TrustAndObey

Hey Pipes,

I don't have my files readily available.. I think if I look I might be able to find the Vision and Direction given out to the Region and Limb Coordinators.. Maybe If I feel like it someday, I'll scan it and put a copy on the web for all those wanting to see how ungodly their direction really is.. Unless of course someone from the Way would like to tell me how God directed them to require a 3% or maybe it was 5% increase in numbers... Sounds more like manmade desires to me..

The thing with all this is that it's all ran from man.. Err woman, hehe.. And most even from the Limb level and down are nothing more than go to people.. I have known a good deal of Branch, Limb, and even a Region coordinator that are good honest folk that realize there are some major problems with doctrine, with direction, with quite a number of things, and yet they feel like it is their duty to stay and try and change things from within. Man, the number of talks I've had with leadership that really are meek that are there now. But they fail at the point that they think they OWE the ministry.. They OWE them.. Umm.. What happened to "OWE NO MAN ANYTHING"!?!?!!?! Yeah, they think they owe the ministry - or maybe they think they owe God but since the ministry is their God - there ya go.. So they put up with the demands that their leadership puts on them. And the whole while it's people like Rosalie, Harve Platig, Rico Magnelli, and John Linder that run basically the entire show.. Yeah, I think those are the top 4 if I remember.. Don't let the other titles and positions fool you.. Those ARE the decision makers. Some are just "hidden" decision makers - most notably John Linder. As for Jean Ives... Yeah, just a fall back person like Reynolds was. John Rupp just wants power and position, so he'll do whatever. But they don't make the main decisions.. I've been in meetings with just the Trustee Cabinet, and it's pretty clear whose trying to change things and who runs it all.. Rosalie allows even Donna Martindale to make police changes on her own. They basically kiss her behind because she was LCM's wife!

The point is.. There really are a lot of wonderful and kind leaders in the Way. THis is what attracts people even now. But unfortunately their "head" is not Jesus Christ! Instead they have willing changed it for a man-made headship.. "and the head of man is Christ" get's changed to "and the head of man is his religious man-ordained leader!". Christ LIVES! He leads too. But that won't happen in the Way..

Rosalie basically was ran by fear but now a desire for power. She changed things from the fear motivation that LCM brought to a manmade "love" motivation. What do you expect from women! Only it's not genuine. Instead it's "whatever will make them happy and keep them from leaving.. lets do that'... And you think I'm kidding?! No.. I've been in meetings where top leadership (I don't mean Limb or Branch low level folks) was being reproved for not handling situations with their folks right because they made their "servants" complain too much and was giving the ministry a bad rap. So, what does Rosalie decide.. Why don't you just stop confronting for a month or two and let the situation die down.. Just hang out with them but don't confront anything.. Show them your their friend.. This is her "actual words!". Ummm.. You guys see what is going on right? That's not GOD"S LOVE! That's Man made, we'll kiss your behind if you make too much stink about us (As long as you have reason to raise such a stink)... Instead of changing policy and actually listening and changing to God's ways, they'd much rather look good, be nice, show fake love, and hope you'll stay, and then if you still aren't nice, then you were a bad apple and need marked and there was no wrongdoing on leadership..

Those who just do what they ask though, well, their the few, the proud, the great we got em were we want them so now let's make them do more! You know the type..

BUt I'd say 25% of leadership their now, judging by the fact the I know at least 10% personally and have talked to them, but these are just those who are waiting for change to happen and think they can change it from inside out.. I gave up after trying to talk with Harve and Rosalie.. They both showed how not meek they were and their desire was just to run the freakin ministry and keep it afloat, rather than keep it godly. Hush and be friends with the troublemakers (unless they are too quarrelsome) and the quiet ones make do all the work (until they catch on and leave, but meanwhile their genuine love fools the newbies)..

Then you have 50% of leadership that just want to move up and be powerful and have position.. So they do whatever is told to them.. Or they tell others or do whatever they think their leaders want to hear so they look good. And all the while enjoying the power they have over everyone.. Or if they are low on the pole, they prance around with their ego and tell you how great they are by the success they had - usally at the expense of everyone else..

And then the last 25% of leaders there are just quiet, do whatever, unknowing what's going on.. That's a big percentage.. Trust me.. It doesn't mean there's much hope.. BUt.. There's a good deal of em.. Alot of them don't want to know either.. They are too fooled.

Oh yeah, so what was the topic??! Hehe

Belle,

Thanks, It hasn't been but a few years I left myself.. But I don't think it was the area I was in, like I said, I went through the Corps program, been Wow and Way D a number of times.. All over the place.. And yeah, got the STS and Way Mag.. They kinda piled up on me and I didn't have much time for em, and once your in the Corps they just throw em on ya whether ya want em or not. What's the point of a STS tape when you are their live? Oh well, wasted resources!

Guess God just made sure I didn't have to deal with the Jesus wording finactics, but there was plenty of other things!

Hmmmmm...

Maybe I just fell in at a weird time in TWI history... Was there through most all the 90s and then some.. Yet, not once did anyone ever talk to me about this 'Jesus' and only saying it this way or that.. I was even in the Corps. Taught hundreds of times, yet it never came up.. Hmmm Was I just asleep?

I'll admit I'd heard it maybe once when I was in there that usually when written this way it referred to this or this way it referred to that, but you know, I never paid any mind to that and never taught it that way either.. Hmmm, maybe y'all were just in at the wrong time!

Course now I sometimes say Jesus, God's Messiah... Or God's Christ, Jesus.. Since if I use the word 'Christ' I like to emphasize who it was the "anointed" Him.. But that's just me..

As for 'The Word'' That was a biggie for me.. Damn near worshipped 'the Word'.. And God.. Well, it was good reading and talking about Him.. Glad to be out of that mess.. So now.. if I say anything about the written word, I usally talk about it as in 'My father said' or 'My Father had written'.... Just so I never go back to emphasizing 'The WOrd' too much.. Heck, God would very much rather have us sit in his lap and talk to him, rather than read a book about him. Tell me any of you parents wouldn't have it any other way when your kid wants to know about you?

I don't know about busier being the word..

Heck, before LCM left, we had 3 fellowships a week, a HFC meeting every other week, and a branch meeting once a month.. Let's add that up..

Twig mtgs - 3 x 4 = 12

HFC meeting - 2 = 2

Branch mtg = 1

That 15 meetings a month.. And a month consists of how many days? 30? Half my timei n meetings. At least once in awhile one of those twig nights would be witness night, which really meant, let's go have fun together but in case someone asks, you can tell them who you're with and invite em to twig..

What Vision and Direction really did was to change the Way from allowing people to do what they thought was best, to micro-managed everything. Limb coordinators were now required to have x amount of new people (OR ELSE), they were required to show an increase in ABS to a certain % (OR ELSE). And so, here was the magnificently "man designed" plan to accomplish it. Controls, controls, controls.. All because they love you, was the reason given.. Can you believe the nerve.. Instead of God giving the increase, it was written black and white in the Vision and Direction given to Corps on the field overseeing limbs and above that they had to show proof of increase.. And with that weight on their shoulders, just think the weight they had to put on their "servants"..

Man driving man to extinction.. That's what it is..

instead it should be..

God! And His Son leading the church, rather than man leading it.. God giving the increase instead of man trying to 5-senses wise show "untrue" fruit. Genuinly allowing God to change the hearts of people, instead of trying to beat people over the head with the WOrd, or tricking them to come to fellowship just to show you got someone to come, instead of genuine love and care to help and SERVE THEM! Go figure.. We are here to serve one another, not be served..

Wow... What an experience..

I think I was in the ministry less than a month before going. Took the class, the next weekend was the Rock and then WOW! Talk about fun!

We had 2 Wow families.. Us 4 guys and then the 4 gals in the other family. Not a single one of us over 20.. So we're all just kids, having fun in a big town, and both groups hittin on each other, only they tried to keep our families apart for that purpose.. So what did our fearless coordinator do? Find another gal he could shack up with the entire time. Only, we called it his witnessing time. She actually did take the class, and then after the year he dropped from the Corps and married her.

My typical day...

Worked at 5am till noon. (40hour week) Slept for a few hours after getting home since no one else came home for hours. Cooked some. Then was witnessing, or playing, time.. And then to sleep.. We would rent a nintendo or sega game system each week and that consisted of much of our witnessing time. And then every week it never failed that we felt bad we hadn't witnessed, and actually went out for an hour or more to the mall.. Maybe really we just wanted to do some shopping.

All in all.. The gals never got anyone to the class and one person to fellowship a couple times the WHOLE YEAR! Our Coordinator got his "soon to be wife" to take the class.. I got a couple people from my work and witnessing to join us and take the class. And that was it.. One small class filled in with local believer's kids.

And Way Disciple.. I did that too..

Really they changed a lot of things for the better. Honestly there.. I have to give them some credit. As much as I don't respect many of the things they do, I try and call things like they are..

It's no longer a whole freakin year that takes your life away..

No more neophites..

A lot more oversight, so we had to have part time, work together, and then we actually had time to witness.

No more exaggerated witnessing hours.. 2-4 hours a day Mon-Fri which was simple when you only worked 4 hours.

I'd have to say a lot more fun too. Cause we actually bonded.. Something our WOw team never did since our Cordinator was off getting his fix, and the other 2 guys in my team wanted to go underage drinking or sit around doing nothing..

So yeah.. They've improved it..

Only witnessing is done with so much ulterior motives, what's the point. That's not being honest!

Yup, Last I knew she was working in Swtichboard at the Way HQ, night shift.. The typical place they send their new singles Corps. Since of course that is the purpose to the Way Corps, right? To work a secular job only it's for the ministry. What ever happened to the "minister" part of Corps, is beyond my understanding..

She had graduated into the Corps a number of years ago, I think the 30th..

She's one of those that seemed pretty gung-ho for the ministry whether it sunk or swam or corruption subsisted. I think for her, she feels like she's accomplishing much (Corps!!) and has friends and anywhere else she'd go, she wouldn't..

Wonderful.. What a great word.. I really think it is a wonderful word.. Only you won't catch me using it..

What about 'Completely completely completly complete..'.. Yup absolute completeness.. Now that one I go completely and wonderfully nuts on...

I'm just glad I'm complete.. Whatever the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time did.. I wouldn't know! Seems like a lot of talk with more air..