Leaderboard

vpw had skill in manipulating people, and in preaching. He had experience in plagiarism, and in adultery, rape and molestation while covering his tracks. He lacked the capacity to actually CARE about people. He showed, repeatedly, that they were DISPOSABLE to him. lcm documented how someone had some sort of seizure on-grounds. vpw's decision as to how to address this? He told the person to pack up and move back home, and put them on a bus. When lcm was concerned, vpw said to forget about him, and he'd show up at home eventually. A WEEK LATER, he ended up home. God only knows what happened all that week. So long as people paid their tuition and/or fees, vpw didn't care about them in the corps or wows. They'd get it together, or he'd kick them out, the end. lcm learned to be equally callous. I knew someone on the wow field in the 1988-1989 year, returning 1989. While they were on the field, lcm kicked one of their roommates (as in, paying part of the rent) off the field immediately for failing to swear an oath to follow him BLINDLY. The other wows-his roommates- phoned and said this put them in a bad spot for the rent due RIGHT NOW. They'd work out the next month's rent, but since lcm was responsible for them suddenly being short, would he cover the difference? They were told it would be covered-and that was the last they heard of it. One of them contacted a twi'er who was also family, told them everything, and that person sent the difference (she was getting ready to send in her tithe- but she sent it to the wows to cover the rent.) They stayed at ROA 89 til they got their wow pins, then left for home the same night. The order of the day at twi was-and is- it's money that matters, and people are disposable.

I remember a few things about the way corps. A) What was it based on? vpw had no experience with the military (which he claimed to base it on), nor experience whatsoever with any programs of leadership training, whether national or local. His supposed understanding came from ideas gleaned from movies and television. Later, he added requirements that endangered people-which he never fulfilled (LEAD, hitch-hiking, etc.) He was like a Pharisee laying heavy burdens on people but not lifting a finger himself. The only thing where real professional training was given was not "counseling" or anything a normal Christian would prioritize. It was SALESMANSHIP. vpw had someone teach the Dale Carnegie sales course to the corps. He didn't pay their licensing fee as was required legally, but does this surprise anyone at this point? B) What was the screening based on? lcm himself recorded it- people could enter and stay in the program "as long as their money held." People paid quite a bit of money to be in the program-and spend lots of time doing manual labor for twi, paying twi for the privilege! It was quite a profit center for twi. C) People reported how they were told-in writing- that after graduating the program, they would have the OPTION to accept assignments from twi. Once they were on-grounds, they were then told that they'd signed up for a lifetime of service to twi, which was later revealed to mean "we own you for the rest of your life."

Sorry - a little late for that...since that was part of my "severance package" I had the apple and brawn food bar freeze dried and rolled over to my ROTH 401K Post-Apocalypse Account. now if you are still interested in trading - I might still have some Shepard's Pie or Pizza with chicken gizzards on it - hermetically sealed in space-age ziplock baggies of course - in my way corps memorabilia footlocker....I'll have to check - let me get back with you on that.

The same as what qualifies anyone to oversee a cult - if they are next in line of a bunch of cutthroats.

