PFAL Class Instructors

[skyrider]

At one time, I thought that being a "pfal class instructor" was an honored position......."spiritually overseeing" the class, the students, the integrity of the teachings being administered by wierwille, etc. My first class was audio only and this instructor sat in front of the class and flipped the charts on cue and supervised every aspect of it.

But what is it to instruct, really?....1)to communicate knowledge, to teach, educate 2)to give facts or information to a particular matter, to inform or guide.

The latter definition [to give facts or information] more aptly describes the task of the "honoree." Greet people. Get them to their seats. Run tapes. Take break. Get them in their seats. Run tapes. Smile and gesture as wierwille teaches. Give information of next class. Close class. Say Goodnight.

I have often made that statement about wierwille's way corps......"It was a followership program. Not a leadership program. The design of the corps program was to build and equip dedicated PFAL Class Instructors for twi." The pyramid scheme is to assign tasks to each level in the caste system and KEEP THEM BOUND TO THAT LEVEL. You see, if you start encouraging leadership, then people start exerting leadership. And then, that builds confidence and free thought and independence.....and out the door they go! So, you can't have that. You have to deceive people in to thinking that they're receiving one thing, while slipping in a counterfeit.

The class instructor gig has to be the most tedious serf position in the twi organization.

1) Organize Public Ex -- to get the required amount to register for pfal.

2) Work thru scheduling conflicts and set class starting date.

3) Select class crew and work thru all the details.

4) Make sure all undershepherding grads are diligent with their student.

5) Punctuality at every session.

6) Observe and monitor students' receptivity.

7) Holy spirit field is of major importance.

8) Stay vigilant.

9) Goal is to see everyone manifest [sit].

10) Class forms, info, abs sent to hq.

11) Class picture.

12) Thank you card to The Teacher.

See.......with all those details, one really needs to be corps-trained to do it right.

<_<

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

love the sarcasm

[Ham]

I was never a class instructor. I was aware of the first eleven points, but who paid for, and sent the card? And was there any cash gift included?

[waysider]

Being a class instructor is a lot like being a shift manager at Burger Biggie....make sure there is always plenty of coffee and the toilets are clean.

The class I am most ashamed to have ever been involved with was Christian Family and Sex. I apologize to anyone and everyone who was ever in a class I ran.

[dmiller]

[quote name='Ham' date='05 June 2013 - 08:38 PM'

I was never a class instructor. I was aware of the first eleven points, but who paid for,

and sent the card? And was there any cash gift included?

Ham - - do you really need to ask that? I think you know the answer.

And - - Skyrider: You forgot to mention that the Instructor should also re-iterate

that "Learning is an Exciting Adventure" (just like dovic "da teacher") states in the class,

to indoctrinate - - whoops, I meant PREPARE the new grads for the next level of

"spiritual understanding" offered by THE WAY, for the promotion of the abundant life.

[skyrider]

And - - Skyrider: You forgot to mention that the Instructor should also re-iterate

that "Learning is an Exciting Adventure" (just like dovic "da teacher") states in the class,

to indoctrinate - - whoops, I meant PREPARE the new grads for the next level of

"spiritual understanding" offered by THE WAY, for the promotion of the abundant life.

That's right......the "instructor" is responsible for promoting other products and twi classes that will lead students

further into this mog-worship. All the minions are to laugh when wierwille tells that joke for the 30th time and nod

their approval for his theatrics in pfal. The multi-level marketing guidelines detail the short breaks, the monitoring

of responses, the plethora of more classes to sign-up for, and programs help reboot spiritual life.

The instructor's manual was your lifeline to spirituality.

[GeorgeStGeorge]

"One's for the money; two's for the show; three to get ready; and four to go!"

That just never gets old. :lol:

George

[Twinky]

I'm just embarrassed about running classes.

And we were never taught proper answers to things.

On the other hand, I know - especially in my WoW year - that we really did help some people.

Having built up a viable thriving twig - at the end of the WoW year it got taken off me and given to my legalistic WoW/Corps bro (a man, you see; he and his family couldn't get a twig together in the WoW year) - within just a few months my twig had dispersed, and those people were really hurting - one at least had chosen to go WoW himself, one or two had moved to a Wayhome, the rest were doing fine.

After a couple of months, the WoW sneaked out of the bedroom window and ran away - he'd been molested as a youth by males in his family and was accused by the Corps he was with of being a homosexual, which he wasn't at all, just a very hurt individual who had found honest Christian love and care in my twig; the two in the Way home probably were too smart to stick around for long. Another went back to his original church, drawn by family connections.

Some deliverance...just push 'em back deeper into their problems. Yep, that's what PFAL can do. No - not PFAL - what hardcore Way Corps can do.

[chockfull]

I can't even get my mind to focus on this for more than about 5 seconds. What a waste of my life that was. But I'm sure I'm now overqualified to manage the Girl Scout bake sale.

[Ham]

Ham - - do you really need to ask that? I think you know the answer.

I know about all of the thank you cards filled with lavish praise and gifts to Martinfale. I just wondered it the same kind of praise and financial renumeration were sent to the vicmeister back in the day.

