Over the years at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) certain practices have come and gone. One practice that has developed and still continues, as far as I know, is the practice of standing outside of Jane’s door and waiting for a “minister” to come “deal with your sin”. Particularly before the Sunday evening service, folks would line up either by themselves or with someone who was “taking hold of them”. There, they would wait until they were approached or could snag the attention of someone in leadership. If they caught someone, then there would be the “opening of their heart” and “exposing their sin”. They would often get “help” in “seeing their sin the way God sees it”. If they found a “place of repentance” then they could proceed into the service- generally. If the person in leadership felt they needed to remain “set apart” and “in discipleship” (after checking with Jane or someone higher up in leadership…), the person being dealt with would be sent into the discipleship room and after the service they may meet again to “check them out” and hear “what God had shown them”.
This scenario could go many different directions. The “sin” could be over “big” things like a “bad attitude” or “not submitting to authority” or in many cases, over “smaller” infractions like not picking up your dishes after a meal, or not taking out the trash when you were told or not “pulling your weight in the household” or “checking out” during the morning service or not ironing your clothes at the right time or coming to church looking sloppy or wearing the wrong color shirt or wearing the wrong tie or wearing the wrong dress or reading headlines of newspapers, or rolling your eyes, or making some motion or expressing some notion that you maybe, kind of sorta, want to watch TV or read a magazine. You could be corrected for whistling, or humming or snoring, over-sleeping not wiping the shower out when you were done or being late for ANYTHING, not parking in the right space, not having your car tag up to date, going shopping at the wrong place, or at the wrong time or even being by yourself! Correction came to bring you back “under the protection of God” and in good graces with those around you- especially Jane Whaley. (select “Read …..” to continue……)
Why mention all this? For sure, when I use terms like WOFF-life, WOFFness or WOFF(anything else); some folks may wonder why I use those terms. It may irk some present WOFF members. I use it because WOFF-life invades EVERY AREA of EVERY FAITHFUL MEMBER of WOFF. (sorta) It seemed to me that some folks, who shall remain nameless, came off with less WOFFness than others. Many of these were very close to Jane in name and rank. But, that is neither here nor there. It was evident when I left, that I came through the whole experience with WOFF ways and WOFF thinking.
Certainly, being free from total WOFFness takes time. I still wear khakis to work and other places. I have shorts in my closet but have not worn them in public. Even to the gym, I wear old work khakis. Often I will wear a pocket t-shirt to the gym and do not go anywhere else but home, until I can change. I wear nice shirts other places out in public and rarely am seen outside of my home without brown shoes and a brown belt, especially going to work. I own two pair of jeans that were given to me. Sometimes, on Fridays, I wear jeans to work, but not every week.
At times, I catch myself thinking in WOFF-terms and certainly still “speak WOFF” from time to time. That has changed since first coming out of WOFF. Many phrases have been set aside just because I didn’t/don’t want to be a WOFFer with WOFF-think. I still find myself hugging folks from the side and doing certain things in my home that are vestiges of time at WOFF. I do not sing the songs Jane wrote or any other songs that were sung at WOFF, except some of the old hymns. I may never change completely.
One thing I have noticed that is changing for sure. Once I stopped carrying all the WOFF-rules and the WOFFness began to subside, it was easier not to judge others for not being WOFF compliant. It may have been just me, but the WOFF cult-ture had many rules and obvious “don’ts”. When a WOFFer was successful at avoiding the don’ts and keeping WOFF rules, they could (and I did…) easily slip into judgment against those who were not as WOFF-skilled in keeping WOFF rules. I was successful for many years in keeping in and living WOFFness. There came a certain pride in being able to stay out of trouble and on the right side of the road so to speak. Was that just in me? Did any other former WOFF members see that after they escaped WOFF-land; that being around “normal” folks felt normal again, after a time? When you stopped pressing WOFF rules on yourself, then it was easier not to press them on others around you.
Is it likely that there are any present members of WOFF who have slipped into “the judgment thing”? Should we ask those in the county who live around WOFF members? Could any present members of WOFF be so proud of their keeping WOFF rules that when they get around non-WOFF folks, they appear puffed up and arrogant? No, certainly not. I was the only one who had thoughts in my mind about how lost others were and how sad they must be to not live at WOFF. Well, maybe it was just me and the guy that preached from Jane’s podium every now and then. He would share his concern for others as he watched folks at the mall and how sad they looked. Many times the shopping trips he and his wife would take on Saturday were the seed bed of the sermon on Sunday. He would share about talking to the lost cashier or some other person. Maybe we would hear about the great deal he got on something at “God’s price”. Was that cool or what? He would try to sell WOFF members on how good life was at WOFF and how fortunate we all were to live in God’s will, with Jane and Sam. He didn’t have to sell me. I believed it for years. Okay, these ramblings were extra. Here are three posts that help explain life at WOFF.
“Your Shampoo Matters! – says Jane Whaley” here is the link – http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=432 From the post on March 13, 2010: “In a service, one of the main leadership was preaching and made a comment about his shampoo bottle having a “new age”; statement on the back. He “did not pay it any attention”. Suddenly, from the front row- Jane Whaley said, “Get rid of it.”
“Everyone Loves Jane and Jane Loves Everyone- Sorta” the link – http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=261 From the post on April 13, 2010: “The statement by Jane early on, was “Everyone loves Jane Whaley and Jane loves everyone. If they don’t (love Jane) then they are listening to devils.” (This is a must read..)
The Day the Protestors Were Beside the Road… the link – http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=1947 From the post of May 5, 2010- “The first Sunday, in which we encountered protesters while driving to the church, we came upon them and had not been warned. Quickly the children were told not to look and put their heads down.”
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(Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. ) Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 171.