Leaderboard

"So, looking back.....what do I see?.......the 1970 growth spurt in twi was all manufactured." What else do I see? Hyperbolic titles were attributed to vpw and his inner circle of enablers Histrionics were part and parcel to demonizing all who left twi ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clearly, vpw was enamored with titles......it fed his narcissistic personality disorder. As an ordained minister, Payne and Van Wert, Ohio victor was a reverend to his congregations. In denominational circles, this designation was proper.....but when wierwille sought a doctorate in 1948 from a degree-mill outfit in Colorado (Pikes Peak Seminary in Manitou Springs, CO) his climb to this narcissistic summit was underway. Did the Van Wert congregation need a "Dr. Wierwille" more than they needed a Rev. Wierwille to pastor their flock? LOL After stealing B.G. Leonard's class in 1953, wierwille began teaching this class in the Van Wert Church basement. For nearly 14 years, wierwille traveled from city to city teaching this foundational class. So, with the 1967 filming of pfal.....wierwille signed off by saying, "....just write The Teacher." Add another 4-7 years (1971)....and wierwille is "The man of God." And, at big events he was introduced as the Founding President of The Way International (which he was.... albeit, its "founding" had a stolen class in the secret closet). Add another 9-11 years (1981).....and wierwille notched up to "Father in the Word." So, if you took pfal.....wierwille "fathered you in the Word?" LOL Same hyperbole was dealt to those who left twi. Most especially, these slanders were reserved for way corps leaders. Behind closed doors, the histrionics elevated rapidly on a scale of 1-10. If the corps person was a major player....(region guy, trunk leader, bodyguard or department coordinator).... then the fireworks began!! Wierwille's favorite detested slander was "cop-out." When this confrontation in the heat of the moment was witnessed by others, wierwille was inject the "possessed" label.....and name the "spirit" (i.e. lying spirit, deceiving spirit). Notably, ANYONE who was abandoning wierwille's ministry was being "deceived by a spirit." No big-name corps leader was allowed to walk away from twi without slander.....without character assassination. Martindale labeled Chris Geer with having 6 (SIX) daimon spirits....the big guys, the commanding spirits over others. In those Galatian teachings, later renamed the Leadership Tapes.....lcm went thru the list of these daimon spirits, one-by-one. Those who opposed "dr. wierwille" had spirits, or spiritual influence Corps that abandoned twi were cop-outs, possessed Major church denominational leaders were "Seed Men" Geer, Lynn, Shroyer, others......deceiving spirits, etc. Generic slanders on corps......he/she was "worldly" If you don't heed instruction, God won't spit in your direction Grease spots by midnight Perhaps, someone could refresh my memory on "grease spots by midnight".......IIRC, it came into twi's lexicon around 1995 (when many decided to exit twi after martindale/reynolds claimed that *the word was over the world.*) Seemingly, it contained fear hysteria......if you leave twi, then you are OUTSIDE the protection of God's Household. Something of that nature, right? Grease spot by midnight = road kill Hyperbolic attributes to Vic, Harry, Ermal, Dotsie, Dorothy, Rhoda, George Jess, Mal George, etc. Histrionics leveled at ALL those leaders and lieutenants who abandoned wierwille and twi. Cult Indoctrination 101 .

"Whatever you call this conditioning and controlling technique.......1) Spiritual Abuse, 2) Total Thought Reform (Lifton book), 3) Pavlov's Dog Conditioning, 4) Cult Indoctrination, 5) Dark Persuasion, or 6) Mass Formation ..... the result was the same." Studies suggest that mass formation follows a general distribution: 30% are brainwashed, hypnotized, indoctrinated by the group narrative 40% in the middle are persuadable and may follow if no worthy alternative is perceived 30% fight against the narrative. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Could it be that all that *1970's growth and prosperity in twi* was Mass Formation Psychosis? The youth were targeted, because their minds (until age 25) are not yet equipped with critical thinking analysis skills. Seemingly, wierwille and his lieutenants installed "leaders" ages 26-32 over us 20 year olds......to keep marching us forward!! The 30% highly indoctrinated (or opportunistic) leaders amongst us kept the peer pressure on the middle 40% followers. Then, there were a percentage (30%?) of wait-just-a-dad-gum-minute-that's-not-right group. Anyone who was paying attention knows that each year after corps graduation......dozens of their fellow-corps slipped away and didn't attend the next year's rock of ages. Yet, the top-tier 30% kept marching forward. Mass Formation Psychosis. The collective mass of energized youth committed to get "The Word over the world." Each stage of this psychosis was elevated to another higher stage. The only way mass formation psychosis works is by consistently moving to another stage.....or, by moving the goal posts. During the martindale era.....when "word over the world" was no longer viable, suddenly we were to enter The Prevailing Word stage of growth. Adding to this mass formation, we were to be Living Sanctified (no more old wineskins, no more pfal material). By 1996 or so, we were to be "Prevailing: Crossing the Bridge into the Promised Land." Each year.....another manufactured goal to achieve. So, looking back.....what do I see?.......the 1970 growth spurt in twi was all manufactured. .

Thanks DogLover..... This link details vpw's claims in Mrs. Wierwille's book, Born Again to Serve..... Black Snowstorm p. 42 & 43 After all this activity and reaching out to learn more, I must know to satisy my inner yearning. And so I stood in my newly rented office and prayed to the Father. "Father, teach me the Word, teach me the Word." He told me as plain as day that if I would study the Word, He would teach me the Word like He had not been able to teach it to anybody since the first century. And, of course, at that time I thought, "Now that's a dandy. Boy, if I learned this Word of God, everybody will listen to me. The whole church will be blessed; my denomination will grow by leaps and bounds because we'll have the Word of God." And I thought that was terrrific. But during the process of that revelation, I said, "Father, how will I know that this is You and that You'll really teach it to me? Because I had worked the Word in commentaries and the rest of it, and I couldn't understand it, couldn't get it to fit. And the sun was shining brightly. It was in the fall of the year. Gorgeous. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. And just on the inside of me it seemed to say, "Well, just say to the Father, "Well, if it'll just snow right now, you'll just know that this is God talking to you.'" Cause you see. I'd never had much experience with God's talking to me. And this business of His saying to me, just as audibly as I am speaking to you, that He'd teach me the Word if I'd teach it, sort of shook me. I'd been expecting to hear from heaven for a long time, but I hadn't heard that way before. Oh, my ears were perhaps clogged up. Since that time I've heard a lot of things from Him. And I said, "Lord, to know that this is true, I'd like to see it snow." And I opened my eyes, and it was pitch-black, almost pitch-black outside, and the snow was falling so thick. I have never seen it fall that thick since that day. And I sat in that little office, and I cried like a baby. Because I guess it was about my time to cry because I'd grown up but I didn't know the Word. And from that day on since He promised He'd teach me the Word, I have tried with all my heart to learn this Word. .