Subtlety: A Current Perspective on The Way International

I recently read some comments by a Way Corps grad who had served as a Way staff member and who left The Way within the past year, 2009. Their words so well describe part of my perception when I exited The Way in October, 2005, after 28 years of loyalty. My husband, who officially broke ties with The Way in March/April, 2006, also read the comments and felt the same as I.  Neither of us were Way Corps grads or staff, but we had served for decades as volunteer lay-leaders on the field.

Some say The Way has changed from its past manipulations and hypocrisy which Way believers mainly blame on The Way's second president, Craig Martindale, not realizing (either ignorantly or by denial) that the root of The Way's abuses goes back to its founder, Victor Paul Wierwille. And The Way has changed; manipulations are a bit more subtle now.

Way followers' experiences differ depending on many factors such as length of time involved, which Way president was heading the helm, one's own temperament, local leadership, life experiences, and more.

[The following is shared with permission. The reference below to Donna still "being married to the President" does not refer to her if-they-are-officially-divorced ex-husband, Craig Martindale, but rather figuratively to Donna's relationship with the current Way President, Rosalie Rivenbark.]

"The idea of decentralizing the teachings was that it would eliminate the worship of 'The Teacher'...(as if that was root of the problem...geez). Yet Rosalie runs EVERYTHING, controls EVERYTHING. After the fiasco with Craig they have demanded of the W[ay] C[orps] and staff especially to speak up over any questionable behavior unless it has to do with Rosalie and her squad of 'Men Hating Woman'...Donna being 2nd only to Rosalie in that fellowship...I asked if there is lesbian activity and the comment was Donna is still married to the President of the ministry. The cabinet consists of yes men or women that are not allowed to speak up or argue a point. Rosalie being the school teacher that she was...(when was she one and how long? She has a been on staff forever)...runs the ministry like a school and if you displease her she punishes by taking responsibility and privileges away like making you live in Founders Hall or gives you a responsibility out on the field. She does this even to the old timers...the ones who have bled the Way International...Mitlers, Panerellos...people of unbelievable character and quality. She has no respect for what they have done for the ministry. Her wings have been clipped severely with all the stuff that Craig did like she doesn't yell because that would be 'abusive' so in turn she teaches and takes away responsibilities and would rather yell and do it all the old way.

The consensus is that it is dieing [sic] and everyone wishes it would just die and be done with. My heart aches for those who are still involved and abused by it and not in the same way others have been but in the suffocating, life-sucking, controlling Way. People involved are still saying...'if something better came along I would go.' Bless their hearts, they don't realize NOTHING is better. It was always suppose to be 'Just God and I'...isn't that the heart of the word 'Godliness - a true vital spiritual relationship with God.' First and foremost I need to have it together with my Father before I am an asset to the Family. There is life after The Way and God is still your God and He still opens the eyes of your understanding and answers prayers and loves you. How sad after all those years of learning God's Word they don't believe that. They don't know they can walk away and be in the world with their God and not 'belong' to anything and still grow and fellowship with God."

The above was shared with a Way Corps grad who left The Way around 1998. When I asked permission to share the above, part of her response was the following. I think it is an apt description of current top Way leadership:

[....] what are they going to do Mark and Avoid me again??? [...] Oh yeah, they don't do that any more. I guess they just make life so horribly degrading that you leave...both are evil mental games that leave the victim in the same mental state of questioning their fellowship with their father. It reminds me of the evil step mom after the Dad dies and she beats up his children with the bullshit that 'Your father would be very disappointed in you.' To manipulate them to do things. Masters of mental abuse.