The Way International

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The Way International
Founders Victor Paul Wierwille
Headquarters New Knoxville, Ohio
Origins October 3, 1942
Vesper Chimes radio program
Staff Rosalie F. Rivenbark, Chairman of the Board
Jean-Yves De Lisle, Director
Robert McCulloch, Director
Vince McFadden, Director
John Rupp, Director
Area served Worldwide
Focus Biblical Research, Teaching, and Fellowship
Website http://www.theway.org

The Way International is a non-profit religious organization that describes itself as a "biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry". Founding President, Victor Paul Wierwille, began broadcasting the radio program Vesper Chimes in 1942, and by 1947 it had been renamed and incorporated as The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan. In 1955, the corporation's name changed to The Way, and under this new name the organization developed publications, classes, and programs, and also held special events, leading to rapid expansion and growth until its leadership changed in 1982 and a period of dissension and controversy followed. More recently, The Way has been updating and reworking its materials. Critics have accused The Way of being a cult, pointing toward certain beliefs and practices that break with traditional, orthodox Christianity as well as some allegations of abuse.

Contents

[edit] History

The Way International founder Victor Paul Wierwille was ordained by the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1941 and took his first assignment in Payne, Ohio. In 1942 Wierwille started the Vesper Chimes radio show as part of his church's youth ministry. The radio ministry was incorporated in 1947 as The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan; Wierwille changed the name to “The Way, Inc.” in October 1955. The Way considers the first broadcast of Vesper Chimes in 1942 as its founding date.

Wierwille told the story that, in 1942, after only a year as an ordained minister, he was already frustrated with a lack of results and was ready to “chuck it all.” He claimed God spoke to him audibly that fall, telling him that He (God) would teach Wierwille “The Word like it hadn't been known since the First Century” if he would teach it to others. In the early seventies, Wierwille added to this account, saying that God confirmed this promise by making it snow on an otherwise clear day.

[edit] Power For Abundant Living

Despite this promise to be taught by God himself, Wierwille was again ready to give up on his mission a decade later; his ministry was still confined to his pastoral assignment and his radio program. He relates in The Way: Living in Love that a turning point was when he first spoke in tongues during a "Full Gospel" rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, December, 1951[1]. He said an unexpected snowstorm shut down the airports, trains and buses, giving him the opportunity to meet J. E. Stiles, the man who would lead him into speaking in tongues. Wierwille's wife, Dorothea, gave a different account of this snowstorm in Born Again to Serve, writing the connecting airport was experiencing snow and sleet was predicted for Tulsa the following week.[2] When asked about this for an article in The Way's Heart Magazine, Wierwille speculated that it may have been an angel that he spoke to on the phone, telling him of the snowstorm.

Shortly after this experience, Wierwille traveled to Calgary, Alberta to take B. G. Leonard's "Gifts of the Spirit" class. Almost immediately upon his return, in October 1953, Wierwille began teaching the class he initially called "Receiving the Holy Spirit Today" which was similar to Leonard's class, including names of characters such as Maggie Muggins. He claimed that his class was an original work based on his own research and study. He soon changed the name of his class to "Power for Abundant Living" (PFAL).

PFAL grew and evolved from being virtually identical to Leonard's "Gifts of the Spirit" class to a vehicle for Wierwille's own mix of ideas and theology.

He initially taught this class live, traveling to areas where there was interest in it, rarely allowing others to teach the class in his place. In 1967, the Foundational and Intermediate classes was filmed (the one-hour section on Interpretation of Tongues & Prophesy was later expanded into a full Intermediate Class and filmed in the early 1970s). This allowed classes to be run without Wierwille's presence, facilitating growth. An "Advanced Class" was taught regularly, usually at the headquarters in New Knoxville. This class was taught live by Wierwille until filmed versions were put together from live teachings in the late 1970s.

[edit] Beginnings of The Way

Although The Way International considers its founding to be in October 1942, Wierwille did not incorporate under the name "The Way" until 1955 and continued to be employed by the Evangelical and Reformed Church until he resigned in 1957. His departure from his church followed a trip to India and the Middle East where he was critical of his denomination's mission policies. He taught meetings in his home, and later in the Ecumenical Biblical Research Center (eventually shortened to simply The Biblical Research Center, or BRC) which he had built on his family's farm in 1961 after he moved back, establishing it as The Way International headquarters. Wierwille continued to teach PFAL, and added seminars called "Summer School" each summer, where he would teach the Advanced Class, as well as other specialized classes.