Will there ever be an end to this nonsense? You know.....devotees of wayworld, twiers and ex-twiers, who fantasize [idolize] the "good-ole days." Those who fondly remember the green bumper stickers, tent city at roa, Takit songs, tee-shirts and junk promo, etc. A world where you never grow up. A world where you fly away to an ISOLATED island. A world where you shun responsibility and reality. What kind of cult-induced charisma can one possibly be clinging to? Wierwille's claims of "the law of believing," a more-abundant-life, and "word over the world twi-style" has been denounced with a commanding THUD. The magician has left the stage. The lights have come up. The props have collapsed. The smoke and mirrors have cleared. And, the tricks are not nearly as impressive.....now. The cult of personality seems to linger decades later for those who refuse to address reality. Fine. It's there life and they can live in denial and daydream of Neverland if they so desire. But really? Holding onto incongruous, contradictory beliefs when facts, reality, and truth are staring you in the face is known as cognitive dissonance....a mental disorder. I contend that TWI, the self-perpetuating cult, began dying in 1978. Why? Time, and reality, HAD MOVED ON WITHOUT WIERWILLE NOTICING. Corps and Advanced Class grads were marrying and starting families. And children brought a whole new set of dynamics that wierwille was not addressing. He thought his charisma would carry the day. But it didn't. The reality of increasing responsibilities, financial concerns, career paths, educational pursuits, etc.....all toward the view of upward mobility was being discussed on the home front. Responsible people are not stupid. They plan for the road ahead. Many, many quality individuals.....and maybe, that's the optimal word "individuals".....were slipping away to pursue higher education and/or career paths. In my corps, some 325 graduated. But within a couple of years, dozens upon dozens were gone.....and that was back in Wierwille's day, 1981. Of course, all the fanfare was towards those who were running Limbs and running classes......but those slipping out the back door was apparent to those who had a modicum of discernment. To those slipping away......they didn't believe in twi's "Neverland." Maybe, its just me. I've been this way my whole life. I grew up on a farm and was driving a tractor at age 10. My Dad expected me to be responsible. There was no excuse for being lackadaisical or daydreaming of hanging at the swimming pool all summer. None of that. There was work to be done. We worked long days. And, sports had the same coordinates: no excuses for not improving, not moving forward. Cult-land: The New Neverland Fantasy.

You have shared this point many times….and it’s been illustrated in many folks’ stories here on Grease Spot too. But lately I’ve been so fascinated by it. For a long time after I left TWI I think I still had some nebulous notion that wierwille was able to wield such an enormous amount of power over others; but taking into account the onward march of time and reality…and people growing up, it demystifies the demise of TWI – for me anyway…it's like some weird game of adult cult leader versus impressionable youths – however the game-changer for those who wise up is time and reality – that eventually levels the playing field. Skyrider, I love this: “…all toward the view of upward mobility was being discussed on the home front. Responsible people are not stupid. They plan for the road ahead.” Very simple and so true! I think wierwille had a two prong approach as a cult leader – it was either finesse or force. If his charisma…his disarming charm couldn’t carry the day then he’d be the autocrat and rain down hell, fire and brimstone on your life. I was watching America’s Funniest Videos tonight and saw a clip of a little kid literally afraid of his own shadow. As the setting sun made his shadow longer it really freaked out this little guy while he was walking along. Hilarious! Reminds me of a mindset I had in the later years of my TWI involvement. Timid and fearful of the real world outside…worrying that I was never spiritual enough to handle things right, worrying about how we would make ends meet, worrying that I would disappoint leadership above me, worrying that I would get chewed out by Craig for something I did or didn’t do. But a funny thing happened…I started making some adult decisions – like resigning from my assignment as an area coordinator and letting Craig know I needed some answers to things regarding the passing of the patriarch and the crapstorm that followed before I would resume any ministry responsibilities. This little guy no longer fears his own shadow -or any shady cult leader for that matter.... Never got any answers from him – and in time I focused more on my own family, what we needed, what i needed to do to get back on track with my career path, and delve into the great mystery of buying a home...and as ministry concerns faded away I was well down the road to reality.

WW, in my humble opinion, VPW lacked critical thinking skills. For example, he sent people out WOW, not knowing if they had criminal records or not. Also, almost anyone who wanted to go WOW was allowed to go; some of the WOWs I knew had Alcohol and Drug Issues. Some of them had Mental Health Issues. Some of them were wife-beaters. I think many people who went WOW had no business being on the field. Many of the people in the Corps had the same problems, and never should have been allowed in the program. I think VPW was a very shallow thinker; I think he thought of himself and his pleasures, and to Hell with everyone else. He had very little empathy, and compassion for others, and that includes his own family. No way would I ever qualify VPW as a great thinker.

