Can understand if it were a tent with a floor but it wasn't. Can understand if it would be likely to be a cause of litter (wrappings carelessly discarded, etc).
One might wonder how some of these people cope in the wider world.
Thanks 'Twinks' and you just reminded me of a wonderful fellow International Corps sister who went up and rounded up extra blankets for us all :) ;)
Apparently 368kb is beyond my photo posting limit.
3 things stuck out for me:
1. Hearing "the rightly divided word" used twice reminds me of the "us vs them" bias I held against other Christians.
2. "...expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille..." shows how they are lying to their followers' faces about who this man actually was. How corrupt of an organization is that?
3. "Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacles." (Underlining is mine) This is not an invitation but an command wrapped up in sugar-coated propaganda.
It makes me wonder what the pressure will be like by every leader on the field to get their people to attend.
Apparently 368kb is beyond my photo posting limit.
That was a text-filled image. Here's what it says.
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued.
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
That was a text-filled image. Here's what it says.
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued.
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President
Thanks.
i let my Adobe expire. Couldn't extract the text.
Edit: Well, I could have easily copied and pasted into a Google Doc. Must not have been beleeving big enough. Thanks, again, WW.
That was a text-filled image. Here's what it says.
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued. (Wasn't the reason for this being Martindale was making an accusation of rampant homosexuality occurring in the WOW program?)
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President
Let's see - in this monumental announcement, the word of God is mentioned five times and vpw mentioned once and Jesus Christ - not at all. (It reminds me of the long GSC's "Absent Christ" thread.) Plus, the existence of the rightly-divided word of God and the ROA are again directly connected to one source - twi's founder vpw.
It all seemed just as described above when I was involved back in the 70's and 80's while beneath the surface, all kinds of doctrinal errors and ugly practices were being kept hidden.
There has been no similar monumental announcement from the new twi where they acknowledged all their past wrongdoings, apologized for it, made amends where amends were due and disclosed specific changes to prevent them from ever going down that path again.
I think such cowardice in not doing so negates all the "greatness" they claim to have.
OK, let's have a little fun and look at the content.
Here's the unedited letter.
----------------------------------------------
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued.
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
[We know the drill. One, only the people IN twi, doing everything they say, are addressed as "dearest saints". But it's still God who has to bless abundantly, because twi never does anything for free, and never does anything at wholesale prices or at cost. The "dearest saints" all pay RETAIL for twi and the money ALL goes into twi's coffers.]
"What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound. "
[ "Nonconventional" isn't a word. The first ROA could sensibly have been done at a campgrounds already prepared for events. Why was it done at twi headquarters? They owned the land, so it cost them nothing to rent it. That they knew little or nothing about how to RUN such an event never stopped vpw from doing anything- especially when it meant he could hang on to money. The man would let the twi peons deal with miserable conditions or privation in order to save a few bucks for twi, which he skimmed off when he had the chance. He really did NOT see the people as anything other than revenue sources. So, they set things up as close to free as they could manage. The results were humble. A "stage" of 2 trucks backed up, side by side. The entertainment was all volunteers- cost, zero, but quality was not assured. The power went out because the electrical wasn't up to such an event, and twi's people weren't professional electricians. Naturally, SOMETHING went wrong. But it was done on the cheap- which was vpw's rule, and so it was twi's rule.]
"But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever."