A Board of Directors, made up of supporters and graduates of Wierwille's classes, helped him with his growing ministry, until, according to Dorothea Wierwille in her book Born Again to Serve, Wierwille disbanded the Board in the late fifties. A letter explaining his reasons for this action is reproduced in Born Again to Serve[2]. Wierwille wrote that the Board was not supporting him in his decisions and it was not their purpose to argue with him, but to support his decisions. From then on, The Way was run by a three-man Board of Trustees made up of Wierwille as President, long-time friend Ermal Owens as Vice President, and Wierwille's brother Harry as Secretary-Treasurer.

[edit] Membership growth

The Way's membership growth increased in the late 1960s and early 1970s, coincident with Wierwille's visit to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco in January 1968, where he sought out a group of young people who were having success reaching people with their Christian message. Several leaders of this movement began using PFAL as a teaching tool and incorporated in New York and California as independent ministries called The Way East and The Way West. According to ex-Way member Karl Kahler in The Cult That Snapped [3], Wierwille took over these organizations and incorporated them into The Way International, bringing all organizations using PFAL under the Way International umbrella.

In 1970, the "Word Over the World Ambassador" outreach program was begun in order to stimulate additional interest in The Way International. "WOW" ambassadors volunteered for one year to preach the Bible as well as register new students into The Way's classes. WOWs were required to find their own part-time work and spend time witnessing for a set number of hours each week. Typically, WOW "families" consisted of four individuals, although married couples with children sometimes were part of WOW families as well. Some WOWs were sent out in teams or "branches" of two to seven families, although isolated single family groups were common as well. In some years, cities designated as "Outreach Cities" were sent hundreds of WOWs at a time. Growth continued into the late 1980s in all 50 states and many other countries, especially in the European, South American and African continents. WOW festivals modeled after the Rock of Ages festival were held in Great Britain, several South American countries and in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The program was discontinued in 1995 and replaced a year later by the six-month "Way Disciples Outreach Program."

[edit] "Passing the mantle"

In 1982 Wierwille installed L. Craig Martindale as President and accepted the title President Emeritus. Martindale had joined The Way in 1971 while a student at the University of Kansas. He served as head of the Way Corps Director from 1977 to 2000 (retaining that position while President). An elaborate ceremony accompanied Martindale's installation as President, including a passing of a literal mantle representing Wierwille's authority passing to Martindale.

After Wierwille died on May 20, 1985 of hepatocellular carcinoma and melanoma, a period of disagreement developed between Martindale and some of the organization's other leaders and followers, lasting until the early 1990s, along with a general decline in numbers. (See section below on "Splinter Groups")

In 2000, Martindale's term as president was ended following allegations of sexual misconduct[4] and Rev. Rosalie F. Rivenbark replaced him. The Board is now called the Board of Directors, consisting of five directors, with Rivenbark as Chairman of the Board.

[edit] Structure

[edit] Organization

The Way International's division of duties and geographical regions was at one time based on the physical structure of a tree. While this is still generally the case, the tree structure is no longer used as rigorously as it once was.

The headquarters in New Knoxville and The Way Family Ranch in Gunnison, Colorado were considered "root" locations, as were properties in Emporia, KS; Rome City, IN; and Tinnie, NM that have since been sold. Each country in which The Way International operates was called a trunk. Each state in the United States was called a limb and each limb could contain a number of subdivisions called branches. Several limbs were grouped into regions. Finally, each branch consisted of several household fellowships (which used to be called twigs). During the height of TWI's membership in the eighties, intermediate divisions known as territories and areas were used as well.

The phrase "follower of The Way" appeared in brochures printed by the organization through most of the 1980s. The term "leaf" was at one time used to describe an individual follower, but was dropped during the 1990s. Currently followers simply call each other "follower", "disciple" or "believer".

The Way focuses on the household fellowship as the most basic organizational unit. These meetings are run in the home by volunteers who have completed the four biblical studies classes taught by The Way. These men and women are called fellowship coordinators. The Way International claims no official membership other than the Board of Directors and in theory has no attendance commitment. However, The Way discourages continuing in meetings or taking their classes if no ongoing commitment has been evidenced.

[edit] Classes

The Way features a three-level series of classes that teach the beliefs and doctrine of the organization:

  • The Foundational Class on The Way of Abundance and Power
  • The Intermediate Class on The Way of Abundance and Power
  • The Advanced Class on The Way of Abundance and Power

The first two classes are taught in areas where there are active Way fellowships and sufficient demand, but the Advanced Class is taught at the Way Headquarters every summer. To be eligible for the Advanced class, one must have taken the Foundational and Intermediate classes twice, as well as the Defeating the Adversary class.

After the completion of the above series, specially themed Advanced Class Special weekends become available. Further classes offered include:

  • Defeating the Adversary
  • Living God's Word as a Family
  • Practical Keys to Biblical Research

These classes can be taken after completion of the Intermediate Class.

