Belated greetings, my peeps!

[Grace and Mercy]

I recently rediscovered this site and have spent hours and hours reading your posts and your stories. Despite how many years have gone by since you wrote them and since I have been out of twi, I have been moved to tears, outrage, gratitude and sometimes laughter. Although we may not know each other personally, I feel a profound connection with you from our shared experience in twi. Thank you so much for keeping this site going all this time.

My brief history with twi: started attending twig in 1973 Fairfax, CA and first took PFAL at a live class (!) at Shaver Lake, CA that summer. I was 17. Took the Intermediate class, went Word Over CA, then Fellow Laborers, College WOW 75-76, 2 years "free" WOW ( NJ 76-77 and MA 77-78.) Was accepted to the 10th Corps, but did not enter. Returned to CA (San Gabriel Valley), took the Advanced class, married another WOW vet, coordinated a twig for several years, had 2 kids, finally had enough of increasing legalism, hard-heartedness, and arrogance from "leadership" and we ended our ties to twi around 1990. As was the case with so many of us, I had stayed in partly from fear of being "possessed" if we "tripped out."  I did battle depression for quite a while after we left because we had lost our friends and social network and I didn't want to be "unequally yoked" with "unbelievers" or find a church, since I still believed churches were "whited sepulchres. "  Sigh. 

I offer huge thanks  to you all who have posted actual letters and documents from back in the day, particularly the infamous Passing of the Patriarch letter. All I knew about Chris Geer besides that he was at Gartmore then was that Something Big had happened which most of the rank and file were not privy to. I heard snippets of gossip ( "We're not supposed to talk about this, but I heard...") and observed jockeying for position amongst The Bigs, but had no real information.  Some time after this, The Way Bookstore published one of their little booklets entitled "The Passing of the Patriarch" which I now know was so heavily redacted it bears no resemblance to his actual letter. The letter I read for the first time a couple months ago, 33 years after it was written.  I briefly wondered if releasing that letter to the entire "ministry" at that time might have ushered in what some would call a cleansing revival.  Yeah, probably not. "Godly sorrow leading to repentance" was not in our corporate repertoire. Not that the whiny, self-serving drivel I read in that letter would have inspired everyone to get it together.

Earlier today I was telling my older son (who will be 36 next month) about some of the things I read in the GSC and got choked up and teary. Because my twi days were so long ago, I was surprised by this, but then I remembered how much of my heart and soul, time, effort, and money I gave to twi for so many years. I now sometimes wonder if there is a God, yet here I was crying that God's people had been so ill used and hurt by people who claimed to be men of God. 

The last time I took the Advanced class was in the summer of 1984 on the campus of San Diego State University. We stayed in dorm rooms. My roomie and I would make jokes about about certain Way Corps people such as "So and So must have forgotten their AC "retemory" that 'he who shall be greatest among you shall be servant of all'"and similar mockery.  Mind you, I believed that many WC were genuinely trying to walk with God and serve the Body of Christ, but there were many more who behaved as though they walked on water and we worker bees should be grateful to breathe the same air and receive their wisdom.  Our joking was a way to cope with their attitude. I have regretted not lovingly confronting b.s. when I saw it rather than putting up with it, but I don ' t know that even if most of the "believers"  had done so, it would have made much difference. The house that was twi was built on sand and the storm causing its collapse was beginning in fury. That the organization still exists is a wonder to me.

So again, thank you so much and heart hugs to you all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Twinky]

Welcome, Grace and Truth.  Thank you for sharing your journey in such an articulate post.  Many of us still here can relate to what you said.

3 hours ago, Grace and Mercy said:

I have regretted not lovingly confronting b.s. when I saw it rather than putting up with it, but I don ' t know that even if most of the "believers"  had done so, it would have made much difference.

It wouldn't have made any difference to them; all it would have done is hastened your exit.    You'd've invited more "reproof" and ultimately likely would have been marked and avoided.  Many did confront what they saw, and got kicked out.  Some are still trying to do that: witness the Revival and Restoration band, of quite a lot of The Bigs; totally ignored by TWI.  Usually after being kicked out, and when you have no opportunity to respond, you'd've been badly slandered, called "possessed," and generally vilified.  That's a "treat" that you avoided and don't need to know about.

