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The Way International

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The Way International

Founded:	1942
Headquarters:	New Knoxville, Ohio
Board of Directors:	President: Rosalie F. Rivenbark
	Vice President: Vince McFadden
	Vice President: Roger Mittler
	Vice President: John Rupp
	Secretary-Treasurer: Jean-Yves De Lisle
Religion:	Christian (non-denominational)
Website:	http://www.theway.org

The Way International is a religious organization founded by Victor Paul Wierwille. It claims a founding date of 1942, the year Wierwille began his Vesper Chimes radio program, a.k.a. the Chimes Hour Youth Caravan. The Way describes itself as a Christian biblical research, teaching and fellowship ministry that teaches others how to understand the Bible and operate the "9 manifestations of holy spirit". Critics accuse the group of being a cult; some point out inconsistencies between The Way's doctrines and orthodox Christianity. This group is non-trinitarian and believes Jesus Christ is the savior and the Son of God, but not God Himself.

1 History
2 Structure
3 The Way Corps
4 TWI Beliefs and Doctrines
5 TWI Practices
6 Splinter groups
7 Criticism and Cult Allegations
- 7.1 Plagiarism Charges
8 See also
9 External links

History

Way International founder Victor Paul Wierwille was ordained by the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1941 and took his first assignment in Payne, Ohio. The Way counts its origin from 1942, with the first broadcast of the Vesper Chimes radio show. The radio ministry was incorporated in 1947 as "The Chimes Hour Youth Caravan"; Wierwille changed the name to "The Way, Inc." in October 1955. Victor Paul Wierwille remained president until 1982, when he chose L. Craig Martindale as his replacement. In 1942, after only a year as an ordained minister, Wierwille tells the story that 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 and told him 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. There is, however, no official meteorological record of snow falling on this day. Wierwille, in his Power for Abundant Living class said that at one time he dragged over 3000 volumes of theological works to the city dump, and from that point on, used the Bible as his only textbook.

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 learning how to speak in tongues during a "Full Gospel" rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, December, 1951. According to Wierwille, an unexpected snowstorm shut which down the airports, trains and buses gave him the opportunity to meet J.E. Stiles, the man who would lead him into speaking in tongues. Meteorological records show no snow of any note during this time period. Wierwille's wife, Dorothea, gives a different account of this alleged snowstorm in Born Again to Serve, writing the connecting airport was experiencing snow and sleet was predicted for Tulsa the following week. 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 travelled to Calgary, Alberta to take B.G. Leonard's "Gifts of the Spirit" class. Almost immediately upon his return, in October of 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 (according to "The Way: Living in Love", during the teaching of Wierwille's first live class, graduates of Leonard's class were considered "grads") to a vehicle for Wierwille's own mix of ideas and theology. Wierwille initially taught this class live, travelling to areas where there was interest in it, rarely allowing others to teach the class in his place. In 1967, the Foundational/Intermediate class was filmed (the one-hour section on Interpretation of Tongues & Prophesy was later expanded into a full Intermediate class and filmed in the early 70's). 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 70's.

Beginnings of The Way

Although The Way International considers its founding to be in October 1942, it began independent operations in 1957, when Wierwille left the Evangelical and Reformed Church. His departure from his church followed a trip to India and the Middle East where he was critical of his denomination's mission policies. Wierwille 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 The Way's property after he moved back to his family's farm in 1961. 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 Wierwille 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 from Wierwille explaining his reasons for this action is reproduced in Born Again to Serve. 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.

Membership Growth

The Way's membership grew in the late 60's and early 70's. The beginning of this growth was 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 Karl Kahler in The Cult That Snapped, 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" program was begun in order to facilitate recruitment. Volunteers signed up for one year and were assigned to a specific city to recruit people to TWI. Word Over the World (WOW) Ambassadors were required to find their own part-time work and "witness" 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 2 - 7 "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. The program was discontinued in 1995 and replaced a year later by the "Way Disciples Outreach Program". Growth continued into the late 80's in all 50 states and many other countries, especially in the European, South American and African continents. WOW festivals, modelled 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).

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 cancelled. 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 (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 ^[1].

