The Way's Washington Exodus Continues

From what we hear, of the 150 Way followers that were in the Seattle Tacoma, Washington area, as many as 65% of them have now ended their Way affiliations. 

Two more of the Way Corps, 3 more Corps Alum and 2 Household Fellowship coordinators with their wives and families have quit since Harve Platig (the new Way trustee) and Roman Stechiew (the old Region coordinator) came in to do "damage control."  

Included in those exiting The Way in Washington include Paul and Debbie Zagar who until recently served as the Way Corps Branch coordinators of the Tacoma Branch.

In light of the second lawsuit (the Parker law suit) that has been filed, more Way followers are making the decision to move to the exits, while others "still in" have said privately the question is no longer "if we will leave" it is "when we will leave." 

The Way continues to keep people uninformed as to what is going on (see recent WayDale article "Fully informed or kept in the dark?") and many of those leaving said they still have not heard their leadership or Way trustees acknowledge the existence of a second lawsuit. One lady said "How can we trust them with our lives if they continue to lie to us?"  

Others that are leaving The Way expressed their disgust at Martindale¹s new assignment as "Research Coordinator" and "President emeritus." One person said, "Not only have they guaranteed him the right to live off the believers abundant sharing for life, but they have put him in charge of what should be the most valuable thing to those of us who believe God¹s Word." 

Several said they still have not been given any satisfactory reason for Way trustees to have marked and avoided the old Pacific Region Coordinators, Paul and Bev Mosqueda (WayDale has not been able to independently determine if the Mosquedas have indeed been marked and avoided, but we believe that they have been). 

One man said, "The Mosquedas were the ones told us the truth right from the start.  I think it was because they refused to go along with the lying. That¹s why the trustees moved so quickly to get rid of them."  Another Way follower noted, "If that is what they did to the Mosquedas, what will happen if some of us speak up and tell what is really going on?"  

A person still attending Way fellowships reported that the Branch Coordinator announced in fellowship that the following people are now mark and avoid: Paul and Debbie Zagar, Gary and Terri Wilson, John and Marci Barrow, Dennis and Barbara Mendery, and Lee and Lisa Konkel.  None of them reported even being informed they had made the M&A list. 

(WayDale cannot confirm the mark and avoid status of these people, nor the accuracy of this alleged announcement by the branch coordinator, but this news is in keeping with what we have observed to be common Way leadership tactics).

One Advanced Class grad said as he was leaving, "It¹s time to live the Advanced Class and discern the spirits!" 

As one Washington ex-Way follower put it: "More people are certain to leave when they find out about the second lawsuit. Many more are planning to go with God and leave TWI in the days ahead."  WayDale wonders if this potential mass exodus is the reason why news of the second lawsuit has not been made public to Way followers.

It seems apparent from comments made on WayDale's Open Discussion Forums and from telephone calls and private e-mail received daily, that nationwide, hundreds of Way followers have now left The Way since these lawsuits have been filed. Hardly a day goes by when WayDale does not receive news of yet more people exiting TWI, whether Way Corps leadership, Corps alumni, advanced class grads or other long standing Way followers. 

Numerous other Way followers who are remaining in TWI for the moment are withholding their abundant sharing (tithes and financial donations) from TWI HQ as a form of silent protest.