skyrider

HCW.....yeah, so did I. In my situation, I had a running start......and was definitely on guard for many years before leaving twi. In my mind, all of twi's upper echelon were "red-flagged" by 1986......vpw, lcm, cgeer, txwnsend, etc. I knew too much and needed more time to "scope the landscape." Like you noted, I went through everything I think I think. Everything! Back through all my years of programs, of commitments, of why I signed the green card and where my thinking was at THAT time! Like a scalpel, I cut down deep....so very deep! All the while, I kept in mind that The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Where were MY thoughts? Where was MY thinking? What do I believe?? I clearly understand why some here at GS are still "sorting thru the mess." It's just so much, so overwhelming, so deceptive. Layer by layer, one needs to keep his surgical eyes open! From what I've observed here at GS, there are LOTS of "individual thinkers"............and a great place to share personal stories. ;)-->

JJ....do you throw with a "flip action" or the "spin motion" to get that shoe to align with the stake? Seems that most good competitors throw the once-around-spinner.

HCW.....yeah, it is splitting hairs and I kinda see what you're getting at. But...when "people think what they think on their own" and EXIT twi......and later find this website and see substantiating evidence by dozens and dozens of posters.....is that "mutual thinking" or "groupthink?" I doubt that I'm not the only one who formulated my opinions of twi before coming here. Anyways.....it matters little to me. I've got several stories of my own to tell........someday. Thanks HCW for posting this. Also, you DO play a mean basketball game! That I know first-hand! ;)-->

A la, No, Pxnarxllos left in Sep/Oct of 2002.....I'm fairly certain. You might be thinking of the Lxllys.....they asked to be Branch Coordinators in Austin, rather than keep doing the Region. From what I heard, the night before believers were coming over to help them move into another apartment/townhouse.....the Lxllys drove away in the middle of the night with their stuff. In this way, the Lxllys avoided the face-melting confrontation from the new Region guy!

lindy......as best I recall, the "public release version" of lcm's "one-time affair" was in April 1999. Knowing that Pxxl Allxn's waydale was up and cranking out information......twi told their followers that going online to anti-way websites could get them possessed. In the last five years.....twi has gone underground. Twi's written communication has greatly diminished. Lists of yearly leadership assignments is no longer sent out. Announcements, assignments and numbers involved hardly get a mention on a SNS tape. In the last five years.....twi has become more covert. It's NO WONDER that, when settling out of court with Pxxl Allxn, one of the demanded requests of twi was to CLOSE DOWN WAYDALE!! Long live Greasespot Cafe.....and keep telling those first-hand experiences. Thanks Paw.

Oldies.....I commend you for taking the time to reflect on your experiences, your trauma and decline the "invitation" to reapply. Obviously, in reading thru all these posts, you can see that many of us agree that we would have been far better off had we distanced ourselves from twi's upper hierarchy much earlier. That's an understatement!! :D-->

HCW.....don't quite follow you point on "mutual thinking" and "groupthink"... Just following your story, I posted this above:

lindy....good question. Here's what I remember.... Feb 1999..............Allxns fired from hq staff. Mar/Apr 1999..........Waydale up and running Jun/Jul 1999..........Lxchts in Florida left twi. Jun/Jul 1999..........Moxquexas in Colorado left. Jun/Jul 2000..........Laxlys in Texas left. Sep 2000..............Martindale was ousted by lawyers. Feb/Mar 2001..........Lawsuit settled out of court. Others might know more specifics.....but nonetheless, its intriguing!! :)-->

Yes, Mr. H.....isolation and control is a deadly mixture in the hands of a drambuie-drinking, self-serving, bible-bending leader.

Reading the first-hand account of the LEAD accident has been very enlightening......to say the least. Sitting in the passenger seat, HCW had undisputable and undeniable knowledge of how the accident happened. And now....he continues with details of its aftermath. When Waydale and a couple of its predecessors hit the Internet, it changed twi's landscape forever. Not only did Pxxl Allxn successfully expose martindale and his illicit behavior, but the "power of the internet" was front and center for the trustees to see!! Personal stories had a voice......finally! Accountability by the "internet-press" could pressure the trustees towards change! The spiritual abuse found within the walls of twi would and could be shouted from monitor to monitor!! For these reasons and more......it has intrigued me for years that certain region coordinators shortly after the birth of waydale quickly and quietly exited twi. And, what's more.....the ones that come to mind had internet-savvy understanding of its capabilities!!! And, some of these people knew Pxxl Allxn and his deep understanding of two things: twi & www (world wide web). Quite abruptly........Alxn Lxcht and wife left twi. Quite abruptly........Pxxl Mxsquedx and wife left twi. Quite abruptly........Txm Lxlly and wife left twi. Even John Rxynolds, as a trustee, didn't last very long. Hmmmmmmmmm......

The gross culpability thickens! What happened after the accident is most telling of trustees......and the rest of the story!!

