Category Archives: Thought Reform

techniques of thought reform as used in WOFF

Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Understanding the Word of Faith Fellowship Response to Recent Reports of “Slavery”

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The text message telling me about the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) press release from July 30, 2017 ended with “smh.” This is a new abbreviation for me, it left me wondering. I searched and found it means “scratching my head.” After I quit laughing about my temporary confusion, I pondered the answer to the obvious question- Why and how would Joshua Farmer and Jane Whaley consider their press release appropriate?

This post is my answer. First, the text of the release – source: www.wordoffaithfellowship.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Word of Faith Fellowship Responds to AP reports regarding “enslaved” members

Spindale, North Carolina – July 30, 2017 — We are appalled to learn of the allegations published by the Associated Press regarding foreign members of our church being “enslaved”. Many of these allegations are obviously preposterous on their face and they are all false. It is ludicrous that people now claim they were in an abusive environment at our church but admit that they traveled from Brazil to the United States many different times, returning repeatedly to their place of alleged enslavement. Clearly, there is a group of people determined to stop at nothing in their campaign to destroy our ministry. We are confident that the truth will ultimately prevail and we remain hopeful that the public will see through these fabrications and see them for what they are.

Next, the release includes a quotation of II Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Bible). The release is closed with acknowledgment of Sam and Jane Whaley and Attorney Joshua Farmer- Farmer and Morris Law (828) 286-3866.

The standard WOFF strategy is followed here by saying “Many of these allegations are obviously preposterous on their face and they are all false.” This is standard WOFF practice to deny accounts of wrong doing by calling the testimony of survivors of their group- lies and false.
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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

AP: Brazilians funneled as “slaves” by US church, ex-members say

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For years, the smoke and mirrors used by Jane Whaley and her leadership at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) has created an aura of deception, filled with misstatements and euphemistic renaming of their practices. Screaming is called prayer, verbal and physical abuse is called “love.” Private sexual relations between and husband and wife are not private, but are regulated by church leadership to “keep out the unclean.” Members are prohibited from free access to news sources including radio, television, newspapers and computers because they are “not able to hear God and stand against the devil.” Unpaid forced and coerced labor is called “volunteer work.” These highly restrictive church practices equate to “walking in God’s ways with God’s people.”

Now the individuals damaged from the years of chicanery are speaking out. The latest installment of the Associated Press’ ongoing in-depth investigation has been released. The long needed reporting of the secretive church practices is clearing the smoke of confusion and angst which hangs thick over Old Flynn Road. There, the church compound serves as the hub of the WOFF-kingdom in the sad ongoing saga of abuses revealed by the AP. The aim is not only for the souls of the members, but this report reveals the aim is to capture “slaves,” laborers- mostly unpaid to work at the church or school or for businesses owned by church leaders, as well as in their homes.

The AP report: This link has the full text, pictures and video. (click icons bottom right of image)

“When Andre Oliveira answered the call to leave his Word of Faith Fellowship congregation in Brazil to move to the mother church in North Carolina at the age of 18, his passport and money were confiscated by church leaders – for safekeeping, he said he was told.
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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Information control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Mind Control Forum Review – “This is what I want to see!”

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Saturday, May 24th a forum was held at the Spindale House and the subjects included information about mind control and testimonies from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) survivors. The lead up to the meeting was intense for many of those involved. Materials were put together, videos were reviewed, meetings were held and in the end the general consensus was that it was a success. Admittedly, there is no way to recap all of what was said since I do not have a recording. The pictures taken will be added here at a later date. My goal for this post is to just hit what few highlights I remember and to give enough for those who did not attend to get the flavor and direction of the meeting.

There were no decorations, but we placed information and candy in the seats for the guests. We had waters for the taking on a table to the side. There were three tables up front for the panel and the large screen television. The attendees filed in and in that group were two WOFF members, Greg and Rita Burgeson. Several other WOFF members were spotted circling through the parking area, some waving and blowing their horns. We were prepared for more WOFF members, but they only sent two inside.

We began the forum a little late after experiencing technical difficulties with the PowerPoint® we were given from another advocacy group. This was just “warfare”, right? We had a back-up plan and were able to use printouts of the presentation. Mr. Rape began the session in prayer encouraging all that it was possible to be deceived and we would learn how that could happen through the material revealed tonight. He delivered an encouraging prayer as well.