For many years, the main class offering of The Way was the three-level "Power for Abundant Living" (PFAL) class. This class was taught live by Wierwille beginning in the early 50's and was offered in video and audio tape form from 1967 until it was replaced by Martindale's class in the mid-nineties. After Martindale's departure from TWI his Foundational Class on The Way of Abundance and Power was reworked and re-filmed, and the resulting class (with the same name) was released in March 2006.

[edit] Leadership

[edit] President and Board of Directors

As founder of The Way International, Victor Paul Wierwille served as the organization's principal leader for forty years (1942-1982), from its original inception as Vesper Chimes (later renamed The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan) through its development into The Way. In 1947, The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan incorporated as a nonprofit religious organization having a President (Wierwille) and a Board of Directors (which was to be discontinued in the 1970s). The name of the corporation officially changed from The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan to The Way in 1955. In 1982, during The Way's fortieth anniversary celebration, Wierwille installed L. Craig Martindale as his succeeding President. From that point until his death in 1985, Wierwille held the title President Emeritus. Martindale served as The Way's President for eighteen years (1982-2000); he was replaced in 2000 by the former Vice President, Rosalie F. Rivenbark, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Rivenbark continues to serve as the current President of The Way International.

[edit] Board of Trustees

Wierwille's older brother, Harry Wierwille, became The Way's Secretary-Treasurer in 1952, and in 1954, Wierwille asked his friend and supporter, Ermal Owens, to serve as Vice President of The Way. Together, Victor, Harry, and Ermal formed The Way's original Board of Trustees; however their Trustee positions were not officially recognized until the Board of Directors authorized Wierwille, the President, to legally appoint Trustees for The Way in 1956. In 1977, the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer were both replaced—Ermal Owens by the President's son, Donald Wierwille, and Harry Wierwille by Howard Allen. At the time, the Trustee title remained strictly attached to the offices of the Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer; therefore, Donald Wierwille and Howard Allen also replaced Harry Wierwille and Ermal Owens on the Board of Trustees. Victor Paul Wierwille continued to hold the third position on the Board of Trustees until Martindale became the President in 1982. Martindale appointed Rivenbark as Vice President in 1996, and then John Reynolds as Secretary-Treasurer in 1998, relieving Donald Wierwille and Howard Allen, respectively, from these positions and from their positions on the Board of Trustees. In 2000, Rivenbark succeeded Martindale as President and Harve Platig accepted the role of Vice President; the Trustee positions shifted accordingly to reflect these changes. In 2001, to conform with state law, the "Trustee" titles were exchanged for "Director" titles, resulting in a Board of Directors instead of a Board of Trustees.

[edit] Board of Directors and officers

The current Board of Directors (formerly known as the Board of Trustees) should not be confused with the discontinued Board of Directors established through the incorporation of The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan in 1947. In 2002, Reynolds, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Way, requested a change of assignment, and Jean-Yves De Lisle was given his position, also receiving the open position on the Board of Directors. The Board increased from three members (the President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer) to five members in 2005, when Platig was replaced by John Rupp, Vince McFadden, and Roger Mittler, giving The Way a total of three Vice Presidents (instead of one) and five Directors, but in 2009, McFadden and Mittler were relieved from their Vice President positions, and Rupp became the sole Vice President of The Way. "Officer" designations were also introduced to the leadership structure in 2009 and are held by the President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and two Junior Officers. Presently, the Board of Directors includes Rivenbark (President), Rupp (Vice President), and De Lisle (Secretary-Treasurer), as well as two individuals who do not hold any officer position at The Way—former Vice President McFadden and Robert McCulloch.

[edit] Current leadership

Board of Directors

  • Rosalie F. Rivenbark, Chairman of the Board
  • Jean-Yves De Lisle
  • Robert McCulloch
  • Vince McFadden
  • John Rupp

Officers

  • Rosalie F. Rivenbark, President
  • John Rupp, Vice President
  • Jean-Yves De Lisle, Secretary Treasurer
  • Gary Fredrick, Chief Financial Officer
  • Donna Martindale, Chief Administrative Officer
  • Rico Magnelli, Junior Officer
  • Brian Moynihan, Junior Officer

[edit] The Way Corps

In 1970 Wierwille formalized his selection and training of spiritual leaders by starting "The Way Corps". Wierwille, who had no experience in developing training programs of any kind, claimed that the inspiration for the term "Way Corps" came from his admiration for the United States Marine Corps.

