Category Archives: WOFF Updates

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

They Run and the Dogs Give Chase….

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    Recently, I heard sketchy details of an attempted escape by a young person from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). My information is not first hand and I have not talked to the person who attempted the escape. What I know I have received in bits and pieces. All of it seems to coincide and agree with scenes I have heard of in the past while inside WOFF. So, I will tell what I know and give my take on the whole scene.

   Apparently, a young person left the service one recent Sunday morning and made her way to a local business very close to the intersection of Old Flynn and Oakland Road. She entered and asked them to call the Spindale Police. From what I can learn, this person was taken to the Police station and from here the information is unclear. They were allowed to call a relative who lived about two hours away to come pick them up. Before this relative could arrive, BC from WOFF made contact either by telephone or in person and convinced this person to stay one more day and talk to Jane Whaley in person, Jane was apparently out of town. This person “agreed” and as far as I know went back inside WOFF. The next day, Jane does not show and the meeting was postponed. From here the trail grows cold. As far as I know, the relative has not been able to help this person leave WOFF.  

    Why would I even take time to post on a situation where I do not know the entire set of facts and the outcome? It is for several reasons. One, I know this young person and spent time with them as they were in my daughter’s class. So, I have not spoken to them in a few years, but, feel confident their struggles would not be too different from other young folks inside WOFF. Second, as far as I know, this young person has no car, no job outside of WOFF at a company not owned by a church member and thus any real communication or resources other than those that are WOFF dominated and WOFF related. Honestly, many young folks inside WOFF don’t see this as an issue until they want leave the confines of the WOFF sub-culture. There they can feel stuck and helpless. But, there is more.

   Continue reading They Run and the Dogs Give Chase…. →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Families Are Destroyed at WOFF- Update

  Recently, I was asked to put in a few paragraphs how the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and Jane Whaley manipulate or cause family members to take a stand against one another. Let me say this is a brief explanation. The subject is vast and the process is not easily detected at first. Why do I say that? That is because the foundation for causing family members to divide over WOFF practices and beliefs begins when the family first comes into the “church”. As you enter and see other families dividing over “who will serve God (Jane) and who will not?” It is portrayed as normal to shun family members either inside or outside the church that do not “go with God” or “go in God’s ways”. After all, they are “in discipleship”. I witnessed the way the McGee children treated their father who had left the church and NEVER considered I would be in his place one day. I witnessed the reaction of the congregation as the Muse children told of their ‘fight for God’s ways” as they dealt with their mother. I heard the cheers and laughter as the children told how they “stood for God” and their mother went away.

   Each individual situation is different, but, the results are pretty much all the same. Most EVERY time a spouse decides for whatever reason to leave WOFF and the other stays, the family becomes divided. There is strife. There is emotional upheaval and turmoil. There are hurts, questions and tears. And the reason is? Some will leave all family members and follow Jane to the very end- where ever that will be. Who knows but God Himself? “Standing for God” and denying contact with a parent or child who has left WOFF is seen as a badge of honor. It is rewarded with some sort of additional perverted “respect”. Why? It is perverted because the ones who remain have no idea how easily they could be the one being shunned or cut off from their families.

   Continue reading Families Are Destroyed at WOFF- Update →

Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Revealing Incident at the Great Wall

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   Since the following series of events happened on Tuesday evening, I have been debating whether or not to spend time on this blog recounting them. Finally, I decided the readers not familiar with such things needed to know that stuff like this happens in Rutherford County. This post will not be reciting from a book or drawing conclusions from experts on cults. I will retell certain events that took place at the Great Wall restaurant in Rutherfordton. First, let me acknowledge that the workers probably had no idea what was being said or why there were loud words being uttered in their restaurant. After the events were over, the lady behind the counter acted so polite and tried to carry on as if nothing had happened. For that, I was shocked and very grateful.

    From time to time, I drive another former member around town for him to run some errands. He does not drive or have his own car. After I retell this evening’s events, I will relate what he has told me about his time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). From what I can tell, Jane Whaley is very aware of this former member named Tony. His story is his story, but, in reality the results are not much different from other former members. I will explain as we go along.

