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And where the eff did they get "more than 900 people" to sign up as Way Ambassadors? Or is it just that they have 900 actual "members" and declared that wherever they are they are "ambassadors of TWI"? A mere technicality to be able to claim they have 900 ambassadors.

It's been a year or more since last posting, I don't visit here very often. I hope everyone is well. I came looking around for news about TWI, I guess they are laying very low and not doing the crazy crap they used to when Weirwille and Martindale where running things. I'm pretty much over my whole cult experience. I'm still in the same apartment, with the same cat. Haven't drank alcohol in 5 years and that is going great. I'm on ozempic and jardiance which has helped me get down to a 5.5 A1C and lose 50 lbs. I hope everyone is doing well. Seth

Nice to see you, Belle. It's been a while.

3,000 participants. Does that include, I wonder, all the staff pressganged to work on the event? Limb coordinators, etc (if such still exist), dragged in? Together with spouses and children? I'm almost surprised that there'd be 900 non-staff present. And 900 "ambassadors"? In their dreams!

I don't know about TWI being Christian Nationalist, but here's my take. A thing about TWI was that mostly they simply didn't regard others as having a valid viewpoint. Our way or the highway. So little regard for others that they didn't even notice them. There was a big oval table in the auditorium. Inlaid countries of the world. Lovely. Where was New Zealand? And what other countries were missing? Other countries have different cultural traditions, including Christian traditions. But no. You will do it our way. Even if it was culturally offensive or ineffective. Disclaimer on this : in Christian Etiquette, Mrs Allen taught how Americans should eat, how to handle a knife and fork, etc. She made the point that this was American etiquette and urged people from other countries to follow their style of eating. Good - because in my countries, eating American-style is poor manners and only used by children learning to eat properly!! Might be used casually but never in "polite society." I have lived in two other countries for very long periods and visited many others, and I have a number of friends who have been missionaries in other countries. American ways are often viewed with suspicion. Solutions to problems can be imposed, rather than reached in consensus with locals. (As an aside: You only have to look at the world situation now to see how "solutions" are trying to be imposed without taking into account the views of others involved - but no more of this, least it be deemed "political.") But I don't know if this was just TWI, or if it was American culture generally, that thought the American way was the only way worthy of living. I doubt that any such culture would have been recognised in the middle east, where Christianity was born. It certainly isn't in line with Jesus's teachings. Certainly TWI dismissed other Christian traditions without considering the merits thereof, any spiritual help those traditions gave to others, and neither did they consider whether their own "brand" was really helpful to people from any cultural background. USA is such a huge country with so much diversity. One size does not fit all. Well. That's a cult for you.

twi is still selling "The Outreach Strategies of Jesus Christ." That was lcm's baby. They're still selling it, but I don't see his name. Typical twi- remove the names, and pretend that solved EVERYTHING.

We're hearing a lot in the news lately about the rise and influence of Christian Nationalist believers in our government. For those interested, here's a sample of what I've written on that topic. Feel free to share these links on your social media pages. Confession: I'm a Former Christian Nationalist Launched in L.A.: The Campaign of Christian Fundamentalism Former Religious Right Leader Endorses "Undertow"

Getting back to how The Way's ideology can often affect its followers' political views, here's something I wrote that seems to add to this conversation: Former Religious Right Leader Endorses "Undertow" | Charlene L. Edge

NEW KNOXVILLE — The Way International concluded its four-day festival, Rock of Ages ’25, on Saturday evening with music and a fireworks show. The event drew more than 3,000 participants from around the world, according to a release from The Way International, with attendees enjoying amenities such as a petting zoo, a splash pad, food trucks and more. The final tent meeting included the commissioning of more than 900 people to serve as Way Ambassadors for the next nine months, traveling throughout the globe and spreading the message of The Way. For more information, go to theway.org. Link to the article here. It looks like they are now editing whatever press release TWI sends to the paper. I especially like how they most likely changed the wording from "spreading the Word of God" or "sharing information on how to properly interpret the Bible" or some other TWI-speak nonsense. "More than 3,000 people" - were these people pestered over and over until they caved in and used vacation and PTO to appease the gods of TWI?