[vpw did his best to milk society where it was at the time. The young people he could con were Christian hippies and attendees of music festivals- like Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Altamont, Watkins Glen, etc. So, what did he do? Figure out how to fake a Christian music festival on the cheap. Make SOMETHING on the grounds. Add lots of spiritual talk about how amazing it was. Push for Christian musicians all over twi to show up and perform for free. After a few of them showed up, twi had a "Christian music festival" on the cheap. Hearing it phrased like this makes something clear to me that wasn't clear before. The whole point of setting up the music festival was entirely to fire up the kids. vpw pushed these well-meaning, God-loving kids, kids used to traveling and hitch-hiking and loving God, and convincing them that the only way to REALLY please God right then was to jump immediately into the WOW program. Lots of leaning on the kids, lots of isolation from outsiders, lots of pumping them up to get them excited, then IMMEDIATELY send them out before they get buyer's remorse or reconsider. Then, for the next several months to a year, they have to hitch-hike somewhere- at their own risk, no getting them there safely with twi paying even for gas money- cover all expenses out-of-pocket, get people to sign up for pfal- for prices then around 80-100 dollars- and talk people into handing over 10% of their income for life to twi while they did the same. Later groups were organized around which kids were driving their own cars so they could send 3 more kids with them in their car, but the rest still applied. Were there lives wonderfully changed forever by going WOW? Virtually everyone who did, later left twi. I think the answer is obvious. Except for the new young people, too naive to know the past, still naive enough to say "But this time will be different because we will fix it." How many generations of twi young people have said exactly that, with no resulting change to twi?]
"Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued."
[Amazing how much was left out. twi realized they were in over their heads. They slowly set things up to do the event locally, but held it elsewhere while they got ready. Each year, it was all about sending out more salesmen for twi, more people to add to twi's income by paying 10% of their income and buying twi materials at RETAIL prices, even though they were printed in-house. As new members included families, and old members made families, the even expanded to include an event better suited to families. But it's always been more for young people.
Yes, twi grew steadily. Why? The first people vpw conned were Christian hippies who had already started something at the House of Acts. vpw went there to recruit them. He STRANGLED what was a grassroots movement of God's Word and God's Spirit locally, and twisted it into a recruiting arm for twi. As an unintended side effect, they spread God's Word legitimately. The people THEY spoke to and ministered to were real Christians, who spoke to others. twi grew because the people who gave credit to the class that had been little help were all legit Christians who really made the difference themselves. That kept growing until vpw died, and the fall out of a lot of lies and deceptions- all from him- came bubbling to the top. That led to the PoP, the fog years, the top leaders who walked, and, eventually, lcm drawing his line in the sand and demanding an oath of loyalty from all the leadership. 4/5 of twi vanished that year- leaders who refused to swear an oath of loyalty to any man, and people who trusted the leaders they'd worked with rather than someone mostly a stranger who claimed those leaders were greedy, prideful, lustful, etc. So, the 1989 ROA was 1/5 what the 1988 ROA was, and the membership continued to trickle out. lcm saying progressively crazier things didn't help this. The continuing "relationship" between his wife and another woman in twi- rfr, of course- preyed on his mind. He began lengthy, hateful diatribes against homosexuality, and began to see it behind every corner. He announced that 1/3 of one year's WOWs were secretly all homosexual, and cancelled both the WOW program and the ROA. That's why it was "discontinued" in 1995.]
"We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living." "
[Nostalgia and fantasy have come around and now we're getting a supposed redo of the ROA. The promises are largely the same, and will probably be delivered with all the disappointing duds of previous ROAs. The only thing worth remembering from ROAs were the locals from everywhere else- and twi doesn't have them anymore.
It's sad that young people can still be suckered in to the WOW program. Yes, kids, you can do it too. First of all, YOU PAY US for the privilege of going WOW. Then we tell you where to go, and you will travel at your own expense. You will arrive, and arrange for jobs and places to live, together, pooling your resources because you can't afford to go solo. You'll continue to tithe money to us all year. You'll act as free advertising for us, and talk people into paying lots of money for a class that costs us little and a few books we printed in-house. Then they will tithe to us as well. At the end of the year, you return to us, again at your own expense. Finally, we do something for you. For the thousands of hours of work and the thousands of dollars you gave us, we award you an enamel pin for your lapel, and shake your hand.