     Tony decided he wanted to eat at the Great Wall restaurant. He likes the food and often takes his leftovers home to eat for a second meal. We had eaten there before and the last time we were there we encountered a present WOFF member who was very friendly. This evening was much different. I let Tony out in front and he went in as I parked the car. As I opened the front door, I immediately recognized a present WOFF member who I had known since 1992.  Her family was one of the first we met when my family arrived at the Greenville church. She had her back to me as she was chatting with Tony. I stepped in behind her and then backed up realizing she would turn and run into me. I also noticed to my left, her father. We had called him –Vadi. I think that is a Swedish(?) term for Papa. As this WOFF member, LB, turned to leave, she met my eyes, her countenance changed and she took on a very deadpan look. For more background, she was the one who accompanied my then wife to my front door on or about February 16, 2010 and told me I was “telling lies” on this blog. (see link here: http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=572 ) My first contact with her after I left had been the summer of 2009. I had met her family in Charleston and actually enjoyed a meal with them and my family. That is a story for another day. Going back further she was the one who on June 6, 2008 passed on from Jane Whaley the news that I was “out of the church” and to not come back on the property. So, yes, we go way back.

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Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Predatory Religion?

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    In recent years, a term has come to the forefront in the consumer finance and/or mortgage lending industry. That term is “predatory lending”. What does that term mean? Is it a new practice or a recently discovered term to describe practices that have been in existence for years? A simple search will reveal an explanation for the term. Here are two sources. First, from HUD.gov website link found here: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/pred/predlend – the short intro reads as follows:

“Over the last several years, our nation has made enormous progress in expanding access to capital for previously under-served borrowers. Despite this progress, however, too many families are suffering today because of a growing incidence of abusive practices in a segment of the mortgage lending market. Predatory mortgage lending practices strip borrowers of home equity and threaten families with foreclosure, destabilizing the very communities that are beginning to enjoy the fruits of our nation’s economic success.”

Next, another source at Wikipedia explains the term as follows:

    “Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as “imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers.”[1] Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry… One less contentious definition of the term is “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.”[2]… Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, lowest incomes, racial minorities, the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics.[4][5]  (source link- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predatory_lending )

    Since 1982, I have been involved in some segment of the consumer finance industry. There have been many additional regulations enacted to curb abuses, perceived or real, within the industry since 1982. From the definitions above, the major qualifications for “predatory lending” appears to be “unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices”.  Using the less contentious definition of “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.”; it is not difficult to see the association I have made between this and  what I experienced for years at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). I experienced “predatory religion”. Let me explain.

     Continue reading Predatory Religion? →

Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Spring Missions Project on Graduation Night at WOFF

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Blind Zeal 6 5 2011
Sign Used at Graduation

     Simply to avoid any hint at overkill, I have not posted about every adventure during the Spring Missions Project. But, today’s happenings are worth sharing and hopefully there will be some feedback. Let me go back to Friday. There was a wedding at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). How could you tell? There was a SIGN out front that let everyone know where to turn for the wedding. It was no big secret. I spent about 40 minutes at the road in my spot near the driveway to the Tuscany Italian Grille. There were a few folks giving the thumbs up and one phoned in complaint to the restaurant for letting me stand there. How do we know it was not a regular WOFF member? Because, WOFF members do not support places like Tuscany Italian Grille. The Grille serves alcohol. So, it could have been the people in the car I saw go straight across the road from the restaurant to Old Flynn Rd. If that was the case, then they were for sure not regular WOFF members.

    Sunday evening was graduation for the high school at WOFF. I may not get these events in order, but, I will do my best. I arrived about 5:50PM and soon thereafter “took my place”. The WOFF members were continuing to file onto Old Flynn Road to make their way to the church grounds. Some would glance my way but most ignored me altogether. Did I expect any different? I saw several folks with out of state license tags. The states included SC, TN, FL, GA and maybe PA?  That was great. Many folks in those cars would turn and at least attempt to read my sign. Maybe they got the gist of it and asked questions inside? After all, what does “BLIND ZEAL” really mean? I would love to hear a regular WOFF member explain that concept. Would the answer go like this: “Oh, blind zeal? I am sure I don’t have it. That guy with the sign is crazy…” Yes, I am fairly certain that my activities on days like today give Jane Whaley fodder for her preaching cannon. However, Jane, you helped me with much of the content of this post. Please, continue reading and find out how that happened.  

