In-residence Way Corps - the factory.

[OldSkool]

When I was in-rez, I used to hear quite a few buzz phrases from my Corps Coordinator. Most of the phrases made little sense when a person stops to think a little. For example: It's a blend and a balance. WTF?

Anyways, I began to get the impression pretty quickly after my first few weeks that there was a certain "mold" that they were endeavoring to shape us. To facilitate this process we were told repeatedly that "we needed to be willing to change anything and everything about ourselves for the privilege of serving God's people as a Way Corps minister." These were not empty words. I saw people's name changed from an acceptable shortened name to their full name, I saw people reproved for cutting their hair too short, I saw folks hammered on all sorts of "unwelcome" but otherwise normal emotional states, etc, and so the list could continue. Now here is the conundrum. We were also told that EVERYTHING about us would be needed to minister da werd. All of our past experiences, who we were, the things that made us uniquely unique, etc. (added a little way speak for humor's sake) Why was so much time spent trying to squeeze godliness out of the flesh? I mean they bill this program as the best in the world. Nothing else like it on earth.

Well, what shape is the mold you may ask? Clean cut, thin, mouth full of mindless cliches backing Rosalie's party line and way ministry doctrinal errors, the willingness to go anywhere and do anything to serve God's people, and above all mindless willingness to put aside all common sense reasonings and say yes to what you are asked to do.

Personally, I repudiated these efforts after spending significant time in Romans. But I thought I would put it out there for consideration. (we were told that a lot of things that were direct orders were "for our consideration") This is what a person could expect going in-residence. Many of the above mentioned items are not bad ideals on the surface. However, those efforts will be directed by people that are shady, with VERY checkered pasts - and I am being nice. That alone should make a person nervous. But to be expected to sell out to the way international and then act as though orders given by directors are God breathed is just plain WRONG!

[outandabout]

That's how I ended up in Mississippi.

[OldSkool]

That's how I ended up in Mississippi.

S.O.W.E.R.S - the other greatest training in the world that isn't replicated anywhere else on earth?

[Gen-2]

Is it true that if your Corps Sponsors didn't "come through",...... that, that was attributed to your poor and faulty believing?

[OldSkool]

Is it true that if your Corps Sponsors didn't "come through",...... that, that was attributed to your poor and faulty believing?

Personally, I have not been exposed to that to be able to verify it. Overall, there are so few people that want to go in-res that the ratio of sponsor to sponsee is significant. (is sponsee a word?....did I just make that up?...is that like retemory...?....? )

[waysider]

Is it true that if your Corps Sponsors didn't "come through",...... that, that was attributed to your poor and faulty believing?

That's pretty much how EVERYTHING worked in The Way.

Not many people at the branch meeting? It's YOUR fault. You didn't believe for a bigger turn-out.

Not enough classes being run in your area? It's YOUR fault. You should have believed for more people to sign the green card.

Not enough sponsors being faithful to their commitments? It's YOUR fault. You should have believed God for more dependable sponsors.

The list goes on. It was always YOUR fault for not believing big enough.

[OldSkool]

The list goes on. It was always YOUR fault for not believing big enough.

Well, ya - I was being too specific.

[chockfull]

For example: It's a blend and a balance. WTF?

So is selling crack.

[Ham]

S.O.W.E.R.S - the other greatest training in the world that isn't replicated anywhere else on earth?

apparently they've carbon copied lead as well. Including hitch-hiking to Tinnie NM..

don't look at their website until you have time to wait while your computer takes five to ten minutes for the slideshow to load..

even on broadband. Here, anyway..

I'm surprised twi hasn't sent a lawyer with cease and desist letter in hand..

[tonto]

Hi Oldskool,

FWIW, in our day (FC 11) if a person had trouble keeping their sponsorship together, it was attributed to lack of believing plus any number of other things, like not taking care of sponsors or lack of ability to lead or inspire them (in-spirit action...blech!). Your sponsors were likened to your twig...you were to take care of them. You take care of them, they take care of you...it sounds really creepy these days, knowing we were all just part of the money machine. There was probably more, but that's all I can remember right now.

I think Outandabout was referring to being assigned to Mississippi as a wow...way before the sowers sweat-camp.

[GeorgeStGeorge]

Nothing else like it on earth.

Or in heaven, either. That leaves....