Prior to the First Corps, which began training in 1970, Wierwille invited a group of Way followers to New Knoxville for training and teaching. He disbanded the group for reasons which were never made public, other than a statement in The Way: Living in Love that they "couldn't get it together among themselves", and that Wierwille "gave them the privilege to leave" [5] In later years, this group was referred to as "The Zero Corps". (Groups who trained and graduated from the program together were at one time referred to "First Corps", "Second Corps" etc., referring to the order in which they graduated.)

Originally, the Way Corps was a 2-year in-residence training program, with participants living and working at Way International Headquarters on Wierwille's former family farm. After a few years, an "interim" year was inserted between the 2 years where the Way Corps student was given a one year assignment before completing training (the Family Corps, a Way Corps program for families that included children, usually had this year tacked onto the end and was called a "practicum" year). Eventually, an apprentice year was added before the on-campus training when a prospect was expected to meet certain requirements, including raising tuition and sponsorship. As currently constituted, the first preparatory year is called the "Candidate Year," followed by an "Apprentice Year," when the prospect leads a group of Way Disciples, and the final two years are primarily spent training in residence at The Way International's headquarters in New Knoxville, OH.

[edit] Requirements

After completing the Advanced class, a follower may apply for enrollment. Before one can enter the program, however, the local leadership approves the applicant's entrance. Tuition and sponsorship requirements, as well as class prerequisites, change from time to time.

[edit] Graduation

Upon completion of the four-year course, graduates receive a non-accredited degree in theology. The graduating Way Corps can be sent out to different states or countries to start fellowships or fulfill other assigned responsibilities, or remain at Headquarters or Gunnison as staff. Way Corps duties include providing spiritual leadership at all levels and carrying out decisions made by the root leadership of the Way International. Way Corps promotional materials mention "A Lifetime of Christian Service"; at times this has been interpreted as a lifetime commitment to serve in The Way Corps and accept assignments wherever they might be.

After the formation of the Way Corps few non-Corps were appointed to leadership positions above the local fellowship level. Virtually all ordained clergy and all leaders above the level of Household Fellowship Coordinator are Way Corps graduates.

[edit] Ordination and clergy

Neither graduation from the Way Corps nor accepting a high leadership position guarantee ordination. Ordination during the Wierwille and Martindale years was entirely at the discretion of the President, and requirements were never explicitly specified. Although clergy, who used the title Reverend, were held in high regard, ordination did not assure high office. At times state or region coordinators, and even members of the Board of Trustees were laymen, while clergymen and women were fellowship coordinators, or without official responsibility whatsoever.

[edit] Dismissal from Way Corps

A member may be dropped from being Way Corps at any time without prior notice, although in recent years this practice has become uncommon. A policy titled Mark and Avoid was a major contributor to Way Corps discharge.

[edit] Miscellaneous Way Corps information

  • At the time the Fifth Corps began training in 1974, a program called "The Family Corps" was started, primarily for Corps candidates with minor children. Family Corps 1 began training with the Fifth Corps, Family Corps 2 with the Sixth Corps, etc. Several years ago, possibly due to declining numbers, the regular Way Corps and Family Corps were again combined. Groups called "Recognized Corps" and "Special Corps" were instituted for limited times during the late 70's.
  • At Rock of Ages 1995, the final ROA festival, Martindale, noting no members of the First Way Corps were active with The Way International, designated long-standing Way followers such as Don Wierwille and Dorothy Owens as "The First Corps".
  • Numbers of trainees in each group have fluctuated over the years. The first several groups had fewer than a dozen each, while later graduating classes numbered higher than 400. Recent Corps groups have been in the single digits.
  • The title of Corps Alumni was given to those who dropped out of the role of active Way Corps, as opposed to being removed from this position.

[edit] Scholastic pursuits

[edit] The College Division

Followers who preferred scholastic development in Biblical research topics over training for a spiritual leadership role could choose to participate in the College Division program if they so desired. The program housed students at the Emporia, KS location alongside Way Corps for either a yearlong or two-year program depending on the level of study they wanted to pursue. Tuition included room, board and classes. First-year student classes consisted of topics such as Beginning Greek, Harmony of the Gospels, and Old Testament History, while second-year students had courses which included Aramaic, Hebrew, Advanced Greek, and specific Biblical research thesis projects of their choice.

The College Division attended classes during the day and were required to participate in fellowships on the campus and eat meals in the dining hall with the Way Corps and campus leadership, but their schedule of activity was more relaxed than the Way Corps, who were required to spend a designated amount of time performing maintenance tasks on campus in addition to attending their own leadership and study courses. At times the College Division was invited to participate in activities and classes with the Way Corps such as the LEAD camping program or lessons in public speaking, but were housed in a single dorm on floors separate from the Way Corps and generally did not have as much one-on-one interaction with the Corps members as they did with other College Division participants, due to their differing purposes. College Division students wore red name badges and so were called the "red taggers", while Way Corps wore green badges and were known as "green taggers". Once their study year was completed, they received new badges identifying them as College alumni.