Yeah. Thanks for noticing. Oldies, come on, man. :)

You may ask what the book "validates that some of us have been talking about for so long." At the top of my list would be VPW's misogony, his vindictive attitude towards Christian denominations, and outrageous claims and opinions about what God does and doesn't do. He tells that story about when he heard God tell him audibly that He'd teach him The Word like it hasn't been known since the first century if he would teach it to others. And the phony snow story ensues. Anyway, for some people, they may be wasting their money to buy the book (at this time you preorder it on their form, which lacks a field for your street address, so you have to put that in the same box as the state). For others, it might be worth it to get the book and see for themselve VP the conman who double-talks his way through answering questions Whiteside puts to him. Elena was a nice lady but totally starry-eyed like the rest of us back then. She interviewed me and many others at HQ back then and shaped the material into a propaganda story. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's anyone in the book that's still involved with the original Way organization. They're either running Way offshoots, or, like me, have rejected any connection with VPW teachings or fellowships. Some who are featured in the book have passed away, like Del Duncan, Ian (Doug) Murphy, and George and Bernita Jess.

I know Rocky, but I would love to help people all over the world to overcome the chains of TWI. Have a good day!

Jammin' in the basement on a Saturday night...hehe!..

I started two years ago this month. I'm doing well. thanks.

OK thx...

You too? I hope you're doing great on it and feel good Rocky.

.5 ml/once per week

"I'm gonna add some bottom, so that the dancers just can't hide."

BTW Seth, I forgot to ask you before but what is considered the top dose for Ozempic? Thx.

And if it’s NOT possible, just apply that foundational hermeneutic: if it doesn’t fit, you got to MAKE it fit. Make the numbers whatever they need to be. What a tremendous truth!

During the absolute height of the WOW program, Wierwille had a dream of sending out 1,000 WOW Ambassadors, which was essentially a self-funded, uncompensated sales force. I think it might have been the the Bicentennial (1976). I could be mistaken on the year. I don't recall if that goal was ever reached. Well, my point is, it's almost comical to think they could ever come anywhere near a goal of 900 WOW Ambassadors, given the current state of affairs. As Twinky said, "In their dreams!". edit: I suppose anything is possible if you redefine WOW Ambassador.

They did open this year's festival to the general public. How many of the 3000 were locals, I wonder.

Oldies' video... Woh, all the hair gone, but sporting a moustache now. I wouldn't have recognised him. Interesting that he is preaching and has translators acting immediately. Maybe that will slow down his histrionics, his disgusting rants, his foulmouthed insults. Got to be a good thing! One wonders who is the target audience.

This sounds plausible.

Great question.

Your suspicion is correct. The Ten Commandments were considered passe, having been superceded by The Great Commandment. I'm pretty sure they would have rather had posters promoting S.I.T. In regard to Christian Nationalism, Wierwille was a close follower of Willis Carto and The Liberty Lobby. You can draw your own conclusions.

Would TWI or victor support the mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms - a hallmark of contemporary Christian Nationalism? I suspect they wouldn't, since that's a Jew thing and that Jew law doesn't apply to Christians. Any thoughts on this?

You're welcome. You're welcome.

I think what it shows is that AI is only as reliable as the data fed into it, which might or might not be accurate and/or biased.

Thank you penworks. You're research proves that even AI doesn't know it all! I did a few other AI searches with some of your research material, and AI included snippets of your information not posted in the first AI search. So overall I believe this proves that AI isn't comprehensive all the time... Something good to know for future reference...

The teaching I'm thinking of was presented in the live, 1972, Dealing With The Adversary Class. The essence of it was that what we call the subconscious is really a spiritual force looking for a way to sneak through the "trap door". I'm not saying I believe this stuff, just saying this is what I remember being taught. edit: This is why you were supposed to counteract it by quoting scripture.