Wierwille's Death

After Wierwille died on May 20 1985 of liver cancer and cancer of the eye a period of disagreement between organization leaders and followers as well as a general decline in numbers developed and seemingly lasted until the early 1990s. (See section below on "Splinter Groups")

L. Craig Martindale

L. Craig Martindale was the president of The Way International from 1982 - 2000. He joined The Way in 1971. He served as head of the Way Corps training program from 1977 to 2000 (retaining the position through his presidency) and had many articles published in The Way Magazine. He taught most Sunday Teaching Services during his presidency. He also wrote a book titled The Rise and Expansion of the Christian Church in the First Century. In 2000, Martindale's term as president was ended following allegations of sexual misconduct^[2] and Rev. Rosalie F. Rivenbark replaced him. A minor change in the structure of the Board of Directors leadership body was introduced in October, 2005 at The Way's anniversary weekend. The new structure included three vice presidents instead of the single vice president used previously.

Historical Summary

1941 - Victor Paul Wierwille ordained as a minister in the Evangelical & Reformed Church & assigned to a church in Payne, Ohio
Fall 1942 - Wierwille claims to have heard audibly from God that God would teach him "The Word" as it hadn't been taught since the First Century if he would teach it to others
October 1942 - Wierwille begins his radio program
1947 - Radio ministry incorporated as "Chimes Hour Youth Caravan"
December 1951 - Wierwille attends "Full Gospel" rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma and speaks in tongues for the first time
1953 - Wierwille attends B.G. Leonard's "Gifts of the Spirit" class in Clagary, Alberta
October 1953 - Wierwille teaches a class that he calls "Receiving the Holy Spirit Today" (changed shortly thereafter to "Power for Abundant Living")
1955 - "Chimes Hour Youth Caravan" reincorporated as "The Way, Inc."
1957 - Wierwille and family tour India and the Middle East
1957 - Wierwille leaves Evangelical & Reformed Church
1957-1967 - Wierwille teaches PFAL classes in various venues across the country, hosts fellowships in his home and writes pamphlets
1961 - Headquarters of "The Way" moves to Wierwille's family farm which he and his brothers had deeded to "The Way" several years previously
1967 - PFAL filmed
January 1968 - Wierwille meets with "hippies" in San Francisco
Summer 1968 - Wierwille runs "summer school" for people he met in California
Summer 1969 - failed attempt at a Way Corps ("Zero Corps")
Summer 1970 - First Way Corps begins
August 1971 - First Rock of Ages, first group of WOW Ambassadors
June 1977 - PFAL 77 Released but never distributed
October 1982 - Wierwille retires as President, L. Craig Martindale takes over
May 1985 - Wierwille dies
1986 - Chris Geer presents "The Passing of a Patriarch"
1986 - 1989 - "Exodus" of leaders and followers, founding of first "splinter groups".
1994 - WOW Ambassador program ended
1995 - New class series, The Way of Abundance and Power filmed, Rock of Ages ended, Way Disciple program begins
2000 - Martindale resigns amid allegations of sexual impropriety, Rosalie F. Rivenbark takes over as president.

Structure

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, Ohio and the Way Corps training location in Gunnison, Colorado are considered "root" locations. Each country in which The Way International operates is called a "trunk". Each state in the United States is called a "limb" and each "limb" can contain a number of subdivisions called "branches". Several limbs are grouped into "regions". Finally, each "branch" consists 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 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 phrase "follower of The Way" appeared in brochures printed by the organization through most of the 1980s.) 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, no attendance commitment. However, The Way discourages continuing in meetings or taking their classes if no on-going commitment has been evidenced.

Trustees and Directors

Founder and first President

Victor Paul Wierwille (1942–1982)

Subsequent Presidents

L. Craig Martindale (1982–2000)
Rosalie F. Rivenbark (2000–present)

Vice Presidents

Ermal L. Owens (??–1977)
Donald Wierwille (1977–1997)
Rosalie F. Rivenbark (1997–2001)
Harve J. Platig (2001–2005)
Vince McFadden (2005–present)
Roger Mittler (2005–present)
John Rupp (2005–present)

Secretary-treasurers

Harry Ernst Wierwille (??–1977)
Howard R. Allen (1977–1997)
John R. Reynolds (1997–2002)
Jean-Yves De Lisle (2002–present), previously translator and Outreach coordinator

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 when there is sufficient demand, but the Advanced Class is taught at the Way Headquarters every summer. To reach 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 re-worked and re-filmed, and the resulting class (with the same name) was released in March, 2006.

