Category Archives: Uncategorized

FLDS vs WOFF – Similarities-“The Pruning” – part 10

     Stephen Singular in his book, “When Men Become Gods”( copyright 2008) quotes Warren Jeffs from September 10, 2002. Warren Jeffs was leading the morning devotional at Jeffs Academy in Hildale just two days after his father’s passing. During this time, Warren Jeffs was making “the transition from church leader to direct conduit to God.”  The words from Warren Jeffs:

   “This is a wonderful occasion. … The rules of every priesthood school is the will of the Prophet, the will of God to us through him…

      We were sent to this earth to learn who God is and how to become like him. Prophets have been sent who, through obedience, became like God… Let it be written in every mind and heart the call of our Prophet. Keep sweeter and sweeter. Live in the increase of the holy spirit of God and smile. This is how our Prophet knows you love him and you are with him. … You cannot be like the world and be with our Prophet. You must come out of the world and clean up your minds and your lives…. There is a pruning going on. We want to be perfected and step up, not cast off. And the Lord is about to clean house…            

     I say this rejoicing in God and the Godhead and our Prophet and all the Prophets, for you will learn this year about them, that you may know how to become like God.  (page 69)

     Singular goes on in his book and outlines the religious political posturing that Warren Jeffs performed to take over the FLDS. It is all very revealing of the calculated and planned steps needed for Warren to become the undisputed leader. He was becoming “God” to those members.

     Upon the first time reading this quote, it struck me that Warren Jeffs was promising something that he could not deliver. He was promising that the members of FLDS would become “like God” if they would “come out of the world and clean up your minds and your lives”… Of course, he set the guidelines and rules for coming out of the world and cleaning up your minds and lives. He would determine what sin was in the lives of the members.  He warns of a “pruning” and “the Lord is about to clean house…”  In reality, he was positioning himself as “God” as he would be the conduit that members would receive the Word of the Lord! He was not trying to help others walk more holy, he was maneuvering himself to be the supreme head of FLDS. When he performed the pruning and pushed out others that may contest or contend for his coveted position, then he would say it was the Lord who was doing the pruning. He positioned himself to be the voice of God to the members of FLDS. (see link here- http://www.fldstruth.org/administration.php?index=9 His picture still portrays him as the Prophet, though he is in jail!)

Continue reading FLDS vs WOFF – Similarities-“The Pruning” – part 10

Does a “Fear-Based” Message Really Work?

      Over the years, members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) who stayed and were faithful would learn that there was no good reason to leave. During earlier years,  there was a WOFF Bible school and the stated emphasis was on going ” to the nations to preach and teach”… As time passed and the Bible school ended, many of the students would go to work and later get married to other members in the church and have children. The songs proclaiming the “call to the nations” would not be sung as often. The music cassette tapes produced by WOFF leadership would wear out and not be replaced. There would be talk of another music tape, but nothing came of it. Jane Whaley would coordinate and write new songs, but sending folks out was not the goal any more. Somewhere in those years, the evident purpose of WOFF changed.

     Now, don’t be confused. There was still the outreach to the prisons and to the nursing homes. Jane Whaley would share about helping local folks who called WOFF, with money for electric bills and food.  But, going “to the nations” was not preached as often. In fact, the early songs had good words. They made for good presentation when sung either inside or outside of the church.  Anyone who has attended WOFF for a special music or heard the Youth sing at a “Charles Taylor Prayer Breakfast”; has heard these songs and others.  Songs would speak of going out to fulfill the “Call of God” and going “to the nations” to preach and teach. It kept the goal in front of the members.

     Over the years, there were trips to Brazil and Africa. Jane Whaley and her leadership group would hold “Youth Seminars” in Brazil in conjunction with weddings many times. Jane was the one to perform or oversee the wedding ceremonies locally and overseas. These trips, in reality were to carry the messages that Jane and had taught in America to these churches. There would be opportunity in the youth meetings for young WOFF members to share “what God had been showing them”. For sure, the message you were allowed to speak had to “flow with what Jane had been teaching” or you were stopped. In other words, I never heard anyone get up and share about “Freedom in Christ”, being free from legalism and man-made rules. That was just not a theme in WOFF messages. If you were allowed to speak- you may be asked “what you had to share” before the meeting. For sure you had to “stay on message”. The message was the gospel and practice of the gospel- according to Jane.

     In hindsight, only three couples that I remember were “sent out”. One couple was sent back to their country in Africa. This was an outreach that still required support and WOFF has helped that couple, tremendously. Another couple was sent back to their country because of their visa issues. A third couple went back to their country and floundered, as far as I know. Nothing more was ever mentioned of them after the first few months. These are the ones I remember over 16 years of attending services. There may be more. But, for sure there was not the practice of regularly sending folks out to start churches.

