Leaderboard

I recently was asked to read Proverbs to a friend who's ill (I suspect she meant Psalms). So I read Prov 14 and 15. I could not help but think of the current political situation in the US - and of so-called strongmen leaders everywhere. https://biblehub.com/hcsb/proverbs/15.htm Full of gems, these chapters.

The above post was intended to reach anyone writing their cult story. Also, here's my new blog about a free Zoom event featuring an escapee from FDLS. FREE Zoom Event: Lalich Center on Cults and Coersion | Charlene L. Edge (charleneedge.com)

I think we all got into TWI by some form of altruistic bait like fish bait hiding the hook. We found out about the evil later. What in Gods creation does any of that have to do with the Ways Ambassador program? I guess as a rhetorical question indirectly there were a lot of WOW ambassador alumni around helping to fish with altruistic bait…

My desire to know, love, and serve God began with my first fellowship because of the love and acceptance shown to an 18 year old who believed she was totally unworthy of love and because of the teaching at that fellowship on the righteousness of God given to us through Christ which to a girl swallowed up in guilt was an incredible relief. Both of these experiences were genuine - but also genuine was what you described as the "bloody-black and swollen with greed" underbelly of twi that laid hidden right from the beginning of my involvement. The problem usually starts with accepting the declaration that the head honcho of a ministry or church alone teaches the truth. I see that now as the "alarm" to get out right away, but I didn't know that when I met up with twi. Parallel to this lie from the top dude is the systemic practice of not having the right to ask questions and disagree and still be loved and accepted. Until people, especially young people, know to look out for these going in, they won't realize the damage being done to them spiritually, mentally, financially, etc. until it's too late. That's why The Way International and so many other groups like it are dangerous today and for those whose desire to know, love and serve God leads them into higher leadership responsibilities, the more damage they experience. I agree that the answer can be "yes and no" to Rocky's question, but I also agree when someone's answer is a definite "no" because of having been lied to and spiritual abused.

So to clarify because it sounds like this is saying I was one of those who joined “for the chance to have power over other people” as you are sharing your story as a rebuff to my “No” comment, I joined TWI in college because I was seeking God and the truth of the Word. The laymen in TWI seemed to be masters of this “speaking in tongues” concept whereas the pastor at my denomination said he didn’t see the Bible saying much at all about it. Yes there were aspects also “Hiding in Plain Sight”. I have not nor will not publish a memo of my experiences in TWI. I am glad you did. I enjoyed reading the book you wrote whose chapters you attached here. We all have our path in the body of Christ. Because mine is not yours don’t kick dirt on the path I chose.

Let me see. Well first there was the WOW Ambassadors - at that stage there still is the Bible in the name topic. Huge amount of hype. The next name is “Way Disciple”. Not “Disciple of Jesus Christ”. Also accurate. They are selling TWI and Plaffy not the Bible. Finally it’s just “Way Ambassador”. We are not even pretending here with title that it has anything to do with the Bible. It’s just an ambassador for the organization. Also accurate. If you pay attention they are upfront about their control and idolatry. Words mean something. All the hype and commitment is to the organization and none of it is to the underlying Word of God, the overall body of Christ, or anything related to building virtue - it is all compliance exercises - complying with people who do not speak for God in any sense of the word.

Are you writing your cult story? Do you want to learn about memory and the art of writing memoir? Numerous books, seminars, and podcasts are available on that topic, including one huge favorite of mine by Judith Barrington, Writing the Memoir: A practical guide to the craft, personal challenges, and ethical dilemmas of writing your true stories. HOWEVER a surprising source that gave me some in-depth understanding abiout memory and writing memories is a book by Bart D. Ehrman about the New Testament: Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior. A bit from the introduction: "... there are forty to sixty-five years separating Jesus' death and our earliest accounts of his life, and we need to know what was happening to the memories of Jesus precisely during that time gap. I approach these questions from fields of study that I have never written about before and that many New Testament scholars have simply never explored, including cognitive psychology, cultural anthropology, and sociology. The intriguing research done in these other fields can help us unpack some of the greatest mysteries confronting both scholars of the New Testament and general readers: what can we know about the man Jesus and about how--and why--the memories of Jesus were altered in the years before the Gospels were produced?" Try it. You might like it. Attached is the FREE first chapter of Undertow, also available on my website at https://charleneedge.com Cheers! Hiding-in-Plain-Sight.pdf

Another good personal anecdote with experience with TWI. This one delved into the strange customs and treatment of children. There was some evidence of abnormal types of shows of affection. Being raised in TWI and attending all the children’s fellowship and other communal oversight culture aspects can be downright terrorizing to a kid. The Family Corps was a large commune type living where everyone applied discipline to everyone else’s kids. This carried out to the practices on the field where they would behave the same way. I know few to no children raised in this cult who have done anything other than seeking the first exit door available to them. All of this was driven by the Stanford Prison Experiment type behavior with leaders and followers. The Corps was a experiment of control like this. There was communal use of corporate punishment with rovers beating kids. The leaders thought of none of these repercussions but doubled down on their spirituality and “God told me” types of answers in the face of legitimate concerns and criticism. If you were a kid raised in TWI I will pray for you. Mine got out before their minds matured so just have a little PTSD from treatment as opposed to being hooked by the cults BS logic and trapped for life or until awakening.