I suppose I should hold up my hand and say, when I've sponsored people who've left, I've been a bit disgusted at them and their lack of commitment. I believed the slanders spread about them (why would my higher-ups lie?). Others, I've been bewildered about (but that was part of the secret mass exodus.) One, I told go to back and apologise most humbly to CG who'd thrown him out of the European Corps (EC) - I knew how hard this person had worked to get into the EC.
Now, I think I have more respect for those who left, voluntarily or otherwise, than for those who stayed (like I did) - they didn't let the system beat them down.
It was like giving someone money and finding out they flushed it down the crapper. I don't know if The Way still teaches this but, they used to teach that it didn't matter what a recipient did with a gift, the giver was the one who got blessed for their giving. Looking back, I can see it was just a way of rationalizing their misuse of funds.
Here's the thing......If The Way really believed what they taught about giving, it shouldn't have mattered so much to them when people gave to non-Way causes. But, we all know it pizzed them off big time if you gave to anything other than "the ministry".
I was told that not everybody could make it through the Corps program......so it never bothered me if somebody didn't finish. I always gave them kudos for giving it a shot!
I believed the slanders spread about them (why would my higher-ups lie?).
I was thinking about this a little more. Honestly I never really bought it when leaders would spread the slander stories. They never rang true. But it was like "what can you do about it?" You can't question the leader or get in their face or they will turn on you. Then you're the next slander story victim. You can be nice to the victim, but they are excommunicated and shunned and one person being nice doesn't make up for it or help that much. I always felt a little lost in those scenarios and a little uncomfortable, but it never triggered any action. So much later is when we detect this stuff.
Like the mob, TWI always had a built-in system and culture for dealing with political enemies. That's one of the main reasons its still a cult.
Sponsoring way corps to me was like ABS. Jesus said to give not expecting anything in return. I believe that. VP said 9/10 with God's blessing on it will go farther than 10/10ths without God's blessing on it. I believe that, too.
The most important thing to me was that I was helping further something I believed in and that God honors that kind of giving. Like a love offering, perhaps. If someone dropped out, then, like Krys said, they gave it a shot. Good for them.
I do not regret any ABS I ever gave and I do not regret anything I gave to sponsor anyone in the way corps.
Something that really did bug me, however, were those individuals who took my money and never wrote back. I didn't expect everyone to be all on the money every month. I always was willing to cut them a little slack. But part of the deal was that the individuals were supposed to write back and release something. Maybe it was part of a teaching...or maybe just a principle they saw live for the first time. But those who thought they were just too good to write to li'l old me......That made me unhappy.
most of the faithful people in the areas I lived in were just getting by on bad paying, ever changing, low level type jobs. When someone needed to get their sponsorship together, they'd work her way through these people who could barely keep their own life intact. For years I was one of those people-it's another topic why I wasn't getting my life and career in gear-but I was doing the every night commitment, and being told to be thankful for my crummy day job because all work is honorable. Apparently missing a session of pfal which I'd heard 25 times, to devote some night work to myself was not honorable.
Anyway, these poor apprentice corps would hit everyone up-literally nickel and diming it. Early on I caved under forceful personalities, and did my best to send 10 bucks here and there. I finally raised my standards. If someone I hardly knew, or I really had nothing to do with asked me, I learned to say no. If it was someone who I felt genuinely had blessed my life, and I had a genuine relationship with, I was happy to support. That didn't happen very often. It never bothered me if they didn't make it through. I couldn't see how anyone ever did. To me, it was turning your entire life over ,and I knew I wouldn't have lasted a month.
When I was in FellowLaborers, we had to pay our own way by working full time secular jobs, in addition to the time we spent attending to F.L. duties. There were stipulations on what sort of jobs we could and could not work at. In addition, we had to sponsor at least one person in The Way Corps. I think I sponsored 2 people for $5 or $10/month each. That was part of the written contract we signed. It was pretty tough meeting all our financial obligations.
when I sponsored people I just sent them a check and didn't think about it. some made it some didn't. some wrote faithfully, some did newsletters, some didn't. I never attached any strings to it regardless of what they did or what they were told they were supposed to do. I felt sad when people didn't make it but I didn't judge them or blame them. but it wasn't real compassion either. it was just a little bit of sad, then put it out of your mind because you've got a mission.
when I was being sponsored almost everybody I asked was already sponsoring someone else and said no. I only had a few in the ministry. Where I went in from everybody had someone else, I had nothing. There were a bunch of apprentice Corps too, and none of them ever went in, only me. But nobody ever offered to change sponsorship either. They were snooty and judgmental. Long time family friends from childhood and relatives were the bulk of my sponsors. I wrote some months but others didn't get to it. I did a newsletter for like 6 months my last year in res. I was just ok at it but I did pray for people and care about them and stay in touch for years later. I lost most of mine between first and second years in res so didn't know how I was going to make it back at all either. But it worked out.
all that makes me reflect on corps training too. I think the menial labor stuff like around the farms, new situations in work areas, and the times we had free Bible study were the best. I could see God working and growth there. Of course the tradeoff was the other side of it like all the yelling and cursing and indoctrination, seeing those advance whose VP idolatry was the most over the top. But hey be respectful cause that guy prostrating himself and licking VP's boots is going to be your next Limb coordinator. And you can read a parable about how he's going to abuse you.