Oh, and victor paul wierwille was a plagiarizing rapist who was a chain-smoking alcoholic. He frequently raved and screamed at people when the cameras were off. He was a slave to his vices, and they're what killed him. After decades of alcohol and tobacco, his weakened immune system was unable to put up a fight against the cancer he introduced into his body with the chain-smoking of tobacco products. BTW, when vpw travelled to places locally, not only were the locals expected to put him up in their homes for free, not only did they take up a donation and hand him a bag of untraceable cash, but locals were assigned to by his alcohol and tobacco because he couldn't go a few days without large supplies of both. Don't believe me? We all know he smoked Kool shorties and drank Drambuie. Except for vpw drinking it, I've never heard of the drink.]
"Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President"
[twi misses the chance to absorb what money is left for vacation from its peons. So, now they're getting leaned on to show up and spend money locally at retail prices. Once there, they'll get leaned on AGAIN, to push the WOW program just like decades ago. The naive, the weak-willed, and the stupid will have no chance at all. Oh, since the previous times the growth was from the real Christians who went out despite the program being corrupt, and twi doesn't have them and hasn't had them for decades, there will be a lack of impact and a lack of growth. Who will be blamed? The kids who went out there and worked their hearts out will be blamed for not believing enough. They'll be made to feel like garbage and like failures- all so twi can make them feel better again by "forgiving them". twi's not above manufacturing a problem just so they can manufacture the solution and sell it retail.
BTW, VWE was being vague about the Father in question. He's left plausible deniability that it was God Almighty, but he was referring obliquely to victor paul wierwille, who claimed that he was "our father in the word" in twi. He claimed the Bible supported this viewpoint- but it does not, and by now this should surprise no one. The man was a sham, a fraud, a successful con man. God Almighty will deal with him in due course. How many people are ready to follow him off a cliff this time?]
Who will be blamed? The kids who went out there and worked their hearts out will be blamed for not believing enough. They'll be made to feel like garbage and like failures- all so twi can make them feel better again by "forgiving them".
It's an illusion. A seductive illusion. An erected idol of the past onto which one plants a foot. The other foot plants into an imaginary future, allowing perfect positioning for squatting over and defecating into the mouth of the eternal now.
"Cold-hearted orb that rules the night Removes the colours from our sight Red is grey and yellow white But we decide which is right And which is an illusion."...Late Lament
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waysider
Oh, they're full of it, alright.
Rusty Duck
Any stories about serving on Bless Patrol at any of the Rock of Ages? I was on Bless Patrol at the back door of the House of Wierwille in 1981. It was surreal watching Dubofsky, Lynn and Martindale sh
Rocky
The answer is multifold. Sure, believing and holding forth the story for God's protection was only one part of it. The reality was more complicated. Any religion seeking to stir up the dust and challe
Allan
Thanks 'Twinks' and you just reminded me of a wonderful fellow International Corps sister who went up and rounded up extra blankets for us all :) ;)
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penguin2
ROA 2025 Will be the first real rebooted Rock. They rebooted it for young adults first and have had two.
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Nathan_Jr
"Dearest Saints
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August 1971..."
You can view the full letter from Vern here: https://www.reddit.com/r/theway/s/ecdSvJaYDS
Apparently 368kb is beyond my photo posting limit.
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Rocky
Yawn...
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Charity
3 things stuck out for me:
1. Hearing "the rightly divided word" used twice reminds me of the "us vs them" bias I held against other Christians.
2. "...expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille..." shows how they are lying to their followers' faces about who this man actually was. How corrupt of an organization is that?
3. "Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacles." (Underlining is mine) This is not an invitation but an command wrapped up in sugar-coated propaganda.
It makes me wonder what the pressure will be like by every leader on the field to get their people to attend.
Edited by CharityLink to comment
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Twinky
Sorry, I can't go this year. I have to - mmm - clip my toenails. Count the leaves on my roses. Count the hairs on my friend's head.
Frankly, I can't believe anyone is really interested. And that there still seems to be an in-rez WC. Poor deluded souls.
