Self-Referential Greatness

[skyrider]

On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 10:26 AM, skyrider said:

Self-Referential Greatness...............wierwille's stories in pfal.

Wierwille threads "his" pfal class with stories of believing............were these stories real or fiction?  When wierwille moved his family and upstart minus-try from Van Wert back to the wierwille farmstead in February 1962........he ran up against the New Knoxville/St. Mary's townspeople who KNEW his past.  Also, at about that time in 1962.........there was an exodus of the Troy and Xenia believers who were concerned that vic and harry were mingling ministry finances with personal/business finances.

And........in Mrs. W's book, there is documentation of pfal classes from 1958-1961.  Besides the exodus in the Troy area.........people just keep drifting away.  Wierwille's approach to teaching these classes in city after city, with the help of Mal George on occasion, was yielding no long-term benefit......no committed fruit.  What happened in those years 1962-1966......presumably, would have been the same, no? 

THEREFORE..........by 1967, wierwille KNOWS and NEEDS to change his strategy:  1) Film the class, 2) Target the youth, 3) Find a nucleus of fire-brands (ie-Donnie Fugits) to assist, and 4) Build a corps training program. 

He filled his foundational class with pre-emptive strikes.

The subtle thread which runs throughout pfal

 

 

Mrs. Wierwille's book, page 233.......

......"When we rented our South Washington Street home in Van Wert, we didn't know how temporary this location would be, as we were very focused on getting the ministry up and running, self-supporting, and growing.  Now it was becoming very apparent to us that a larger and more permanent headquarters for The Way needed to be established.  So the representatives of the Board of Directors from the various branches looked around their areas for potential headquarters sites.  Some of these people were eager to have the headquarters established in the localities where they lived, such as in Troy, Ohio. Fort Myers, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois.  In one case where a property was found, the board of Trustees thought the site didn't have  enough acreage so they decided not to pursue the location any further.  But some of the members of the Board of Directors became so upset with this decision that they left the ministry.  Dr. Wierwille stated that we must have lost thirty people because they thought he was totally wrong in his decision to reject that site.  And the loss of thirty followers was a major blow to us in those transitional years."

** The Troy area was where wierwille had run advanced classes.......30 (or more) committed, advanced class grads rejected the direction to put headquarters at the family farm.  They didn't trust victor and harry to keep monies separate from "the business of the farm."

.....page 234, "Since the November 16, 1958, meeting, believers had again worked on plans for starting The Way Biblical Seminary.  One proposed location for the seminary was the Wierwille farm. The solicitation of funds to begin work on the seminary found resistance at a meeting of the Miami Valley Group.  The Way branch in Troy, Ohio, said that they wanted the farm of The Way in New Knoxville to be kept separate from the spiritual arm of the ministry.  They wanted to be sure that their money was going to help spread the work of the ministry and not to help pay off the mortgage at the farm or for the business of the farm.  They wanted a seminary to be started, but at a location other than the Wierwille farm."

~~~~~~~~~~~

From 1958-1966.........wierwille travels around the eastern part of USA to teach this foundational class.  From the context of Mrs. W's writings, many of these classes were instigated by relatives and denominational laymen who wanted to delve into the scriptures with congregants.  More often than not, after this class......most were non-committal to wierwille's ministry in the least. 

The number of committed followers who arose from those nine years was anemic.  Wierwille's personal involvement was NOT working.  Think about that.........averaging 10 classes per year for 9 years = 90 classes (and many classes had 20-30 students).........and still, twi was limping along.  Even though wierwille boasts about people like Dr. Higgins and Rosalund Rinker........they never stayed with twi. 

What to do?  What to do?.............well, set up a system with less direct involvement from wierwille, right?  So, why not coerce people into taking a film class.....where they're subjected to 33-hrs of persuasion.....er, teaching with no questions allowed.  Add some bluster and pre-emptive strikes in these stories to keep them focused on their inabilities to believe God's promises.....while never delivering evidence of his own. 

So, obviously.......after 9 years of road-traveling to teach this class, it needed a new approach:

1. Film the class.......get class on film, then find committed instructors to run class and report back
2. Target the youth........by 1967, time to ditch the concept of reaching church ministers
3. Find a nucleus of fire-brands to assist.......needed Donnie Fugits to reach youth
4. Build a Seminary program.......i.e. corps training program was on the horizon

.

Edited February 10, 2018 by skyrider
add clarity

[skyrider]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 2:15 PM, skyrider said:

 

So, obviously.......after 9 years of road-traveling to teach this class, it needed a new approach:

1. Film the class.......get class on film, then find committed instructors to run class and report back
2. Target the youth........by 1967, time to ditch the concept of reaching church ministers
3. Find a nucleus of fire-brands to assist.......needed Donnie Fugits to reach youth
4. Build a Seminary program.......i.e. corps training program was on the horizon

 

 

So, wierwille after NINE years.........needed a new strategy:  A PLOY.

• ploy — keep a group of people stuck in a bad situation as long as possible in order to use them as pawns in a larger game of abusive power.
• exploit them -- use their youth, connections, talent as long as possible.......(and guitar singers got a direct-pass to the "green room" -- cha-ching)
• notice -- wierwille never had a long-range plan on anything.  Whatever was "hot" at the moment was put to use.
• promoted corps graduate with "associates degree"........yet, it had to slip thru the backdoor via Rome City, Indiana Campus
• wanted sunset corps to "invest in own cabin" at camp Gunnison......and, upon death, twi-owned:  NOT ONE PERSON FELL FOR IT.

The corps program was the biggest ploy of all.........because it amplified wierwille's sphere to rule with unaccountability. 

• A ploy NEEDS time to germinate........with the proper climate and conditions.
• Behind closed doors in isolated campuses........indoctrination ensued at an escalated pace.
• Anyone who quit was immediately labeled and ostracized from spiritual credibility or standing.
• Under the auspices of "spiritual training" and "spiritual maturity".......dissent was kept at bay.
• Those MOST obedient were promoted......and the self-referencing echo chamber got louder.
• Deep within an isolated campus, a private motor coach, guarded by a sycophant......sexual predation abounded.
• Bad situations got even worse........sexual abuse, psychological turmoil, abortion, excommunication, etc.
• Loss (extreme marginalizing) of family, opportunity, time, finances, support networks, educational pursuits............