The Game of Incrementalism

[WordWolf]

(snip)

quote: If there isn't someone equally as charismatic to step in and take over when the big dog dies....the cult usually dies with him. This has pretty much happened with TWI.

So how many people does a cult have to have in order for it to be alive? I'm going to see Walter Cummins next month. He's still got it going on. There's people all over the country and world still into moving the word. It's called the body of Christ.

The numbers depend on who you ask, and specifically what you mean by the question.

twi has been hemorraging members since the late 80s, and has undergone consistent

SHRINKAGE since then. Technically, the group is still around, but it's been dying,

and continues to die. the only thing that's keeping twi around right now is that

the closing of the doors completely means the assets of the group can't be divided

among the lovers of filthy lucre running the show. So, they have to keep the group

existing on paper-which means they have to have some kind of physical group-

while they live off the investments and current monies and privileges of twi.

(How many of us have private cooks, maid service, a private boat with people

upkeeping it for us for free, etc etc?)

Apparently, Walter's still going to do it as long as he can manage. He's got a way

to make a comfortable living, and he has fans. It's hard to turn away from something

like that and either get a real job, or undergo more formal vetting and get credentials

like more pedestrian Christian researchers. He probably thinks he's too old to try,

and has no need to bother since people are still paying money for the current stuff.

BTW,

it should come as no shock to GSC'ers that terms like "moving the Word" and

"body of Christ" effectively have different meanings when used by ex-twi'er groups

and individuals.

Here's how they are explained if asked:

"moving the Word"- teaching the Bible

"body of Christ"- all born-again Christians everywhere

Sounds nice- but it's a sham.

Here's how they are used IN PRACTICE:

"moving the Word"- teaching the twi-type package of doctrine and practices.

Thus, sola scriptura Christians around the world don't count as "moving the Word",

only ex-twi'ers.

"body of Christ"- those Christians associated, even tenuously, with ex-twi

organizations. Thus, sola scriptura Christians around the world don't count

when one is considering the movements in "the body of Christ."

I remember when this was first pulled.

The terms were CLAIMED to mean the former-but were in effect used to mean the latter.

All ex-twi'ers were claimed to be in "the organization" called "the body of Christ"

of whom the head was "Christ." And that's ALL that was said about organization.

However, that was obviously denial even then. We were getting together on a statewide

basis once a year. That was not a meeting simply of "the body of Christ" because almost

NONE of the actual body of Christ in that state even HEARD about the meeting.

Only those ex-twi'ers who were in the body of Christ heard of it, and so on.

(Although, technically, nobody was refused attendance on that basis, AFAIK.)

However, apparently, that's still going on decades later.

Christians are separating themselves from virtually 100% of all other living Christians,

while saying they're all in the body of Christ.

Me, I'm happy to associate with other Christians so long as we can all get along

and avoid fights. (And I'm happy to say that's worked out well when I wished it to,

most of the time.)

Yep.....that generic buzz-phrase "moving the word" is wayspeak for running pfal classes or twi-update of the same. All cults got their underworld slang terms for running with the herd. The game of incrementalisim has been going on for a long, long time.

Kinda ironic, isn't it. You come to this forum touting twi doctrine....yet your twi-membership card has been revoked. Then, you mention meeting up with Walter who also doesn't participate there anymore. So, you hide in the shadows and alleyways of the twi-neighborhood for your 'spiritual survival.'

Interesting.

.

[excathedra]

That anyone can read and post here more than a decade and not know this (or even understand how to use the Quote feature) is a sad statement, but true.

that's awfully picky and silly in my humble opinion

i mean, who cares, wordwolf?

[OperaBuff]

I'm going to see Walter Cummins next month. He's still got it going on. There's people all over the country and world still into moving the word. It's called the body of Christ.

:offtopic:

I'd like to see Walter Cummins, do you happen to know his speaking schedule? I receive his quarterly newsletters, but haven't seen him publish a speaking or teaching schedule. Or are you going to visit him one on one, maybe that's what you meant...

:offtopic:

[waysider]

that's awfully picky and silly in my humble opinion

i mean, who cares, wordwolf?

Excie

I think he probably knows how to use the quote feature but, chooses not to because it lends an element of designed confusion to his posts.

That's just my opinion.

[johniam]

quote: I'd like to see Walter Cummins, do you happen to know his speaking schedule? I receive his quarterly newsletters, but haven't seen him publish a speaking or teaching schedule. Or are you going to visit him one on one, maybe that's what you meant...

Operabuff: On the net try scriptureconsulting or continuinginthscriptures. Sorry, don't know how to post a link. But I'm seeing him do a seminar over a weekend in Chicago. Gonna be at least 50 people there, maybe more. The websites give a fax # and a phone #. I hear about stuff like this in the fellowship I attend. Nothing on the website about a speaking schedule. He did a similar seminar in Dayton last April. Hope this helps.

[Rejoice]

Call it whatever you want...evil, the devil....bad.....but, VP wreaked a great deal of havoc in peoples lives and in my opinion led people away from true faith. I know I was led astray and hurt by it all.

I don't believe I was the only one.

Not only him...Mrs W went along with it all, as did Don W, Howard A, 'Uncle H'. Not sure what I think of Ermal, and Dorothy---they may have been duped like us. At least there was never any talk about Ermal...

[skyrider]

Not only him...Mrs W went along with it all, as did Don W, Howard A, 'Uncle H'. Not sure what I think of Ermal, and Dorothy---they may have been duped like us. At least there was never any talk about Ermal...

Yeah.....all of the trustees had their little fiefdoms.

Don W was the Dean of the Emporia Campus, the advocate for higher education, the Word In Business Ambassador, and "partnered" to the College WOWs.

Howard A was trustee over Camp Gunnison, the Way Builders Spokesman, the Practical Manager, and the Red Boot Skirt Chaser.

Wanda W was second to the First Lady, Mrs. Wierwille, who specialized in Guest Housing, Social Events, Interior Decorating & Design, and was the constant traveling companion of Mrs. W.

Emogene A was the Guardian Angel and Commanding Officer of The Way International Bookstore. Her power reached far and wide, from bookstore operations, to shipping/receiving and warehouse personnel, to field training Limb volunteers of bookstore displays and operations. Many have claimed immense havoc that her fiefdom reached.

The Game of Incrementalism played well for the top-tier.

[excathedra]

lol who the heck doesn't like power and adoration

what does incrementalism mean again?

[waysider]

Wasn't the PFAL series supposed to be incremental?

"Can't take this class before that class because they build on each other, blah, blah, blah"

Edited September 30, 2011 by waysider

[Steve Lortz]

lol who the heck doesn't like power and adoration

what does incrementalism mean again?

In TWI, I think, it was something pretty close to "excremental".

Love,

Steve

[chockfull]

what does incrementalism mean again?

moving boundaries little by little until people no longer have control over their lives.

[skyrider]

Wasn't the PFAL series supposed to be incremental?

"Can't take this class before that class because they build on each other, blah, blah, blah"

Yeah.....remember, it was all ONE class at one time.

And......it did NOT work.

Incremental Indoctrination was the way to go.

[excathedra]

moving boundaries little by little until people no longer have control over their lives.

ohhhhhh thanks

the

way

corps

f

r

u

c

k

i

n

g

motto :)

[waysider]

moving boundaries little by little until people no longer have control over their lives.

Gotta keep it our little secret, though.

Know what I'm sayin'?

It would make people sad.

Now, you wouldn't want to make people sad, would you?

Edited October 1, 2011 by waysider

[excathedra]

i'd like to make the mean old rose sad

i'd steal donna from her if i could lol

[skyrider]

Another incrementalism......replacing twig leaders and branch leaders with corps indoctrinees. Why did every leader NEED to be corps-indoctrinated??

Why did faithful and committed twig/branch leaders need to be corps? Why were the wierwille policies heavy-handed in replacing those who were established in those communities and committed to the local area? It is my opinion that wierwille's narcissism blurred his judgement and distorted the obvious.

Hundreds and hundreds of twig leaders were replaced by corps doofuses.

Hundreds and hundreds of twig leaders were replaced by corps elitism.

And, in turn, thousands left twi BECAUSE of corps a-holes.

Wierwille, the narcissist, had to have it "his way or the highway"........and thousands upon thousands CHOSE THE HIGHWAY.

