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The Way International

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The Way International
File:Way int picture.PNG
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 International has produced and promoted material dealing with Old Testament and New Testament languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic), biblical use of numbers, figures of speech, apparent contradictions within the Christian Bible, as well as astronomical and historical information. This group is non-trinitarian and believes that Jesus is the Son of God, but not God Himself.

The Way describes itself as a Christian biblical research, teaching and fellowship ministry that teaches others how to operate the "9 manifestations of holy spirit". Critics charge that the beliefs of the group are not consistent with orthodox Christian beliefs, and some accuse the group of being a cult.

History

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 a year as an ordained minister Wierwille tells the story that he was frustrated with a lack of results and was ready to "chuck it all". He claimed that God spoke to him audibly that fall and told 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 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. But 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 in December 1951. According to Wierwille an unexpected snowstorm that shut down the airports, trains and buses gave him the opportunity to meet 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 that the connecting airport was experiencing snow and that sleet was predicted for Tulsa the following week.

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 that he initially called "Receiving the Holy Spirit Today" and soon changed to "Power for Abundant Living", though it was similar to Leonard's class, including names of characters such as Maggie Muggins.

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). 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. 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 that their purpose was not to argue with him. 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.

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. 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

Growth continued into the late 80's in all 50 states and many other countries, especially in the European, South American and African continents. When Wierwille died in 1985, 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.

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 that was used previously.

Structure

Organization

The Way International's division of duties and geographical regions was originally 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". Finally, each "branch" consists of several household fellowships (which used to be called "twigs"). The term "leaf" was originally 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

Subsequent Presidents

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 Mitler (2005–present)
  • John Rupp (2005–present)

Secretary-treasurers

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. Martindale's "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

After completing the Advanced class, a follower may apply for enrollment in the Way Corps Leadership Program, a full-time work/study program structured to produce leaders for the organization. Before one can enter the program, however, the local leadership approves the applicant's entrance. Way Corps duties include providing leadership at all levels and carrying out decisions made by the root leadership of the Way International.

Candidate Year

As currently structured, those accepted into the program start with a "Candidate Year", where new Way Corps are instructed in the program requirements, work on getting their tuition together, recruit "spiritual partners" (who assist the candidate with finances), and work with local leadership in preparation for the second, or "Apprentice Year". Sometimes goals such as signing someone up for the foundational class or running a local fellowship are set. Ordinarily the candidate stays in his or her home area during this year.

Apprentice Year

During the "Apprentice Year" the Way Corps member assumes leadership responsibilities, often as a team leader for a "Way Disciples" group or on staff at one of the "root" locations.

"In-Residence" Training

During the third and fourth years the students are "in residence" at Camp Gunnison, Colorado for their training. Originally all training was at Way International Headquarters, and later at "The Way College of Emporia" in Emporia, Kansas. Eventually the Family Corps was trained at a Way property in Rome City, Indiana. (The Rome City and Emporia properties were sold in the early 90's). Upon completion of the four year course, they 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".

Past Way Corps Structure

Originally the Way Corps was a 2-year "in-residence" training program; 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 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 which was virtually the same as the current "candidate" year.

For the first 20 plus years of the program the Way Corps graduating classes were referred to by number, i.e. "First Corps" referred to the first group that completed the training in 1972, The "Second Corps", the second group, etc. Beginning in the late 90's the Corps graduates were officially referred to by their year of graduation, but unofficially the old terminology persisted.

At the time that the Fifth Corps began training in 1974, a program called "The Family Corps" was started, primarily for Corps candidates with minor children. Family Corps I began training with the Fifth Corps, Family Corps II 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.

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

Prior to the First Corps, which began training in 1970, Wierwille invited a group of Way followers to New Knoxville to begin Way Corps training. He disbanded the group for reasons that were never made public. In later years this group was referred to as "The Zero Corps".

At Rock of Ages 1995, the final ROA festival, Martindale, noting that 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 kicked out of this position.

Beliefs and practices

Nature of Jesus Christ

The Way teaches that Jesus Christ had no existence before his birth except in the mind (foreknowledge) of God. That though Jesus was a perfect sinless man, he was only a man, not God.

Wierwille asserted that God and Jesus Christ are separate, independently-thinking entities who are literally father and son. He 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.

Four Crucified with Christ

The Way teaches that Jesus was raised on Saturday and that 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.

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 that 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 that the resurrections of the just and the unjust, as well as the gathering of the Church to Christ, are still future events.

Eternal Life Cannot Be Lost

The Way also teaches that 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" 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 that this verse says that once a person is born-again they can never lose eternal life. They assert that 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 that there are five "gift ministries", or abilities of service, that 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 that 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 that 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 that are written to us in this "administration" and other parts that are not, but are "for our learning".

Five Sonship Rights

The Way teaches that 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.

Paul's Thorn in the Flesh

The Way maintains that 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 that the thorn in the flesh was not an illness. Due to the term 'Thorn' having been used previously in the Old Testament to describe men doing evil.

Cry of Triumph

The Way teaches that 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 that this phrase is better translated, "My God, my God, for this reason I was preserved!". Wierwille based this teaching on George Lamsa's translation from the Peshitta Aramaic text. The Aramaic Interlinear and Concordance published by The Way's American Christian Press (after Wierwille's death) gives: "My God, my God, why hast thou spared me?" Wierwille pointed out 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 that it 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 that "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 that the "becoming without form and void" was related to the "face of the deep" being frozen. He taught that the fall of 1/3 of the angels with Lucifer was physically to "the face of the deep" and that their absence of light froze it. This was so catastrophic that all light in universe was extinguished and all life wiped out until God commanded "Let there be light".

Martindale's view was that 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 that the literal original sin of mankind was sexual. He reasoned that 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. 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 doctrine, concluding that many words in Genesis 3:6 had sexual connotations, and that (according to him) if 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.

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 that 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 that where being taken by the follower to ensure that the "error" was corrected and that they were back "on the Word". Abundant sharing was also required during this period.

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, and 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 where he taught that the original sin of mankind was Eve having lesbian sex with the Devil, who appeared in the form of a woman.

Pictures of The Way International

Pictures:

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:

(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.

Besides the fact that many in the group live on a commune (a red flag in regard to cults), 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 who 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.

See also

External links

Links to web sites of ex-members (ex-followers):


Links to websites of current members (followers):

  1. ^ GreaseSpot Cafe Way Corps Notes
  2. ^ William, Laney (2000-11-07). "The Way International reaches settlement with couple". Wapakoneta Daily News. Retrieved 2006-06-02.
  3. ^ a b Mary, Hargrove (1995-10-15). "The Way: After a family breaks up, questions arise about the group". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 2006-07-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Melton, J. Gordon (1996). The Encyclopedia of American Religions (5th edition ed.). Detroit: Michigan: Gale Research. ISBN 0-8103-7714-4. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help), as cited at http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/wayintl.html .
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