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A lifetime of Christian service


lindyhopper
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That's it! tommy.

I don't know anybody who doesn't wish we had a "do over."

;)

Like who do you know in your world is really happy about wasting time with the Way? We invested our heart, knowledge, energy, youth, and look where it is now.

Not too much to be proud of, is it?

Sorry if I sound bitter.

this is one of the posts I read from you in which I assumed you have regrets.

Also the posts in which they told you you could not return to school and you complied prefering the tasks of twi in stead of your own goals and family and dreams.

that is why I ask and I am being sincere .

to have hind sight is one thing.. now . but I read while you where in you had serious doubts aand were unhappy with your life while in the corps for a long while , yet you continued. You were not the only I saw many miserable corps unhappy bitter and just plain mean because of the toll it took on their life.

We all believed in the ministry.. some did suffer and do and volunteer and paid a price for it even more foolishly and scream louder on greasspot now I wonder what the hook was for you

not to just get involved but to live a compromised life.

again Im not speaking of doctrinal issues , where a person just doesnt want to think in the manner twi taught anymore.

I understood twi was for twi most organization are, come on it was making a ton of money and people really believed they had the run of the whole world!! lol but true .

but why would an indivdual compromise all that was dear to them for twi? I believed in the minstry I never went corps what made the difference for you?

did you think it would get better, you could change things ?

many did and just kept on going untill the illusion couldnt work for you any longer? that is why many left.

Some did have the need to go into the corps and do all that you are sorry for now , I just would like to know what the sell was for you.

Edited by pond
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Well, ring that bell, y'r'all welcome.

ex10, unfortunately it wasn't uncommon, if you were around long enough you heard or observed or experienced it.

Looking back, geez. The people doing this kind of stuff were so young, so immature and so much in their own growth curve ...

...

You look at all the people that went in the Way Corps, got married and got divorced. Everybody's part of a ministry that's big on "family". One of the PFAL benefits - "harmony in the home". You'd think there'd be more harmony and warm fuzzies than a DVD of Ozzie and Harriet reruns. But the large percentage of irreconcilable conflicts says something, and it isn't the horsewash about one "believing" and one "not". The overall environment of the Way Corps community wasn't conducive to doing what men and women do everywhere when they get married and what the Way taught even from the bible -

-leave home

-start their own

-build their futures together.

No, the Way Corps was like having 2,000 of your best friends for in-laws. People had one "coordinator" after another in their stuff. Sometimes it took a lot of effort to just say "go-aWAY" and leave us alone. Way Leaders were the nosiest dammed people in the world, always wanted to get together with everyone and "help". Somebody's got too much time on their hands, y'know?

Yeah, socks...........

"Way leaders were the nosiest damned people in the world..."

:biglaugh::biglaugh:

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I think that went both ways, all the leaders had followers , OH boy and did they want to help them as well!

the clergy had zero privacy, everyone knew their business as well and I felt sorry for them .

It just got worse I saw moms in the 90 who would not go to take their child to the dr. unless another "believer" went with them.

honestly it was straight paranonia of living for some . it broke down everyones self.

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For me, I can't think of a particular "hook" and I'm not sorry I "went in". I'm glad I did as I've posted before at other times.

It's difficult to communicate to those who see the Way Ministry and it's many many parts over 30 or so years as a complete cult-scam and the product of a single person out to dupe as many people as he could as long as he could. I don't see it that way. To express that on GS calls to be accused of being a nostalgic fool pining for a nopn-existent silver-lined past that I'm either too simple-minded or ashamed to face. I'm neither. What I am is an independent mind and person who's lived my life the way I chose to, for better or worse. Could I have done better? Well, I'm sure I could have. But I didn't. I did what I did.

I've never worked for a company that was all good and all knowing. Course I haven't worked for very many that claimed to be doing God's work. The Way was one.

One thing I learned from my many years in the Way, and from a few other experiences, is to be very careful getting involved with other people's vision and goals. Someone else says "I'm sure that (this) is God's will, I'm sure this is what people, me/you, should do".

