Wednesday, I had a conversation with a fellow employee. They were telling about their plans for the weekend and mentioning they were seeking a sunrise service for Sunday morning. I encouraged them that where they were going there should be one. I then mentioned that while in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) – we did not celebrate Easter. So, what kind of look do you think the person gave me? Polite unbelief? That is an understatement.
This person asked how the (group) rationalized that one. How does a Christian group convince their members to NOT celebrate a remembrance that is so vital to the foundation of Christianity? Then there came the zinger- “How were you convinced not to celebrate Easter?” Have any other survivors of WOFF or other groups ever had this happen? You let it slip out what beliefs or practices your former group has and you get pegged to defend the seemingly odd practices?
When this person presented the question – it had a little bite to it. But, I decided to tell them they did not have the time for the lengthy list of reasons and events that led up to the change to NOT celebrate Easter. After all, Jane Whaley and WOFF had evolved into that non-practice. As soon as I stopped to remember the events- the flood of WOFF-reasoning began to reignite inside of me. This day, I chose to not recite the reasoning and present the WOFF case for non-participation in Easter or other holidays. Why? Because at that very moment, I realized that to explain the one odd non-practice would mean expounding on the entire WOFF-culture- as if in defense of it! I told my co-worker that this was just one piece of a more complicated puzzle. WOFF indeed is a sub-culture which seems strange to many.
In fact, reality inside of WOFF did not focus on not celebrating Easter; it focused on Jane and whatever she wanted at that time. Jane’s perception became/becomes your reality. If a faithful member questions or rejects one or more parts of the reality, then they endanger the balance of the known WOFF reality which means they could lose their family, job, house, circle of “friends” and so on. Yes, you are not told this when you join, but, accepting entrance into the group is a blanket acceptance of Jane’s reality for herself, yourself, your family and any relationships you have while in WOFF. It is much more than a “catch 22” thing… life inside WOFF requires submission of your total life to the ever-changing, ever-evolving; Jane dictated rules, practices, and beliefs. Your life is truly not your own- it is Jane’s when you live inside WOFF. That is of course under the guise of laying your life down for “God’s will.”
It has been three years since I wrote on this subject. See the post titled- “WOFF Members Don’t Celebrate Easter” from April of 2010 – here. In this post, I recognize that it is not required for everyone in America to celebrate Easter. We have the freedom to not celebrate – if we choose. And that is my point; life inside WOFF skews your ability to choose between your free-will desires and the group’s desires as dictated by Jane. There is great peer pressure to conform to WOFF practices – if you want to stay. Rejecting a WOFF revelation brings with it many negatives which must be navigated for a faithful WOFF member.
So, why would a person who wants to own the title of Christian NOT want to remember and celebrate the Resurrection of their Savior- Jesus Christ? Let’s forget all the Easter bunny, eggs and candy. Does remembering the hope that the Resurrection brings cause “sin”? Honestly, I had trouble with the term “Easter” before going into WOFF. I preferred making reference to the Resurrection as a reason to rejoice. That is just me and my perception of what was important to me. By expressing this, I cast no stones and slight no one their time and privilege to their own beliefs. My point is that in a WOFF survivors struggle to become Jane-less, there are choices to make and freedoms to enjoy. It is a process to untangle the Janeness acquired during WOFF years from your own personal desires and choices- but, making these steps is scary and delightful at the same time. For a certainty, emerging from WOFF allows you to experience a “Resurrection” and find yourself and your relationship with God- if you choose. Might I be so bold as to say “Shake off those WOFF grave clothes and come forth from the now open WOFF-tomb which has held you for years!”
Yes, it is a scary thought to leave WOFF-dom. But, there is help and those willing to help you navigate the uncertainty. This is where I mention the Faith Freedom Fund (FFF). In previous posts, I have mentioned this group. While inside WOFF, this group was demonized. However, there are good people affiliated with FFF, willing to help those who leave WOFF or other controlling groups. Here is a quote from Rev. Cal Sayles in a post titled- A Message from Faith Freedom Fund… found here.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and Neighbors in Rutherford County,
I am a member of the Faith Freedom Fund, which over the last several years, has assisted those that wish to leave cultic religious mind control groups. This assistance has taken several forms. As you are likely aware, many people who come out of such groups depart with next to nothing…
We assist with immediate basic needs such as temporary housing, clothing, and food. We also make provisions for other needs such as communication with relatives, friends and authorities. Since every person who leaves a religious mind control group has unique needs, we look to fill any of a varied assortment of needs to include simply having someone to talk to and pray with…
We desire nothing from those that are leaving cults, but everything for them! We believe that Jesus Christ came to set people free, to remove the need for priest, priestess or any other intermediary, to teach us directly through the Holy Spirit, and to invite us into a loving, joyful relationship with our heavenly Father. It is the hope of the Faith Freedom Fund that our efforts can contribute to this becoming the reality to those that are imprisoned in religious mind control cults.…”
For those needing help to walk out their exit and “resurrection” from WOFF – there is help. For that we can CELEBRATE! We close with these words…
“It is never too late to wake up and leave and reclaim your life!” Steve Hassan
Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog. Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Jane told me. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.
Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.
Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.
Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, for posts written by John Huddle, any information about WOFF is from his 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 436.