience. I also attribute them a by-product of TWI's financial prohibition, if you will. I don't blame them, my moves are mine to live with. And to keep balanced. I have made some good moves as well, and in the long run the dumb ones will pale in comparison to the experience gained. Anyone else dealt with this?

It took a couple years to sink in, but now I know full well I wasted the prime of my life with that little cult and now have little to show for it. Not that I am in bad shape, or worse for the wear. Since I can't have the time back, I am in full pursuit of all the things I want to do with my life. And many of those things are me/my family oriented, not ministry centric. I do regret sacrificing to much to the furtherance of a destructive cult. I am remorseful for promoting them and have come to grips with what I did. Though, I was deceived and thought I was promoting the things of God. I think that was one of the biggest blows. So in short, me and the family are living our lives to the fullest and pursuing happiness.

Go easy on us newcomers. I usually have crappy luck with the search feature and this is the first time I read the different accounts between Mrs. WW and Victoid.

Now I would support them in that endeavor!!

It's news to me and I found the links on your site very informative.

Yep! No doubt TWI has a major case of the red@$$ over this.

Hung by his own words?

Yep. And sad to say VPW used it as bait for the unsuspecting soul. TWI still does this very thing.

True. But I would have to agree that Wierwille wasn't all bad all the time. Somewhere in his life he did something right. Too bad that is so overshadowed by the things he did wrong. But in all fairness, and as one of his critics, I have to give credit to him when and where it is due. Given his track record I seldom have occasion.

My long winded point exactly.

They taught nothing when I was there in the early 2000s. Days were filled with study hall (where we were to stick with the present truth, collaterals and such), way of abundance and power series, English for the Greek student (basic English 101), Greek - which wasn't even remedial, A New Life, classes on how to use concordances, etc. It was REALLY bad. It was obvious they were trying to fill up hours requirements by the state of Colorado to pump out degrees that are "accredited" but unrecognized by the state of Colorado since TWI is a religious organization.

Well, in a very real sense, the way international is an offshoot of B.G. Leonard and others.

And it runs on believing! <_<