I'll use this definistion from:Christian nationalism | Definition, History, United States, & Facts | Britannica: "Christian nationalism, ideology that seeks to create or maintain a legal fusion of Christian religion with a nation’s character. Advocates of Christian nationalism consider their view of Christianity to be an integral part of their country’s identity and want the government to promote—or even enforce—the religion’s position within it." In my experience with The Way, it was clear Wierwille believed the U.S. was founded to be a Christian nation and his ministry's goal was to bring it back to God's word (which was in actuality Wierwille's mostly-stolen bible teachings). Numerous outreach efforts were put into action, one year Word over the World ambassadors were assigned to target political elections. There was a program "God's Word in Culture" which aimed to convert folks who could spread The Way's propaganda anywhere and everywhere. Wierwille didn't make a secret out of his hope that this country would return to what he believed the founders intended, which was to base the U.S. on Christianity. This sure fits the profile of Christian Nationalism. It is not the way of democracy. I once wrote a paper titled, From Fundamentalism to Freedom. Here are a few quotes: "Dr. Wierwille was determined in this mission. "The United States of America is the central battlefield in a spiritual warfare being waged between the sons of God empowered and enlightened by His Word and spiritual wickedness from on high...we have been appointed and commissioned by God to carry the light of His Word to a nation desperately in need." (Wierwille, The Way Magazine 1974). He also wrote: "One reason America was in need, was that it had turned from God’s way of doing things. “So we in the good old U.S.A. have been caught up in the efforts to replace our American Christian foundation with a man-centered philosophy” (Wierwille “By The Way”. Those articles were published in the St. Mary's Evening Leader newspaper). The Way historian back in the 1980s told me that: "He [Wierwille] came across a book, The Light and the Glory, which had a major effect on him. Many of the Way’s leaders began teaching it in classes designed to show the importance of America in God’s plan to get The Word over the world. This was the goal of The Way Ministry. In practice, it meant promoting the PFAL class and running Way fellowships in every country. She also told me that a staff person, who had worked closely with Dr. Wierwille, said that before this time in the 1970’s most people on staff did not even vote. She remarked that the term “founded on” seems to be the key in understanding what people refer to when they say this country is Christian. In other words, when someone says this country was “founded on the Bible,” they are usually appealing to the Puritan and other Christian influences of the early settlers, not to what the Constitution sets forth separating church and state." Since I had never read The Light and the Glory, I found a copy and read the authors’ basic premise. One basic presupposition is that God had a definite and extremely demanding plan for America ... First, God had put a special ‘call’ on this country and the people who were to inhabit it. In the virgin wilderness of America, God was making His most significant attempt since ancient Israel to create a new Israel of people living in obedience to the laws of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Marshall, Manuel 22). As I read along, I wondered how the authors could reconcile these statements with the First Amendment. They feel the early settlers had a correct understanding of the will of God for America, and that this tradition is still somehow alive today. In Christians on the Right, I found further evidence of this way of thinking. "It was a God-given opportunity to do what they (the Puritans) had never been able to accomplish in the Old World: to establish a society which would be built entirely on their understanding of God’s laws as revealed in the Bible (Kater 22)." The Way held similar beliefs. I realized I had been in a group which tried to indoctrinate others with its own idea of God’s will just as those mentioned above. I saw that I had believed The Way’s interpretation and understanding of the Bible should be accepted by everyone. Where was the freedom to choose in that? During my years in The Way, I did think we should be and were examples to the world of what it means for Christians to live together in love. We were convinced our goal was attainable. We felt so strongly about this that one of our aims was to influence decisions made by our government. Dr. Wierwille was very adamant about this. “Let us put men and women into office who stand for the principles of God’s Word and let us rally to their support...get involved in the outreach of God’s Word or see America die. (Wierwille, The Way Magazine 1975. 30). I admitted we had just been reenacting what the Puritans had done long ago".

