More thoughts regarding Victor Barnard...and influence...and The Way...and...

On March 1, after learning about two young women that had come forward about their experiences with Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship, I published a blog entry.

Victor Barnard again made the news this past week. As of April 11, 2014, Barnard is a wanted fugitive in a nationwide manhunt.

On April 15, at around 11:30 in the morning, I learned about Barnard's April 11 warrant. Apparently, the news had just been made public. At that time, I found only one article regarding Barnard's warrant; it stated he had 59 sexual misconduct charges against him. As the afternoon of April 15 rolled along, the media machine and world wide web got the information out to the public. Over the subsequent days, more details have been forthcoming. There has been a flood of articles and news clips.

I've read, and read, and read.

I've watched and listened.

I've weighed and Wayed...inside my heart and mind...weighing some of the similarities between Victor Barnard's abuses and past abuses of certain Way leaders. In the 1980s, Victor Barnard was associated with The Way International; he is a Way Corps 14 graduate.

And I've thought....

Victor Barnard used the scriptures to justify followers meeting the sexual needs of the "man of God."

Wierwille, The Way's founder, did the same; and Wierwille taught Martindale, Wierwille's successor. Certain top Way leaders had an inner circle teaching that adultery was okay; to my knowledge that part of Way history is still hidden from loyal Way followers. Wierwille taught that every woman under King David's rule belonged to the king. Wierwille taught that adultery with Bathsheba wasn't King David's sin; but rather, King David's sin was putting Uriah, one of "the mighty men of valor," on the front line of battle with hopes that Uriah would be killed.

And I've thought...

Victor Barnard quoted, "To the pure all things are pure," justifying his sexual atrocities.

I remember, as a young woman, sitting in the Big Top with over 1000 other committed believers in Word Over the World Ambassador training, intently listening as our "father in the Word," "Dr." Wierwille, stated something like, "No unbeliever's penis has any business being in a believer's vagina..." as he talked with us WOWs, his "kids," before we went "on the field to move the Word over the world." The Way taught "the age of grace" and "happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth."

And I've thought...

Victor Barnard gave his "maidens" rings and gifts.

Kristen Skedgell shares in her memoir, Losing The Way, that Wierwille gave her a ring. Wierwille was married at the time; Kristen was young enough to be Wierwille's daughter. Kristen was presented her ring on the motor coach after one of her rendezvous with Wierwille. The ring came from a box that holds rings; some rings were still in the box among empty ring slots. Did other women whom Weirwille abused get rings too?

Victor Barnard would call a "maiden" to Barnard's lodge when Barnard wanted sex.

From what I've read and been told, Wierwille called women to his motor coach; Martindale called women to the Way Corps chalet in the Way Woods.

Victor Barnard instructed his "maidens" to tell no one about his sexual relations with them.

Wierwille taught the "lockbox;" there are things that a person doesn't share. Other believers may not be spiritually mature enough to understand certain situations. Some may not understand the freedom we have in Christ; such freedom might present a stumbling block to those less mature believers.

And I've thought...

Victor Barnard had his "maidens" take a salt covenant with him, that they would be loyal to him until death.

The Way teaches salt covenants are taken only on special occasions, for specific reasons. To break a salt covenant makes one worthy of death; to break a salt covenant means one's words are not salted. I took two salt covenants while in The Way; one at my wedding and another as part of a Way Advanced Class Advance. That Advance was held at a camp in Reidsville, North Carolina, in the summer of 1981. The Way didn't hold "Retreats," only "Advances."

Victor Barnard's sexual victims were underage females, a most heinous act.

As far as I know, that wasn't the case within most of the Way inner circle that engaged in sexual improprieties. Still, those Way inner circle leaders abused their power of trust. Such is not an affair; it is abuse.

And I've thought...

The Way isn't responsible for Barnard's actions anymore than the Seventh Day Adventist Church is responsible for Koresh's actions.
Or am I incorrect on that?
I mean...how much influence did The Way have on Victor Barnard's morphing into what he has become?
Or was Barnard always that way...simmering beneath?
But then Koresh is a few generations removed from the Seventh Day Adventist Church; whereas, Barnard is like a direct offspring of The Way International.
Without Way influence, would Barnard have committed these same or similar acts?
I know we'll never know for sure.

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Links to posts on toss & ripple about Barnard:
3/01/14: Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship
4/19/14: More thoughts regarding Victor Barnard...and influence...and The Way...and...
8/18/2014: Victor Barnard: "Preaching Lies" to air on "The Hunt," Sunday, August 24, 2014
2/28/15: Victor Barnard is apprehended in Brazil...
6/11/17: Docudrama: "Deliver Us From Evil"
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