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Nathan_Jr
If I were a current dupe standing on the word as contrived by vic paul, I wouldn't go unless I got the green light twice,
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WordWolf
That was a text-filled image. Here's what it says.
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued.
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President
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Nathan_Jr
Thanks.
i let my Adobe expire. Couldn't extract the text.
Edit: Well, I could have easily copied and pasted into a Google Doc. Must not have been beleeving big enough. Thanks, again, WW.
Edited by Nathan_JrFace Palm
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Charity
Let's see - in this monumental announcement, the word of God is mentioned five times and vpw mentioned once and Jesus Christ - not at all. (It reminds me of the long GSC's "Absent Christ" thread.) Plus, the existence of the rightly-divided word of God and the ROA are again directly connected to one source - twi's founder vpw.
It all seemed just as described above when I was involved back in the 70's and 80's while beneath the surface, all kinds of doctrinal errors and ugly practices were being kept hidden.
There has been no similar monumental announcement from the new twi where they acknowledged all their past wrongdoings, apologized for it, made amends where amends were due and disclosed specific changes to prevent them from ever going down that path again.
I think such cowardice in not doing so negates all the "greatness" they claim to have.
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WordWolf
Copy/paste? I must type a LOT faster than you. I just retyped it.
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Nathan_Jr
Ha!
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Oakspear
"...emerged into full fruition..." ?
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Nathan_Jr
Fully, fully, fully full in fullness...
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waysider
Oh, they're full of it, alright.
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WordWolf
OK, let's have a little fun and look at the content.
Here's the unedited letter.
----------------------------------------------
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly.
What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound.
But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever.
Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued.
We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living."
Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President
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WordWolf
[Now let's look at this a bit at a time.]
"Dearest Saints,
God bless you abundantly."
[We know the drill. One, only the people IN twi, doing everything they say, are addressed as "dearest saints". But it's still God who has to bless abundantly, because twi never does anything for free, and never does anything at wholesale prices or at cost. The "dearest saints" all pay RETAIL for twi and the money ALL goes into twi's coffers.]
"What we commonly recognize as the first Rock of Ages emerged into full fruition in August of 1971, although with quite humble beginnings. The main stage consisted of two flatbed trailers. This stage was situated in an unpretentious spot under a willow tree near the creek that flows through the grounds of The Way International Headquarters. The nonconventional decorations on the stage paired well with the numerous musical groups of differing skill levels. Things weren't perfect. One night during the event the power even went out, affecting the lighting and sound. "
[ "Nonconventional" isn't a word. The first ROA could sensibly have been done at a campgrounds already prepared for events. Why was it done at twi headquarters? They owned the land, so it cost them nothing to rent it. That they knew little or nothing about how to RUN such an event never stopped vpw from doing anything- especially when it meant he could hang on to money. The man would let the twi peons deal with miserable conditions or privation in order to save a few bucks for twi, which he skimmed off when he had the chance. He really did NOT see the people as anything other than revenue sources. So, they set things up as close to free as they could manage. The results were humble. A "stage" of 2 trucks backed up, side by side. The entertainment was all volunteers- cost, zero, but quality was not assured. The power went out because the electrical wasn't up to such an event, and twi's people weren't professional electricians. Naturally, SOMETHING went wrong. But it was done on the cheap- which was vpw's rule, and so it was twi's rule.]
"But that summer at this "Christian music festival,"things occurred of gigantic spiritual proportions. About a thousand people attended. Young people from all over the country gathered to hear the bands play and to fellowship with each other. But they were there for another reason also. They wanted to hear the rightly divided Word of God and see it live bigger in their lives. In addition to the energized teachings, the first call was made for Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors. WOW Ambassadors would be sent all over the United States to preach and teach God's Word. About one-quarter of the participants went out as WOW Ambassadors that year in three waves. It is clear that many who attended "ROA '71" had their lives wonderfully changed forever."
