A recent theme of certain posts has been “blind zeal”. We have discussed this as a requirement to live inside of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) for any length of time. We went over several aspects of this zeal and even why WOFF members don’t see it for what it really is- because it blinds those who live by it! See first post on this subject – “A Blinding Zeal” here- http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4118 .
When I first began to see WOFF members display this zeal, I viewed it with awe. This was when we first started coming to WOFF in 1992. I thought this “zeal” was something to be desired or coveted. After all, most members and certainly everyone in leadership in the Greenville church could hardly talk about anything else but – “What God was doing in Spindale!” It was not until we moved to Spindale, NC to live INSIDE the group that I realized how messed up the members were and that I had lived in a fantasy while in Greenville thinking that all WOFF members had it together spiritually. That was idolatry. That idolatry was exposed quickly as I began to live among the members of WOFF. It became clear that all WOFF members did not “walk in the high places with Jesus”. How was this made clear to me? Once I went inside WOFF, I saw how EVERYONE was corrected, rebuked and placed under Jane Whaley and the “holiness” she walked in. If you harbored any doubt about who was in charge at WOFF, that doubt did not live long. From the very first meeting, I could see who ran the show.
Today’s question concerning this required “blinding zeal”; have you noticed it in your life or the life of those around you. This question is posed to three groups. First, we will pose it to present members of WOFF. Second, we will pose it to former members. And lastly, we will ask outsiders when or if they have ever noticed the blind zeal which permeates WOFF-life? My theory from the years I spent under the teachings and dictates of Jane Whaley is this; it is not “if”, but when will you recognize this “blind zeal” in your life or the lives of those around you? Each group will need the question posed a little differently.
Before we move on, let’s give a few examples of what are not necessarily indications of a blind zeal. Just because you may be a part of a “non-denominational, Protestant church” as WOFF bills themselves, does not mean it requires blind zeal to be in that church. Attending church several times a week is NOT a guarantee that you have a blinding zeal in your life. Carrying your Bible to church or raising your hands during the singing of songs does not mean you are under a zeal that blinds you. Voting a certain way or abstaining from certain foods or certain forms of media by your own choice does not mean you are under a suffocating blanket of zeal. We will not discuss this zeal in light of certain beliefs, but we will measure it in terms of certain actions.
For present WOFF members- do you see, have you seen or do you think it is possible that you are under a zeal that is blinding you to certain actions you take? I must admit that while inside I could see short glimpses at times of things we did as WOFF members that others may consider over the top or unusual. However, it was all “reasoned away” or “justified” with some sort of Scriptural reference from Jane. Jane shaped and molded the reality we lived in and there was no denying that! Anything vaguely seen as abnormal that was a part of the WOFF-life was spun as “holy righteous living” and required for the life we lived inside the group. For members living inside a sub-culture such as WOFF and being “sheltered or protected” from outsiders and outside influences as we were; there was less and less ability to measure WOFF requirements against what would be considered normal or healthy. I did not know that at the time. That is part of the blinding effect of the zeal or requirement of strict adherence to WOFF rules; you have less and less and thus eventually nothing to measure your “new reality” against. This is how the blindness creeps into the lives of WOFF members. You lose the ability to make a judgment for yourself because you have very little to no outside contact with anything of substance. In some cases, you have little to no contact with anyone other than WOFF members. It is the totalistic environment that allows the zeal to have its blinding effect. So, if every WOFF member would deny they live in a blinding zeal, I would understand and say that only confirms that reality that they are steeped in it. Does that seem plausible?
As I look back, I remember defining moments in the lives of certain WOFF members and where they had to chose living under the blinding zeal of WOFF or quit the sham and leave. For instance, over the years Jane has put several members “out of the church” until they “find a place of submission and/or repentance”. Some, if not all leadership have had this requirement put on them at one time or the other. This can either “blow them out or lock them in” to Jane and her authority. This scenario has been a frequent power play for Jane and to submit to it can increase your perceived zeal for God, but, in reality, for many, it serves to increase the zeal for Jane. This was yet another aspect of the blindness of WOFF-life.