     The Greenville church had the stated purpose of starting other churches in the early 90’s, when I joined. The leaders wanted to start a church in every county that touched Greenville County, SC. That meant 8 churches. That vision seemed to fade as the intensity of the Jane Whaley’s WOFF message of deliverance was taught and practiced. And it made “sense”. Why would anyone be sent out with “devils” in them? Who could ever be “free of all their devils”? Who could be trusted with the message of deliverance as Jane Whaley preached it? After hearing the message taught at WOFF, the Greenville church never completed their vision.

      Continue reading Does a “Fear-Based” Message Really Work?

A Message from Faith Freedom Fund…

This post was supplied by Rev. Cal Sayles from the Faith Freedom Fund.

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.  Therefore the Faith Freedom Fund has met a variety of needs from meeting the most basic of physical requirements to sending individuals to Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center in Albany, Ohio to help with their transition and recovery.

     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.

     For those that are leaving religious cults, we ask nothing from them.  We do not insist they attend any specific church or denomination, although they are welcome.  There are no strings attached.  We simply believe in the words of Jesus Christ who said of Himself, Luke 4:18 He has sent me TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, and recovery of sight to the blind, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.

     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.

     To those that perhaps have quietly begun to question the teachings and methods of the religious organization they currently attend, may I say just a few things to you?  First, I understand the Faith Freedom Fund has been demonized amongst the leadership of cults in this area.  May I tell you that we do not feel the same about you?  I believe that most people who find themselves in a cult are simply, in the words of the Apostles Paul, doing their best to work out their salvation (Philippians 2:12), perhaps with a greater vigor and sincerity than most. 

     Continue reading A Message from Faith Freedom Fund…

WOFF Member Runs for Clerk of Court- Update

     Earlier, there was a post explaining that Ramona Hall, a long-time member of WOFF, is running for Clerk of Court for Rutherford County. The link is here…   http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=840 

     While writing this post, I must admit I did not check for current information. After posting, I learned that Ramona Hall is not now working for the Clerk’s office. She was not reappointed in 2008. Please, forgive any mistaken impressions that my ignorance may have given. After seeing a recent campaign sign for Ramona Hall, I knew this mistaken impression must be corrected.

     The main point of the previous post covered that fact that the voters of Rutherford county must feel comfortable with Ramona’s connection to WOFF and how this may affect her professional decision making during times of crisis. To what extent, if any will matters concerning WOFF members in the Clerk’s office be “checked out” with leadership or Jane Whaley herself? Do WOFF members really want this possibility? Could even WOFF member’s privacy be compromised? Members of WOFF must consider this possibility.

     Here is the high quality, campaign sign seen just off Highway 221 on a recent trip to Rutherford County.

High Quality Sign
Sign placed near Hwy 221

       Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. It could very well save their life. There are readers at WOFF. Comments are invited from present or former members.

     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”.

      (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. )

Welcome New Readers

     Welcome to new readers as well as returning readers. This post will provide some background to the author’s direction for this blog. It will also outline the features and how to retrieve previous posts.

     First, on the right hand side of the post you will notice the “About Author” page. This explains my background and how I came to begin this blog. After a total of 16 years being first in Greenville, SC, in a sister church; then 6 years of being a member ofWord of Faith Fellowship (WOFF); I left the group. The leaders were Jane and Sam Whaley. Jane runs the church. Jane Whaley grew up and still lives in Rutherford County, NC.

    These posts aim to be a fair account of my experience from the many services as well as the daily life in this strong religious mind control group. WOFF has about 400 members from many different countries and backgrounds. A small percentage actually are originally from Rutherford County. The group has been through many court battles over the years. Many of these cases have revolved around child custody cases.

     Several posts contain information about the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints(FLDS). Their former leader, Warren Jeffs has been jailed for charges stemming from performing underage marriages. We share information learned about the similarities of the control methods used in both FLDS and WOFF.

    As far as the layout of the blog, the right hand side of the page contains the most recent posts by title in descending date order. Next, there is a section listed for “Categories”. Here is where posts are grouped by subject with every post being listed as “Uncategorized”. Several posts may be listed in more than one category.

     Next is a listing showing dedicated page headers… The newest page is the “Faith Freedom Fund” page explaining that group and their purpose. Following this section, you will find the option to subscribe by email or RSS feed for updates sent to you when there are new posts. Please, read the Terms of Use page.

      Following down the page, there are Links to other sites that may be of interest. If you select a link and it needs updating, please, let us know. You may email the author from the “About the Author” page.

     The most recent comments made by readers are listed next. These are titled by the post where the comment was added. We do welcome genuine and sincere comments meant to help others or ask questions to help bring focus to the material in a post. Please, share with others what you find of interest in these posts. Thank you, for taking time to read and comment.

     To get started, here are links to four of our most popular posts.