To add more clarification........ In 1981/1982.....The Way Credit Union opened its doors to way-followers who needed financing for homes and automobiles. Dozens of Way Corps staffers GOT MORTGAGES......ie. finance personnel, security guys - (Linder & others), and others who were "safely ensconced at hq" and would NOT be sent out on the field. Indeed, there was this subliminal "code" that if you served the trustees and higher-ups directly.....they would "take care of you" (and not change your corps assignment to go do outreach on the field). This in-house perk to staffers was low-key at the time......clearly there was no push to get field corps into long-term mortgages. But if I remember correctly, many field corps did establish a credit line thru the Way Credit Union for car payments. Advanced Class grads took advantage of The Way Credit Union's lending policies as well. The years quickly passed.......wierwille died in 1985, geer read his poop paper in 1986, splintering erupted in 1987 and by the early 1990s the debt policy was being taught as doctrine and became fully implemented in 1994. I remember this vividly, because this was prior to all corps going full-time in August 1995.....and if corps were in debt with credit or loan payments, then they were not allowed to go full-time. Twi's "debt policy" gave the trustees/directors leverage and control over the corps who were coming of age and wanting to build equity and families. As always, it was the field corps.....those who DID the outreach.....who paid dearly. The corps staffers sat in their cozy chairs and paid down their mortgages all thru the 90s......maybe, into the 2000s. There has ALWAYS been a double-standard in the cult. ALWAYS. I have no idea if The Way Credit Union is still open for business.

"Has anyone learned about holy spirit from Stiles or Bullinger? VP was the one who taught it to me." Lots of people learned about it from Stiles, and learned more than they did before from Bullinger (due to how publication worked when Bullinger was writing and was alive.) As for who taught you, lots of other people taught you. They approached you, they taught Bible fellowships you attended, they cared and showed love, and talked you into signing up for (and paying for) a class where vpw pretended he was The Source for learning about all that. "I care more about the baby than how I got it." So, if someone stole your car and gave it to someone else who was praying for a car, should that recipient just praise God-and should you just drop the subject because they technically had a prayer answered? " If VP had photocopied the books and wrote his name over the author's name, it's still the truth," Actually, a considerable amount of error in "his" material has been uncovered-partly because he often failed to understand what he was plagiarizing. So, when there were correctable errors in the material, he saw NOTHING because he was busy copying it over and pretending it was his work. It's rather telling that you'd be perfectly comfortable with vpw committing both felonies and moral transgressions in plagiarizing the material, because you like the material. That says a lot about your moral fiber. "and I operate all nine all the time." No you don't. You repeat a slogan all the time. In the entire history of twi, nobody operated "all nine, all the time", not even wierwille. That you can even suggest that, again, says a lot. In what little posting you've done, you've used the words of a few people- vpw among them. If you haven't had an original thought by now, I doubt you're going to. "Will it somehow be "invalid" because VP copied it?" No, but vpw is exposed as a fraud once it's shown he DID copy that- and nearly everything else in twi's history. But all this is about whitewashing vpw and giving him a free pass. If it was someone else plagiarizing vpw, there'd be a hue and cry for their blood! " And let's face it folks, VP went beyond either of these two men of God. " Let's face it folks, vpw went beyond either of them in building up an image as a man of God. The others were too busy being men of God to inflate their image like vpw did. Without Stiles and Leonard, vpw would have faded into obscurity and none of us would have heard of him. And lots more people have heard of Bullinger than of vpw, and he was busy being an academic and not puffing himself up. "They paved the way for VP, built the bridge, and VP paved the way for us." vpw ripped them off, and he derailed the "House of Acts" Christians in California. He did his best to grab those young, dedicated Christians, choke off their spiritual gifts, and turn them into salesmen for twi. vpw paved the way for none of us. vpw paved the way for vpw to get lots of money, lots of adulation, women to rape, and sycophants who would worship at his image even decades after he died. twi, at every level, was designed-by vpw- to operate AT A FINANCIAL PROFIT.