The number of College Division participants was proportionally much fewer than Way Corps or WOWs (varying in number from a handful to several dozen over time as The Way's membership fluctuated), but College Division graduates were considered to be more seasoned and mature than average followers in a fellowship due to the dedicated length of time they spent in Bible studies over the year. Since they elected self-enrichment and personal study vs. being groomed for a leadership service role, some tended to regard them as secondary to the Way Corps.

[edit] The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life was an optional correspondence course containing more advanced Biblical subject matter for those who, by choice or necessity, wanted to participate in additional Biblical learning but couldn't attend a campus. College Division graduates often elected to enter this program as well once they completed their time in residence. Candidates for The Tree of Life had to be approved by leadership.

[edit] Beliefs and doctrines

This is not an exhaustive list, but contains many of the beliefs and doctrines of TWI.

[edit] The Bible, the Word of God

In the PFAL class, Wierwille taught his students that the greatest secret in the world today is that "the Bible is the revealed Word and will of God," or that "the Word of God is the will of God." He impressed upon his students the importance of reading the Bible directly as opposed to reading around it, or reading what others have written about it, remarking in his classes that one day he hauled over three thousand volumes of theological works to the city dump, because he found that "equally intelligent men, talking about the same verse of scripture, would be miles apart on their conclusions." The Way concludes that if God is perfect, then God's Word must be perfect, therefore contradictions and errors in the Bible must result from mistranslation or misunderstanding, which further underscores the importance of achieving an accurate interpretation through biblical research.

[edit] Biblical research

Students are encouraged to follow a list of biblical research principles, the first and most basic key being that "all scripture interprets itself". Consideration is given to discern the administration (or dispensation) of the writing as well as the intended recipient to whom the writing is addressed. The Bible is taken literally whenever and wherever possible, but when and where this is not possible, it is assumed that figurative language is being employed. For example, since the Bible is a collection of ancient Eastern writings, idioms and orientalisms peculiar to this cultural context are studied in order to understand what is meant by such expressions. In theory, anyone who adheres to the biblical research principles (handled most extensively in their class "Practical Keys to Biblical Research") can properly discern the correct meaning, or "rightly divide" the scriptures without "private interpretation." During Martindale's presidency, research was defined as "re-searching" the organization's existing publications, and The Way still encourages its followers to read and study their current publications before endeavoring to begin personal research on a subject.

[edit] Trinity

The Way International is non-trinitarian, believing the Father (God) to be a separate entity from the Son (Jesus Christ), and the "Holy Spirit" (with an upper case "h" and "s") to be a reference to God, but "holy spirit" (with a lower case "h" and "s") to be a reference to God's gift to an individual upon salvation.

[edit] God

God is believed to be omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (present everywhere), and eternal, or timeless. In the Foundational Class, students are taught that God is Spirit, and that because He is Spirit, He is invisible and undetectable to the human senses, but He has revealed Himself to the senses realm through His Word, both written (the Bible) and incarnate (Jesus Christ). God is considered the Originator, Source, and Author of all life, as well as the Creator of heaven and earth. In his book Order My Steps in Thy Word, Wierwille asserts that God designed the universe to support the Earth and the Earth to support His children who could love God in return. Students of the Foundational Class also learn that God, as a Heavenly Father, is always good and never changes, and that He is Light, with no darkness at all. In relation to His Word, it is taught that God cannot lie, and therefore God's Word must be truth; because God is perfect, His Word must also have perfect integrity.

[edit] Jesus Christ

Unlike God, Jesus Christ is not omniscient (all-knowing), nor omnipotent (all-powerful), nor omnipresent (present everywhere). The Way believes that Jesus had a beginning (his birth), and did not exist before that time except in the foreknowledge of God. In a research work by Wierwille, Jesus Christ is not God, many other distinctions are also drawn between God and Jesus Christ, His Son. It is believed that God created the sperm to fertilize Mary's ovum, and therefore God became the literal Father of Jesus, and Mary his mother. This supernatural conception resulted in a man who shared the same body as ordinary men, but also had the perfect, sinless blood required to be the ultimate Passover sacrifice, "without blemish and without spot," a subject handled most extensively Wierwille's Jesus Christ Our Passover. It is believed that Jesus died for the sins of all people, but in order to be saved from everlasting destruction and receive eternal life, an individual must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus Christ was crucified, resurrected three complete days later, and ascended into Heaven to sit at God's right hand. It is also believed that every individual who is "born again" will eventually be raised into Heaven at Christ's "appearing", when Christ descends from Heaven and returns to the Earth.