Personally, I have not been exposed to that to be able to verify it. Overall, there are so few people that want to go in-res that the ratio of sponsor to sponsee is significant. (is sponsee a word?....did I just make that up?...is that like retemory...?....? )

As I recall, "sponsee" was what grownups called responsibilities around young children. "It's your sponsee to clean your room!"

George

[OldSkool]

As I recall, "sponsee" was what grownups called responsibilities around young children. "It's your sponsee to clean your room!"

George

Oh, and I thought I had an original thought for a moment...

[chockfull]

As I recall, "sponsee" was what grownups called responsibilities around young children. "It's your sponsee to clean your room!"

From my recollection, that word "sponsee" started out in Forehead and Donna's house describing their home life and how they handled children's chores when they taught their version of the "Christian Family" class. Which, seeing as how all that turned out is probably one great reason to never use it again in my lifetime in the context of that meaning.

[Keith]

I like the phrase "not taking care of your sponsor" I wonder what they made of me. I promised to sponsor a couple through the corps, and left TWI, for a second time very shortly afterwards. Because I am a man of my word, I kept my promise even though I had left and did so in a manner that had them using me as an example as some of the limb meetings. Sponsors never tried to reprove me, get me back in, they did continue to take my money. (I don't mean that in a bad way,) There letters were always positive and their relationship with me was always postive. Maybe that's why they left eventually.

[skyrider]

The corps program...........a cloning factory.

Wierwille preached the "Christ-in you" in pfal.

Yet, wierwille's corps was a cloning of way-bots.....corps indoctrination trumps in-spirit-action.

IMO.......the corps training indoctrination was NOT a leadership program, but a "follow-ship" program.

Guess there are reasons why some 2,800 corps NO LONGER "follow the yellow brick road."

[JavaJane]

It seems to me that the more you make yourself into the mold, the more you supress who you are, the farther away you get from what God made you in the first place. The more rules you had to follow, the less room you had for God.

I saw people who were beautiful souls go into the WC training program and either leave immediately, or have their personality so squelched that when they came out they weren't recognizable as the same person.

So everything they had that made them shine was gone - replaced by the WC personality, which was non-existant.

[OldSkool]

I saw people who were beautiful souls go into the WC training program and either leave immediately, or have their personality so squelched that when they came out they weren't recognizable as the same person.

Yes, it's that glazed over look that says "FREE ME!" It's sad really.

[skyrider]

It seems to me that the more you make yourself into the mold, the more you supress who you are, the farther away you get from what God made you in the first place. The more rules you had to follow, the less room you had for God.

I saw people who were beautiful souls go into the WC training program and either leave immediately, or have their personality so squelched that when they came out they weren't recognizable as the same person.

So everything they had that made them shine was gone - replaced by the WC personality, which was non-existant.

Wierwille set up the mold.............to control production.

Wierwille set up production...........to control expediency.

Wierwille set up expediency...........to control costs and cloning.

Wierwille set up cost & cloning.......to control class instructors.

Wierwille set up class instructors... to control pfal class promotion.

Wierwille set up pfal class promotion to control wierwille doctrine.

Wierwille set up pfal class doctrine..to control wierwille legacy.

Wierwille set up the wierwille legacy to control and oppress his followers.

Wierwille was a narcissist who dedicated his life to build his deceiving empire.

<_<

[OldSkool]

Wierwille was a narcissist

Sprinkle a little megalomania on top.

[OldSkool]

Hi Oldskool,

FWIW, in our day (FC 11) if a person had trouble keeping their sponsorship together, it was attributed to lack of believing plus any number of other things, like not taking care of sponsors or lack of ability to lead or inspire them (in-spirit action...blech!). Your sponsors were likened to your twig...you were to take care of them. You take care of them, they take care of you...it sounds really creepy these days, knowing we were all just part of the money machine. There was probably more, but that's all I can remember right now.

I think Outandabout was referring to being assigned to Mississippi as a wow...way before the sowers sweat-camp.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Twinky]

Anyways, I began to get the impression pretty quickly after my first few weeks that there was a certain "mold" that they were endeavoring to shape us. To facilitate this process we were told repeatedly that "we needed to be willing to change anything and everything about ourselves for the privilege of serving God's people as a Way Corps minister." These were not empty words. I saw people's name changed from an acceptable shortened name to their full name, I saw people reproved for cutting their hair too short, I saw folks hammered on all sorts of "unwelcome" but otherwise normal emotional states, etc, and so the list could continue. Now here is the conundrum. We were also told that EVERYTHING about us would be needed to minister da werd. All of our past experiences, who we were, the things that made us uniquely unique, etc. (added a little way speak for humor's sake) Why was so much time spent trying to squeeze godliness out of the flesh? I mean they bill this program as the best in the world. Nothing else like it on earth.