Just read that link and my confidence in AI fell even lower than it already was. 1. TWI does NOT believe in the divinity of Jesus. 2. They most certainly DO (or did) lean heavily into political ideologies, as evidenced by the hot water they found themselves in when promoting a certain politician's campaign in the 1970s. 3. Wierwille wasn't really a "Dr.".

Yes, the man PERSONALLY responsible for losing 80% of the membership for a church group, who is frequently cited as a reason people left afterwards, is teaching on leadership. He also taught on outreach strategies, or how to increase numbers in church group membership.

You can find it in your local bookstore in the Fairy Tales aisle.

If you go, take this map https://www.reddit.com/r/theway/s/bY4Mifgkkl

Say, baby, bring me an orange soda..

Been on it for over a year, I'm on the top dose, only real side effect is a loss of appetite in the evenings, food isn't as exciting as it used to be. It's a long term treatment.

Two grown steps. Two teen bio. Adopted boy, 7 Adopted girl, 2 Adopted boy, 1. The adopted boys are biological half-brothers.

Thank you for the report Seth. How long have you been on Ozempic and what are the side effects if any? I've heard great things about it. Did you settle on a dose and keep on that dose for a long time? Thx.

Wierwille, Martindale, Bickle, and… Kat Kerr. That’s a hand never tired of the glove.

Former IHOPPer! This is great! When were you there!? I hope everybody here knows about Willow Creek Church; Gateway Church; Bishop Eddie Long; Ravi Zacharias; Todd Bentley; Daystar; TBN, Celebration Church, etc, etc. If not, newsflash, The Way was not alone. I loved the worship at IHOPKC (horrific murder/suicide/cult incident there). Like The Way, I never got involved in their programs (Intro to IHOP; IHOP University; Fire in the Night, etc). Eventually, they kicked me out. For one thing, as you might guess, I wasn't a fan of their 'Israel Mandate'. You're asking the same things I'm asking. How are they processing ALL that happened? I mean, all of it. What's most important for me now, where are they at and where are they going? These are the conversations I'm looking for but I'm not going to grill anyone like they have to meet my approval. So far everyone has been open and kind. I did listen to one of Craig Martindale's recent teachings on You Tube. Now, there's a resurrection, huh? He still holds Dr Wierwille in highest regards. Don't know about the Way just yet. Wow, did I grow old, or what? LOL

I didn't go WOW myself. I was fresh out of college and despite the prevailing culture, I wanted to keep control of my life and for the first time become unpoor. To this day I can't say if I lacked trust or if I exercised prudence. I can say this, I didn't have the bitter fall that others did. After the Army about 5 years later when I was going to 'give in' and go WOW, the coordinator or whoever discerned I didn't have the right attitude and said 'no'. I just filed for social security and I never did get unpoor. I did spend 3 years in China as kind of a missionary English teacher.

I got very caught up with the Bickle sexual abuse scandal and the IHOPKC coverup and how similar it was to weirwille's and twi's. What did you know about the latter and what is twi saying about it now? There's no way I respect twi today for their lies and coverup for this man. Do they still call him "the man of God for our day and time" or just their "father in the word?"

One thing I can say about the Way, it looks like they never discovered good worship. Looks like they still do the performances. The rest of Evangelical Christendom has long known about something much more experiential with the Holy Spirit. Recent Bob Stanley: Hillsong:

Ah, but what's their religion? The people I met, I don't think they want any part of the old religion, either. Not trying to ruffle feathers. I was just wondering if anyone was open to redemption and restoration. It may not be there, I have no idea. I have no interest in Zionist churches. Really, I don't have much interest in gatherings that focus on professional Christians giving weekly speeches. If anyone still has interest in the book of Acts, Tom Wadsworth on You Tube has a lot to say that I find interesting.

Good for you.Thanks to this ole sight and lots of great people,I feel it would be a step backard into their religion.

I'm trying to figure out how to reply to rocky's post. Mathematics Destroys Brands. I always read the labels. I don't care what the label (brand) has to say.. show me the numbers, show me some statistics.. fortunately.. in the US.. the brands are .. what is the word.. forced to report at least partially honest statistics