With the Way I took a long hard look at that, and the Way Corps program was a part of that. No one "made" me go in or pressured me, I chose to because it looked like a good thing to get involved in that would help me as well as give me an opportunity to do some work that I would be doing anyway, but in a deeper context.

And it was a good thing, for me, at the time. There's no denying that or going back on it. It would be a lie to do so now.

What it wasn't was perfect, or everything I'd hoped it could be. But I don't think looking back that any of the other choices I might have made would have been either. They would have had different outcomes to be sure. Better? I don't know.

I've said before - the greatest value of the times in the Way was the people. As with some of the worst things I experienced - people. Myself, things I've done that I'm proud of, others not. I believe it's always that way. We have in life what we earn, build, and what we come by from the grace of God. I have some of each. What I believe today is that in the end, there will be only two things, the people I've loved and have been loved by, and the love we shared. I believe that love, in some form, will live forever, in my children's children as they come along. I put that in the highest value, it's everything to me, what I work for and build for. I believe in an eternity to come and while I can't really know what it will be, I lean to the side that it will be the best of what I've done in this life. To me, it makes sense that life continues and I do pray that while I may not be back this way again when this life's over, the future will have a place for me, for all of us.

For me, there's no "do-over". I live the life I have right now, as I did then. Regrets? Sure, things I'd change, sure. But the major choices I've made I don't know that I'd try to reshuffle the deck, if it meant I might not have what I have today - a very sound and happy life, productive, a loving family I'm proud to have raised. Some of it in spite of the past but some of it very much due to what I've done, learned and been. I don't have as many guitars as I'd like or as much land, but life's not over yet. :)

For me, it's not complicated, but that's me speaking for me.

Edited by socks
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I feel the same way Socks that is why I can maintain friendships with those who still chose to be involved although i disagree with them and they me on what God wants.

that hurts. but love is first.

I learned a very very difficult lesson while in twi, a life long lesson and a very sad one. today I sometimes wonder what if.. but I can not look at the fence and say it must have beem greener either.

life is what it is.

I learned HUGE wisdom in twi, not because of the bible class, but the leaving of it all. and how that happened and the people I dealt with and how they thought.( that is why I enjoy greaspot it amazes me how people think about it. )

that was and forever will be life changing. for the good and bad of it

I changed.

so completly that I have no idea what life would have been and no sense in beating my head in trying to figure it out.

misfortune happens in life, to everyone.

everyone. without exception.

I have many thank full feeling towards twi. but I would not get involved in many many ideals, orgainzations, and straight up sales pitches any more, I am not stupid concerning so much now.

I think it is easier being stupid .

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Well, I'm referring to something a page back, but it takes me awhile to respond to these things. Something Topoftheworld said touched me…she said:

"Sorry, guys.....this one hurts. I really would have been proud to have graduated with my Corps: even today it would have meant something. After everything that had happened, it would have been the proudest day of my life."

First of all, ((((((TOTW))))))) Secondly, I can relate. As much as I disliked many aspects of our corps training, as disappointed as I was that it didn't measure up to what I had expected, even though my husband and I voluntarily removed ourselves from actively representing TWI on our final, practicum year, I still feel a loss having not graduated with our corps. It's almost 20 years later and in some strange way I'm still trying to make peace with that sense of loss.

It's such a mixed bag of emotions...

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This from ex10:

I think bottom line, one of the big reasons TWI failed so dramatically was that the "needs of the ministry," were always put before individuals. People were expendable. Many of us never got the chance to really develop as "leaders" because we had to fit the precut mold that somebody else fabricated for us.

If we attempted to set healthy boundaries, and be honest and realistic about our own individual part in the bigger scheme of things, we got alot of grief.

I think a big part of "leadership" is helping bring out the best in others. You know, helping somebody discover their own unique "talent" and then helping them develop that.

In other words, instead of the Body of Christ, with all its many facets, it was the Way Tree.

Regards,

Shaz

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Shoot, Toppie, I wish you had graduated with us. And Toppie, because I know know your story, I wish I could have enveloped you in my arms ams, kissed you, and let you know that I'd have given my Life for you. I mean that, for you are my SISTAH. But whether or not you graduated with us or not, if I had been THERE, I'd have done it, for you...

