penworks

If you haven't connected the dots about who I am, I graduated from the 2nd Way Corps (1971-1973), then I was an area, limb, branch, twig leader over the years, married to Tim Bis*op, originally from the Rye, NY fellowship, also in the 2nd Corps, who VPW ordained. I was also a member of the Way's biblical research team who worked on the Aramaic projects. My story is in my memoir. Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International. (2007). It's for sale online in paperback and ebook. The VPW letters to the Way Corps are from my own personal files. I saved a whole lot of material from my time in VPW's cult, much of which I used to write my memoir. I'm just sharing the letters with anyone interested. You can contact me until April 30, 2025 at 5 pm and give me an email address to send them to you. Send me a message either here on GSC or at https://charleneedge.com

BTW, if you don't know, Karl Kahler is the author of The Cult That Snapped: A Journey Into the Way International

Hi Greasespotters, Until April 30 at 5 pm, you can get your copies of these letters by sending me a message through GSC or here: https://charleneedge.com/contact With his permission, here's what Karl Kahler, who just read them, says about these letters: “This stroll down deception lane reminds me that Wierwille was NOT stupid, and far from it. He poured so much energy into grooming his flock, and he was so combative with anyone who opposed him. These letters are a master class in mind control — of the very people he already controlled!

Correction: there's no letter l at the end of my name. My CORRECT website contact page is https://charleneedge.com OFFER IS GOOD until APRIL 30, 2025 at 5 pm. I'm amazed at how many people are asking me for these letters. That makes me glad because more people will have this important, undeniable, in-print history of those days in TWI in VPW's own words. Thanks for contacting me!

Count down to April 30th to get these letters. And the loyalty letter from LCM 1990. I'm getting requests for these almost daily. Not only former Way Corps are asking for them, but others who value them for the behind-the-scenes look at volitile situations in TWI and what VPW really thought and did 1977 - 1981. For instance, how he turned on Way Corps members when they expressed their freedom of speech, etc. I remember wondering why he got so upset and defensive, if truth (which he said he taught) needs no defense? Message me here or on my website at https://charleneedgel.com/contact

Sounds like fun. :-)

In case you don't know, Green is the son of Bill and Marcia Green on the Board of Directors of TWI in Ohio: Board of Directors Rev. Vern Edwards Rev. Steve Crommett Rev. Bill Greene Dr. Angela Priester Rev. Mel Privette Founding President Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille Green said, "At the time we still had the cult stigma as a newer ministry, and followed one leader, so we were ticking all the boxes,” he said. “Then, we had a ‘compound’ that didn’t let people come in. So, looking back, we were digging our own grave.” The Way splintered into groups after Wierwille’s death in 1985. Membership declined, and the group was targeted by anti-cult organizations, according to a New York Times article following Wierwille’s passing. Despite the decreased following, members at Camp Gunnison continue to follow their founder’s teaching to this day, 40 years after his death." END All I can say is that if "members at Camp Gunnison continue to follow their founder’s teaching to this day, 40 years after his death" to most people that indicates they STILL FOLLOW HIM, a proven plagiarist, who, for instance, helped himself to the contents of another man's book on the Holy Spirit and published it as his (VPW's) own work. That's just one example. Here's my take: to continue following VPW's teaching is to continue to take him as the authority on the Bible and a lot of other things he gave his opinions on. They're still following one man, even though he's dead. They're still the cult of VPW.

Here's my theory. The person doing the postcard mailing probably got handed a list of old first through fourth Way Corps (among many more later Corps) who were around when VPW trained them himself, and therefore might be inclined to respond to the VP quote on the card (and the photo of Howard Allen), and maybe get their heartstrings pulled back to HQ, letting bygones be bygones. TWI is changed and improved, doncha know. That person mailing the cards probably found an address on the internet for me and didn't know to connect the dots to who I am today, the author of Undertow! I know there are people at HQ who have read it, so they're not ignorant, just not the ones doing the postcard mailing. LOL. The clue is they used my former last name, Bishop, from my Way days when I was married to Tim Bishop. This invite is providing endless laughs for my friends and family...

As I described in Undertow. a pastor at Stiles church in L.A. gave my then-husband a copy of Stiles book back in 1974 or so but I didn't delve into it enough to compare it to VPW's book until 1986 when I was on the research team at HQ. What a shock...

Well, well, look what arrived in today's mail. Mmm... some strange mailing list they have these days. I appreciate being thought of so highly as to warrant an invite like this, but something tells me they wouldn't be happy if I actually showed up.

Have you guys seen this?

Ah, they're still appealig to the Way's founder, VPW, using him as their symbol. If you're new to TWI and want infomation on VPW, get a behind-the-scenes peek at him by reading his letters to the Way Corps during the 1970s and 1980s. They might make you run away from anything having to do with TWI today.

I wonder what outsiders would think of The Way if they read VPW's letters to the Way Corps, since the current Way org still claims VPW as their "father in the Word" etc. despite evidence he stole other men's work, such as J. E. Stiles book on the Holy Spirit, and claimed it as his original research. As Rocky said on another post, the letters rip the mask off VPW.