[edit] Holy Spirit

In Wierwille's Receiving the Holy Spirit Today, he states that there is a difference between the "Holy Spirit" (with an upper case "h" and "s") and "holy spirit" (with a lower case "h" and "s"), the former being a reference to God and the latter being a reference to the gift from God to those who are born again. Neither of these are considered to be a third person in association with the Trinity. Wierwille said English translators of the Bible lacked a knowledge of this distinction to properly supply the best rendering at every occurrence and variation of the Greek words pneuma hagion (holy spirit), and Greek manuscripts were written in uncial script, which in turn brought even more confusion to the subject. The Way International continues to distinguish between God the Giver ("Holy Spirit") and His gift ("holy spirit") in the Foundational Class, where it is stated that since God is Holy and God is Spirit, God's gift is also holy spirit.

[edit] Manifestations of holy spirit (including speaking in tongues)

There are nine manifestations of holy spirit and every born again Christian has the inherent ability to operate all nine. The list is derived from 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (King James Version). Speaking in tongues is said to energize and enable the "effectual operation" of the other eight manifestations.

According to Wierwille, speaking in tongues is "...the believer's external manifestation in the senses world of the internal reality and presence of the power of the holy spirit". Speaking in tongues should only be interpreted in a meeting where other believers are present and should never be interpreted in a believer's private prayer life, and should be done by one person at a time as requested or inspired during a meeting, so as not to cause chaos or confusion. Numerous benefits derived from speaking in tongues are believed to exist.

[edit] Four crucified with Christ

Jesus was raised on Saturday and there were four people crucified with him, not two. The explanation is different Greek words were used for those crucified with Jesus (two robbers as well as two thieves) in the different gospel accounts, as well as discrepancies in timing, statements, and actions of the characters in the narrative.

[edit] The cross

The cross upon which Jesus was crucified was not the traditional t-shaped cross, but rather a stake or tree.

[edit] Death & resurrection

Death is compared to sleep in that there is no consciousness. Contrary to some other types of Christian belief, the dead do not immediately go to Heaven or hell, but sleep until the "gathering together" (Christ's return) and the resurrections of the just and unjust.

[edit] Baptism

Water baptism was never intended as a continuing practice after Pentecost. It is believed that water baptism applied only to Israel, and that the new Church has been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, with each member receiving what is referred to as "Christ in you", holy spirit.

[edit] Eternal life cannot be lost

Once a person is born again (per Romans 10:9 and 10 - confess Christ as Lord and believe he was raised from the dead), they receive holy spirit and cannot lose it or the resultant eternal life through any sinful acts. Since receiving holy spirit is acquiring a part of God's spirit, and therefore sonship, it is compared to the irrevocableness of receiving physical sonship from a human parent.

[edit] Tithing

The Way teaches tithing (giving 10% of one's net income) as a Biblically-based minimum requirement of giving to the church. Additional giving is called abundant sharing. An additional term, plurality giving, was coined to refer to calculating the amount of money or items one needs to live on, and giving all the rest. There was no official requirement to tithe or abundantly share, but the concept was strongly promoted, and those who didn't were not considered to be "doing the Word". Wierwille included his booklet on abundant sharing, Christians Should Be Prosperous, in his Foundational Class materials. Martindale frequently promoted increasing one's proportion of giving in Sunday teachings.

[edit] Five gift ministries

There are five "gift ministries", or abilities of service, Jesus Christ gave to the Church — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The lives of those who perform these functions for the service of the church are considered a gift from God to the believers.

[edit] The seven administrations

There are seven administrations, or distinct periods of time governed by certain promises and commands God has given Man at key points in history. Therefore, some parts of the Bible are written to people in this administration and other parts are not, but are for our learning.

[edit] Five sonship rights

Every Christian has five basic rights as sons and daughters of God. These fundamental rights are righteousness, redemption, justification, sanctification, and the ministry of reconciliation.

[edit] Paul's thorn in the flesh

The "thorn in the flesh" referred to in 2 Corinthians 12:7 is believed to have been an individual sent by Satan to disrupt the apostle Paul's ministry, not an illness.

(7) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

[edit] Cry of triumph

This phrase was left in the verse Mark 15:34 because the King James translators were unsure of its meaning:

(34) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" Which is, being interpreted, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

The Way maintains this phrase is better translated, "My God, my God, for this [purpose] I was spared!" (or "...for such a purpose have you kept me!") as a cry of triumph signifying that Christ had accomplished his purpose.

[edit] Without form and void

Similar to the beliefs of Gap Creationists, in Genesis 1:2 ...