Well, what shape is the mold you may ask? Clean cut, thin, mouth full of mindless cliches backing Rosalie's party line and way ministry doctrinal errors, the willingness to go anywhere and do anything to serve God's people, and above all mindless willingness to put aside all common sense reasonings and say yes to what you are asked to do.

Old Skool, shame on you. It sounds very much to me like you were trying to be an exception, not exceptional.

Did you think the whole program turned on you? That you were the most important person? You should have tried to be invisible - not be a squeaky wheel, constantly egotistically drawing attention to yourself.

And other such rubbish.

That "don't be an exception, be exceptional" was a real big stick to beat people into submitting into the mold.

Glad you managed to retain some individuality.

And Tonto, that's what they told us, in rez, too,a decade or so later too but before Old Skool. If your sponsors didn't send sponsorship money, it was because you, the person sponsored, were not taking care of them (yeah, right, like you were there right with them... or even really had time to write the obligatory letters!). Never mind what disasters might have befallen them.

[OldSkool]

Ya, I know right! That's probably why I'm copped out corps today!

[chockfull]

We were also told that EVERYTHING about us would be needed to minister da werd. All of our past experiences, who we were, the things that made us uniquely unique, etc. (added a little way speak for humor's sake) Why was so much time spent trying to squeeze godliness out of the flesh? I mean they bill this program as the best in the world. Nothing else like it on earth.

Well, what shape is the mold you may ask? Clean cut, thin, mouth full of mindless cliches backing Rosalie's party line and way ministry doctrinal errors, the willingness to go anywhere and do anything to serve God's people, and above all mindless willingness to put aside all common sense reasonings and say yes to what you are asked to do.

I remember running into one of these little Waybots on "ho-ho relo" one year. They were oh so proud of their little personal incident related to the deliverance they had experienced taking the Foundational Class. They bragged to me how their Corps Coordinator spent 32 hours helping them one on one perfect their little incident. When they told it, it was boring, vanilla, dull. Sounded just like the Sunday Teaching Services.

I thought to myself, "well they're certainly churning them out a lot stupider, that's for sure".

Personally, I repudiated these efforts after spending significant time in Romans. But I thought I would put it out there for consideration. (we were told that a lot of things that were direct orders were "for our consideration") This is what a person could expect going in-residence. Many of the above mentioned items are not bad ideals on the surface. However, those efforts will be directed by people that are shady, with VERY checkered pasts - and I am being nice. That alone should make a person nervous. But to be expected to sell out to the way international and then act as though orders given by directors are God breathed is just plain WRONG!

Yeah, you don't belong in the Corps. You actually have a brain. Researching Romans? WTF were you thinking?

Edited May 26, 2010 by chockfull

[OldSkool]

I thought to myself, "well they're certainly churning them out a lot stupider, that's for sure".

ROFLMAO!! Very astute.

Yeah, you don't belong in the Corps. You actually have a brain. Researching Romans? WTF were you thinking?

I know right? I may still be corpse if I didn't have such a rebellious, hardened heart!

This sums it up aptly:

[Broken Arrow]

When I was "in", you weren't supposed to call them "sponsors", but "spiritual partners". Kind of creepy when you think about it. Did that change back? Yes Gen-2. You were definitely blamed if your sponsor/spiritual partners didn't follow through. Waysider is right, you were pretty much blamed for everything that went wrong.

Anyone remember the "outreach cities" in 1980/81? Atlanta and Phillie were 2 of them, and maybe Denver was another. Anyway, some "genius" decided it would be a good idea to have a TWI band called "Takit" play at local high schools. Takit, by the way, really was a good band. I think we got in and out of one of the cities without incident. But once the media caught on to the scheme, wow! There was some very negative press. Takit was getting shut out of about every concert they scheduled as I recall. TWI responded with law suits etc. That certainly endeared us to these communities. Anyway, guess whose fault that was? Yep, Corps on the field. I know because I was in residence at the time and would hear the reports about how inept Corps was handling things. I was also glad I wasn't Corps on the field at the time. No way could it have been a bad idea or anything. I