Tag Archives: Leaving a Cult

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Welcome New Readers- Selected Series August 2010

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Night version of sign
Sign in Forest City

Welcome New Readers – This is a personal blog focusing mainly on my experiences while at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) which is lead by Jane Whaley. The “About Author” page gives more information about me. I do encourage you to read and comment as you come across material that raises questions or sparks a memory. The list below contains three links to the first post in a series that will help explain WOFF, my experiences and what I have learned since my time ended in July 2008.

FLDS vs. WOFF – the Similarities Part 1 –follow the link here – http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=86

   This information was posted January 18, 2010. It was the first of many to outline the similarities in the practices of Warren Jeffs of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and Jane Whaley of WOFF.  An excerpt from the series:  It is amazing how well fear can work to surpress rational thought, something I unfortunately experienced over and over during my time in the church.” (page 99) (emphasis added by author- Brent Jeffs)

What Thoughts Helped Me Leave WOFF?? Part 1–the link here – http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=1396

    After many years inside of WOFF, what were the thoughts and events that helped me leave. This post is from April 20, 2010. Entering WOFF was a process and so exiting was a process that took several months. Here is an excerpt, “There came a point where I was forbidden to be on church property. What happened that would cause me to leave the group all together?”

The WOFF “Don’t” List – Part 1–the link is here- http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=650

    From the post of February 25, 2010, “Life at WOFF was full of “don’ts”. Some were spoken “don’ts”, others were supposed to be understood by example. If you did not catch on to the “don’t” in certain cases, you could be called out during a service or summoned to the office to answer why you did the “don’t” that you were not aware of doing. Does that make sense?” The series explains several of the “don’ts” and how or why they exist.

    Continue reading Welcome New Readers- Selected Series August 2010 →

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Cult Leader News, Uncategorized

More Thoughts on WOFF and Brazil (repost July 2017)

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In light of the most recent Associated Press release-US church goes to Brazil; instills fear, splits families– I believe it is appropriate to repost this review from August of 2010. (click “back” button to return here)

The lead paragraph from this article:

SAO JOAQUIM DE BICAS, BRAZIL (AP) — At the Word of Faith Fellowship churches in the Brazilian cities of Sao Joaquim de Bicas and Franco da Rocha, the signs of broken families are everywhere: parents separated from their children, siblings who no longer speak, grandparents who wonder if they will ever know their grandchildren.

This AP release goes on to chronicle the process of WOFF taking the practice of destroying families from North Carolina to Brazil. The Brazilian churches have become a sad reflection of WOFF NC. Jane Whaley’s ministry of destruction and pain has indeed transferred its dark stain seen and felt in America to Brazil.

Read the post below and note the heartache and angst. The WOFF-effect on families is real. It is indeed an international travesty.

On a personal note, my daughter is expecting or has already delivered her child this month. I am one who wonders if I will ever know my grandson…

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Jane Whaley and her crew from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) have been making trips to Brazil for many years. The first time I knew about the trips was in 1992. At that time, I heard about previous trips in previous years made by members of the Greenville church traveling with WOFF members to Brazil for seminars. There was always a certain mystique associated with the trips and the privilege of going to help the Brazilian church members. During the early years, those who did not go to Brazil would hear about shopping trips to rock shops and eating at Brazilian restaurants.  The seminars would also include many deliverance sessions and teachings about WOFF ways and WOFF life. Many of the teachings were about “hearing God” as Jane or certain others would speak, with Jane’s approval. For sure, the church members in Brazil would emulate WOFF members and end up copying many of the WOFF ways and in order to live in WOFFness.

   Since my time at WOFF ended in July of 2008, I have heard several accounts of WOFF doings that as a member inside of WOFF, we just did not learn about. Why would that be? A few months ago, someone began to let me know about things happening in Brazil. At first, I was shocked. But, as I considered what I knew has/had happened in America over the whole WOFF saga, it all began to make sense. What I will share here is from a translated email sent to me from Brazil. The names of the church members affected are not the key part of this story. The key thing about the scenario of events is to note the strange and sad similarity to previous events here in North Carolina and/or in other states caught in the WOFF-web.

Continue reading More Thoughts on WOFF and Brazil (repost July 2017) →

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Does Love Put Up Walls? If So, To Protect What?

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Does Love Put Up Walls? If So, To Protect What?

    As I go through my day, there are certain things I remember and certain things I do not. There are things that bless me and some things that do not. A few of the things that bless me, I share here on this blog. Some things that irritate or bother me or I have questions about, I share here on this blog. There are things that fit into both categories in each day. Living life to the fullest means we concentrate on the “blessings”. Do you agree?

   For a time today, I have been considering the outpouring of “love” that we were taught at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) to show to other members. There were countless sacrifices of time, energy and money spent to help each other accomplish whatever Jane Whaley said was needed in a situation. Jane would direct these times either herself or through others in leadership. Helping each other could take on many different forms. You could receive help painting or renovating your house, doing yard work, moving from one house to another, replacing a well pump, installing appliances, building a deck, cleaning a basement, moving your belongings out or in to storage and the list goes on… As mentioned, we never paid for child care for our children. We would keep each other’s children in an understood arrangement. No money changed hands for this. (At least not with regular members.) You may need prayer or correction or an escort to attend a family function or a guard on a telephone conversation with someone. You may need a ride somewhere because your car was being repaired or you didn’t have your own transportation.   