(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

... the Hebrew word for "was" [hayah] is better translated "became". Therefore, the earth was not made without form and empty of life, but it became that way (by a cataclysmic event ... the fall of Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels).

Second Way President L. Craig Martindale, in his class "The Way of Abundance and Power", (WayAP) taught, the "becoming without form and void" was related to the "face of the deep" being frozen. The fall of 1/3 of the angels with Lucifer was physically to "the face of the deep" and their absence of light froze it. This was so catastrophic, all light in the universe was extinguished and all life wiped out until God commanded "Let there be light".

[edit] The original sin of mankind

In the class Christian Family and Sex, the literal original sin of mankind was selfish masturbation. Wierwille reasoned the Tree of Life from Genesis could be compared to verses where people were figuratively referred to as trees. He further compared the fruit of the tree of knowledge with the human genitalia, from whence human fruit, i.e, children, proceeds and came to the conclusion that Adam and Eve's sin was a sexual sin, masturbation resulting in the couple relying completely on themselves, not each other, for sexual release. (I Corinthians 7:3-5 states that married couples are to render "due benevolence" to each other.) Masturbation used by an unmarried person to relieve their own urges was acceptable.

Martindale, in the Foundational Class on The Way of Abundance and Power, changed this doctrine, concluding that virtually every word in Genesis 3:6 had a sexual connotation. Influenced by his belief that homosexuality was the lowest degradation of sexuality, he taught that the original sin of mankind was Eve having lesbian sex with the Devil, who had "come into concretion" in the form of a beautiful woman. In the current version of The Way of Abundance and Power this topic is no longer a part of the class, but there has been no retraction of the teaching itself.

[edit] Controversial practices

[edit] Mark and avoid

"Mark and Avoid" is a term for a form of shunning involving the separation of certain people from the main body of followers in the Way. The term is derived from the Biblical passage Romans 16:17 (King James Version)

(17) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

This practice is reportedly used when, according to the judgment of the Board of Directors of The Way International, a person has met the criteria which would warrant separation from the other followers of The Way. In recent years, usage of the Mark and Avoid system has declined. "Spiritual Probation" was an intermediate step introduced by Martindale in which a follower was prohibited from contact with active followers for a set period of time, usually six months. When certain criteria were met, the follower was allowed back into full participation in Way activities. Generally, a letter to a high level coordinator was required, outlining the steps to be taken by the follower to ensure the "error" was corrected and they were back "in fellowship". Abundant sharing was also required during this period.

[edit] Oversight by leaders

Ministers or leaders are spiritually responsible for Way followers, and these followers are in turn responsible to obey their leaders.

[edit] Debt

In the mid-nineties The Way began to teach extensively on debt, taking a position that God's Will was for a believer to have no debt, including car loans and mortgages. Eventually it became a requirement for all active Way Corps to be debt-free. A prerequisite for enrollment in the Advanced Class on the Way of Abundance and Power and various "Advanced Class Specials" was that the student be debt-free. Participants in fellowships were encouraged to get or stay out of debt, sometimes selling homes to meet this standard.

[edit] The "purge"

In July 1994, President L. Craig Martindale sent an explicitly-worded, critical letter to Way Corps members saying "The Way Ministry household can be anything but a haven for the devil spirits from hell that turn people into the lowest of the low, called sodomites or homosexual"[1]. The Way had always been against homosexuality, but the letter stated that in times past, Wierwille said it would take being caught "in the act" for a follower to be immediately dismissed. Now, however, Martindale called a "genuine spiritual suspicion" grounds enough for investigating someone's sexual orientation. Those who "genuinely want help" and "keep themselves clean" might eventually be allowed back into classes and ministry functions, pending leadership approval.

The letter was followed the next month by the Rock of Ages festival in August 1994, which had convened closed meetings of first The Way Corps, then Advanced Class graduates, and also veterans of the W.O.W. Ambassador program discussing his belief that homosexuals had infiltrated the W.O.W. program and the ministry at large. He described this infiltration as "an attack of the Adversary" (the Devil) and outlined steps to combat what he saw as a major problem.

The following years saw many confrontation sessions. "Mark & Avoid" and "Spiritual Probation" increased markedly.

Prevailing Word Auditorium

[edit] Splinter groups

By the early 1990s, following the 1982 retirement of Wierwille and his death in 1985, several splinter groups had formed from the main body of The Way:

The formation of splinter groups took place in the wake of actions by L. Craig Martindale after his appointment to replace Wierwille, including the implementation of new rules and beliefs, and the dissension among its leadership when Rev. Chris Geer initially read the authored 40,000 word document titled "The Passing of the Patriarch" to the Trustee leadership and Way headquarters staff. In it, Geer claimed that Wierwille, during his final weeks, revealed observations, concerns and recommendations regarding the unbiblical direction of the Way and the lack of Biblical leadership by Martindale. The document was later read to the Way Corps who disseminated the information throughout The Way.