I thank y'all for your kind and gracious comments.
Yes, there was a culture of "give and expect to be blessed" - regardless of whether the person sponsored completed the training. I do believe that God would honour the commitment in those people's hearts, though not necessarily in a way they might expect - if expect they did.
Sky, I could've paid my way too but it was frowned upon. And I felt that if people wouldn't support me, perhaps I wasn't appropriate for this form of leadership.
God honoured my own commitment (I think) and I got through but that bought me a whole raft of other problems. I think God had a load of other things to teach me that were nothing much to do with WC training; things that came much later. And he's used WC training to show me right and wrong ways to treat people.
Over about a decade, I sponsored some 20-25 Corps ("regular" and "family"). The only ones who didn't finish were those who couldn't get enough financial support. None of them were booted. (They may have gotten some abuse from leadership for leaving, but I was unaware of it.)
I agree with Krys that the thing that bothered me most was "spiritual partners" who never wrote (after maybe a few months -- they all STARTED okay). I remember one particular lady whom I wrote several times with reproof in increasing intensity, until I finally just wrote whoever was running the Corps at the time. Apparently, THEY woke her up, because she never missed a letter after that. :lol:
I guess I wouldn't have given it much thought. I actually didn't sponsor anyone until after I left TWI. Before I was thinking of leaving I told them if they were accepted I would sponsor them. I felt even though I had left and wasn't happy with TWI I should still keep my promise. If they had left before they finished I would most likely have rejoiced. Instead they finished and then left. I still rejoiced.
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Twinky
I suppose I should hold up my hand and say, when I've sponsored people who've left, I've been a bit disgusted at them and their lack of commitment. I believed the slanders spread about them (why would my higher-ups lie?). Others, I've been bewildered about (but that was part of the secret mass exodus.) One, I told go to back and apologise most humbly to CG who'd thrown him out of the European Corps (EC) - I knew how hard this person had worked to get into the EC.
Now, I think I have more respect for those who left, voluntarily or otherwise, than for those who stayed (like I did) - they didn't let the system beat them down.
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waysider
It was like giving someone money and finding out they flushed it down the crapper. I don't know if The Way still teaches this but, they used to teach that it didn't matter what a recipient did with a gift, the giver was the one who got blessed for their giving. Looking back, I can see it was just a way of rationalizing their misuse of funds.
Here's the thing......If The Way really believed what they taught about giving, it shouldn't have mattered so much to them when people gave to non-Way causes. But, we all know it pizzed them off big time if you gave to anything other than "the ministry".
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krys
I was told that not everybody could make it through the Corps program......so it never bothered me if somebody didn't finish. I always gave them kudos for giving it a shot!
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chockfull
I was thinking about this a little more. Honestly I never really bought it when leaders would spread the slander stories. They never rang true. But it was like "what can you do about it?" You can't question the leader or get in their face or they will turn on you. Then you're the next slander story victim. You can be nice to the victim, but they are excommunicated and shunned and one person being nice doesn't make up for it or help that much. I always felt a little lost in those scenarios and a little uncomfortable, but it never triggered any action. So much later is when we detect this stuff.
Like the mob, TWI always had a built-in system and culture for dealing with political enemies. That's one of the main reasons its still a cult.
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johniam
Sponsoring way corps to me was like ABS. Jesus said to give not expecting anything in return. I believe that. VP said 9/10 with God's blessing on it will go farther than 10/10ths without God's blessing on it. I believe that, too.
The most important thing to me was that I was helping further something I believed in and that God honors that kind of giving. Like a love offering, perhaps. If someone dropped out, then, like Krys said, they gave it a shot. Good for them.
I do not regret any ABS I ever gave and I do not regret anything I gave to sponsor anyone in the way corps.
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krys
Something that really did bug me, however, were those individuals who took my money and never wrote back. I didn't expect everyone to be all on the money every month. I always was willing to cut them a little slack. But part of the deal was that the individuals were supposed to write back and release something. Maybe it was part of a teaching...or maybe just a principle they saw live for the first time. But those who thought they were just too good to write to li'l old me......That made me unhappy.
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hiway29
most of the faithful people in the areas I lived in were just getting by on bad paying, ever changing, low level type jobs. When someone needed to get their sponsorship together, they'd work her way through these people who could barely keep their own life intact. For years I was one of those people-it's another topic why I wasn't getting my life and career in gear-but I was doing the every night commitment, and being told to be thankful for my crummy day job because all work is honorable. Apparently missing a session of pfal which I'd heard 25 times, to devote some night work to myself was not honorable.
