waysider

http://wordcentered.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=133&Itemid=28

That's why we were encouraged to be selective in our recruitment efforts. We were supposed to seek out people who would be potential "leadership material" (franchisees).

From what I've gathered here at GSC, he works at the wholesale level. His customers are the retail outlets who market the product. A franchise operation, if you will. A bit like what the big hamburger chains do. That keeps him one step removed and out of the spotlight. I think (personal opinion) that this is a path Wierwille was exploring in the very early days. (Mid 60's to mid 70's) I believe this may have been what his original intention may have been with WOW, Fellow Laborers and early Way Corps. Remember, the W.C. was originally designed to be two straight years of in-residence training, followed by a return to their previous venues. For what ever reason, Wierwille scrapped that plan and redirected his efforts into developing his intense indoctrination program that became the new and improved Way Corps. In fact, as an enticement to WC enrollment, some Fellow Laborers were offered a one year apprenticeship credit for their final year and successful graduation from the F.L. program Perhaps Wierwille was too impatient or lusted for the control and power that resulted from the centralization of company operations. I don't know. That's purely speculation on my part. On the other hand, maybe those two elements are not as critical to CG as they were to VPW. that's my 2cents edit RE: WOW This would mean that the actual running of classes was only the secondary goal of participants. The primary goal was to locate and enlist enthusiastic franchisees who would set up shop and perpetuate the business once their WOW year was over.

I believe that conclusion is much too general. Even though we were taught that we should all think alike, the simple truth is that we do not. In addition, the "mindset" we were all admonished to subscribe to has, itself, evolved and changed.

I'm not really sure what you mean by that. My comments were directed more toward the progressing, evolving realizations one faces, not the abrupt, sudden confrontations.

Maybe so----but you and I are not Wayfers.

Sky4it I'm very sorry about your friend. The Way is an evil organization. Lots of lives have been damaged by their doctrines and practices. Some people even lost their lives due to The Way's idiotic "law of believing" and nonsense about being "born of the wrong seed". Some of us (myself included) lost dear friends and relatives forever because they died as a result of believing Way doctrine. I know that really isn't any consolation but I just wanted you to know you are not alone in your disdain for this vile organization that calls itself The Way. As for the longfellow reference, I want you to know that there were plenty of us who did not subscribe to that doctrine. Unfortunately, there were some who did. I was not among them. I know you said you will not be responding to this thread so I want to end by telling you I am truly sorry for the pain you are in. I hope there is some way we can help you here. waysider

"Boy the Way Productions played, songs that missed the hit parade, guys like us we had it made, those were the days, and you know where you were then, girls were girls and men were men, mister we could use a man like VP Wierdwille again, didn't need no welfare states everybody lost some weight, gee our WOWMOBILE ran great, those were the days!"

That's one of those things that sounds really clever when you're young. As you get older, though, and realize you're much closer to the end than the beginning, it takes on a whole new level of meaning.

Are you old enough to remember these? My Big Sister's Radio

Yeah---except that he couldn't tolerate franchises. All company stores or nothing.

Here is a link to some information about the subject. https://www.google.com/health/ref/Intersex My wife used to work with someone who has two children that are intersex. It's a very complex subject, both medically and psychologically not only for the children but for their caregivers, as well.

Geeze Louise! We used to have branch meetings bigger than that every week in the early 70's.

I'm sure there a lots of people who thought that's what they were doing when they signed up for The Corps. That's how Fellow Laborers was supposed to be. We were going to study ACTS for two years and then go back to our hometowns.

I'm no expert on these matters but that sounds an awful lot like fear motivation. Now, what was that retemory for fear? Blast! Where are those blinking cards when you need them?

Well-----We all have our "demons" in this lifetime, don't we? Figuratively speaking, of course.

Oops! I must be slipping. That whole retemory thing started in DWA. That's the class that teaches that devil spirits are everywhere and they're out ta gitcha iffen ya don't watch out..Bwaaaahaha! En Garde!

Or maybe it was because he had a "prophesy" while listening to Act Naturally.

Let me know if you need to borrow my retemory cards.

Am I missing something here? Even when I was a kid in Sunday School we learned what happened to the foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

Fellow Laborers was bait-and-switch---promised us one thing and gave us something else. I think maybe Wierwille envisioned it to be a way of developing Way Corps "franchises" around the country. Like the satellite locations that have become popular with colleges. Away from the main campus but under his authority. Thought he could control us remotely. Well, we were controlled alright, but it wasn't by him personally. When it didn't work the way he thought it should, he abandoned us like a ship wreck. Left us stranded on some deserted island. In all the time I was there, he never visited us once. In retrospect, I can see it had already started to crumble.

Very true. Quite embarrassing to admit you've been wrong for the last 20, 30. 40 years.

How else can I say this? Building a "ministry" on a set of principles that has proven to be flawed is just plain wrong, especially if it involves magical thinking mumbo-jumbo. The only one I can find myself agreeing with is number five. 5.Go forth as leaders and workers in areas of concern, interest and need. At least that's generic enough to apply to non-religious efforts.

Yeah, like getting divorced and continuing to live in the same house together.