    Continue reading Does Love Put Up Walls? If So, To Protect What? →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Those Who Do This … Are Deceivers

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Those Who Do This … Are Deceivers

     The book “Out of the Cults and Into the Church” (copyright 1994 Kregel Resources) by Janis Hutchinson has provided us with many insights and direction in previous posts. This book was recommended to me from a couple that had spent many years in the “Worldwide Church of God”. That group was reported as a cult and at the minimum had unusual behavior control practices that permeated their doctrines and everyday life. The first post on this group stemming from a lunch meeting with the husband can be found here.. http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=903 It was a fun meeting to say the least.  Later, the wife referred me to this book. It had helped her in years past.

   The most recent post about the insight in this book can be found here: WOFF Contradictions – Part 4: http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=2533 .  In that post, we looked at the net effect of many scriptures quoted at WOFF. “In my opinion, the net effect negated true relationship with God and furthered a subservient relationship to Jane Whaley and the leadership at WOFF. Scriptures were not intended to be tools to make one person a servant to another.” Please read the entire post in order to obtain the context for the quote…

   Today, the subject at hand comes from chapter 8 of this book. “Deadly Doctrines Tough to Divorce” The author uses her experience from Mormonism to explain her views since she was in that group for over 30 years. Hutchinson explains that as members leave religious cults, they have a tough time separating themselves from the doctrines that enslaved them while in the group. It is not obvious to many that observe a person’s exit from such a group, why the struggle would exist. Can’t you just lay down the sacred stories and start believing the truth? From the author’s experience, she relates that the Mormon’s sacred stories were taken from orthodox Christianity. The Book of Mormon “borrows from Matthew, Mark and Paul’s writings, and parallels New Testament stories.2” (page 154) This would have drawn folks in to believing and also can keep the exit process slowed as an ex-cultist struggles to replace the Mormon stories with Christian scriptural truths.

    Continue reading Those Who Do This … Are Deceivers →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Questions That Lead to Freedom

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     We will entertain the question: How likely is it that Jane Whaley of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) is the only pastor of a “Protestant, non-denominational church as defined by classical Christianity” to hear the voice of God so as to direct the lives of her members in “holy, righteous living”?

1. How many people are on the earth?

    Answer:   6,697,254,041 – 2008 Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (approx.)

2. How many folks claim to be Christian in the world?

   Answer:  2.1 billion (source- http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html )  This number includes those who adhere to part or all, or add to the “normal” Christian doctrines or beliefs.

3. How many people claim to be “Protestant” in their beliefs?

  Answer: According to World Christian Encyclopedia, there are “over 33,000 denominations in 238 countries,” having increased in number from 8,196 in 1970. Every year there is a net increase of around 270 to 300 denominations.[14] There are about 800 million Protestants worldwide,[15] among approximately 2.2 billion Christians.[16][17] These include 170 million in North America, 160 million in Africa, 120 million in Europe, 70 million in Latin America, 60 million in Asia, and 10 million in Oceania.

(source here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism )

4. Out of the “170 million” Protestants in North America, listed above, how many claim to be “non-denominational”?

  Answer: 36% according to a poll sited here…   http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/dailynews/beliefnet_poll_010718.html – good information- That equates to about 61,200,000 people.

Continue reading Questions That Lead to Freedom →

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

What is a “Cult”? Part 2

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     After a short break, we are back to the subject at hand. Here is the ending paragraph and quote from that first post in this series:

“We will review further information which helps define “cults” and “religious cults” in the next post. What are some common characteristics in “religious cults”? Who joins a religious cult? How do folks get involved or recruited in these groups? Why is it important to study and know about this subject of cults?”

 We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them. Livy 

    The first post ended with this quote and text. Let’s start there in our understanding of the word “cult” and more specifically “religious cult”. In order to put to rest the inordinate fear of cults, let’s take time to learn about them. What are common characteristics of cults? What are the control methods used in cults and how can we be alert so not be trapped in a cult or other controlling group?

    The term “cult” has many negative connotations in our society today. Here is a definition from one source: cult (followers of an unorthodox, extremist, or false religion or sect who often live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader) from a word search for “cult” found here…. http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu .   This definition includes words such as “unorthodox”, “extremist”, “false religion”… The connotation is clear. In my opinion, which comes from time inside and outside of WOFF; I believe Word of Faith Fellowship would qualify under this definition.

    Continue reading What is a “Cult”? Part 2 →

Behavior Control, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Why Did You Go Back? Answers from Present WOFF Member

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     What a day! And what a night! We take a short break from our posts on the definition of “cults” to explain what happened this evening. As I made my way through Rutherford County, I stopped for gas. As I pulled up, so did a Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) member. I recognized them as one who had left and returned to WOFF. At first, I was going to ignore the situation. Then I realized this was a great moment to ask this person face to face why they went back. So, I turned and called their name. This person obviously did not recognize me right away. They said “Where do I know you from?” I said WOFF. Then I said that I had heard they went back. They said – yes. I asked how long ago? This person said about a year.

     Then I said I would like to ask them a question, if it is not too personal, only answer if you feel comfortable doing so. They said, Okay. I asked them why did you go back. There was the momentary facial expression of “how do I answer this one…”? This person stopped and after a momentary reflection said these things. I may not remember them in the correct order. But, for sure I have the content right.

    Well, it is obvious. It (WOFF) is where the life of God is. After I saw how I was living when I left, wasting my life; I saw the will of God was for me to return.

  Continue reading Why Did You Go Back? Answers from Present WOFF Member →