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That is VERY interesting. In its heyday, the 1980s, TWI was said to have about 40,000. Karl Kahler's book, The Cult That Snapped: An Insider's Journey Into The Way International, has lots of facts you might be interested in reading. Like this info on numbers, which is included (here's a shameless advertisement ) in my own new book, Undertow: Author Karl Kahler states, “Cult numbers are notoriously hard to pin down, and are often inflated by anti-cult writers more concerned with sounding the alarm than checking the facts. Many writers have claimed The Way had 100,000 members, as if everyone who ever took the class were still a member. Around 1982, when [Craig] Martindale [second president of The Way International] was marching in Ontario and Way leaders were talking to the press, I heard consistently that we were claiming to have 40,000 members.” Karl Kahler, The Cult That Snapped: A Journey into The Way International (Los Gatos, CA: Karl Kahler, 1999), 110. See also: Zay N. Smith, “The Way—40,000 and Still Growing,” Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 17, 1980. So, it is HIGHLY doubtful that today TWI has 45,000 like they told you. Actually, more like impossible, since thousands left in the days after Geer read his paper.

You mean sitting on your @$$ behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz manipulating all the puppet strings isn't as effective of an outreach strategy as actually going out on the field among the people and teaching and interacting? Who would have thunk?

Welcome, Out'n'About. Enjoy your time at the Cafe. Do share what you can, safely, about what TWI is up to now. Most people here have been out for decades, but for those more recent escapees, what you can share will be interesting, perhaps useful. Don't be afraid of them. That fear is their only power over you. God still loves YOU and won't bully you or disregard you. Welcome to life in its joyful abundance - outside the walls of cultdom.

Hi there. Lurker for a few months, this is actually my first post - I just registered. Been reluctant to register/post for quite some time since I'm rather freshly 'out' and have seen via lurking what TWI can pull up on first-time posters who reveal just enough to identify them. But anyway, for some reason, I did want to confirm that there will be no AC in 2017. They sent out a very plain memorandum stating this a few months ago. No reason provided. I do believe they're also getting crafty with how they provide the classes...eliminating the headcount requirement, doing them by fellowship instead of branch, yada yada. From my vantage point it seems like tough times on TWI's part.

You shall know them by their fruit. TWI was nothing more than a cult of personality (VeePee). Was there ever any spiritual substance to it? Were they nucking futs? The question answers itself.

I hope you all enjoyed your day, fellow GreaseSpotters. I enjoyed deep fried turkey yesterday, and, I'm not sure I want to go back to the other way of cooking it. I hope the love and companionship around your table was as good as mine! And I'm also with DWBH......."peace all."

Twinky, you are so right!! I never understood why TWI wasted the talents of its people. I know back in 1979, my WOW Branch Leader, got upset with me when I told him I was leaving IL, and moving back to New York State to attend college. Many WOWs did stay in their area after their year was up. But I knew that Lincoln had freed the slaves, and I wanted my freedom after the rigors of my year in the field. My Branch Leader was ticked that I was leaving, and made sure that he put pressure on me to stay. A few months after I left, I found discovered that many of the Wows still in the area, were not doing well. I blossomed once I got to college. I am thankful for listening to the small voice in my head, and not the Branch Leader's.