1973 -1988. From age 24 to 38, my young adulthood, the years most people are establishing a foundation for their lives. I spent my youth being ordered around by a cult.
(though I heard a member from Morganton in spring of '73 during lunchtime at Lenoir High School outside on the front lawn 2 different times before being run off by the principal) to
late December 1979 when I tried to defend them in a letter to The Charlotte Observer when I was
reprimanded by the Limb leader in a personal letter for drawing attention which HQ did not need. Also, that fall in September I had a collapsed left lung (only 10%) and was hospitalized for 3 days, yet no one from The Way ever received revelation knowledge that I was ill nor ever visted me. Yet clergy from many
denominations did stop by, visit and prayed for me. and as they say, that's the rest of the story. So Galen, Mike Raf, and others, know you
know more about me. I am organist/director of music at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lincolnton, NC where I direct a chancel choir,
conduct 3 octave handbell group, and play percussion for our Contemporary Praise Ensmble
"Justified By Faith". Also, I am a member of The American Guild of Organists,Association of
Lutheran Church Musicians, Hymn Society of US &
Canada, United Church of Christ National Musicians Network, and active in The Moravian
Music Foundation. Thomas PS visit my church's website which is www.holycrosselca.org and see pictures of me playing organ and drumset, as well as discussions on Alpha and 40 Days of Purpose classes. TLB
I was in since 1977-1991 Highest "level" achieved was twig coordinator for 6 years. No higher than that. Few repercussions. Guess I did not have the "right" kinds of "friends". LOL (barfs in barfbag)
Got l2 years of "blessings"....LOL in in l975 out in l987 when the sh!t hit the ole fan..I'm glad I heard the "dark side" stories, but in all honesty...compared to the religions out there...TWI at least opened the possibilities to get with people more one on one & wouldn't do it any different if I could do it over. Met some great people while in & found alot of people really willing to help the wife & I as far as dealing with child raising & overall chi chatting. Never held VP on a pedastal & was always accused of bucking the leadership..we were the first to leave our area, as we were the only ones not afraid to check out Ralph/JAL .
I would return if a person like Ralph headed the thing..as Ralph really fought for his people...the big thing I hated about leadership was their lack of taking the time to know anyone individually UNLESS you kissed every part of their behind...so saw alot of yes-men talk the talk...hehehe
I took the class in 85 went wow in 86 .I stopped going not because I had a problem with the way specifically but because people at fellowship started talking more about this guy ,that guy.The word wasnt being taught so I just stopped going in 90.I did have the twig leader marry my daughter and son in law in 96 though.He and his wife werent having
"way meetings"or standing with THE WAY but both have greats hearts .They still having fellowship.Who they are standing with,who kno ws and who cares.After all, theres only one God,one lord and one baptisum.
Was active in twig most of those years... met a lot of really excellent people... people with hearts of gold... and met some idiots along the way also... the heartless ones. Thankful for the basic understanding of the bible.
Fellowship Coordinator 84-86 (didn't feel suited for the job)
Advanced Class 85 (California... very strange experience there)
Apprentice Corps... (engaged... told I had to break it off, or would be booted from the program)
Quit that training... Coordinator alcoholic & Leadership closed their eyes... couldn't be part of that!
Married 86 (to friend who stood w/ me during bs)
88 First Child
Moved around... obeyed leadership, moved many times to be NEAR strong leaders...
91 Second Child (born at home)...Bought First house~
93 Third Child (born at home)
96 Sold the house... could have no debt :unsure:
Faithfully tithing 15 to 20 % FAITHFULLY!
Still moving around... and around... many Corps & leaders leaving...
2000 Big CAR accident, 6 months pregnant... aksed to run a fellowship THAT EVENING
Accepted... strange time... many still leaving... strong warnings to not look online... 4th Child
LOOKED
Had Questions... Call about Martindale sex-capades
LOOKED MORE... WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS W/ HUBBY
Confusion... :unsure: ...FEAR
Warnings about those in the fellowship that left
Warnings about Limb Coordinators....
Meeting with Branch Coordinators... hear about conversation with Limb Coordinators that left
Classes in the middle of all this stuff... :unsure:
New Limb Coordinators ... HARD foot COUPLE, no children, Expensive Apartment, Expensive STUFF... LOTS OF EXPENSIVE STUFF (could people that hard be godly?????)
More classes... lots of classes...
CONTINUED INTERNET WARNINGS...
We silently withdrew in 2002... didn't answer the phone for a couple of days
See other 'believers' that left... they were publicky drunk, out of control, throwing up... left children behind at a public function...