The splinter groups' presence as organizations became significant in 1989, when L. Craig Martindale fired all Way staff-including local "branch", "territory", "limb" and "region" leaders who did not swear an "oath of allegiance" to him. Martindale demanded that Way leaders declare openly whether they were supporting him or Geer as titular leader of The Way. Many leaders, as well as followers, saw this demand as unbiblical and withdrew voluntarily from association from The Way. Others, including those who did not choose sides, were dismissed. Shortly afterwards, Martindale sent a letter to all members announcing the firings. In the aftermath, according to figures cited by Martindale at The 1994 Word in Business and Profession Conference in Dallas, Texas, approximately 80% of the membership at the time had left The Way either by their own decision or by being dismissed. Large numbers of ex-Way followers formed the foundation of the splinter groups.

[edit] Criticism and cult allegations

The Way International has long been accused of being a cult.[6][7] Some accusations are based upon allegations of sexual abuse [8], excessive control over members' lives and brainwashing [9][10] Some groups considered The Way's beliefs, viewed as heretical by a number of denominations, to be evidence of cult status. In some instances, family members who weren't a part of The Way would hire deprogrammers to abduct their loved one because they believed exposure to these doctrines or the followers was harmful.

[edit] Love bombing

The group has been alleged to use "love bombing"[7] to control its initiates. These allegations initially occurred in the 1970s, but accusations and allegations about control of members continue to this day on various ex-Way websites.

[edit] Racism and anti-Semitism

The Way has also been accused of racism and anti-Semitism in times past, due to references of controversial Holocaust denial books The Hoax of the Twentieth Century, and The Myth of the Six Million.[7] Arthur Koestler's The Thirteenth Tribe, also promoted by The Way, does not promote Holocaust denial or anti-Semitism, but its controversial thesis on the origins of modern Jews has been adopted by some anti-Semites.

[edit] Plagiarism charges

Side-by-side comparisons of Wierwille's works with previously-published works by other authors, including J.E. Stiles and E.W. Bullinger, show many instances of verbatim copying, indicating plagiarism in at least some of Wierwille's books.[11] J.E. Stiles and B.G. Leonard, other authors whom Wierwille was said to have borrowed from, are mentioned by Wierwille at various times, but not credited as sources in any of Wierwille's publications. Wierwille's books published in the late seventies and early eighties such as Jesus Christ is Not God, Jesus Christ Our Passover, and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed are footnoted and credit sources, while earlier books such as Power For Abundant Living, Receiving the Holy Spirit Today and the Studies in Abundant Living Series are not.

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[edit] Way programs and events

[edit] Rock of Ages

A yearly gathering of Way followers in New Knoxville, Ohio, known as "The Rock of Ages Festival," was a popular Way event from 1970 until 1995, when it was discontinued. One of the purposes of the festival was to welcome home returning WOW Ambassadors and to send out a new group on their yearly assignment. Some regional groups (states are known as "Limbs") now hold annual meetings instead. According to Way Corps conferences, one reason for the termination of the festival was the suspected teenage sexual relations on campus grounds [12].

[edit] Word in Business and Profession conferences

Word in Business and Profession conferences were recurring events that focused on connecting The Way's teachings to a follower's business or career. Martindale ended this program in the late nineties.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Websites belonging to offshoot organizations from The Way International:

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Way: Living in Love by Elena Whiteside p235"
  2. ^ a b "Born Again to Serve" by Dorothea Wierwille
  3. ^ "The Cult That Snapped by Karl Kahler pp61-67"
  4. ^ William, Laney (2000-11-07). "The Way International reaches settlement with couple". Wapakoneta Daily News. http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general312.html. Retrieved 2006-06-02. 
  5. ^ "The Way: Living in Love by Elena Whiteside p235",
  6. ^ Melton, J. Gordon (1996). The Encyclopedia of American Religions (5th edition ed.). Detroit: Michigan: Gale Research. ISBN 0-8103-7714-4. , as cited at http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/wayintl.html .
  7. ^ a b c Mary, Hargrove (1995-10-15). "The Way: After a family breaks up, questions arise about the group". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/way/11.asp. Retrieved 2006-07-02. 
  8. ^ Messiah Lutheran (sexual abuse)
  9. ^ Messiah Luthran (brainwashing)
  10. ^ GreaseSpot Cafe - Home
  11. ^ Side by side examples of plagiarism from Messiah Lutheran
  12. ^ GreaseSpot Cafe Way Corps Notes
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