Leaderboard

Yep......parasitic and exploits its followers. Lying in wait to deceive others. The upper-tier and long-time staffers live off the "blood, sweat and tears" of those on the field......those who got out witnessing, follow-up, knock on doors, run classes, encourage their family or co-workers to get involved and then, faithfully tithe or abs. Those who sit in the "upper seats" have their [temporary] reward of a life of ease and lording over others. Sure, there is some scripture that has merit.......BUT one has to weed thru all the tweaking, and cherry-picking, and error-ridden dispensationalism and idolatrous mog-doctrine to substantiate any worth in that outfit. The place is a mine field. And, where is the "charitable giving" of this NON-PROFIT (cough, cough) organization? What percentage goes out the door to help others? How much goes to the administrative/organizational/pleasure of the elites who sit and pontificate and lord over the unsuspecting? 40%? 50%? 60%? And, how much goes into twi's investments and savings accounts SO THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS SUSTAIN THEIR MANIPULATIVE WAYS? And, Camp Gunnison.......now, just an exclusive pleasure resort for the upper elite in twi to go and be waited on hand-n-foot. Probably Howard is way-too-old to try and go elk hunting anymore. The place should be sold........and the proceeds should be distributed to thousands that twi savaged in their quest for self-gain.

Brainstormer.........from what I've gathered from your posts, your child "Jessie" seems to be in a situation with nice, good-hearted leadership. This is very common and understandable. From my experience, one can easily remain in this euphoria situation for many years........disregarding questions, alarming red-flags, personal career choices, long-term goals, financial well-being, etc. Back in 2007, I started this thread.......Transition and Transference Those of us who got involved in twi back in the early to mid-70s......the classes, the fellowships, the programs, and the annual "rock of ages" were swarming with a tide of fun-loving, young people. And, no internet (to check twi). In my opinion, it was much easier and elusive to get caught up in the utopian climate. But now......40 years later, WHAT HAPPENED to all those people? Hopefully, at some point in the not-too-distant future Jessie will step back and consider your questions. Where are the hundreds of people who went out on the wow ambassador program? the corps program? Why have some 475 ordained clergy exited? I believe that twi has a culture of "untoward secrecy".......as noted in my earlier post. In their classes, twi immediately constructs a barrier between one's friends, family (parents) and associations......while anchoring the "spiritual" bond with twi and its followers. The deeper one remains involved, twi endeavors to control one's behavior, thoughts, associations, information and emotions. Soon, Jessie will see that to remain in good standing with twi......he/she "should" faithfully give 15% of income for the rest of his/her life, and attend fellowships at least twice per week. Against better judgment or personal gain, following leadership guidance must always be considered first. Oftentimes, to cycle thru all this takes 6-12 years (or longer) depending on multi-varied factors, situations and local leadership. I speak from personal experience. I was one of those twi-clergy that exited.

I was heavily involved at the local level for about 3 years before I entered a commune type training program called FellowLaborers. You start out in The Way as a student. Next thing you know, you're helping to set up chairs for classes and helping with refreshments. Then, you find yourself coordinating a home fellowship. It continues to ramp up gradually. And, that's not necessarily so bad because, at the local level, people seem to care for each other. I met a lot of wonderful people while I was still involved at that level. Here's the thing, though. At its core, The Way runs like a multi-level-marketing organization. There will be more and more pressure to take on added responsibilities and less freedom for simply enjoying life. There is always a push to move on to the next level. The Way makes money on classes and book sales and various motivational events. That's not the end product, however. The main focus is on getting someone committed enough to give the organization a portion of each paycheck, month after month and year after year. It's called "abundant sharing". It's essentially a tithe plus an additional 5 or 10% tacked on. That's where the real money comes from. Last I heard, they were sitting on about 53 million dollars. Let me be clear about one thing. The money only flows in one direction, toward the organization's headquarters. Now and then, a token gesture is made to give the appearance of being a charitable organization but, for the most part, the money never comes back to the local level. Past leadership has used the coffers to fund lavish vacations, purchase a private airplane, motor coaches, expensive motorcycles and several classic automobiles. It reminds me of a well known MLM organization that claims to specialize in cleaning products. Everyone is so busy selling dealerships, they forget about the soap. With The Way, everyone is so busy selling 'the abundant life", no one seems to notice very few are living it. So, to answer your question, It's possible to remain a casual attendee at a local level but, not condoned. to say the least.