The Way It Is

Below is a comment from my blog entitled *soulfeet.

I found the comment intriguing and thought-provoking for anyone involved with The Way especially during its years under the leadership of its founding president, Victor Paul Wierwille.

I don't agree with everything Jimbo brings up in the comment; but I relate to most every word. I no longer think of myself as a 'believer' so I don't necessarily analyze circumstances from that perspective. Yet, for the most part, I respect those who do.

BTW, I have fond memories of my Word Over the World Ambassador year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a year unlike any other. But then again, many a year is like that.

[*Soulfeet presents approximately one year of my personal journal transcripts from 1982 and 1983 while I was in-residence with the 13th Way Corps, the leadership training program of The Way International.]

Click here to read the comment with context on soulfeet.
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Submitted on 2011/06/11 at 5:27 pm
by Jimbo

Dear [...] Carol,

[...]
We met when you were a W.O.W. in Milwaukee WI.

My smile turned upside down from some things but it was evasive to confront. The pressure to get a class together brought out the worst in some people. That was not the intent but it happened. Exponential growth required more twig coordinators; more leaders who were not sufficiently seasoned for the task. The drive for recognition was never part of the program but it was because many had inflated egos that were not rooted and grounded in love. People at varying degrees of participation were motivated out of their own lusts; the four things Christ was tempted with. The ministry changed and a culture of legalism fell right into place. Tares sprung up and choked out the good seed. SNS teachings became pre-approved, edited and are read. The spirit is quenched. The gift ministries were polluted and compromised.

On two occasions I remember Dr. saying out loud that he wanted to throw a match on the whole thing (TWI), but all he knew to do was to keep teaching. That is all he was instructed to do. He also warned that TWI could become the cruelest of religions if it became legalistic. What was the ‘open door’ for legalism? The transition of ABS into a measure of performance: WORKS; one’s effectiveness was measured in works and statistics. Commitment was questioned indirectly and directly, so unbelief issued in lackluster performance by the novices in leadership positions who had no business lording over people. A competitive atmosphere was developing among leadership and it was a byproduct of unbelief. WTF, over.

Giving is a good principle but legalism made it sin. The Tithe was never about money and it was unacceptable to compare abundant sharing to the Tithe; we were not bound by the Law or anything addressed to the Jews – so why did we live like we were Jews bound by laws and traditions? Remember when Dr. put his foot down on the car washes and ‘bake sales’ to raise money for the WOW auditorium? He sure did because it was wrong. Craig stopped ‘love offerings and gifts’ in ’97 and boy did that cause a stir. ABS either worked where all trusted God or it did not. Howard threw a few pitches out there for the first million dollar ABS in the 80’s and that was wrong; talk to God Howard. What is left of the ministry is gliding on a big fat savings account as properties are liquidated. Let it rot with them, they went the way of Balaam.

As a W.O.W. I was to turn over my earnings to a family fund. Pure financial abuse and not from International. I did it because I thought it was right and was given $40.00 at the ROA to believe God to get to my job, home and things, 2,300 miles away by my WOW Corps Branch leader… what a phony. Her biggest desire was to be on staff at International and be close in to the good people and marry some MOG stud. My earnings paid for Corps sponsorship and debts but not my own. I financed not one but several such fantasies that year. The tares were very imbedded and I have no fellowship with them anymore. It is okay to walk away. I found Dr.’s SNS teachings online and they are as good as ever.

The Corps in the field promoted the idea ‘gifts’ to leadership. One Twig coordinator’s wife wanted to take a special love offering for a limb leader and knew what the person desired: Crystal candlestick holders.
What was screwed up is the lack of ‘love cash offerings’ so this suck-up could pay for the things she bought and would present. It was all her idea and glory. These bribes blinded the recipients to the point that they saw no harm in the act. The people were to observe and respect leadership in a traditional way so they would be as coordinators, worthy of the same. The desire to be close to leadership was not founded in love but in the need for recognition and works. Cash gifts to visiting clergy were nothing less than bribes and basically said that ABS did not work. The last Twig coordinator I met with said of himself that he had a long suit to teach the bible while being an absolute failure to witness to a person. I asked him regarding the tithe and what part was kept by the first tithe’r recorded, he said 90%. Not in my book!

The desire for recognition is a love problem. If someone does not know God loves them to the point where they quit doing things for recognition, then they will do things for recognition and worship. TWI was corrupted by novices who acted within the framework to abuse truth with lies. I was once asked by a man for advice who was going to marry a woman he was not approved to marry by the Limb coordinators. He was destined for greater things and perhaps a notch in the belt of leadership looking to find quotas – he was an effective teacher and adept in God’s Word. The condemnation ruined the marriage internally in time. The ‘man of God’ who declared it wrong, sowed the seeds of condemnation that ‘God did not approve’. That is religion and the couple could not believe otherwise. The wedge that split them was the beginnings of denominational cultural error. Nothing like finding a soul mate and being told it is sin -and it happened often. Tampering with people’s lives was not part of the plan, it became that way because of legalism. Teachings to counter legalism fell on deaf ears so one must distinguish between the teachings that were just and the culture that was unjust. Religion is what men do to men in the name of God. The adversary found a foothold and took advantage of a good thing. You would be surprised at the reverence one clergy showed me because I met a certain man. How disgusting that reverence was and this man had his house filled with all kinds of gifts in the image of lighthouses.

It seems people were very sly in handling God’s Word. What TWI was and became are two different things. Dr. knew from the beginning that large numbers would compound problems and without sterling leadership in the field, all was subject to legalism and corruption. He did what he knew best and taught truth versus tradition, to hell with the world and the ministry and the tares.

The fellowships are dead from legalism and forbidding the teaching of any unapproved material just like a denomination holds to. The truth does not abide there. The gift ministries are presumptuous and are blinded by legalism and bribes. Just remember the good and smile, we are not long for this world.

Keep the hope and live like it will happen because it will.
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