The Way Corps

In 1970 Wierwille formalized his selection and training of leaders by starting "The Way Corps" in 1970. 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 to form what he called "The Way Corps". 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 privelege to leave". In later years, this group was referred to as "The Zero Corps". (Groups who trained and graduated from the program together were initially 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 1-year assignment before completing training (the Family Corps, a Way Corps prgram 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 works on staff at headquarters or as a Way Disciple. The final two years are spent training at The Way's Gunnison Colorado facility.

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.

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 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 committment to serve in The Way Corps and accept assignments whereever 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.

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 clearly spelled out. 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 mere fellowship coordinators, or without official responsibility whatsoever.

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.

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.

TWI Beliefs and Doctrines

This is not an exhaustive list, but contains many of the beliefs and doctrines that set TWI doctrine apart from mainstream Christianity

The Bible, the Word of God

The Way believes the Bible is the written Word and revealed will of God.

Nature of Jesus Christ

The Way teaches that Jesus Christ had no existence before his birth except in the mind (foreknowledge) of God. Although Jesus was a perfect sinless man, he was only a man, 'the second Adam', not God. This is similar to the ancient heresy of Arianism in that it denies the Trinity and rejects the Deity of Jesus Christ, as the modern day Jehovahs Witnesses do, however it is unique in its denial of the Pre-existence of Jesus Christ before the Incarnation, which the Jehovahs Witnesses affirm. Wierwille asserted that God and Jesus Christ are separate, independently-thinking entities who are literally father and son. But he also holds that Jesus Christ did not exist until God created sperm which fertilized an ovum in Mary's womb; he did not have any consciousness until she gave birth to him.

Holy Spirit vs. holy spirit

Regarding the Holy Spirit, Wierwille taught that there is a distinction between "The Holy Spirit" and "holy spirit". The former refers directly to God the Father (hence his argument for capitalization of those sections), while the latter refers to the gift from God (a.k.a. "the gift of holy spirit"). In his book Receiving the Holy Spirit Today he discussed his view of the lack of care given when English translators chose which phrases to capitalize and which to not.

Manifestations of Holy Spirit (including Speaking in Tongues)

The Way teaches that there are nine "manifestations of holy spirit" (not "gifts" as other denominations describe them) and that every Christian has the inherent ability to operate all nine. They derive the list of "manifestations" from 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 King James Version. The Way maintains that speaking in tongues energizes and enables the "effectual operation" of the other 8 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". According to The Way, speaking in tongues can only be interpreted in a meeting where other believers are present and can never be interpreted in a believer's private prayer life. Numerous benefits that TWI claims derive from speaking in tongues are taught. TWI holds some beliefs about "receiving the holy spirit" that are similar in many ways to the Classical Pentecostal belief in the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit", in that they teach that the "initial evidence" of receiving "the gift of the holy spirit" is Speaking in Tongues (often abbreviated as "SIT"). Speaking in Tongues is seen as one of the primary ways in which members of the Way express and grow in their spirituality.

Four Crucified with Christ

The Way teaches, Jesus was raised on Saturday and there were four people crucified with him, not two. Wierwille points out different Greek words were used for those crucified with Jesus in the different gospel accounts, as well as discrepancies in timing, statements, and actions of the characters in the narrative.

The Cross

The Way also teaches and insists that the "Cross" upon which Jesus was crucified was not the traditional "T-Shaped" Cross, but rather a "stake" or "tree". This is emphasized as one among many "corrections" of traditional Christianity where The Way believes itself to be better informed than the rest of Christianity. However, archaeological evidence and historical records indicate that Roman executions by crucifixion were frequently done by using a cross beam fastened to a vertical pole, supporting the traditional image of the cross as being "T-Shaped".

Death & Resurrection

Only those born-again (i.e., believers who lived after Pentecost), will be gathered together with Jesus Christ upon his return in the sky. Everyone who died before the day of Pentecost (including the men and women of the Old Testament), everyone who has lived after Pentecost and are not born-again, and those who live in the tribulation period will be raised in the "Resurrection of the Just" or the "Resurrection of the Unjust". Until that time the dead are not conscious or in any way "alive" until the resurrections or "gathering together". Regarding Luke 23:43 ...And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise." The Way teaches it is more accurately translated, "Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise" (note the placement of the comma). They point out, the resurrections of the just and the unjust, as well as the gathering of the Church to Christ, are still future events.