Sit down and join us for a while.  Have a cup of coffee.  Waysider will probably offer you a beer.

[T-Bone]

9 hours ago, Grace and Mercy said:

The last time I took the Advanced class was in the summer of 1984 on the campus of San Diego State University. We stayed in dorm rooms. My roomie and I would make jokes about about certain Way Corps people such as "So and So must have forgotten their AC "retemory" that 'he who shall be greatest among you shall be servant of all'"and similar mockery.  Mind you, I believed that many WC were genuinely trying to walk with God and serve the Body of Christ, but there were many more who behaved as though they walked on water and we worker bees should be grateful to breathe the same air and receive their wisdom.  Our joking was a way to cope with their attitude. I have regretted not lovingly confronting b.s. when I saw it rather than putting up with it, but I don ' t know that even if most of the "believers"  had done so, it would have made much difference. The house that was twi was built on sand and the storm causing its collapse was beginning in fury. That the organization still exists is a wonder to me.

Welcome to Grease Spot,   Grace and Mercy ! I love your comprehensive and expressive story – thanks for sharing.

You’re right, there were a lot of good folks trying to walk with God and serve others – and your last line “That the organization still exists is a wonder to me” made me re-think the upheaval of 1986 after the reading of The Passing of the Patriarch. A common analogy on Grease Spot often draws a comparison to some dedicated folks rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic. But in actuality this TWI-tanic never sank. So the survivors got off and returned to the real world to resume normal lives and the ship of fools remains adrift in an ocean of cultic nonsense.

Another thing that got me was you mentioning a redacted version of the passing of the patriarch in TWI’s bookstore. That made me think of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine supposedly yada yada’d over the best part - click here >  Elaine did not yada yada over the best part

Edited February 26, 2021 by T-Bone
revision

[outandabout]

I remember that Advanced class at San Diego State.  I was a local and had to help with the physical set-up.  I was in charge of furnishing the prayer room and we transported our own couch from our home to put in it and then was told it wasn't acceptable and had to haul it back out.  I also remember how the dorm rooms were furnished for the Big Wigs to look like apartments.  The rest of us stayed in the dorm rooms that were furnished like dorm rooms .  i guess it was just beneath our superiors to lower themselves to spend a few days in a regularly furnished dorm room.  It was then that I saw the inequalities between upper leadership and us regular peon believers.  Some people in way homes were moved out to forfeit their room to people who were more important then them.  Where they went was their problem.  An of course the recipients of these benefits had no gratitude, just a sense of entitlement.  Took me 9 more years until I finally left. 

[Twinky]

3 hours ago, T-Bone said:

But in actuality this TWI-tanic never sank. So the survivors got off and returned to the real world to resume normal lives and the ship of fools remains adrift in an ocean of cultic nonsense.

Love this, T-Bone

[Twinky]

3 hours ago, outandabout said:

I also remember how the dorm rooms were furnished for the Big Wigs to look like apartments.  The rest of us stayed in the dorm rooms that were furnished like dorm rooms .  i guess it was just beneath our superiors to lower themselves to spend a few days in a regularly furnished dorm room.  It was then that I saw the inequalities between upper leadership and us regular peon believers.  Some people in way homes were moved out to forfeit their room to people who were more important then them.  Where they went was their problem. 

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" (George Orwell, Animal Farm)

[Grace and Mercy]

Thanks, Twinky

13 hours ago, Twinky said:

...It wouldn't have made any difference to them; all it would have done is hastened your exit.    You'd've invited more "reproof" and ultimately likely would have been marked and avoided...

thanks, Twinky! Enjoyed the coffee. 
I was out before “Mark and Avoid” was happening. Brings to mind the 1692 Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials. 

[Grace and Mercy]

9 hours ago, T-Bone said:

Thanks, T Bone.  Yep 

[Grace and Mercy]

9 hours ago, outandabout said:

I remember that Advanced class at San Diego State.  I was a local and had to help with the physical set-up.  I was in charge of furnishing the prayer room and we transported our own couch from our home to put in it and then was told it wasn't acceptable and had to haul it back out.  I also remember how the dorm rooms were furnished for the Big Wigs to look like apartments.  The rest of us stayed in the dorm rooms that were furnished like dorm rooms .  i guess it was just beneath our superiors to lower themselves to spend a few days in a regularly furnished dorm room.  It was then that I saw the inequalities between upper leadership and us regular peon believers.  Some people in way homes were moved out to forfeit their room to people who were more important then them.  Where they went was their problem.  An of course the recipients of these benefits had no gratitude, just a sense of entitlement.  Took me 9 more years until I finally left. 