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Behavior Control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates, WOFF Website

“The Art of Remembering” – Charisma Magazine® (2)

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Our last post explored an article in Charisma Magazine® about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and their Holocaust Museum display. It was dated October 1, 2013 and can be found here. The article was written by Marcus Yoars. Here is the contact information for Mr. Yoars: marcus.yoars@charismamedia.com main tel:407.333.0600  

This post will review more material from the article and contain more thoughts on the subject. The Art of Remembering mentions that Word of Faith Christian School (WFCS) has “no art teacher.” It also featured Nahum Burgeson and his insight into how the Holocaust work began. Without a doubt, Nahum is a talented artist. The article also quotes Nahum, “I know without a doubt that God flowed through us to do this, “… When we first started, many times we would have a problem getting the paintings to look right. But, as we cried out to Jesus, you could see fruit. The more and more we cried out, the better we would get.”

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Behavior Control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

More Bathroom Controls at Word of Faith Fellowship

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February of 2010 on this blog, I wrote about Jane Whaley’s Toilet Paper Revelation. I was in that service when the “revelation” was introduced to the members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Yes, some went overboard and it got out of hand. Jane actually tried to moderate the exuberance with which some began to monitor the bathroom habits of their fellow members. It was in reality a fiasco. But, at the time, I did not understand the lasting detrimental effects. During my stay at WOFF, I witnessed CH get publically rebuked by Mark Doyle for using a urinal in an airport bathroom. It was not God’s will for WOFF members to use urinals. This was just a hint of the controls yet to come. During my years there, the urinals were partitioned off so you could not view the person beside of you. Apparently, this is not the end of the controls of personal bathroom habits. Allow me continue. 

Fast forward to this year and yet more bathroom controls have been explained to me. Recently, I have been told that the urinals were totally removed from the bathroom s at WOFF. For recent visitors- is this true? I have no reason to doubt it. If that were the end of the controls, I would not be writing this post. Reports coming out of this group have gone into more detail. I will try to be as tasteful as possible in explaining the restraints that I understand to be in place at WOFF.

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Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Is Simple Assault a Vital Part of the Word of Faith Fellowship Practices? (1)

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Recently, I obtained some very disturbing information about new discipline practices that have evolved at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). If my source is accurate, and I have no reason to think that their knowledge is less than up close and personal; then it appears that Simple Assault has become a consistent tool for “correction” inside WOFF.

Before I give the account, let me say that after I left in 2008, it took a while to decompress and as it were- begin to assimilate and process that experiences over the last 16 years. I was in denial for a long time as to the intensity with which Jane Whaley’s edicts were carried out. After all, didn’t she speak for “God?” While I was inside, I wrestled with that required basic belief which faces every WOFF member. Does Jane speak for God? For some to deny it would mean they would soon “meet the authority of God in Jane Whaley.” That translates into her making a show of how much she owns you and has the power to direct your life at ALL levels. Many times, this revelation was accompanied with loud shouting, shrills of “prayer” and in some cases- physical restraint until you bowed your knee to her. When it was happening to others, there was in me a disengagement and denial that I would ever be required to do that. Oh, I was wrong and therein was the beginning of my exit story- previously told on this blog.

Why do I insert these musings here? For this reason, for outsiders it is next to impossible to convey the level of power, influence, control and fear-hold that Jane has over her members. Honestly, not everyone is controlled to the exact same degree, but, everyone is controlled at some level or they don’t stay. As I tell of the new discipline measures which have developed, do not think for an instant that the intense interactions have not been allowed or even prompted – at the minimum – APRROVED by Jane Whaley herself. NOTHING happens twice inside that group without Jane’s approval. So, here we go…

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Information control, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

“It is never too late to wake-up and leave…” Steve Hassan (video)

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Over the last few weeks, there has been a major increase in the supply of material that is fitting for this blog. It has been hard to focus on what to post next. Today, I received notice of this video and stopped everything to watch it. The speaker is Steve Hassan, a leading author and expert in mind control techniques and an ever-giving resource of help for those wanting to understand cults and their nuances. We have featured his work on this blog before; however, this video has some timely comments on current events surrounding the subject of cults and mind control. We will review a few excerpts and tie them back to subjects discussed previously on this blog.

The video is less than twenty-five minutes long. He recently spoke at the Society for  Ethical Culture in NY and apparently he has many friends there.

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