Okay.....call me naive or whatever, but I firmly believed that when I was accepted into the corps program that it was two years of training/learning with an interim year inbetween. The interim year would help expose those areas of weakness and all. I honestly thought that as long as one was putting forth a concerted effort to learn and grow, to receive and practice......THAT was the commitment. Much like going to college classes, I guess. Here's a chuckle for you.....our first corps night, on Wednesday, was held in Emporia's chapel. One of my good buddies was traveling thru and heading west. He stopped into visit me about 20 minutes before the corps meeting. He found my dorm room and, together we walked over to the chapel. I invited him. :D--> He wasn't corps! He wasn't even an advanced class grad! About 10 minutes into the meeting and some corps guy sorta noticed that my friend looked outta place and said, "Is he corps?" I said, "No" (not really thinking much about it). Then, this corps guy says....."He can't be in here" and I said, "Oh." My friend quietly exited out the west entrance. My, oh my........LEGALISM has grown lots of hair since then. :D--> :D--> :D-->

Good point, igotout. Yeah.....LEGALISM has a way of wrapping itself around your head and suffocating you to death. No wonder it's one of the main topics in Galatians.

THAT was it! Get the "training".....and then, get outta there! He11....I figured if Balaam could learn a few things from his foot, then surely I could stick it out and learn a few things from a few blowhards!!!

Shaz......yeah, I was jesting a bit. After all these years, it is amazing to step back and see how twi's standards were not subject to accountability. Aww yes....the recognized corps. Another sneaky way of phrasing the program. :D--> But really, just thinking out loud here.......why did the corps program have a "special human race" ideology? When I signed on the line.....there was not one hint of that in the promotional brochure. Thanks Hope....for that waydale info. And.....I thought twi specifically declared that they DID NOT mark and avoid people??? :D--> :D-->

By the early 80s......the term cop out had gained legs.....and had evolved to mean....any corps person or corps grad who quit taking assignments was a cop out. Twi changed the parameters. Now, it was a LIFETIME COMMITMENT to stand with twi. And, that labeling is still in effect to this day. :D-->

Jonny......for a second there, I could actually hear craig's voice. At the very least, there should have been a "review committee" of two or three individuals who would panel to hear BOTH sides. Grievances of the program or leaders' attitudes or whatever SHOULD have had a hearing. Not a yes-men, voice-over, shout-n-out confrontation......BUT a fair hearing. Fair is fair.....and iff the corps person proved to be beligerent and a scorner.....then it would expose that too.

rascal.......unbelievable!!! Of course, when a corps person was dismissed and could NOT TALK TO ANYONE.....the separation was immediate. No personal exchange of information from friends. No personal comfort.........with embracing hugs. No personal exhortation.....with write soon, "I will miss you." Cold and calloused and calculating.....twi leadership got in the last damaging word!

One other point.... Some of the older corps....who had careers or money or family to fall back on did NOT have the same challenges as the young corps. I know several went back to their careers and didn't miss a beat.

Well, not actually "drop kicked".......but DEFINITELY dropped and NOTABLY kicked out of the corps. On another thread, igotout said this: In the 70s......vpw labeled all those who were dismissed from the corps program as a cop-out...one who quits and is copping out on their corps decision. And, along with this labeling......the "possessed" label was quick to follow. By the mid-80s, corporate twi had comprised lists of corps and grouped them as follows: 1) Active Corps......Those who are currently active and on assignment with twi. 2) Inactive Corps....Those who currently have no assignment but still send in abs & attend fellowship. 3) LOA...............Those who, for certain reasons, have taken a Leave Of Absence (from corps training). 4) DFAC..............Those Dropped from Active Corps. By the 90s.....I was convinced that there was another category (although I never personally saw one). Maybe someday, a receptionist or WayGB type will come forward and show us a list known as: 5) Mark & Avoid......Those who oppose twi. Those who know too much. Those who speak out! Anyways.......BEING KICKED OUT OF THE CORPS was deeply demoralizing and devastating. Some of these corps...who had attended classes and fellowships for two or three years,....who had forsaken college plans and entered the corps,....who had withstood their own family's anti-way vehemence.....had their whole world come crashing down when dismissed!! In an instant.....a corps person was left with huge doubt, and guilt and thousands of questions. In an instant.....a corps person was told to pack his bags and speak to NO ONE ELSE. In an instant.....a corps person was labeled and silence or slander followed. And, when these dropped corps left campus and traveled by bus to the chosen state......many have shared that the leadership did very little to help them back on their feet. Where was the love? Why did newbies get love-bombed and dropped corps got "hard-love?" If the trustees and corps coordinators were SO SPIRITUAL......why didn't they see that a few of these corps might be suicidal???????? I never knew Rochelle W..........but I knew her brother Al fairly well. skyrider

Hi Jennifer. Glad you're here. I know your parents from my corps and staff experiences. Nice people and, like them, I never fit the mold of twi's bullies either. If the table conversation isn't to your liking......try another table. :)-->

JJ....I've been known to throw a few. I like the game, but don't really take it to serious levels of competition.

I'm inviting you......GO AHEAD. :D--> Do you need hq's phone number for the nearest fellowship?

IF...??????? If a local fellowship........invited you????? C'mon oldies.......if YOU want to go, then GO. Maybe.....God is telling YOU to go. And.......if God is telling YOU to go....then, why are you pushing the "what's there to be afraid of" message?????

Whenever the "good old days" is mentioned......I remind myself that, in comparison, the YEARS that engulfed those days were NOT so good. :D-->