    Handout for New WOFF Members   http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=888           

    The $50,000 Offering     http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=245 

    The Toilet Paper Revelation    http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=243

   FLDS vs WOFF- How People Who Leave Are Treated   http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=498 

 (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. )  

Here is picture to help remind us that we live in a great country!

We should cherish our freedoms...
God Bless America!

My Experience with Loud Prayer, Blasting and Deliverance-Part 4

    This is the fourth post in a series about my experiences with “loud prayer”, “blasting” and “deliverance” while in Greenville, SC and later Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) at Spindale, NC. My entire time in this group spanned from 1992 to 2008. The amounts of loud prayer or deliverance varied as time went on.  During my last few years at WOFF, there were fewer extended prayer meetings than in the early years. The length of most meetings was shortened and we were told to “get the children home quickly to get them in bed”.  Seminar meetings were put on a more regular schedule as well as the number of meetings reduced. In the early seminars, there would be three meetings a day. In recent years, there were only two meetings a day during week long seminars. Most every seminar series of meetings ended with a “fellowship dinner”. This was not the case in the beginning.

      Jane Whaley and the members at WOFF may claim these posts are “persecution”. However, telling my personal experiences is not meant to hurt or wound.  I just desire to tell it like it was during my days in arguably one of the most controversial religious groups in western North Carolina. Since much of the time in my years at WOFF, there was limited access to the media, including newspapers; I did not realize the full scope of the controversy until I left and began to learn about things not shared with regular members. Not all members of WOFF know the full details of the many court cases originating from child custody disputes or other issues.

      As far as I remember being told, Jane Whaley began to practice deliverance in prayer groups before 1979(?) when she and her husband, Sam returned to Rutherford county from Tulsa, OK. If not in 1979 (?), I think it was soon there after that Jane and Sam departed from their relationship with Kenneth Hagin Ministries. The pivotal issue was deliverance and the question- “Can Christians have devils?”  Jane Whaley, Sam and their followers believed that deliverance was essential and Christians could have demons in them.  Sam Whaley had been a teacher at Rhema Bible School for Kenneth Hagin Ministries in Tulsa, OK.  He had traveled to many countries sharing the teachings of Rhema. This of course ended when WOFF was started.

     Continue reading My Experience with Loud Prayer, Blasting and Deliverance-Part 4

Memorial Service Music Concerns “the Toddlers”

      Memorial services at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) were times to bring in family members and other visitors. Jane Whaley would deliver the key address or eulogy about the person who had passed away. Family members, church members or other friends of the deceased would be allowed to come to the podium and speak about their memories of the person. Every effort was made to make the family and visitors comfortable. I never witnessed a memorial service with loud prayer, blasting, deliverance, open rebukes for WOFF members or “church-family matters” being discussed. No offerings were taken or announcements made when family or visitors were already in the sanctuary. These were times to “put your best foot forward”- so to speak.

      Before every “special” service or seminar, the church would be cleaned top to bottom. (literally) The chandeliers would be cleaned all the way down the baseboards. Air return vents would be cleaned. Years ago, before one special service, (I don’t remember which one) I was with a group of men in the sanctuary men’s bathroom with toothbrushes scrubbing the grout between the tiles in the floor. If the wall paint or trim paint was scuffed, it would be cleaned and/or painted. The carpet could get a cleaning as well as the brass door plates polished. The landscaping around the building was inspected for weeds. The school building may be subject to the same cleaning, especially if visitors would be invited to view the school after the meeting or service.   

      The memorial services were rehearsed and planned to the most minute detail. Each song was practiced and met with Jane’s direction and approval. Seating was planned as family and visitors would be in the front two or three rows of the middle section of the sanctuary. Many times, during a memorial service there would be portraits of the person who had passed, placed in the front of the sanctuary with a few tasteful flower arrangements . There would also be a pictorial presentation of that person’s past shown on a large screen up front. Music would accompany the slide show, at times. There was a bulletin with the order of service printed. This was only done for special services such as educational conferences, graduations, weddings and memorial services. Weekly services had no printed program or order of service. The weekly services were always subject to change according to Jane Whaley’s  directions.  

     Following the memorial service, the family, friends and members close to the deceased would be led to the fellowship hall for a reception. The food was mainly supplied by members of WOFF. The youth or young adults would usually be called on the serve the food and take up the dishes. Certain groups would be assigned clean-up tasks. All assignments to help would be announced just before or during the practice for the memorial service. Each situation was different in deciding the place for the children. Some times, the children would gather in the school building for the service, watching on closed circuit monitors. (televisions) After the service, they would have their own refreshments in the school cafeteria. Since the fellowship time for the adults could extend a couple of hours, the children would be allowed to fellowship and play games.

  Continue reading Memorial Service Music Concerns “the Toddlers”