God Bless You. :love3::love3:

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I wanted a lifetime of Christian service. I DIDN'T want a lifetime of serving TWI.

It was this EXACT line of thinking that kept me out of the WC in ' 83.

Just comming off the wow field, having seen a year full of.... well... I prefer to put my stories in another thread... let's just say that, at one point, I was the only one left in my wow family of four.

But I stayed.... stayed becasue some WC person screamed in my face that I'd never make it the entire year. That confrontation was in front of a group before I went wow. I do believe it's called "humiliated".

It was my desire to serve God, but I ended up serving man to show man he was wrong. However, the credit still goes to God because I had to pray all the time not to leave the field. God knew my heart. God made His presence known and that was enough to keep me on the field.

AND SO... standing at the ROA outside the main tent while some "MOG" was teaching/screaming something.... I got to thinking that he sounded a lot like that WC leader a year ago who yelled in my face.... and..... as a matter of fact, he sounded a lot like my extremely dysfunctional father who used to scream at me all the time growing up.

It was truly the first time I ever thanked God for coming from a dysfunctional family. I may be slow at a lot of things (this I freely admit), and I may not have known exactly what I wanted in life at that very moment, but it was ever so clear to me what I didn't want. Any thoughts of entering the WC died at that moment. Yup... standing outside the main tent at ROA. I knew it would be my lifetime and I knew I was not willing to give it up for TWI.

I felt like I had just spent the last year kissing TWI's bottom and all I got was a stupid pin.

(I'm happy for you if your pin means something!) It's just not what I wanted for my life so

I got out then. It was a good time to leave.

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Hugs to you too Toppie, and I mean that. You are wonderful, and worth more than all the riches in the whole world. And our Big Bro Jesus Christ would have gone through all of that for you so you would not have had to go through what you went through. I love you Sistah, and I mean that...You are loved. Keep on keepin on. I am so proud of how tough you are, and how you have told the world that it can go **** itself and leave you alone. Yeah, you are a tough and sweet woman, and I am proud to be in touch with you, and happy to know that my prayers were answered when I prayed for you so long ago...

I love you mucho en Christo mi hermana! Huggs again!

JL

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Ok now we all need to stop and have a (((((((Group Hug)))))))

Totw - sorry you went threw so much - I can feel for you

Jonny - You're a really great guy

ex10 - you're cool -- even if you are vertically challenged :biglaugh: (too tall) you must be one tough cookie!

tonto - thanks again!

All the rest of you that I don't know - hugs to you all!

we need to start a new thread....

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GeeZ Tom, I could almost "feel the love" there for a minute then you had to come in and start shootin' up the place. I was about to break out the tie-dye, now you got me standing at attention.

I always thought the gun training was done more because many leaders seemed like paranoid end of the civilized world conspiracy theorists. Even as mini corps, we had survival training. At the time I thought it was a lot of fun....probably still would be now. But looking back it seemed like in some respects we were all being made ready for Red Dawn. Do you still have your backpack packed and ready at a moments notice? (Gonna pack it up nice)

I'm with you Socks. I think I have said this many times. It is hard to have regrets if you are happy with where you are. Still there is a part of me that would have liked to left left earlier, and not hurt the people I hurt and not have been hurt by the people that hurt me and to have stood up to them for myself and others at times. But, everything that has happened has led to this point and I like it here....a lot.

I also agree with Pond that perhaps the biggest learning experience for me in twi, was in the leaving.

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There's a huge difference between "preparation for a lifetime of Christian service" and "a lifetime commitment to Christian service." There's an even larger difference between the former and "a lifetime commitment to TWI." I was accepted into the eighth Corps, but never entered, partly because the "bait and switch" some have discussed became apparent to me. It became even more apparent in later years, both from what I heard in Advanced Class grad meetings and WOW vet meetings, and especially, from what a couple of Corps grads said about pressure they were receiving because they wanted to make some career preparations that would enable them to afford to have families.

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I was accepted into the eighth Corps, but never entered, partly because the "bait and switch" some have discussed became apparent to me.