Baptism

The Way International insists that water baptism was never intended as a continuing practice in the Church after Pentecost. They believe that water baptism belongs only to the "Gospel Age" from John the Baptist's ministry until the day of Pentecost. The belief is that water baptism was meant as a symbol only, a sign of the coming promise of the gift of the holy spirit, which was fulfilled at Pentecost. Therefore, the only "baptism" that is for us today is "the Baptism of the holy spirit", and since the reality of the promise of the spirit has already been fulfilled, the symbol of water baptism is no longer needed.

Eternal Life Cannot Be Lost

The Way also teaches, once a person is saved, he cannot lose the spirit through any sinful acts since it is eternal life. A principle called "renewing your mind" (from Rom 12:2) is taught as a way for a person to discipline his thoughts and actions in alignment with the Bible. To illustrate this The Way refers to the "adoption of children" spoken of in Ephesians 1:5 which they teach is a reference to a Roman law stating that biological children could have their inheritance revoked, but adopted children could not (see : Adoption in Ephesians and Galatians, Ref. #30). Their fathers could never (and most would never) take their inheritance away (because of the sacrifice, cost, and love invested in making them legally their own). They maintain this verse says, once a person is born-again they can never lose eternal life. They assert rewards can be lost, but not eternal life.

Tithing

The Way teaches tithing (giving 10% of one's income) as a minimum requirement of giving. Additional giving is called "abundant sharing". An additional term, "plurality giving", was coined to refer to calculating the amount of money you need 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.

Five Gift Ministries

The Way teaches there are five "gift ministries", or abilities of service, Jesus Christ gave to the Church. They derive their list of "ministries" (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) from Ephesians 4:11, although the exact term "gift ministries" is not found in the bible. The Way holds these five "abilities of service" are inherent capabilities in every believer, and are gifts from God to the church.

The Seven Administrations

The Way teaches 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, there are parts of the Bible which are written to us in this "administration" and other parts which are not, but are "for our learning".

Five Sonship Rights

The Way teaches, 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. While all of these terms can be found in the Bible, nowhere can all five be found together, nor are they called anywhere called "rights".

Paul's Thorn in the Flesh

The Way maintains the "thorn in the flesh" referred to in 2 Corinthians 12:7: (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.

... refers to an individual sent by Satan to disrupt his ministry. They assert the thorn in the flesh was not an illness.

Cry of Triumph

The Way teaches 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?"

They maintain this phrase is better translated, "My God, my God, for this reason I was preserved!". Wierwille based this teaching largely on his familiarity with George Lamsa's translation from the Peshitta Aramaic text, but the Aramaic Interlinear and Concordance published by The Way's American Christian Press (after Wierwille's death) gives a different translation: "My God, my God, why hast thou spared me?" This disagreement is especially peculiar, since Wierwille stated that Aramaic does not have a word "lama", but only "lemana", and that "lemana" would only be used in an exclamation, in a "cry of triumph", and would not be used in a question.

Without Form and Void

Wierwille taught that 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". Joseph Rotherham's Emphasized Bible also holds this view. As well, Strong's concordance notes, "hayah" means "to become" or "to come to pass". 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. He taught 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 universe was extinguished and all life wiped out until God commanded "Let there be light". Martindale's view was, the universe was surrounded by a salt-water solution. He based this on: Job 38:8 Or [who] shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb? and Job 38:29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

The Original Sin of Mankind

Regarding Genesis 3:6ff... Wierwille, in his class "Christian Family and Sex", taught the literal original sin of mankind was masturbation. He 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. He supported his view with the statement "they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" in Genesis 3:7. Martindale, in the Foundational Class on The Way of Abundance and Power, changed this Way doctrine, concluding virtually every word in Genesis 3:6 had a sexual connotation. Since (according to him) homosexuality was the lowest degradation of sexuality, 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.

TWI Practices

Lists some of TWI's more controversial practices

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, boldface added for emphasis)

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

This practice is reportedly used when, according to the judgement 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. Mark and Avoid was introduced by Martindale during his tenure. "Spiritual Probation" was an intermediate step introduced by Martindale where a follower was prohibited from contact with active followers for a set period, usually six months. When certain criteria where met, the follower was allowed back into full participation in Way activities. Generally, a letter to the state coordinator was required, outlining the steps to be taken by the follower to ensure the "error" was corrected and they were back "on the Word". Abundant sharing was also required during this period.

