The Forbidden Truth About The Way International

flibbidygibbit

That wing of my family joined nearly 30 years ago. I went to a couple fellowship meetings shortly after they took the “foundational class” and wouldn’t shut up about it.

I’ve even attended a wedding at HQ.
I can share what I remember.
(This dates to the early 1990s.)
Way followers say the first commandment is the most important: no false Idols before God.
Except they pretty much worship the bible.
Wait, it’s “The Word of God” and then some other follower will utter “The Word of God is the Will of God” like some sheep bleating “four legs good”.
I was told by a leader that having an understanding of the Word as it is supposed to be understood helps you form opinions.
Yeah… Um would you look at the time? Gotta run!

The Way used to mail cassette tapes of the Sunday service to those “in good standing”. If you weren’t in good standing, you didn’t get tapes of the way singers or of “reverend” Martindale.
Pretty sure “in good standing” meant you “tithed” over a certain amount each month.
Anyways, one summer afternoon on a car ride to grandma’s with a Way following family member: the tape deck had one of these Sunday service tapes start playing when they started the car. Boy howdy that was a near-full.
It’s one thing to simply not condone homosexuality because it’s a sin against God.
It’s another thing entirely when the leader of a “Biblical Research and Fellowship Ministry” delivers a fire and brimstone sermon threatening to chain gays to the back bumper of an RV and go for a little drive.
All because of “homosexual devil spirit possession” will not be welcome at their festival.
I tried explaining to the family member that “reverend” Martindale just advocated for mass murder. I’m pretty sure that “The Word” has quite a bit to say about murder.
“Oh, he’s just trying to make a point”
I told them never to bring up The Way in my presence again.
I wish I could help you more.
Again, I am sorry to hear of your loss.

BarksnMeows

I know this is a bit long, but I hope it gives you some insight into what it’s like to be inside this group.
I was raised “in the word” as they say, meaning I was a born into the cult. After Dr. Weirwill died and leadership was given to Craig Martindale, TWI essentially split into those who followed Craig and stayed in TWI’s proper organization, and those who moved into splinter groups. The splinter groups made a lot ofsense because fellowships (church) was held in people’s homes anyway, so they continued to hold them and they all have their own little names like “Harbor Light Fellowship” or “Living Word Fellowship” however they still are Weirwill purists and teach his ideas.
I think it may be important for you to identify whether she was in TWI proper or a splinter group. They are both prevalent in Ohio. I did look your friend up on facebook and we have friends in common from the cult (I should probably just start a new FB to rid myself of them), which would lead me to believe it’s a splinter group since the two don’t typically mix.

My family transitioned to a splinter group in the mid 90s, and later when I was a teenager I moved into a “WayHome” which is like a group home for the cult. This is where I experienced most of the abuse. They justify ANY abuse by saying it was reproof and you needed it. The manipulation tactics come from many angles. Mostly shame, guilt, separation from anyone but the group, brainwashing. For example we had fellowship in our home 3 days per week and if I were to miss one I might be interrogated about where I was, or told that I’m unequally yoked with “worldly” people, which is how they describe anyone outside the cult. At first I was told how loved and adored I was but quickly that facade died and it was clear I was not loved. I was isolated from my family physically because they didn’t live close, and during private conversations about leadership I was told that my family didn’t love me and that they could understand why because I was so horrible, but at least I had them. My eating habits were monitored and I would get made fun of by leadership for things i liked or how much I ate. We were required to eat every dinner together or we would be reprimanded in front of the whole house (about 10 people). Household Prayer would be around 6am or earlier sometimes, which you couldn’t miss or again you would be reprimanded. Eventually, all you have is them and all you know is that they love you and that’s why they’re abusing you, because they’ve convinced you you’re terrible and you deserve the abuse because it’s helping you get closer in your relationship with God.

Brainwashing is in part convincing you that the world is evil and filled with devil spirits that are every where and you must be vigilant, and part CONSTANT information about the bible. The foundational class is 36 hours I believe and I can’t tell you how many times I took it. 4-5 maybe? There is also an intermediate and advanced classes. Then there are all the other classes about specific topics. There are people who spend 7 nights a week at fellowship or taking classes or teaching. It begins to be the only thing you can do and the only people you can see. Many people did not believe in medical care. My splinter group was one of them. They believed that God heals and if you believe enough he can heal anything. Also there are no mental health issues, only devil spirits influencing or possessing your mind. So obviously if you’re feeling depressed or suicidal you CANNOT tell ANYONE or you will likely be told you’re possessed and have to have it cast out of you, at which point you have to pretend to be healed or else it means you’re a bad believer and it’s your fault you harbor spirits.
Personally I was depressed and suicidal most of the 5 years I lived there and for years after until I was able to seek help. And to answer your question, yes, people do commit suicide after being in the cult.

