Wierwille's 1958 Fledgling Splinter Group

[skyrider]

Mrs. Wierwille's book documents the struggles and challenges of their fledgling splinter group [from B.G. Leonard's class and teachings]......after leaving the Van Wert Church in 1957.  And, like most splinter groups who are strapped for cash and reaching out for ANY MONETARY SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN FIND.......wierwille did the same.

When the wierwilles left the church pastorate, they found housing at 649 South Washington Street, still in Van Wert......[when you don't have much money, or much of a plan......you don't move far].  This house was the Queen Anne style with a three-story round tower with fretted windows.

Back then, wierwille utilized letter writing as one of the main tools for solicitation of support and funds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[p. 228]

                                                                                                                                                                                         November 5, 1958

Dear Friend in Christ:

Greetings to you from Headquarters in the Name of Jesus Christ.........

.........

From November 18th to 25th I will be with B.G. [Leonard] in Canada for a Missionary Convention.  Eric Watson will be back from his 7 months afield and the big news is he is getting married to Mona Nelson, one of B.G.'s Congregation.  Enroute to Calgary I will stop at Denver to meet with Dr. Stemme of Burton College and Seminary to discuss with him The Way Biblical Seminary.

Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 27th.  I will be back for Thanksgiving and I was wondering if you would like to have a special Thanksgiving Service that night at Headquarters?

If we could get another 6 families interested in our local group meetings who would join with us week after week in fellowship as well as the giving of their tithes for this work and ministry we would have a greater group than we have even now. Although I sure thank God for your faithfulness and you know I have to teach whenever and wherever God opens doors.  Some weeks and months our people are gone a great deal, but I know I do, and others do the same, even when we are out teaching we arrange for our tithe to be in every Sunday night.

When it comes to our expenses to operate Headquarters I have complained only about the light bill from Ohio Power.  They charge us commercial rates which is morally not fair as far as I am concerned but they are a utility monopoly and they have legal rights backed by the Utilities Commission of Ohio so what can we do.

I have also been thinking about putting the Wierwille family back on an $80.00 a week schedule, but to be real truthful to try and run our family of 7 of us on much less than a hundred and to maintain the dignity that we as leaders of The Way must have, because of the nature of our position, it would be real difficult.  We as a family apparently have many obligations which a similar sized family would not necessarily have.

Well we have no complaints only thanksgiving.  I have never felt better in my life, in the work of Christ than I feel now.  We are free, we can walk in love and in unity with those who want to love us and walk with us.  We are free to change when God's Word shows us where we must change.  Oh what a joy to be free and to walk in liberty.

Another thing I know is true that if we would have our Bible teaching fellowship on Sunday Morning instead of Sunday Night we would have many more in attendance.  Having a family I know what a chore it is to get the children out and ready on Sunday Night when they should be put to bed early.  But, we are a pioneering group and as such we many at times have to push ourselves to do certain things that the more or less nominal Christians would not do.

Well God bless you for your prayers and help for The Way ministry and the whole cause of Christ.

Sincerely,

In His Service,

Victor Paul Wierwille

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a fledgling splinter group started in 1957........and NOT the 1942 myth of twi's starting date........wierwille was grasping for ways to keep from drowning.  Why is any of this important?  Who really cares after all these years?

• BECAUSE.......it's the same thing that every splinter group does
• Splinter cults claim love and liberty.....from what they left behind
• How about a Thanksgiving Night Service?  Sound familiar?
• No damn it.......I spend time with MY FAMILY on Thanksgiving

The Way Ministry was a splinter group............and went thru the fits-and-starts of a fledgling operation with no money or support.  When one reads thru Mrs. W's book, one of the most salient points throughout is the struggle for money.  And, when talk of "A Permanent Headquarters at the Wierwille Homestead" was bantered about in 1959.......a schism arose by those who did not trust vic and harry to keep the farm operation [money] separate from the ministry.  The first "twi-exodus" ensued.........

• So, what does every splinter group do?   Teach, teach, teach........and find people to give, give, give.  Build the cult.....er, charitable ministry whose main, and only, mission, is "to teach the Word (cough, cough)."  No help or support to community events or services.  No help to food drives.  No help to Red Cross.  No help to homeless shelters.  No help to spouse abuse services. 
• Hock the classes and teachings as secret, spiritual insight.
• Same old, same old......every splinter cult does it.
• They want to get you in ANOTHER splinter group as fast as possible.
• Many corps leaders still want to leverage their power over others.
• These corps leaders want to CONTINUE the ruse.

Who ordered the code red?   

 

[waysider]

He was already calling it HQ... Scary!

[skyrider]

1 hour ago, waysider said:

He was already calling it HQ... Scary!

Yeah........and wierwille is STILL siding up with B.G. after taking [and stealing] his foundational class in 1953.

Here, in 1958.......wierwille heads up to Canada for a week at a Missionary Convention.  In attempts not to be cynical about wierwille's motives.......I cannot help but think that wierwille was meeting with Leonard and others to sway them into his organization.  Struggling to stay afloat, wierwille was ON THE MOVE to find more people to weekly tithe to his fledgling work.

Later, Leonard found out that wierwille was NOT working alongside him......BUT splintering from him and teaching Leonard's class as his own.

Leonard was mad ...........and started copyrighting after that.