Continue reading Spring Missions Project on Graduation Night at WOFF →

Books, Resources, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Blind Zeal in “Minimal Loss” Episode of Criminal Minds®

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    In October of 2008, an episode aired in the Criminal Minds® television series was called “Minimal Loss”. I did not see it then since I still did not own a television even though I came out of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in July of 2008. Not until August of 2009 did I purchase a television. Some teachings of WOFF and Jane Whaley were hard to measure against the reality of “new” freedoms. Change was hard to come by after 16 years. “Minimal Loss” depicts two of the shows main characters as they attempt an investigation into a religious cult. Yes, I know the whole premise was conjecture and very much “Hollywood”. However, after watching it a few times, I began to see it as a composite of several true aspects of religious cults of years past. A conversation with a cult expert over this question confirmed my thoughts as they agreed the show was a composite depiction of certain known characteristics of cults.

    In brief, the local authorities become suspicious after a phone call is made accusing one of the male leaders of inappropriate contact with underage females. That is not unlike Tony Alamo of Alamo Ministries, Warren Jeffs of FLDS or Michael Tessner of Strong City. All of whom we have written about before and last I checked each was serving prison time for convictions on these types of crimes. The religious cult in the show lives on a compound set in many ways similar to the one the Branch Davidians lived on in Waco, TX. There are weapons and explosives and the like used during the show. Two FBI agents from the BAU team go in undercover to assess the situation and interview the younger females. The whole plan blows up literally when a State leader orders a raid based on an ongoing weapons investigation he was leading. The raid goes bad and I will not go into a lot more detail of the sequence of events except to draw out some interesting content that pertains to the theme of this blog.

   Let me acknowledge here that I am sure I do not recognize all the similarities between the show content and other cults. Even after watching it four times, I see new things. I am also sure I am set to key in on certain things that relate to my experience in WOFF and under the teachings and directives of Jane Whaley. After the State raid goes bad, the BAU is called in to negotiate with the cult leader for the best ending possible. The title of the show comes from the strategy used. Minimal Loss is the chosen strategy otherwise known as the “trickle theory”. Moves are plotted to get one person released, then maybe one or two more and then more. If at any time the negotiations break down the team would go in the extract as many as possible recognizing they will not save everyone. Some will die and in this show some did as we will mention later.   

  Continue reading Blind Zeal in “Minimal Loss” Episode of Criminal Minds® →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Why is WOFF Obsessed with the Holocaust?

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    Recently, in a discussion on Facebook®, this question was posed. It is a valid question. For one, is there any other church in North Carolina besides Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) that has been so taken up with this historic event? If there is one, it has not crossed my radar. Also, there were academic areas of emphasis in years past, remember the science conferences or the Thomas Jefferson conference? None of the others have developed into a road show. Road show? Yes, see the article here from an online newspaper in Deming, New Mexico. WOFF is taking it on the road, again. http://www.demingheadlight.com/ci_18082999?IADID=Search-www.demingheadlight.com-www.demingheadlight.com

   Here is an excerpt: “Guests to the Night to Honor Israel will have a chance to see works of art on display, courtesy of the Holocaust Museum in Spindale, North Carolina. The museum was a dream come true for the Word of Faith Fellowship and the Word of Faith Christian School in North Carolina. Students, grades K-12 have their works of art across the nation, and now Deming can tour choice works on display at the DPS auditorium.”   

   Let me say I was there during the gestation period for the budding event. Who could have seen the development of this academic interest into a full blown take it on the road display? Some years later, I took the online Holocaust class through Cleveland Community College taught by Karel Reynolds from WOFF. The class was enjoyable though the irony did not fully hit me until I left the group. We were studying the beginnings of the Third Reich as Hitler came to power as Chancellor. Some of the restrictions he imposed on the Jews, as well as the Germans sounded awfully familiar. Why did I not see them while inside? I believe it was because of the blind zeal for Jane Whaley and the WOFF cause. Regardless if Hitler stole and violated personal freedoms of the Jews and then the Germans, we at WOFF were “learning God’s ways and walking with Jesus”.  It was as if we were thinking, “If we are in a cult, Jane will tell us!” Really?

   “To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.” Benjamin Franklin

   Continue reading Why is WOFF Obsessed with the Holocaust? →