Anyway, these poor apprentice corps would hit everyone up-literally nickel and diming it. Early on I caved under forceful personalities, and did my best to send 10 bucks here and there. I finally raised my standards. If someone I hardly knew, or I really had nothing to do with asked me, I learned to say no. If it was someone who I felt genuinely had blessed my life, and I had a genuine relationship with, I was happy to support. That didn't happen very often. It never bothered me if they didn't make it through. I couldn't see how anyone ever did. To me, it was turning your entire life over ,and I knew I wouldn't have lasted a month.
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WordWolf
It came up on SNT's here and there. They were required to hit up EVERYONE they knew until
they made the total, no matter how casually they knew them. One tape I had contained
a clip from Vince F chiding some candidate (anonymously, at least) for saying he was
unable to find anyone, but he hadn't exhausted every mathematical possibility by
literally asking everyone he'd ever met who was in twi.
That's why, apparently, someone here once posted the translation:
"Hello." = "Will you sponsor me for the Corps?"
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waysider
When I was in FellowLaborers, we had to pay our own way by working full time secular jobs, in addition to the time we spent attending to F.L. duties. There were stipulations on what sort of jobs we could and could not work at. In addition, we had to sponsor at least one person in The Way Corps. I think I sponsored 2 people for $5 or $10/month each. That was part of the written contract we signed. It was pretty tough meeting all our financial obligations.
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skyrider
When I met with corps leadership regarding my corps sponsorship, I told them
that I was planning to pay ALL of it myself. They were aghast at this......
and said that THAT was "...selfish on my part. They told me that I NEEDED
corps sponsors to release the spiritual truths that I would be learning
AND needed their prayers."
So, I found 6 or 7 people that I'd blessed during my two WOW years, and PAID
nearly 85% of my corps tuition myself.
Growing up on a farm, my Dad started putting money into my account when I
started working at age 10. Also, thru the years, my brothers and I did many
types of side work for farmers ($100 here, $200 there) by setting up grain bins,
building fence, helping with livestock, etc. And, I worked during college too.
Also.....I agreed to sponsor an 8th corps girl while I was in-residence.
.
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chockfull
when I sponsored people I just sent them a check and didn't think about it. some made it some didn't. some wrote faithfully, some did newsletters, some didn't. I never attached any strings to it regardless of what they did or what they were told they were supposed to do. I felt sad when people didn't make it but I didn't judge them or blame them. but it wasn't real compassion either. it was just a little bit of sad, then put it out of your mind because you've got a mission.
when I was being sponsored almost everybody I asked was already sponsoring someone else and said no. I only had a few in the ministry. Where I went in from everybody had someone else, I had nothing. There were a bunch of apprentice Corps too, and none of them ever went in, only me. But nobody ever offered to change sponsorship either. They were snooty and judgmental. Long time family friends from childhood and relatives were the bulk of my sponsors. I wrote some months but others didn't get to it. I did a newsletter for like 6 months my last year in res. I was just ok at it but I did pray for people and care about them and stay in touch for years later. I lost most of mine between first and second years in res so didn't know how I was going to make it back at all either. But it worked out.
all that makes me reflect on corps training too. I think the menial labor stuff like around the farms, new situations in work areas, and the times we had free Bible study were the best. I could see God working and growth there. Of course the tradeoff was the other side of it like all the yelling and cursing and indoctrination, seeing those advance whose VP idolatry was the most over the top. But hey be respectful cause that guy prostrating himself and licking VP's boots is going to be your next Limb coordinator. And you can read a parable about how he's going to abuse you.
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Twinky
I thank y'all for your kind and gracious comments.
Yes, there was a culture of "give and expect to be blessed" - regardless of whether the person sponsored completed the training. I do believe that God would honour the commitment in those people's hearts, though not necessarily in a way they might expect - if expect they did.
Sky, I could've paid my way too but it was frowned upon. And I felt that if people wouldn't support me, perhaps I wasn't appropriate for this form of leadership.
God honoured my own commitment (I think) and I got through but that bought me a whole raft of other problems. I think God had a load of other things to teach me that were nothing much to do with WC training; things that came much later. And he's used WC training to show me right and wrong ways to treat people.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Over about a decade, I sponsored some 20-25 Corps ("regular" and "family"). The only ones who didn't finish were those who couldn't get enough financial support. None of them were booted. (They may have gotten some abuse from leadership for leaving, but I was unaware of it.)
I agree with Krys that the thing that bothered me most was "spiritual partners" who never wrote (after maybe a few months -- they all STARTED okay). I remember one particular lady whom I wrote several times with reproof in increasing intensity, until I finally just wrote whoever was running the Corps at the time. Apparently, THEY woke her up, because she never missed a letter after that. :lol:
George
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Keith
I guess I wouldn't have given it much thought. I actually didn't sponsor anyone until after I left TWI. Before I was thinking of leaving I told them if they were accepted I would sponsor them. I felt even though I had left and wasn't happy with TWI I should still keep my promise. If they had left before they finished I would most likely have rejoiced. Instead they finished and then left. I still rejoiced.
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