[skyrider]

Three ways to garner support:

1. Stay in Van Wert ...... and hope to pick up some church congregants
2. Stay in communication with Leonard........and pick off some of his support
3. Move operation to wierwille homestead......and utilize harry wierwille's support

 

[skyrider]

"We are free, we can walk in love and in unity with those who want to love us and walk with us.  We are free to change when God's Word shows us where we must change.  Oh what a joy to be free and to walk in liberty."

Oh, yeah......we can walk in love and unity ..........NOW that we started a SPLINTER GROUP.  

[Twinky]

4 hours ago, skyrider said:

Another thing I know is true that if we would have our Bible teaching fellowship on Sunday Morning instead of Sunday Night we would have many more in attendance.  Having a family I know what a chore it is to get the children out and ready on Sunday Night when they should be put to bed early.  But, we are a pioneering group and as such we many at times have to push ourselves to do certain things that the more or less nominal Christians would not do.

Whaaaatttt? He acknowledges that Sunday night is a pain for everybody, especially families with kids - but then elevates that difficulty, spiritualising it and setting against "nominal Christians" who presumably are a bit more considerate towards kids' needs. 

What's he doing with his Sunday mornings, anyway?  Teaching in the church that pays his salary, or just plain having a lie-in? (well, yeah, he is having a lie in, and out, and everywhere he goes.  Can't stop lying.)

[engine]

That letter is quite revealing. 

Headquarters...a private joke among him and his lukewarm supporters?

Manipulation with guilt, woe is me, I'm really trying here... I've heard this whining in my profession from everyone over 40 years...whine.....

For the any era, especially the mid 1950's, that was a brazenly forward letter. No wonder the adults wouldn't listen to him. Him telling them what to do. Family folks in Ohio farm country.

He called my Mom and Dad for an Ambassador One weekend circa 1978...they were grads in name only.....Dad saw through it in a second, and just had a nice chat with him, then hung up. They declined then and there.

That brings me to another topic, and I'm not trying to derail this, but during my time in-residence I found out that there were certain select folks who were SECRETLY taken on "special" trips on Ambassador One, or by other means, to special weekends, and I'm not sure they were ALL Ambassador One weekends. They were told not to tell anyone. Hush Hush.  My in-rez corpse bros and sisters'. This came to me second hand from a corpse sis long after we left in 1986...they left in 1984.

All of them had well off parents.  Like Candace G, or Bob K. Anyone else get to do this, or know about it?

He was an .... all the way back then.

[Infoabsorption]

2 hours ago, engine said:

He called my Mom and Dad for an Ambassador One weekend circa 1978...they were grads in name only.....Dad saw through it in a second, and just had a nice chat with him, then hung up. They declined then and there.

That brings me to another topic, and I'm not trying to derail this, but during my time in-residence I found out that there were certain select folks who were SECRETLY taken on "special" trips on Ambassador One, or by other means, to special weekends, and I'm not sure they were ALL Ambassador One weekends. They were told not to tell anyone. Hush Hush.  My in-rez corpse bros and sisters'. This came to me second hand from a corpse sis long after we left in 1986...they left in 1984.

All of them had well off parents.  Like Candace G, or Bob K. Anyone else get to do this, or know about it?

 

Engine, My mother and I were invited to take a trip to D.C. on Ambassador One once. This was either the spring of 1984 or spring of 1985. I was in high school at the time. I don't remember any "orders" to keep this trip secret but we were rank & file followers not on staff or corps. My parents contributed to the Way Magazine by writing articles back in the early to mid 60's so maybe that was the reason she was invited... along with my parents donations through the years. I don't recall any other "select" folks on board except for Don Wierw!!e & a teenage Naomi Polling. One thing that stands out in my mind regarding that trip was a large group of people clapping & cheering as we exited the plane at the terminal. I wasn't expecting that and it seemed rather strange to my teen-aged mind. Looking back, it was probably a form of brown-nosing because Don Wierw!!e was there. A nice family from the D.C. area hosted our stay in their house while my mother attended various meetings.  

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

Did VPW expect people to come to his home on Sunday mornings only to find that others attended denominational churches only some would attend his home church either in the afternoon or early evening(6pm)?

[skyrider]

"If we could get another 6 families interested in our local group meetings who would join with us week after week in fellowship as well as the giving of their tithes for this work and ministry we would have a greater group than we have even now."

There are so many things nauseating about wierwille's solicitation letter......but this quote is extremely nauseating and calculating.

• Let's see......Average median household income X 10% (tithe) X 6 (household incomes) = amount needed to adequately pay expenses and wierwille's salary
• Not 5 families.......6 families who will faithfully give their weekly tithe
• What ever happened to looking to God......to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think (calculate in your pea brain)?

I've said this several times.......Mrs. Wierwille's book debunks the myths and mystique of victor paul wierwille.

[Twinky]

Y'all know about George Muller, who founded orphanages in Bristol - funded with nothing but prayer.

George Müller cared for 10,000 orphaned children in Bristol during the 19th Century. He never made appeals for money, trusting implicitly in God, he received £1,500,000 in answer to prayer. At present day prices, this would be well over £86,000,000.

According to the timeline, he too started out as a bit of a shyster and only went into "ministry" as an easy way to make money.  However, he really "saw the light" and took the Bible seriously, and the charity that he founded is still going today, and works to help orphans globally.  Here's his timeline, but if you go to the Home page you'll find out more about present-day work.

https://www.mullers.org/timeline

I do not know if VPW knew of this bigger history and decided to "imitate" it (we were only told that GM prayed, and resources poured in).  However, "by their fruits you shall know them."  Who built on solid ground, and who on the sand of ego?