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The Way Tree


YIdon'tgotochurch
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I was reading the post regarding "Why we went into the Corps"

I seem to remember a very strong motivation was the Way Tree class taught by Donnie Fugat. By the time I finished that class, I was ready to go full time ministry.

In that class, I seem to recall something about getting your need met by the ABS.

Basically, I thought of it like Amway.

Kind of a pyramid deal.

When I first got involved it 1975. It was all about 'The Word over the USA'. The vision was pretty good. The theme for that ministry year was "Go, Stand, Speak". One of the best themes in the history of the Way imho.

The Way Tree class gave me a vision of being able to help people without living in extreme poverty. As I recall, the idea was if you put a class of 6 together, you could be a twig leader.

When you had a hundred grads or 10 Twigs, you would be a branch leader. With 500, you became a Limb Leader...at that point you go full time ministry. Good grief, there could be two or three limbs in one city.

The numbers might be wrong, but you get the idea.

Granted there were a lot of changes occurring at the same time I was taking the class. Within a few years, to be a good twig leader you had to be a corpse grad. Never mind about witnessing.

IMHO, it is possible the ministry could have overcome a small portion of the corruption had they stuck with the Way Tree stuff. There would have still been a great need for accountability. But if your ABS was paying rent, the likelyhood of being verbally or physically abused, might have been minimized.

As I understand the history, one of the main reasons for the pulling of the way tree class was that it lended to greed. That is understandable. But a few people getting booted for that would probably keep the rest in line.

No doubt this will stir up some shxt in the cafe... but I'm just a coffee drinker passing through.

Pass me a donut.

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In my not so humble opinion, I think the way tree was the structure that was the counterfeit to the true workings of the body of Christ and was the instrument that put people into bondage and gave control to the egomaniacs that ran twi.

...and yes, it was that snotty little Johnny Townsend who taught that seminar...the way tree was rotten from it's inception and was more like a corporate hierarchy than anything in the bible...a chain of command where Vic the grifter could seize control of people's lives without getting his own hands dirty...it was loathsome and it was decadent...

...nothing personal against you Y'Idon'tgotochurch...here, have a donut on me. :)

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I forgot about that old way tree class. In hindsight it was alot like an Amwang pyramid scheme.

It's funny how we needed a class to talk about the corporate structure of TWI. Usually such a discussion would be reserved for those at a shareholders level.

While we are at it I am starting my own pyramid scheme. Here is how it works: just send your money to me. there is nothing to buy as I am not bothering with products which just get in the way anyhow. The more you send me the higher up on my list you become. Also the earlier you send me money the faster you can be high up on the list. I will accept money orders or major credit cards...

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YIdon'tgotochurch

A few years on from what you experienced, I seem to remember that the Way Tree class was criticised because it wasn't taught in a way that demonstrated any sound scriptural basis for the ideas involved. But perhaps it had evolved at that stage from what you had previously seen (and may well have been good ideas at the beginning) to something much more corporate in it's application.

When I heard it I personally came to the conclusion that the Way Tree was essentially non-scriptural and more of a corporate structure set up by men. As I recall, it seemed to me that they had tried to bend at least one scripture that even the most hardened follower would find hard to swallow as a basis for a "Way Tree", as it had become at that time.

So, I suppose that they had no choice but to drop the class, although they continued to teach and operate the principles, nevertheless.

One argument that was given to support the Way Tree doctrine at that time: - "they are spiritual men, so don't you think that they know what they're doing?"

In fact, that seems to be the dividing line with organisations where contentious decisions are made: you're confronted because you should recognise that decisions made by the "leaders" are spiritual ones and therefore, if you are a spiritual person, you should agree with them, or else get out of the way of those who do. And if you do choose to cross the "dividing line" and go along with this, it may be very difficult for you to get back again if you're wrong.

Anyway, can I offer you another doughnut? It's on me. I like the custard ones. Mmmmmmmm.

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