Hi outandabout, too bad we didn’t know each other- you could have laughed with us making fun of The Entitled Ones. It was not mean-spirited, but it was very funny.  

[Stayed Too Long]

Welcome to GSC Grace and Mercy. I was also one who lurked in the forums reading and digesting all that was posted before signing up. I couldn’t get enough of others having the same concerns as me, and to my amazements, still alive. After leaving TWI, I was so afraid of God’s protection leaving me, that I would be a greasespot by midnight. Some days it was amazing to me I was still alive. Thanks to GSC, and all its denizens, I was able to get on with my life.

WELCOME!!

[WordWolf]

Hello, Grace and Mercy!

 

Sadly, releasing POP back then would have accomplished little of worth.

The document, if true,  details vpw complaining about how twi was tossing him aside the way he'd tossed aside so many before that.  So, with lcm- vpw drone 1-  neglecting vpw, vpw went to cg- vpw drone 2,  who soaked up everything with fervent vpw worship.   So, vpw ranted about how the leadership, in forsaking vpw, the broken cistern  of twi's doctrine and practice,  were destroying twi.   He made a bunch of predictions that ALL failed to come to pass.  (It shouldn't surprise anyone that he was a false prophet by now.)    He claimed they'd done wrong-  but never gave any specifics because there WERE no specifics. 

So, POP went on for 40 pages yet lacked substance.   I go on but say something, but POP goes on and says nothing. 

[Grace and Mercy]

Hey STL,  Thanks and glad you're out, too.

[Grace and Mercy]

Hi WordWolf,

I have thought more about that letter and that time and what you guys have said in response to my post, thanks. .  I myself was pretty much sheltered from the fallout , but it must have been horrible for everybody in the way corps. Easy for me to look back from 35 years distance and think about what if, maybe, and (my personal favorite) shoulda coulda woulda. 

But  today, I am so grateful that was then and this is now. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grace Valerie Claire]

Hello, Grace and Mercy! It's good to have you here, at the GSC. You got in TWI, a few years before, I did, but both of us left in 1990. I also noticed that some of the WC people, throught they were God's personal representatives, here to help us "peons", with our walks with God. Most of the WC people, were wonderful to be around, and really did try their best to walk the walk, and talk the talk. However, a few of them had attitudes, that rubbed me the wrong way. These Corps members, throught they were "special", because they were Corps, and most of us regular people weren't. I remember once, I had to go to the ER, for a problem. After, I left the ER, I attended the tail end of a Branch Meeting, and wanted him to pray for me. Instead, he yelled at me, for being sick! I looked at him, but didn't say, a word, and left the meeting quite upset. Never again, did I have any interaction with this foot. In time, the medical problem was dealt with, but I realized how insensitive some of the "Big Wigs", really were. I was thrilled when this man, moved out of my area, and I didn't have to deal with him. Oh Happy Day!

 

 

.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

1 minute ago, Grace Valerie Claire said:

Hello, Grace and Mercy! It's good to have you here, at the GSC. You got in TWI, a few years before, I did, but both of us left in 1990. I also noticed that some of the WC people, throught they were God's personal representatives, here to help us "peons", with our walks with God. Most of the WC people, were wonderful to be around, and really did try their best to walk the walk, and talk the talk. However, a few of them had attitudes, that rubbed me the wrong way. These Corps members, throught they were "special", because they were Corps, and most of us regular people weren't. I remember once, I had to go to the ER, for a problem. After, I left the ER, I attended the tail end of a Branch Meeting, and wanted him to pray for me. Instead, he yelled at me, for being sick! I looked at him, but didn't say, a word, and left the meeting quite upset. Never again, did I have any interaction with this foot. In time, the medical problem was dealt with, but I realized how insensitive some of the "Big Wigs", really were. I was thrilled when this man, moved out of my area, and I didn't have to deal with him. Oh Happy Day!

 

 

.

Excuse me! I wanted the Branch Leader to pray for me. I was happy not to have to deal with this fool!