[vpw did his best to milk society where it was at the time. The young people he could con were Christian hippies and attendees of music festivals- like Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Altamont, Watkins Glen, etc. So, what did he do? Figure out how to fake a Christian music festival on the cheap. Make SOMETHING on the grounds. Add lots of spiritual talk about how amazing it was. Push for Christian musicians all over twi to show up and perform for free. After a few of them showed up, twi had a "Christian music festival" on the cheap. Hearing it phrased like this makes something clear to me that wasn't clear before. The whole point of setting up the music festival was entirely to fire up the kids. vpw pushed these well-meaning, God-loving kids, kids used to traveling and hitch-hiking and loving God, and convincing them that the only way to REALLY please God right then was to jump immediately into the WOW program. Lots of leaning on the kids, lots of isolation from outsiders, lots of pumping them up to get them excited, then IMMEDIATELY send them out before they get buyer's remorse or reconsider. Then, for the next several months to a year, they have to hitch-hike somewhere- at their own risk, no getting them there safely with twi paying even for gas money- cover all expenses out-of-pocket, get people to sign up for pfal- for prices then around 80-100 dollars- and talk people into handing over 10% of their income for life to twi while they did the same. Later groups were organized around which kids were driving their own cars so they could send 3 more kids with them in their car, but the rest still applied. Were there lives wonderfully changed forever by going WOW? Virtually everyone who did, later left twi. I think the answer is obvious. Except for the new young people, too naive to know the past, still naive enough to say "But this time will be different because we will fix it." How many generations of twi young people have said exactly that, with no resulting change to twi?]
"Over the next twenty-four years, the Rock of Ages became an annual event. It changed as the needs of the ministry changed. It naturally adapted into a gathering for the whole family- with good fun, good food, and good fellowship, but still centered around the Word of God. For several years the event was held at local fairgrounds equipped to accommodate the growing interest, but in 1978 it came back to the grounds of The Way International. For the next number of years it grew in various capacities. Then in 1995 it was discontinued."
[Amazing how much was left out. twi realized they were in over their heads. They slowly set things up to do the event locally, but held it elsewhere while they got ready. Each year, it was all about sending out more salesmen for twi, more people to add to twi's income by paying 10% of their income and buying twi materials at RETAIL prices, even though they were printed in-house. As new members included families, and old members made families, the even expanded to include an event better suited to families. But it's always been more for young people.
Yes, twi grew steadily. Why? The first people vpw conned were Christian hippies who had already started something at the House of Acts. vpw went there to recruit them. He STRANGLED what was a grassroots movement of God's Word and God's Spirit locally, and twisted it into a recruiting arm for twi. As an unintended side effect, they spread God's Word legitimately. The people THEY spoke to and ministered to were real Christians, who spoke to others. twi grew because the people who gave credit to the class that had been little help were all legit Christians who really made the difference themselves. That kept growing until vpw died, and the fall out of a lot of lies and deceptions- all from him- came bubbling to the top. That led to the PoP, the fog years, the top leaders who walked, and, eventually, lcm drawing his line in the sand and demanding an oath of loyalty from all the leadership. 4/5 of twi vanished that year- leaders who refused to swear an oath of loyalty to any man, and people who trusted the leaders they'd worked with rather than someone mostly a stranger who claimed those leaders were greedy, prideful, lustful, etc. So, the 1989 ROA was 1/5 what the 1988 ROA was, and the membership continued to trickle out. lcm saying progressively crazier things didn't help this. The continuing "relationship" between his wife and another woman in twi- rfr, of course- preyed on his mind. He began lengthy, hateful diatribes against homosexuality, and began to see it behind every corner. He announced that 1/3 of one year's WOWs were secretly all homosexual, and cancelled both the WOW program and the ROA. That's why it was "discontinued" in 1995.]