Oversight By Leaders

The Way teaches that their leaders are spritually responsible for the rank and file Way followers, and that these followers are in turn responsible to obey their leaders. The manner in which this belief was implemented varied. In general, adherance became stricter as time went on. In the mid-nineties, Way followers were expected to submit weekly schedules to their leaders, as well as reveal the details of their finances.

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 Way fellowships were encouraged to get or stay out of debt, sometimes selling homes to meet this standard.

The "Purge"

During the Rock of Ages festival in August 1994, President L. Craig Martindale convened closed meetings of first The Way Corps, then Advanced Class graduates, and also veterans of the W.O.W. Ambassador program. The subject was his belief that homosexuals, who Martindale categorized as "the lowest of the low", 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. He also sent a letter to Way Corps members covering the same subjects. The letter contained explicit language regarding the subject. The Way had always been against homosexuality, but in previous years, it would take being caught "in the act" for a follower to be "Marked and Avoided". Now, however, Martindale instituted what was called a "genuine spiritual suspicion" as grounds for investigating someone's sexual orientation. In addition to active homosexuals, Martindale targeted what he called "homo sympathizers" and "homo fantasizers". This was connected to Martindale's goal of ridding The Way of those who practiced "the three kinds of evil" [defined by The Way as: phaulos - unproductive evil, poneros - harassing evil, kakos - destructive or violent evil]. The following years saw many "confrontation sessions" convened to "smoke out", as Martindale termed it, those who were weak, evil, or not willing to "do The Word". "Mark & Avoid" and "Spiritual Probation" increased markedly. Martindale's view that homosexuality was the Devil's strategy for destroying The Way manifested itself in his Way of Abundance and Power class. This is where he taught the original sin of mankind was Eve having lesbian sex with the Devil, who appeared in the form of a woman.

Prevailing Word Auditorium

Splinter groups

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

[The American Fellowship Services]* (currently defunct)
Christian Biblical Council (renamed Living Hope in 2005)
Great Lakes Fellowship (currently defunct)
[Pacific West Fellowship]* (currently defunct)
Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formed as Christian Educational Services, formed as STFI in 2005)

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 the document, 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. Their 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, as titular leader of The Way, or Geer. 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, he 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 by Martindale. Large numbers of ex-Way followers formed the foundation of the splinter groups.

Criticism and Cult Allegations

There is no universally agreed upon definition of what constitutes a cult, some using the term to describe non-mainstream doctrines and others preferring to limit its use to groups that are alleged to practice abuse and mind-control; several websites, such as The Messiah Lutheran Church's site and ex-Way Grease Spot Cafe contain discussions and criticisms of Way doctrine and practices, including many first hand testimonies. The group has been alleged to use "love bombing"^[3] to control its initiates. These allegations initially occurred in the 1970's, but accusations and allegations about control of members continue to this day on various ex-Way websites. 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.^[4]^[3] 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.

Plagiarism Charges

John Juedes' Messiah Lutheran Church website Inside The Way International provides specific side-by-side comparisons of Wierwille's works with previously-published works by other authors, maintaining that this is evidence of plagiarism *[1]. The Way International bookstore sold books by one author that Wierwille is alleged to have plagiarized , E.W. Bullinger. Bullinger's book How to Enjoy the Bible covered much of the same doctrinal ground as Power for Abundant Living, but there appears to be no actual plagiarism involved. J.E. Stiles and B.G. Leonard, other authors whom Wierwille was said to have borrowed from, are mentioned by Wierwille in Way publications at various times, but their books were not available in The Way bookstore. 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.

External links

The Way International - Official website
Profile by Jeffrey K. Hadden
Greasespot Cafe - Site maintained by ex-followers. Copies of a number of primary source documents available on this site.
Inside The Way International John P. Juedes', a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor in California, database of letters and articles concerning The Way International
The Cult That Snapped - A Journey Into The Way International A history of The Way and an account of a former member's involvement from 1980 to 1987
Overview of TWI - Review of publications, teachings, and music of The Way International

Links to web sites of ex-members/ex-followers and offshoots of TWI: