Wierwille's Resignation Letter

[penworks]

I remember a lot of time spent on the distinction between "household" (TWI) and "family" (Christians, in general); but I think most of that was in the LCM years.

George

Actually, the family/household delineation originated with VP . I was involved 1970-1987 and during that time I heard him make that sort of distinction over and over.

Once upon a time there was a brouhaha (not sure if that is the correct spelling) :-) about "household" and "family" within the Satellite Research Group, which included the research team at HQ but others were involved, too. If you check the Way magazines in the early 1980s, you'll find a Believer's Pledge of Allegiance that was a result of it. We are one household under God, etc. etc.

Anyhow, it is all rubbish. Another sort of rubbish is that this distinction that Wierwille made is denied by Wierwille loyalists who blame everything wrong with The Way on Martindale who has been discredited over and over anyway. Wrong. VP began the entire Way ball rolling and it rolls on today in the off-shoots and the scattered Wierwille lovers around the world.

Just a couple of weeks ago a long lost "pal" from the 1970s who is not part of The Way in New Knoxville, but obviously revealed herself to still be enmeshed in TWI dogmas, said, "But we're still the first century church in the twentieth and there's supposed to be one man of God like Paul was in the first century." She listens to VP on tape over the internet. He is still her man of God.

YIKES. The myth of Wierwille just will not go away. Some people will never admit he was what he really was...it is too frightening to admit it. If you do, the walls of your safe and secure belief-life come crashing down and you must start over. That takes work. It's just too hard.

Edited October 27, 2015 by penworks

[Twinky]

"The first century church in the 20th century" - or even worse, the 21st century.

What a shocking defamation of the 1st century church. Are proponents also saying that the 1st century church was riddled with sexual immorality, and by persecutions of the fledgling church - by itself? That all the donations given, for example for the famine relief in Jerusalem, ended up in the pockets of the eleven apostles who hadn't the guts to move out of Jerusalem? That having all things in common meant that some didn't bother to share what they had - "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own"?

Was VPW following in their footsteps by abusing his own body, even "giving his eye" for the cause? Even if giving it was self-inflicted by years of smoking, drinking and other bodily abuse?

Not really quite the same as being flogged, stoned, crucified, thrown into prison, for his beliefs. There are Christians in other countries for whom these abuses are a real and daily threat. Read about what goes on in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, South Korea, and yes, even in China, to name but a few. Here's a link: Persecuted Christians

Now those people might have some justification for saying they're the first century church in the 20th/21st century. But not people in rich and free-thinking USA or Europe.

[skyrider]

Actually, the family/household delineation originated with VP . I was involved 1970-1987 and during that time I heard him make that sort of distinction over and over.

Once upon a time there was a brouhaha (not sure if that is the correct spelling) :-) about "household" and "family" within the Satellite Research Group, which included the research team at HQ but others were involved, too. If you check the Way magazines in the early 1980s, you'll find a Believer's Pledge of Allegiance that was a result of it. We are one household under God, etc. etc.

Yeah....and around 1981-82, wierwille taught all that athletic terminology (javelin, discus,

competing in the games, etc.).....the household of God does this. All that "warfare stuff"

is what the denominational Christians teach....ie Old Testament related.

The key verse:

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens

with the saints, and of the household of God

Wierwille taught this as....household of God = the way international.

If you leave twi, then you are NO LONGER in this household.

You are STILL part of God's family, but not HIS HOUSEHOLD.

[johniam]

quote: Apparently you're suffering from selective memory.

I'm not suffering. You want to see selective memory? Look in the mirror.

[skyrider]

quote: Apparently you're suffering from selective memory.

I'm not suffering. You want to see selective memory? Look in the mirror.

Johniam.....it's okay if you want to divert this whole side discussion wherein

"wierwille stated clearly that twi is THE true household with The Word"...

It is UNDENIABLE that this was a core issue to the wierwille doctrine.

Your diversion and non-answer is very telling.

For years.....wierwille only trusted johnnie t0wndsend to instruct pfal classes.

For years.....wierwille heralded scathing remarks to any corps leaders who dissented/left.

All those splinter groups who think that wierwille would be proud of them for "standing

on the Word"......having LEFT THE MOTHER SHIP, are cherry-picking the wierwille doctrine.

Yeah, the real jal please stand up....I'm looking at you. lol

Of course, wierwille was cunning enough in public to NOT blurt out the full force of his

doctrine......but he didn't hold back with corps leadership. Wierwille instigated the

salt covenant.....TO KEEP HIS LEADERS FROM EXITING TWI'S DOORS.

Remember all the hype and hoopla of parading the wierwille family across main stage?

Remember when vpw stated that his grandson, Luke Summer-ville, would be the 3rd prez?

Remember wierwille decreeing that the wierwille family NEEDED TO STAND TOGETHER ON THE WORD

[ie....with twi]...for "The Word to Live" and all that jazz?

The Word is the ministry and the ministry is the Word. -- Life Lines, vpw.

.

Edited October 27, 2015 by skyrider

[waysider]

Ahhhh......the salt covenant....forgot about that one.

It was used in many ways but especially as a declaration you would never leave the one true household.

I did that one, long ago.

And then there was the pinky swear.

I did that one, too.

:P

[WordWolf]

The humble peons heard it out on the field, as well.

Once again, vpw took a single verse and invented an entire UNBIBLICAL doctrine around it.

We were told we were "the household" and were better than other Christians

because we WERE "the household." In fact, one tape on giving broke down giving into

the following priorities:

A) the household, first and foremost. Give there FIRST.

B) other Christians. If you can't FIND another "believer" to give to, give to another

Christian. "Even if he does believe there's 800 gods..."

C) Anyone else. "If you can't find any Christians....um, help the nicest pagan you know."

Whether other Christians could even be called "believers" was a subject of disagreement.

Certainly they were to be derided whenever possible, since they were referred to with

names like "churchianity" and their leaders educated in "theological cemeteries".

But we were definitely in a higher tier than all other Christians- that was straight

from vpw and came up in a variety of ways throughout twi-

and continues to come up in groups led by ex-twi survivors, especially leaders

trained in twi.

[penworks]

Ditto, WordWolf.

Edited October 30, 2015 by penworks

[GeorgeStGeorge]

What always struck me as odd about the family/household distinction is that the "household" was not the closest members of the family (as taught by TWI), it was everyone who dwelt in the house, including the servants.

George

[Oakspear]

What always struck me as odd about the family/household distinction is that the "household" was not the closest members of the family (as taught by TWI), it was everyone who dwelt in the house, including the servants.

George

Yeah, me too.

They always spun it that you could be family, but estranged, which was true, but didn't really look at the implications of using the term "household". But then again, Wierwille and Martindale were great for making words mean what they wanted them to mean.

[skyrider]

Yeah, me too.

They always spun it that you could be family, but estranged, which was true, but didn't really look at the implications of using the term "household". But then again, Wierwille and Martindale were great for making words mean what they wanted them to mean.

Well, speaking of "implications"......wierwille, also, put *the way tree* into twi's lexicon

to fabricate his organizational structure.

Ugh......when one realizes how things fit like square pegs in round holes.

[Rocky]

Well, speaking of "implications"......wierwille, also, put *the way tree* into twi's lexicon

to fabricate his organizational structure.

Ugh......when one realizes how things fit like square pegs in round holes.

Which organizational structure was completely bass-ackward from that depicted in the Book of Acts.

[outandabout]

Which organizational structure was completely bass-ackward from that depicted in the Book of Acts.

And it wasn't a tree. It was more like an upside down pyramid. The roots that were supposed to nourish the treet were being fed by the leaves.

[skyrider]

And it wasn't a tree. It was more like an upside down pyramid. The roots that were supposed to nourish the treet were being fed by the leaves.

Well.....maybe, wierwille's org really was a tree-setup. The "root" guys

had their heads in the dirt. Whereas, the "leaves" (simpletons) were

reaching for the skies, the sunlight (sonlight) and freedom.

But....even a couple months after pfal, I wondered why this "true believers with all power"

stuff wasn't accorded the biblical references to "body of Christ with Christ as Head?"

If wierwille's rightly-divided (cough, cough) ministry was so *great and powerful* why use

"the way tree" terminology that the scriptures never reference?

Besides.....in scripture, a tree can be either: 1) good, 2) evil.

[Tzaia]

The "household" analogy went even further as to where in the house of the household would you be found. I figured I would be in the bathroom. Most aimed for the kitchen. VPW picked the bedroom. <== semi kidding.

[WordWolf]

The "household" analogy went even further as to where in the house of the household would you be found. I figured I would be in the bathroom. Most aimed for the kitchen. VPW picked the bedroom. <== semi kidding.

One Corps grad used that analogy with the goal seeming to be the "living-room".

(Ever heard the phrase "living-room of God's Love" in twi? I did.)

I thought it was just him, but in hindsight, it's pretty clear it wasn't and

he was pretty unimaginative in general.

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

Well.....maybe, wierwille's org really was a tree-setup. The "root" guys

had their heads in the dirt. Whereas, the "leaves" (simpletons) were

reaching for the skies, the sunlight (sonlight) and freedom.

But....even a couple months after pfal, I wondered why this "true believers with all power"

stuff wasn't accorded the biblical references to "body of Christ with Christ as Head?"

If wierwille's rightly-divided (cough, cough) ministry was so *great and powerful* why use

"the way tree" terminology that the scriptures never reference?

Besides.....in scripture, a tree can be either: 1) good, 2) evil.

Wierwille seems to have misunderstood Jesus as the vine and we are the branches. VPW tree seemed to be an oak/decidious with leaves dropping. Not even a conifer(spruce/pine/cedar, etc)

[GeorgeStGeorge]

Wierwille seems to have misunderstood Jesus as the vine and we are the branches. VPW tree seemed to be an oak/decidious with leaves dropping. Not even a conifer(spruce/pine/cedar, etc)

And like the cursed fig, it died from the root up.

George