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WordWolf
"We now have the magnificent joy and privilege to once again host the Rock of Ages at The Way International. It will be a beautiful blend of the old and the new. It will have elements of nostalgia, but with a modern flair carefully intertwined. It will give believers some relaxing days that are full of sweet fellowship, rich with the love of God, and lavish with God's rightly divided Word. It will be an inspiring time of seeing Way Ambassadors commissioned and Ambassadors once again sent forth from the Rock. Yes, ROA '25 is for those who love God, of all generations and at all levels of spiritual maturity. And it will reflect this heart expressed by our Founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, in 1983: " It is wonderful to be home again for the fellowship of believers where the family [of God] is the center of joyful living." "
[Nostalgia and fantasy have come around and now we're getting a supposed redo of the ROA. The promises are largely the same, and will probably be delivered with all the disappointing duds of previous ROAs. The only thing worth remembering from ROAs were the locals from everywhere else- and twi doesn't have them anymore.
It's sad that young people can still be suckered in to the WOW program. Yes, kids, you can do it too. First of all, YOU PAY US for the privilege of going WOW. Then we tell you where to go, and you will travel at your own expense. You will arrive, and arrange for jobs and places to live, together, pooling your resources because you can't afford to go solo. You'll continue to tithe money to us all year. You'll act as free advertising for us, and talk people into paying lots of money for a class that costs us little and a few books we printed in-house. Then they will tithe to us as well. At the end of the year, you return to us, again at your own expense. Finally, we do something for you. For the thousands of hours of work and the thousands of dollars you gave us, we award you an enamel pin for your lapel, and shake your hand.
Oh, and victor paul wierwille was a plagiarizing rapist who was a chain-smoking alcoholic. He frequently raved and screamed at people when the cameras were off. He was a slave to his vices, and they're what killed him. After decades of alcohol and tobacco, his weakened immune system was unable to put up a fight against the cancer he introduced into his body with the chain-smoking of tobacco products. BTW, when vpw travelled to places locally, not only were the locals expected to put him up in their homes for free, not only did they take up a donation and hand him a bag of untraceable cash, but locals were assigned to by his alcohol and tobacco because he couldn't go a few days without large supplies of both. Don't believe me? We all know he smoked Kool shorties and drank Drambuie. Except for vpw drinking it, I've never heard of the drink.]
"Make your plans now and diligently prepare so that nothing hinders your participation in this splendid occasion. Believe big to overcome any obstacle. There may be many life-changing events in a person's short time here on earth, but this will be among the greatest of them all. It will be the Rock of all Rocks. So...SEE YOU AT THE ROCK!
In our Father's love,
Vernon W. Edwards
President"
[twi misses the chance to absorb what money is left for vacation from its peons. So, now they're getting leaned on to show up and spend money locally at retail prices. Once there, they'll get leaned on AGAIN, to push the WOW program just like decades ago. The naive, the weak-willed, and the stupid will have no chance at all. Oh, since the previous times the growth was from the real Christians who went out despite the program being corrupt, and twi doesn't have them and hasn't had them for decades, there will be a lack of impact and a lack of growth. Who will be blamed? The kids who went out there and worked their hearts out will be blamed for not believing enough. They'll be made to feel like garbage and like failures- all so twi can make them feel better again by "forgiving them". twi's not above manufacturing a problem just so they can manufacture the solution and sell it retail.
BTW, VWE was being vague about the Father in question. He's left plausible deniability that it was God Almighty, but he was referring obliquely to victor paul wierwille, who claimed that he was "our father in the word" in twi. He claimed the Bible supported this viewpoint- but it does not, and by now this should surprise no one. The man was a sham, a fraud, a successful con man. God Almighty will deal with him in due course. How many people are ready to follow him off a cliff this time?]
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Nathan_Jr
Well done, WW.
The academic term for this is Trauma Bond
Edited by Nathan_JrGloves
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Nathan_Jr
Nostalgia
It's an illusion. A seductive illusion. An erected idol of the past onto which one plants a foot. The other foot plants into an imaginary future, allowing perfect positioning for squatting over and defecating into the mouth of the eternal now.
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waysider
"Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is grey and yellow white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion."...Late Lament
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