The corps were not allowed to GET mortgages. They are to be prepared to move whenever twi says so, whenever twi says so, until they die. Even though it's less profitable for them to rent than own often, they're expected to rent so they can move whenever, wherever. The money for all that? The magickal "believing" is supposed to provide that- so if it doesn't appear, that's the fault of the corps person. "Unproductive evil" was when lcm went on a rampage. People were supposed to give ALL their money and time to twi. If they didn't give ALL their money, they were failing to "plurality give." (How evil is it to be the only group with a term for the practice of "give all your money to us once you've paid your expenses and save none of it"?) If they didn't give ALL their time, they were guilty of "unproductive evil." lcm was big on purges. vpw did small purges in private. lcm did large purges in public in imitation of vpw. vpw did it quietly with corps, lcm did it openly with the rank-and-file. If you weren't ready to follow lcm off a cliff, he wanted you purged. All the purges were about CONTROL and EGO. They were financial disasters for twi.

" Emeritus Woman of God of Our Day and France and Ireland" EWOGODAFI. Sounds like a mythical creature that lurks below in the dankness of the sewer system and preys upon unsuspecting empties floating by.

I no longer think in terms of "Moving the Word." I think in terms of "Sharing the Gospel." While in TWI I did think I was sharing the gospel by sharing the PFAL. It is often a fine line between sharing the gospel and sharing a specific doctrine. Just as there is often a fine line between giving your life to God and giving your life to a ministry (i.e. organization) It was quite a while before I realized that I had confused God with the Ministry. I'm so thankful now that I have it at least someone straighten out. And I've been out since the mid '70s.

Well, they've invested too much into it to decide to change. If they've been wrong until now, they'll be content to be wrong so long as there's less change and more moral certainties. Being right is less important than being certain. We all MEANT well, but when the lies were exposed, that changed things for most of us. It's ok to survive being young and naive-we were TRYING to do the right thing. We were conned, and we know better now.

I think I, in the beginning, believed that the PFAL did teach the Word of God and because of that belief, I wanted to "Move the Word" so everyone would hear it. The principle being, out of a heart of having something good, I would want to share it with people. Somewhere along the line it became about classes, and numbers etc...instead of being about people and God. Being out of TWI now, I have a different perspective of it. Everything has a different perspective, it just depends where you are standing and looking at it.

Maybe they said Aunt Bea's peach cobbler was "to die for".

A twice-divorced English teacher in North Carolina takes pfal and sees her opportunity to dump her past and start fast-tracking up twi's leadership ranks. No WOW year for her.....no siree. She's wasted too much time as it is. Signs on the line for the Family Corps....and after graduation, sweet-talks her way into positions of authority. After all, she WAS an English teacher. Gee, didn't realize that a teacher's credentials carried that much weight, but apparently it did for wierwille. Perhaps, it was that "right fit, right time" sorta thing....where wierwille was looking for a University of Life program director or something? Anyhoo, someone thought that her southern drawl would seem to entice High Country Caravan promotions (with Bob Wineg@rner) and other stuff. I never did see the attraction......but wierwille seemed taken in by it. And, when the fog-years settled into twi, I tend to think that Rosalie knew that it was only a matter of time. She kept spending more time with Donna.....and became privy to Craig's extra-curricular predation activities. Still, SHE NEVER INFORMED THE CHURCH, (cough, cough), THE ECCLESIA, THE CALLED-OUT BODY OF BELIEVERS THAT THE MAN OF GOD WAS HAVING SEX WITH SINGLE AND MARRIED CORPS WOMEN. Didn't she know that this sin MUST be removed from the camp? Didn't she realize that Craig was sinning and, thus, the devil had entre into his life AND THE MINISTRY? Even in court filings, Rosalie under oath ADMITTED that she knew Craig was preying on women as early as 1995 (and, several had come forward to state that she knew things back in the mid-80s about martindale). So.........what qualifies her to spiritually oversee twi today?