Number 5

All the corps becoming full time ministers

When the Way Corps became full time paid staff that was supposed to be a blessing. But that was a two edged sword. Yes, many of us in the Way Corps had desired the opportunity to serve full time and to put our God-given talents to good use and not have to waste time working a secular job. At first we were grateful for the opportunity to serve. But with the salary came control and further intrusion into our personal affairs. Yes, the weekly Corps teachings had been a great blessing, but more and more the weekly long-distance nationwide phone hookups centralized control. We did receive some wonderful, accurate teaching and I'll go to my grave saying we did. But along with it we also received something else that usually was yelled at the top of his voice. The ministry was becoming less and less, self-governing. What used to be an inspiring, healing and Godly thing, more and more became a vehicle to centralize control and intimidate us into submission by communicating the threats and examples of what would happen if we did not comply.

Once the no debt policy was adopted, intrusion into people's private lives became the norm and the full time ministers were the vehicle. They became a mechanism to effect control. Other issues like marriage and child raising followed suit after the no debt policy. Galatians 6 does say that there are some burdens, which we can and should help others with, but there are also some which only should be borne by the individual. That line became blurred and in some cases or with some leaders, nonexistent. Some full-time Way Corps people commented that they really needed to become full time ministers in order to carry out all the things they were called upon to do. But that actually was necessary because we were forced to become busybodies and meddlers in other people's affairs.

Our job descriptions changed from what we were when we were not full-time. Instead of having time to study what we wanted and develop ourselves where we wanted, we were told that we had to study all the new way II material. Some state leaders even set up special file boxes with all the new material and set up a study schedule and then encouraged (strong-armed) every other leader in their area to follow suit. Everything was control, control, and control. We were even told to tell our people what they could pray for and what they should study. Prayer subjects were announced regularly. Rigorous study regimens were recommended and scheduled, pumping the new doctrines and practices. Detailed budgeting methods were taught and then us ministers were told we had to review them with our people to make sure they were in compliance. Personal finances were scrutinized. Investments were questioned. Even fellowship teachings were regulated. The example set was that most of them were to be a rehash of the Sunday Night teaching. Anyone who questioned anything, even honestly, became a suspect. People were pressured to move closer to where their leader lived. Other demoted leaders were informed that they should move away from the state because they were a "disgrace" and so they wouldn't bum out the higher-ups at Way Headquarters by being seen there. Marriage and family relationships were deeply scrutinized. Many married couples were pressured to break up for dubious reasons. Some believers actually did obtain divorces because they were told to. Those who were recovering from medical conditions were hassled if they did not recover fast enough. Medical diagnoses were questioned and ministers without medical licenses tried to force believers to violate Doctors' orders and comply with their own recommendations. You don't believe these things happened? I witnessed or can document every one of them. Some of them even happened to us. This control became stifling and tyrannical. It was not edification. It was destruction.

In our state when the new gang of leaders came in, it was not the romance that we were taught about in the Athletes of the Spirit production, it was more like a political campaign than a fellow-ship. Whenever the top leader was introduced at a meeting, the cadre of troops he brought with him would shout, whistle and clap loudly from the back of the room in order to whip up the crowd. That was manipulation. It was obvious and indecorous. No other leader I'd ever served with encouraged that kind of thing. But this happened every time they came to town. They were to be treated like royalty. Protocol was stressed so much that I felt like a trip to the limb was like a visit to the Persian king's court! Lavish gifts were given to them out of contributions that were expected even after we'd abundantly shared and they already received a salary from our abundant sharing. The first gift was an idol! It was a large replica of the Sphinx, given in a ceremony more ornate than the presentation of Dr. Wierwille's "Twig-hopper" motorcycle and sidecar. Later it was custom built furniture, etc. Their comings were always built up to be so wonderful, but then when they showed up, their presence and teachings were mediocre, just rehashes of Sunday Night teachings. It was all form but little substance.

I remember how much the phone rang at our new high-test full-time minister's house while I was visiting there. It was over six times an hour all day! Most of the calls involved him telling people specific things to do, making decisions for them, giving orders, forcing them to comply or following up on previous instructions to make sure they'd been done. No wonder we needed to be full time. But we were being encouraged to be more full time controllers and meddlers than ministers…

It was impossible to successfully run all our people's lives to the degree of control and intrusion that was set as the standard. We could not do it without spiritual help. Since God did not condone that level of intrusion, the spiritual "help" that was believed for and received was supplied instead by the adversary. This is how the devil got into the lives of the way corps leaders and now they are possessed. No wonder there were so many leaders who didn't fit that were demoted or kicked out. They had passed their full-time minister evaluations only a few months earlier and moved at their own expense to new assignments. Why were they now, suddenly no good? It was because those controlling spirits were consolidating power in their fiefdoms.

I remember one time explaining to our local full-time minister about a co-worker who was suffering under the ministry of an oppressive, controlling minister. I told him that I discerned that kind of control to be from a spirit of python. When I told him that observation, it impacted him such that he visibly shook. I now think that he had been buying into the influence of the same, only now it's worse! I know that he did not intend to end up this way. But instead they decided to buy into the power, the control and the lies.

Finally, if the full-time minister thing was so much an "of-God" thing like it was trumped up to be, why was it junked so soon? It was just a big mistake that lcm would not admit. I think that they knew from the start that they could not afford it, but once lcm had committed everyone they couldn't back down. Consequently, I believe that ministry finances was the hidden reason why a number of Way Corps people who had been promised full-time positions and already quit their jobs to take their assignments were suddenly "disqualified" at the last minute at the 1995 Rock of Ages and no reason was given. Even months later, no reason was given. We know, we had to deal with one of those people in our branch. It broke their heart and spirit. I also believe it was a hidden agenda for the six month evaluation/demotions in January 1996, because later that same month was when abundant sharing was demanded in a Sunday Night teaching series. Later that spring, everyone was hounded to give more and more. But even that was not enough. Soon abundant sharing was inadequate, plurality giving was heavily promoted. Legalistic budgets were imposed with the "benefit" that people could see their way to give more. Later more Way Corps leaders have been demoted because their areas could not afford to pay their salaries. Now I've heard that they've had to get secular jobs again. Our local way corpse leader had to get a secular job too . He now is an exterminator. He didn't get a new job. He's still giving out poison!

Why did this all have to happen? Because back in the beginning, the top management failed to accurately count the cost before committing everyone's lives, property and energy to this project which was doomed to failure from the start because of snap judgments, "Cushman" revelation, flawed planning and yes-men's unwillingness to tell it like it really was. They blame it on all the people they kicked out. But really the cause was that consequences of intimidation came back to bite the intimidator! No one was brave enough to say that the idea wouldn't work because we couldn't afford it. Then when the problem was realized they wouldn't change for fear of loosing face. At best it was gross mismanagement, at worst it was a coup of the Corps! Now the entire ministry is in shambles, most of its programs defunct, its resources spent and properties sold and the top people are still in denial!