[waysider]

Wierwille may have been a shrewd con-man, but he didn't always make the best long term business decisions. I think his emphasis shifted from making a quick profit on the classes to building a cadre of followers who would routinely ABS. To some degree, it worked. However, it was another TWI example of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you, I was directly affected by all this. I was already involved in what we refer to as "leadership" responsibilities and running classes when I left my hometown to go into the FellowLaborer program. The concept, as it was presented to me, by Earl Burton, was to study the book of Acts for 2 years (Which we never did.) and then return to our hometowns as better equipped leaders. All that changed somehow during my time in FellowLaborers and, by the time I graduated, I was "no longer needed in my hometown". So, there I was, a graduate of a program that was supposed to prepare me for a responsibility that was now "no longer needed". Kinda like going through an apprenticeship to become a buggy-whip maker, only to discover the automobile has been invented. The only options, if I wanted to remain active in the so-called household, were to take a field assignment in a town other than my own or join the Corps. The latter was never an option I entertained.

But, as you have stated, these changes took place in an incremental fashion. In my case, it evolved over a two year period. Looking back, I think it might have happened, quietly, sometime between the rinsing of the Mung Beans and the soaking of the wheat berries.

[skyrider]

Wierwille may have been a shrewd con-man, but he didn't always make the best long term business decisions. I think his emphasis shifted from making a quick profit on the classes to building a cadre of followers who would routinely ABS. To some degree, it worked. However, it was another TWI example of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

That's a eupheism....."he didn't always make the best long term business decisions" isn't it? I mean, this abuser centered his world around lust and control, self-promotion and self-serving mandates. Of course, it worked.....but was very short-lived. It died with him.

Was wierwille really concerned about raising up disciples FOR Christ? Hardly. The usurper had taken a position that he had no right, nor hadn't earned.

Even the WOW Ambassador program was solely about running pfal classes.

Everything ran thru the twi-conduit of "moving the word."

Twi even defined the terms of what "the word" was.

Wierwille not only killed the goose......he ate it for lunch.

[johniam]

quote: Why did faithful and committed twig/branch leaders need to be corps? Why were the wierwille policies heavy-handed in replacing those who were established in those communities and committed to the local area? It is my opinion that wierwille's narcissism blurred his judgement and distorted the obvious.

What is ironic about this is that in VPs dilemma of foreign missions, wasn't one of his pet peeves the fact that the missionaries weren't from those areas? That they just moved in there and executed the dictates of the denomination without really caring about the local communities? And look what twi became.

[skyrider]

What is ironic about this is that in VPs dilemma of foreign missions, wasn't one of his pet peeves the fact that the missionaries weren't from those areas? That they just moved in there and executed the dictates of the denomination without really caring about the local communities? And look what twi became.

John.....if I recall, wierwille also didn't like the USA denominational power plays and money flow that was happening in India.

And, yes.....look what twi became under wierwille's leadership.

Such hypocrisy.....wierwille's pot calling the kettle black.

[waysider]

"....they just moved in there and executed the dictates of the denomination without really caring about the local communities."

==========================================================================================================================

Yes, that pretty much describes the Word Over The World Ambassadors program.

Edited October 4, 2011 by waysider

[OperaBuff]

This is correct. It's from a sermon by Oral Roberts entitled "The Fourth Man". IMO it's one of Oral's most dynamic teachings ever. If you've never heard it originally done by Oral, you're missing out - try to find a copy.

You can listen to Oral Roberts delivering his teaching called "The Fourth Man" here:

http://earstohear.net/Kingdom/The%20Fourth%20Man_1.mp3

And a book by book listing of who Jesus Christ is in the Bible:

http://earstohear.net/Kingdom/fourthman.html

"The Red Thread" was always one of my most favorite VPW teachings. It's on STS tape number 904, recorded in March 1978. Until I read this thread, I had no idea he stole it from Oral Roberts.

P.S. STS tape number 763, titled "Our God Is Able" contains much of this Oral Roberts teaching as well. sheeesh.

Edited October 4, 2011 by OperaBuff

[waysider]

This thought just hit me.

After I graduated from FellowLaborers, my services were no longer required in my hometown.....But they sent W.O.W.'s there instead of sending me back!!

[skyrider]

This thought just hit me.

After I graduated from FellowLaborers, my services were no longer required in my hometown.....But they sent W.O.W.'s there instead of sending me back!!

Yeah....that FellowLaborers Program was "Corps Jr." in disguise.

Every program, just like every class, was directing us to keep laboring for twi.

[Broken Arrow]

This thought just hit me.

After I graduated from FellowLaborers, my services were no longer required in my hometown.....But they sent W.O.W.'s there instead of sending me back!!

They told you that? Did they tell you where your services were required?