This past Monday, I was having dinner with friends. Some I had known for a while and there was a couple that I had never met before. Eventually, the subject of WOFF-life came up as one of the new couple had some contact with WOFF members. Several questions came up in the conversation when the subject of WOFF was introduced. One question was how could intelligent folks get caught up in a group like WOFF? The question is common, but, it also reflects a basic misunderstanding about people who join WOFF or groups like them. First, WOFF does not have a sign that says “We are a cult” on their door. In fact, I am told that Jane Whaley has screamed “We are NOT a cult” in church services within the last year. So, there you go. People join churches or groups because there are needs which the group meets. WOFF can provide new folks with many things. This provision can cloud your perception of the reality within the group. It has NOTHING to do with intelligence. Seeing the “zeal” others have and thinking you need that can also lead you to change your own behavior to match the behaviors of others- peer pressure. Add to that the fact that doubt and questionings are not discussed between regular members and you have a formula for anyone to get caught in a group like WOFF.
For former members, when did you first see the blind zeal in others? By that I mean who displayed the absolute worship of Jane and showed you in fact that their zeal was for Jane and not God? I saw it in KW and JC and thought it would make me puke. Let’s not forget CD, BC or GS. They all exhibit(ed) such obvious and shameless worship of Jane Whaley that it shook me and caused me to ask- is that what it takes to be in “leadership”? If so, then I will never make it to that level! My zeal for WOFF-life and Jane only went so far. That is obvious.
Former members: When did you first see it in yourself and did you like it or just put up with it until you could be free from it? I saw it in me when I showed little to no critical thinking or forethought before I accepted new WOFF-isms from Jane or other leadership. If I resisted in the least, those around me would “help me see things God’s way” and I eventually got tired of that. Most of the time, I would do my best to just avoid situations I disagreed with. It did not always work and thus I was “blessed” to be in the discipleship room. That was where your “submission” and “zeal” were supposed to be renewed! Right.
For former members, when did the reality settle in you that your marriage relationship and family relationships hinged on this “zeal” for Jane and WOFF? (if indeed it had progressed to that…) For me, I was awakened to that fact during April/May/June of 2008. As the shunning increased and the rebukes from family members increased, I began to see that the foundation of the family had shifted from what I thought was healthy to a very shaky, unhealthy reality of blind zeal for Jane/WOFF. When had that happened? While I was too busy working and trying to get through the day, the foundation and validation for the family ties had been replaced with allegiance to WOFF and more specifically in Jane’s directives. I can put no other term to it than an intense blind zeal for Jane’s words masquerading as zeal for God. The uncovering of that new reality was then and continues to be heartbreaking.
For the visitors and those who work around WOFF members, do you see this all consuming zeal? Do you see it as zeal for God or zeal for Jane? Do you believe that WOFF members know they are under it or has it blinded them to their reality? For relatives who have WOFF members inside, how have you dealt with the life-altering zeal required at WOFF? Do you understand how someone could be drawn in to this blindness that settles like a cloud over the WOFF faithful?
This characteristic of blind zeal inside of WOFF is covered, masked and hidden from outsiders, especially those who may hold public office or some position of influence. That is why many people give Jane and Sam a pass when it comes to calling them a religious cult. They never see the intense and at times violent loyalty to Jane Whaley and the life they have at WOFF. This blinding zeal and its resulting actions are often coveted as a badge of honor or a necessary trait in order to advance in the caste system of WOFF. My experience has been that as you get closer to the top of the cult pyramid structure, the zeal for Jane and the blindness increase. The question, “How much do you love God?” is superimposed over the real meaning and substance of the question- “How much do you love Jane?” – “What will you give up to live the life God (Jane) is requiring us to live?” That line of “reasoning” is used to lead WOFF members into vacating their personal freedoms, their money, their families, their friends, their occupations, their hopes and dreams- all in order to serve the vision Jane has of herself and who she needs to be in order to “please God”. What a mess.
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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 298.
“Just because you may be a part of a “non-denominational, Protestant church” as WOFF bills themselves, does not mean it requires blind zeal to be in that church.”