At one point I got sick with an infectious disease that typically kills you within 48 hours. I was left on the bathroom floor for a week because “there’s nothing we can do if you’re not believing God to heal you. “Eventually someone outside the house stepped in because they knew what was wrong and got me to the hospital. When I was in the hospital, leadership came to see me only twice and forbid anyone else from seeing
me. I was berated, told I did this to myself because I didn’t have my head in the word enough and allowed devil spirits in. I’d recently read a secular book and they also blamed that. When I arrived back home my entire bedroom and all my belongings had been searched for anything ungodly. This practice was common back in the 70s-80s as well as taking people’s medications away so they could “prove God.” A number of people died. I was forced to eat food I’m allergic to in order to prove God healed me. I once broke a bone and had to secretly crawl to my car to go to the hospital. Any time I needed to see a doctor (I’ve had chronic health issues) I had to do it in secret and lie about where I was going, and have the bills sent to fake addresses so no one would find out.

I think some of the main differences between the 80’s and now is the infrastructure. TWI’s was (and still is in a smaller capacity) an actual institution with employees, an unaccredited college, and evangelist programs that relocate people and had actual methods for indoctrination. I can’t speak much on what the formal organization is doing now but the splinter groups just don’t have the financial or organizational power as they did before they split off.
I want to be clear that if you think something nefarious has happened here, go with your gut. These people are capable of anything. In my research since leaving in 2013 I have found a number of people who reported that their loved ones died in the way dating back to the 70s.
The Cults podcast on Stitcher has a 2-part special on The Way and River Road Fellowship, which was one of the splinter groups. The leader was arrested recently as he had convinced the fellowship members to give him their eldest daughters which he physically and sexually abused for 9+ years until one girl escaped.

Swiftest_of_Lizards

My Mom got heavily involved in the ministry straight out the gates – going WOW (their outreach program)shortly after taking the PFAL class in the early 80s and then we went Family Corp right after that. The Corp is their leadership training program where you live on campus and attend their unaccredited “college.” The Corp program was insane and I could write a huge thread just about that experience. It was heavy-duty indoctrination using known “brainwashing” techniques like sleep deprivation and intense manual labor mixed with a hippy commune mentality and a healthy dose of college hijinks thrown in. And because we were Family Corp, children were added into the mix as well. Needless to say, growing up in a large communal living situation for 2 years of my childhood had unique benefits and DEFINITE drawbacks. Groups like the Way Ministry where you are expected to have instant familiarity with and trust for other members (who are practically strangers) by virtue of you all being “like-minded” is an environment absolutely rife for abuse.
I think others have covered the most common manipulation tactics the group used. If you have done your reading about cults, then you are probably familiar with Dr. Steve Hassan’s BITE model. The Way International fits the criteria outlined to a T. One thing I didn’t see mentioned much in the thread is how incredibly patriarchal and misogynistic the Ministry was, and I am sure that has not changed. The group’s misogyny was deeply ingrained while also being subtle at times. Because they had women on the Board of Directors and allowed women to lead fellowships, they could espouse their views as progressive. But in reality, women in theWay were valued primarily for sex and as caretakers.
To address your questions about suicides directly – yes there have been suicides in the past as well as other deaths. There was a Corp program called LEAD where participants had to hitchhike from Indiana/Ohio to New Mexico in a short period of time with very little money (less than $20 if I remember correctly) to go mountain climbing. There were people who were sexually assaulted while hitchhiking and injured due to accidents. This video covers some of the deaths and suicides of former members.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2dshceGGvY&ab_channel=TheEyewitnesses

Despite a pattern of members losing their lives to the insanity of this group, proving negligence/culpability in Court regarding a suicide is very, very difficult. Unless you have endless funds to fight in Court for an extended period of time, I fear that battle would only add to the pain you have already experienced. I would lovingly suggest that your time might be more effectively spent honoring your friend’s memory by educating others about the harm that cults cause and working with a counselor to process the grief of losing your friend twice – first to a cult and then to suicide.
Edited to add: Would anyone be interested in an ex-Way subreddit? There hasn’t been a good gathering place for survivors since the Greasespot Cafe and I think there is a need for one.
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Runningdude618
•
2 yr. ago
Also for

nachomanly
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2 yr. ago
I am sorry for your loss. I am also former TWI. Maybe it will help to read what I experienced.
My story might be pretty different compared to those of you who grew up in the 80’s/90’s. I was born in Sidney, Ohio in 2001 and lived at the Way Headquarters in New Knoxville. My parents met in the Way in the late 80s through the WOW program. Strangely, that means that TWI is responsible for my birth.
My home life was very turbulent because of TWI. My sister, mom and I put up with constant abuse from our dad, who was a fellowship coordinator after we moved to Arizona in about 2008.
After I had a fight in elementary school, TWI advised him to beat me into submission. He would beat me for nearly any infraction. The most ridiculous instance was when he beat me for clinking my fork too loudly in my plate at the dinner table. My father also advised the members of our fellowship to beat their children.
I’m still dealing with a lot of the trauma. I dealt with it as a kid by pretending not to notice the issues in my family and in the cult. That made it harder for me to get a centered view on my life. It helps me after hearing some of your stories. I am glad I am not the only one who dealt with growing up in TWI.