Run into some innies... "you can come back anytime... it's really better now" :huh:
Moved AGAIN... too strange of a place to be
Moved twice since then... now healing... continued healing... begining to enjoy life
We were planning to go in the 17th Corps but during our appenticeship year things started getting weird and we felt it would not be best for us or our marriage, Thank God we did not go..
Moved to Il. continued to run a fellowship til things started breaking up. Involved with the Cardens and Guarini's.
Even sat through the class Chris G. was promoting.....After that, stopped had enough....1994.
Started going to a Christian Bible Church in 1998 and have ever since.
Don't miss a thing.....
Moved in 2000. to our home town, it it so great to be reunited with friends and family. Funny thing, all the belivers we knew way back then,1976, are still our core of friends, we would do anything for each other. That truely is something.We all have moved on and away from TWI. And have found our place to serve. :)
Advanced Class in 75 after being a college WOW that year living in a Way Home
Continued happily learning the Word, never noticed bad stuff except from a few jerks - always chalked that up to the individual, not the organization
Started to drift away in 87
Attended fellowships off and on until about 92 (part of that was with D**g Seed's offshoot in CA)
Took a break from organized religion for a couple of years
Attended a Methodist church for about 10 yrs, bland but somewhat fulfilling - taught Sunday School, kids are more fulfilling than the adults I've found
Year ago started attending a very large Contemporary Christian church (even got baptized by immersion!)
Feeling much more satisfied with my spiritual path and growth than at any time since I was active in TWI
" Will this be on the test?"-------------Took pfal/tip in '72-------- tip was then replaced by intermediate.-----Took about 1,653 other classes I probably could easily forget if it weren't for the class materials I still have.------I also took that silly CHRISTIAN COUNSELING that was talked about on the thread about classes.----Here is agreat quote from it " There are some real heart-rendering Psalms of David, When do you think they were written? Do not teach it, we cannot prove it; but there are indications it was during that period of time when he wasreally separated from GOD because of all that stuff with Bathsheba and Uriah."----SAY WHAT!? -------We can't prove it?---------- So why are they even breaching the issue?-----AC in '73 --Fellowlaborers '75 thru '77 ----Divorced/remarried in early '80's. ----------Went through basic core of classes with wife. She never was ready to commit in a large sense ( Did I mention she is brighter than I?)-----Stayed in as twiggies for about 10 years. Do those years count?------drifted away from twig but always sort of felt like I was part of it much like always being part of a family that's hundreds of miles away ------Knew nothing of twi2 until I stopped in here for coffee not too long ago.
Got in at 11. Took the class at 12. Stayed until I was 39.
28 years in all. Hate to call them wasted years because I am who I am because of my experiences in life. And I kinda like who I have become. But at times I am tempted to believe it was a wasted life.
AC73 at HQ (all the TIP and other classes in between)
Twig/Branch/ Area leader(central IL) 73-74
Organized the first IL "Limb" meeting in Christmas 73 Peoria
(we weren't officially a limb, but were wannabes)
WOW 74 Allentown, PA
Married my WOW sis in 75 and have lived happily ever after here in Arvada, CO
We simply stopped going and finally faded from the mailing list once the sexual escapades and their accompanying rationalizations were made known to us by our good friends who left the Family Corps and came to stay with us for a few months. We are thankful for their friendship over all these years.
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MarkedAndAvoided
I was in from 1980-1992. Marked and Avoided
Nottawayfer
I left in December 2002. March 2003 would have been my official 20 year anniversary. Darn, if I could have hung in for a little longer, I could have gotten a spayshul paper from the bod recognizing
Dozer
PFAL in 1976 and WOW in San Antonio the same year. W Corps 12 grad. Left with John Lynn ousting in DC 1987 (was it?). Still miss a lot of folk, though memories are fading. Keeping the faith tho..
outandabout
1973 -1988. From age 24 to 38, my young adulthood, the years most people are establishing a foundation for their lives. I spent my youth being ordered around by a cult.
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
I was involved with TWI from late August 1973
(though I heard a member from Morganton in spring of '73 during lunchtime at Lenoir High School outside on the front lawn 2 different times before being run off by the principal) to
late December 1979 when I tried to defend them in a letter to The Charlotte Observer when I was
reprimanded by the Limb leader in a personal letter for drawing attention which HQ did not need. Also, that fall in September I had a collapsed left lung (only 10%) and was hospitalized for 3 days, yet no one from The Way ever received revelation knowledge that I was ill nor ever visted me. Yet clergy from many
denominations did stop by, visit and prayed for me. and as they say, that's the rest of the story. So Galen, Mike Raf, and others, know you
know more about me. I am organist/director of music at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lincolnton, NC where I direct a chancel choir,
conduct 3 octave handbell group, and play percussion for our Contemporary Praise Ensmble
"Justified By Faith". Also, I am a member of The American Guild of Organists,Association of
Lutheran Church Musicians, Hymn Society of US &
Canada, United Church of Christ National Musicians Network, and active in The Moravian
Music Foundation. Thomas PS visit my church's website which is www.holycrosselca.org and see pictures of me playing organ and drumset, as well as discussions on Alpha and 40 Days of Purpose classes. TLB
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outintexas
The poll only goes to 20 years. I was in for 25. 1974 to May 25, 1999 (age 17 to 42) when I got M&A'd - the best thing that ever happened.
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dmiller
outintexas -- welcome to Greasespot!
:)-->
(What a long strange trip it's been -- eh?)
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
too long it cost me a house {the least important} a wife and 4 kids f...k twi
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Jan
I was in since 1977-1991 Highest "level" achieved was twig coordinator for 6 years. No higher than that. Few repercussions. Guess I did not have the "right" kinds of "friends". LOL (barfs in barfbag)
Jan
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likeaneagle
18 yrs.
75-82
89-2000
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likeaneagle
18 yrs.
75-83
89-2000
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Second James
Got l2 years of "blessings"....LOL in in l975 out in l987 when the sh!t hit the ole fan..I'm glad I heard the "dark side" stories, but in all honesty...compared to the religions out there...TWI at least opened the possibilities to get with people more one on one & wouldn't do it any different if I could do it over. Met some great people while in & found alot of people really willing to help the wife & I as far as dealing with child raising & overall chi chatting. Never held VP on a pedastal & was always accused of bucking the leadership..we were the first to leave our area, as we were the only ones not afraid to check out Ralph/JAL .
I would return if a person like Ralph headed the thing..as Ralph really fought for his people...the big thing I hated about leadership was their lack of taking the time to know anyone individually UNLESS you kissed every part of their behind...so saw alot of yes-men talk the talk...hehehe
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dawna
I took the class in 85 went wow in 86 .I stopped going not because I had a problem with the way specifically but because people at fellowship started talking more about this guy ,that guy.The word wasnt being taught so I just stopped going in 90.I did have the twig leader marry my daughter and son in law in 96 though.He and his wife werent having
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Amazingrace
8 years.
PFAL in '76. WOW in '82. Left in '83.
Was active in twig most of those years... met a lot of really excellent people... people with hearts of gold... and met some idiots along the way also... the heartless ones. Thankful for the basic understanding of the bible.
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penguin
I left right at 20 years. Could've done it sooner if I had openly talked to the spouse!
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SafariVista
Witnessed to summer of 81
Got letters for one year
ROA 82 (invited to A Christian Rock Festival)
Classes began 82
WOW 83-84
Fellowship Coordinator 84-86 (didn't feel suited for the job)
Advanced Class 85 (California... very strange experience there)
Apprentice Corps... (engaged... told I had to break it off, or would be booted from the program)
Quit that training... Coordinator alcoholic & Leadership closed their eyes... couldn't be part of that!
Married 86 (to friend who stood w/ me during bs)
88 First Child
Moved around... obeyed leadership, moved many times to be NEAR strong leaders...
91 Second Child (born at home)...Bought First house~
93 Third Child (born at home)
96 Sold the house... could have no debt :unsure:
Faithfully tithing 15 to 20 % FAITHFULLY!
Still moving around... and around... many Corps & leaders leaving...
2000 Big CAR accident, 6 months pregnant... aksed to run a fellowship THAT EVENING
Accepted... strange time... many still leaving... strong warnings to not look online... 4th Child
LOOKED
Had Questions... Call about Martindale sex-capades
LOOKED MORE... WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS W/ HUBBY
Confusion... :unsure: ...FEAR
Warnings about those in the fellowship that left
Warnings about Limb Coordinators....
Meeting with Branch Coordinators... hear about conversation with Limb Coordinators that left
Classes in the middle of all this stuff... :unsure:
New Limb Coordinators ... HARD foot COUPLE, no children, Expensive Apartment, Expensive STUFF... LOTS OF EXPENSIVE STUFF
(could people that hard be godly?????)
More classes... lots of classes...
CONTINUED INTERNET WARNINGS...
We silently withdrew in 2002... didn't answer the phone for a couple of days
See other 'believers' that left... they were publicky drunk, out of control, throwing up... left children behind at a public function...
Run into some innies... "you can come back anytime... it's really better now" :huh:
Moved AGAIN... too strange of a place to be
Moved twice since then... now healing... continued healing... begining to enjoy life
21 Years of Listening to truth mixed with Lies~
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Sunnyfla
1983-1992 :huh:
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Peruser
75-94
First twig in 75
First class 77
WOW 80, 84
Couple ACs
Assorted classes, seminars, and pep-rally's
Out in 94
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Ca_dreaming
Took the class 1976
Advanced class 1979
W.O.W. 78-79
Was going go in the 11th corps-Didn't-
Married in 1983 ran a fellowship in Ca. til 1987.
We were planning to go in the 17th Corps but during our appenticeship year things started getting weird and we felt it would not be best for us or our marriage, Thank God we did not go..
Moved to Il. continued to run a fellowship til things started breaking up. Involved with the Cardens and Guarini's.
Even sat through the class Chris G. was promoting.....After that, stopped had enough....1994.
Started going to a Christian Bible Church in 1998 and have ever since.
Don't miss a thing.....
Moved in 2000. to our home town, it it so great to be reunited with friends and family. Funny thing, all the belivers we knew way back then,1976, are still our core of friends, we would do anything for each other. That truely is something.We all have moved on and away from TWI. And have found our place to serve. :)
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alleycat
Took PFAL in April 73
Advanced Class in 75 after being a college WOW that year living in a Way Home
Continued happily learning the Word, never noticed bad stuff except from a few jerks - always chalked that up to the individual, not the organization
Started to drift away in 87
Attended fellowships off and on until about 92 (part of that was with D**g Seed's offshoot in CA)
Took a break from organized religion for a couple of years
Attended a Methodist church for about 10 yrs, bland but somewhat fulfilling - taught Sunday School, kids are more fulfilling than the adults I've found
Year ago started attending a very large Contemporary Christian church (even got baptized by immersion!)
Feeling much more satisfied with my spiritual path and growth than at any time since I was active in TWI
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waysider
" Will this be on the test?"-------------Took pfal/tip in '72-------- tip was then replaced by intermediate.-----Took about 1,653 other classes I probably could easily forget if it weren't for the class materials I still have.------I also took that silly CHRISTIAN COUNSELING that was talked about on the thread about classes.----Here is agreat quote from it " There are some real heart-rendering Psalms of David, When do you think they were written? Do not teach it, we cannot prove it; but there are indications it was during that period of time when he wasreally separated from GOD because of all that stuff with Bathsheba and Uriah."----SAY WHAT!? -------We can't prove it?---------- So why are they even breaching the issue?-----AC in '73 --Fellowlaborers '75 thru '77 ----Divorced/remarried in early '80's. ----------Went through basic core of classes with wife. She never was ready to commit in a large sense ( Did I mention she is brighter than I?)-----Stayed in as twiggies for about 10 years. Do those years count?------drifted away from twig but always sort of felt like I was part of it much like always being part of a family that's hundreds of miles away ------Knew nothing of twi2 until I stopped in here for coffee not too long ago.
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FreeAtLast
Got in at 11. Took the class at 12. Stayed until I was 39.
28 years in all. Hate to call them wasted years because I am who I am because of my experiences in life. And I kinda like who I have become. But at times I am tempted to believe it was a wasted life.
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JustSayNO
1992-2005
13 yrs
God forgive my stupidity and laziness for not leaving sooner
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andy Bear
1978-1987 9 years
class and ROC in 1978 summer " best 3 months of my life "
AV live 1979
WOW 1981-1982
offshoots 1987-2004
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jrglade
Took PFAL in 1978
Barely finished college, graduated in 81 just in time to go WOW
Went to ROA at end of WOW year in 1982 and was deprogrammed (
) on the break between ROA and joining the Corps
So, about 4 years
Hard to believe its been 25 years.......
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Lori
26 years......
My don't I feel old already......
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HAPe4me
72 to 86
PFAL January 72 in Peoria IL
AC73 at HQ (all the TIP and other classes in between)
Twig/Branch/ Area leader(central IL) 73-74
Organized the first IL "Limb" meeting in Christmas 73 Peoria
(we weren't officially a limb, but were wannabes)
WOW 74 Allentown, PA
Married my WOW sis in 75 and have lived happily ever after here in Arvada, CO
We simply stopped going and finally faded from the mailing list once the sexual escapades and their accompanying rationalizations were made known to us by our good friends who left the Family Corps and came to stay with us for a few months. We are thankful for their friendship over all these years.
~HAP
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