The similarities between the NTCC and WOFF are alarming. The blind zeal is definitely prevalent in our former church. Zeal was almost an understatement. We would raise our hands and work ourselves into a frenzy during many of the services. I’m not saying that the raising of hands is wrong but we really took zeal to a whole new level. Most of our members were young male soldiers in their teens and twenties that were already trained to follow orders and were motivated to be all that we could be. We opened our services in prayer which consisted of “holy hands being uplifted to God”. This would include a very loud offering of voices at maximum decibels in addition to the pastor’s amplified voice often enhanced by a sound system.
Then we would have our song service which many times would consist of singing loudly, clapping, dancing and sometimes running. I’ve seen folks doing somersaults around the altar on occasion. The preaching would usually be loud and in your face. Ultimatums would fly from the pulpit. The primary thrust was to create more tithe payers and to get folks to give more in offerings. There was an altar call that involved much pleading and the supposition that all non-members were lost. Those of us who worked the altars were taught to “make the people realize they are lost” so they could be saved. We were expected to hound them and be persistent to the point that many would walk out of service during the alter call. People were made to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. People that prayed were called brother or sister, but people who claimed salvation already were not called brother or sister. They must first receive NTCC style salvation. Some exceptions were made for tithe payers or givers.
There was definitely blind zeal in our former group. If we questioned anyone, we were rebellious. If we looked in our bibles to find references while the preacher was preaching we got blasted from the pulpit. If we did not act or think or live the way that we were expected, we were also castigated and demeaned. The only way to live a Christian life was to follow their non-biblical policies and doctrines with unwavering faith and blind zeal.
Blind zeal is what many cults require of their members. A cult is a religious group whose leaders desire wealth and power. To obtain that wealth and power, they seek out and embrace those that will follow them with blind zeal. They need people with blind zeal because they can not gain wealth and power through people that have their eyes open and ask pointed questions. The reason they are a cult is because they have much to hide. There is little if any transparency. Blind zeal creates an atmosphere of euphoric hype and a worked up emotional state of mind that makes people think that they are a part of God’s last move on earth and that they are special above all others.
When a person feels this way they will do anything and everything to please the leaders of their cult because they revere them as an extension of God’s voice. At this point in their life they are tender and believe they are an important part of God’s work. It is at this point in their lives when they are most vulnerable to manipulation and spiritual abuse. This is the precipice where true salvation becomes mixed with mind control. Blind zeal allows the person to continue blindly into this dark realm of abuse and control. They so want to please God. They so want to please those that they revere as God’s messengers and God’s shepherds.
Many people adapt to this new way of life that is supposed to be a life of freedom and liberty from sin. They get used to the abuse and they endure it. Blind zeal carries them through the mind control and the demanding requirements that take up all their time and financial resources. The life is slowly drained out of that person and they are still being driven by blind zeal. When a person is completely used up and there is nothing left inside for that individual to contribute to the abusive group or cult, they are kicked to the curb. They are thrown away like rotted trash and then they are talked about as evil and wicked sinners that hate God and refused to live by God’s standards.
It’s a vicious cycle and if it hasn’t happened to you, it will if you let it. The WOFF and the NTCC are basically the same in so many ways. They are controlling groups that spiritually, emotionally and in some cases physically and sexually abuse it’s members and depend on blind zeal to keep people in the dark. If it swims like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s most likely a duck. Don’t be fooled by great swelling words, profound speeches and dynamic preaching. Ask questions. Don’t allow blind zeal to drive you into making a decision that will affect the rest of your life. If you think you are in a cult use the same scrutiny that your cult leaders use against you to determine if they are for real. Is there transparency? Are you truly free? Do things feel right? Are you told who to talk to and who not to talk to? Are you expected to cut ties with family and friends? Do they keep you too busy to think? There are many common sense questions that you can ask. If they rebuke you for asking these questions then run, walk or crawl as far away as you can from this group. You can’t get away soon enough. Redirect your blind zeal to escaping with anyone and everyone you can take with you. You will be doing yourself and your friends a huge favor.
Don and Ange