I can also email the coercive 1990 LCM loyalty letter to the Way Corps. Even though I escaped TWI HQ in 1987 and broke off ties with TWI, he persisted in sending it.

The clock is ticking. Only 49 days left to request these letters. Send me a message here at GSC or you can message me through my website at https://charleneedge.com/contact. I'll email you the 8 files within 24 hours. They are FREE. Offer is good till April 30, 2025 at 5 pm.

I babysat Rochelle Hendrix in 1983, 1984, when her dad and mom were limb leaders of Florida. John Henrdrix, her dad, is the one who suggested my husband and I go to HQ on staff. (See Undertow). John had an ego the size of a barn. No surprise his daughter took over... What happened to Mary Ann, the mom? She played the piano beautifully.

My question was rhetorical, but the resources Rocky shared in response are excellent. For some of us, those resources and books came out YEARS after we left, after our own moral compasses pointed us toward the exit signs.

And so, after reading Wierwille's own words, as Nathan so well describes, who would want to follow along with a group that lauds such a man, as he reveals himself to be in those letters, as a great "man of God?" Sigh. But many still do. For instance, some old timers on the Board of TWI are well aware of stuff in those letters. Yet, they pledge loyalty to VPW anyway. They maintain a tough wall of denial to breach. In my view, a person has to be ready psychologically to admit they made a mistake in their adoration of VPW. A person has to be willing to consider VPW conned them. That's not easy, but it can and has been done by a lot of us. And life didn't end. And life actually expanded for many of us. Life opened itself in wonderful, healing, and loving ways.

The offer of PDFs of VPW's letters to Way Corps is good until April 30, 2025 at 5 pm. Cheers!

If anyone wants the 8 PDF files I made of VPW's letters to the Way Corps (1977 - 1981), let me know in a message, and I'll email them to you. They show beyond a doubt his manipulative tactics... and more! They are an historical record of many disturbing events. Among other things, you'll see the letter I quote in Undertow showing his denigration of certain eighth Way Corps guys for challenging his research. They are too large to upload here on GSC, otherwise I would've done that. I should probably limit how long I can keep emailing these to people. Let's say the offer is good until April 30, 2025 at 5 pm :-). Cheers!

If anyone wants the 8 PDF files I made of VPW's letters to the Way Corps (1977 - 1981), let me know in a message, and I'll email them to you. They show oh so much of his manipulative mind ... and more! Among other things, you'll see the letter I quote in Undertow showing his denigration of certain eighth Corps guys for challenging his research.

For more from me, visit me on Blogspot. My posts there are FREE. My posts on my own website are FREE also. Charlene Lamy Edge Speaks about The Way International My website is: https://charleneedge.com

For anyone considering getting involved with The Way, or if you are and you're having doubts about the group, consider this. It is information you may not have already: The current Way organization still lauds the corrupt VPW as their founding "man of God?" About the Founder - Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille That's enough for me to categorize the current organization as corrupt. Its roots in Wierwille are rotten. Their current "tree" cannot be any good no matter how "nice" any followers might be. Many of us had first-hand experience with the authoritarian, narcissistic, predatory, abusive plagiarist named Victor Paul Wierwille. We know that he stole most of his teachings that are found on tapes and in his books. Many of those are still used today, or tweaked, or slanted this way or that. We know the women he seduced and raped and silenced. We know the emotional abuse he inflicted on anyone who questioned him. We now understand how cults work and how they make extensive efforts to hide their corrupt histories like the one The Way has and cannot escape. We know that no matter how many fresh coats of paint you slather over filth, the filth is still underneath. To any followers of this organization: ask where the money goes. Ask where the power lies. Ask what happens if you leave the group. Ask what happens if you disagree with the ideology. Think for yourself.

If anyone is reading this who is currently involved with TWI, or if you're having doubts about staying involved, consider this: Isn't it true that the current Way organization still lauds the corrupt VPW as their founding "man of God?" About the Founder - Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille That's enough for me to categorize the current organization as corrupt. Its roots in Wierwille are rotten. Their current "tree" cannot be any good no matter how "nice" any followers might be. Many of us had first-hand experience with the authoritarian, narcissistic, predatory, abusive plagiarist named Victor Paul Wierwille. We know that he stole most of his teachings that are found on tapes and in his books. Many of those are still used today, or tweaked, or slanted this way or that. We know the women he seduced and raped and silenced. We know the emotional abuse he inflicted on anyone who questioned him. We now understand how cults work and how they make extensive efforts to hide their corrupt histories like the one The Way has and cannot escape. We know that no matter how many fresh coats of paint you slather over filth, the filth is still underneath. To any followers of this organization: ask where the money goes. Ask where the power lies. Ask what happens if you leave the group. Ask what happens if you disagree with the ideology. Think for yourself.

I'll post it in a couple other places here today.