Maybe just another reason why our corps was smaller than the 6th or 7th? But that wont work because the two corps after ours were bigger too. Anyway, when you got the letter like mine I assume you got, which said "If we do not hear from you by Christmas, we will drop you", you let them do it.

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I have that old white Way Corps brochure that says "A Lifetime of Christian Service". I believe that it meant that those that went into the program were expected to be not only lifetime members of TWI but also subject to a lifetime of Corps assignments.

The problem here is that TWI practiced a lot of what other churches did and kept moving their clergy around...just when they got to know the people they were serving and leading in that area. I guess the reasons behind that was not to let the clergy become too conformed to one area and too relaxed. I have major problems with this theory.

First, once someone gets to know an area, they get to become possible experts of that area and know the people very well and the best way to move God's Word there. Pulling them out of there on a consistent basis ruins what has started and plans are set back. Further, the Corps involved had to give up a key job, sell a house or never buy a house, rack up a lousy work record of quitting jobs every two or three years, not commit to a 401k very long or rack up a bunch of small ones, never acheive a pension, and many times lose good health insurance. The children involved are moved around like cattle and are most likely picked on by kids in their ever non-stop list of locales.

Basically, it is a life of ruin.

The real way to handle this is to allow the Corps person their own choice of appointment, let them move there, put them in charge of that area permanently until they decide to move again, if ever. There would be a lot of consistency and organization when it is done right. In other words, don't micro-manage their lives.

Eagle

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I wanted a lifetime of Christian service. I DIDN'T want a lifetime of serving TWI.

For me, there was no difference.

When I signed for the 6th, I made a commitment to serve in twi for a lifetime, which was synonymous with serving in the body of Christ, or doing Christian service.

I do believe serving in twi can be Christian service. But I also believe the reverse is possible too.

I think the difference is all based upon the mindset of the individual making the decision.

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I do believe serving in twi can be Christian service. But I also believe the reverse is possible too.

I think the difference is all based upon the mindset of the individual making the decision.

The reverse is possible........when the trustees walked away in darkness.

Things like.....legalism, mog-adulation, sex exploitation, abortions, advocating divorce, unaccountability, boundaries are crossed, etc.

My mindset was to DO THE WORD and stand alongside twi.......but God vividly showed me that it was time to leave that outfit.

:spy:

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Hey dooj,

Don't forget to bring your footstool to stand on for the group hug. :biglaugh::biglaugh:

And Shaz, yes! you have a great way with words. It was the "way tree" instead of the body of Christ.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about my tenure in the Way. I'm not sorry I went into the Way Corps. Geeze, how can I be? when I met my husband there, and we have built a happy life together? with a wonderful family?

I so appreciate hearing how others feel about it, because it helps me sort out my own stuff. Sometimes another's perspective can put things in focus for me. :love3:

Edited by ex10
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Its only as I look back and think about things tht they just don't jive. I never had the "hamster on the wheel" effect - no - P@t L^nn just looked me straight in the eye and told me she didnt' think I was much of a leader. Then I looked her straight in the eye and told her she was wrong.

Putz ... i better have a couple bottles JD ready for me if I come to your location ... Linnt .. said you weren't leadership? I'm just reading back, but this is the first I heard where she ever made any kind of statement like she was anything but trouble ... Man ...

This is fun, catching up on all the aholes ... my image of putz was she really didn't want to be there, so went out drinking with the corps to fill the time .. is there more to this story? Oh, and I heard Jack Daniels was on the list of things to provide for her ... well, at least she didn't ask for Johnny Walker red or anything ... she was a little humble LOL

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I've never been accused of being too bright concerning twi's bait and switch techniques. Fell for nearly every single one of them.

However there is one I saw coming even at 16yo...

And that is the one that had a few little qualifying clauses that left the definition of 'Lifetime' and 'Christian Service' up to twi.

Something in me told me that twi was going to expect complete, willfully blinded loyalty and servitude if one went corpse.

Don't know what that something was exactly, but I do know how people went into corpse as free-thinking, God-loving servants with hearts of gold...and came out of corpse as arrogant, argumentative, anal Pharisees. Saw it in every single person I ever knew before and after corpse. Still see it in people I still know.

That kind of change doesn't happen because of true Christian Service.

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