[HAPe4me]

I do not recall ever being asked to send a card to Vic, and certainly not any money, after any of the classes I ran. That page is missing from my instructor's manual maybe, but I just looked to be sure. If anyone wants to run a class I will loan you a set of audio tapes if you promise to send me adequate cash donations afterward. ;)

[hiway29]

I was a class instructor twice,in '79 and '82. I was not and wasn't going to be in the corps, was not even coordinating a twig the first time, and certainly was not perceived as a 'corps in training' type. They must have been really hard up for instructors in CT. I also didn't really believe in sit, among other things-but I knew enough to keep my mouth shut about that.

I think if there was one thing I brought to the thing, was a genuine concern to try to do right by these people, beyond getting them to babble at the end. I made it a point to get to know them as people, though the time for that is limited. I also tried to not sound like a way robot. I used to cringe at corps guys who spoke with wierwille or martindale inflections, with that weird little laugh at the end of sentences, if you know what I mean.

I guess the point is-on one hand I think they were nuts to trust me with their precious class-but I tried to do my best in my own way. Still don't know how I pulled that off.

There was also no sending cards or gifts to vic back then-not that he wouldn't have welcomed them.

[excathedra]

i have a headache

there were really good times running a class -- i don't know why -- actually i know why -- the people in it were so nice and sweet. i wish i could talk to them now. we became such close friends in the fellowship we had

then there were times ohmygod that i don't want to recall

-

-

ps. the best times were when we didn't really think or talk about the friggin teacher if that makes any sense

[waysider]

Looking back, I think the instructors manual was really our first opportunity to take a brief peek behind the curtain....all the little gems of advice, like telling the students not to teach outsiders about 4 crucified (gee, I wonder why not <_< ), covering for VP's doctrinal slip when he says 'He's coming back as Lord God Almighty!", etc.

[skyrider]

They must have been really hard up for instructors in CT.

I tend to see all this as a multi-level/grooming process......1)Find a willing recruit, 2)Assign him/her a position,

3)Encourage and monitor progress, 4)After completion, give him another responsible with a slightly higher "authority,"

5)Lavish with more encouragement, 6)Build recruit until he becomes dedicated and recruiting others.

Yep......Incremental Indoctrination 101

After just two classes, I was asked to be the next *Assistant Class Instructor*......thus, to shadow the Class Instructor

and to be there to fill in as "Class Instructor" if the need should arise.

Every class had a crew and "opportunities to build your spiritual growth"........

PFAL Class Responsibilities

1) Class Instructor

2) Assistant Instructor

3) A/V person

4) Setup Coordinator (2 helpers)

5) Bookstore person (1 helper)

6) Refreshment person (1 helper)

Small classes didn't need this many assignments, but larger classes did.

Twi seemed to have a way of labeling people into one of two categories: Outreach or Support.

And, years later.....the "support people" became the ones who were "good administrators with staff jobs."

[waysider]

The whole process was incremental, by design. With each step you were complimented on your progress and encouraged to advance until, finally.....you reached a stage where nothing you did was ever any good, even though you still maintained the same standards of operation....What was that all about?

[skyrider]

The whole process was incremental, by design. With each step you were complimented on your progress and encouraged to advance until, finally.....you reached a stage where nothing you did was ever any good, even though you still maintained the same standards of operation....What was that all about?

Yeah......a point is reached where criticism replaces the welcoming encouragement. Why? The relationship is changing wherein

the new recruit is quickly gaining access to "same seniority scenario" and on equal footing. Thus, manipulation and intimidation

replace the warm fuzzies of belonging/acceptance.

Wierwille set this tone in pfal. His ego and bravado come thru loud and clear.....and this strife was latent throughout twi.

The long-standing or caste system was just as prevalent in twi as in business or politics. Divisively, the biting and devouring

was the outcome of those who never knew the full measure of Christ's life and deliverance.

[hiway29]

"nothing you did was ever any good"- yeah that about sums up my life in the way. I kept getting more responsibility, yet feeling more incompetant and guilt ridden over every move. yet they kept dumping more on me.

[excathedra]

f 'em all

[GeorgeStGeorge]

f 'em all

Come on, Excie. Tell us how you really feel!

Back in the day, before every class was a "video" class, smaller classes had audio cassettes and "flip charts" with the slides on them. I swear, the hardest job of ALL was manning the flip charts! The class coordinator was usually off in another room (nodding off in another room?); but the flip chart person was right there, up in front, trying to smile for a couple of hours, while living in deathly fear of missing one of the cues to turn the page. Those men and women were the TRUE "athletes of the Spirit"!

:lol: George

[hiway29]

I admit, after sitting through the class over 30 times, in various capacities, but always as a good alert grad, I took advantage of the power to go into the kitchen, when I was a class instructor, whenever I had a mind to (or was just bored ). My only defense is that I learned it from a former branch leader who would sit in his bedroom, watching the Muppet Show during classes he ran-and not just one time.

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

I really prefer Alpha, Beginings, Foundations, Reality, and Open Home/Open Bible with snacks/refreshments/meals, and small group discussions over PFAL/WAP anytime.