Tag Archives: shepherding movement

Do WOFF Practices Reflect the Shepherding Movement?

June 19, 2011 Admin Leave a comment

For many reading this post the term “shepherding movement” will be new or unfamiliar. During May of 2008, while still inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I had the thought to look up the term and find out more. As I did I could see that it appeared that what was going on at WOFF under the leadership of Jane Whaley looked a lot like the reported abuses during the shepherding movement of years ago. I kept the findings to myself for awhile until the first week of June of 2008. Two hours after telling my thoughts to LB, I was advised through her that Jane Whaley said I was “out of the church”. No, Jane did not call and find out what I had learned or why I thought the WOFF practices were like those of the shepherding movement of years gone by. Why did I not get asked? I am not certain.

In the blog series which tells the events around my exit from WOFF, the scenario is explained in this post: What Thoughts Helped Me Leave WOFF – Part 3 – found here: http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=1841 . “Part 3” contains two links which explain in brief about the term – shepherding movement. The movement has also been referred to as the “Discipleship Movement”. Before I proceed, let me just acknowledge that my reading on this subject has not made me an expert. Any “expertise” of mine comes from living through my experiences at WOFF and comparing them in light of what the material shows and reports about the practices within the shepherding movement. When I have lived through it, I believe it gives me some right to comment on what I saw and observed. Also, I will be quoting from sources found on websites which contain more material than I can read right now. My quoting of the sources DOES NOT imply a blanket endorsement for all of the material found in these resources. Further reading from these quoted sources is a choice you must make on your own. I have read enough to feel comfortable quoting from the material.

As a very brief recap, there was a group of ministers in Florida called the Fort Lauderdale Five. This group included, Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Don Basham, Derrick Prince and Ern Baxter. Some sources add John Poole to the group. The founding events are reported differently in different sources. Let it be said that from some event, whether a moral failure or a perceived lack of accountability of the church members, this group set out to form a structure to help those who needed help in various ways.

Continue reading Do WOFF Practices Reflect the Shepherding Movement? →

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

What Thoughts Helped Me Leave WOFF – Part 3

April 22, 2010 Admin 5 Comments

This is the third post in the series which explains the events and thoughts during the events which proceeded my leaving the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The previous post outlined a meeting held on church property in which several minsters tried to “help” me see the error of my ways. Jane Whaley’s “adopted” daughter presented several intense arguments that were warnings of my decadent, sinful condition. Once there appeared to be no progress, Jane Whaley was called in to deliver the “strong rebuke”. She screamed as she pointed her finger in my face- “You are full of wickedness and sin!”. Next, she screamed at the person next to me and told them- “And you let him be so!” Jane left and on cue, this person begins commanding me to give up my sin. This meeting had a profound affect on me. The shocker was the leadership in the meeting considered this a normal course of events. How do I know? Because they all supported each other and raised the bar of attempted behavior modification – together. I was evidently not the first person subject to such measures and I suspect not the last. These meetings were the WOFF modus operandi. Why should I think any different? Are there any former members who also went through such a meeting?

Regardless, at the end of the meeting, I was fired for not giving up my part-time work. (and not bowing to the group control efforts.) Incidently, at that time, I was in the middle of a three year contract with a website provider. My part-time work included support of this site. Buying out of the contract, would not have been feasible. In a few days after this meeting, I had found another contract for work and started working and providing for my family. But, in the days and weeks that followed; the attempts to modify my behavior would only intensify. Much of the efforts used are not appropriate to recount in this public forum. In the future, this consideration may change.

A side note, in the days after the meeting on April 9th, there was a scheduled meeting at the community college where the Holocaust teacher from the church, taught and still teaches. A Holocaust survivor was coming to give their testimony. It was directly related to the class I had taken over the Internet from that community college. I had completed the class but, after a fellow in leadership and the Holocaust teacher conferred; I was banned from the meeting. Yes, I was banned from a meeting where the featured speaker was a Holocaust survivor! Think of the deep irony in that scenario! The Holocaust teacher was a direct influence on that decision. Is that crazy or what? The lady who studied the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich- banned one of her students, who passed the class with a high grade, from a class meeting- why? Does this mean she mixed her classroom responsibilities with her perceived role at the church, and chose the administration of church doctrine or practice, over the student’s interests? Are there any readers from the community college- yet?

Continue reading What Thoughts Helped Me Leave WOFF – Part 3 →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Information control, Uncategorized

Book Review: “Slave and Citizen” by Nathan Irvin Huggins

February 22, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

This book, “Slave and Citizen” written by Nathan Irvin Huggins, subtitled “The Life of Frederick Douglass” (copyright 1980) was an inspiration to me during the first few months of leaving WOFF. The investment was only 49 cents. The benefit was immense. I picked the book up at a used book store. It was a relatively quick read of only 185 pages. My emails and notes show I read this book in September of 2008.

The book outlines the life of Frederick Douglass from his birth to his death at the age of 77 in 1895. He had risen from slave to being a Statesman and Ambassador to Haiti for the United States. He advised President Lincoln and had many other accomplishments. The intriguing part to me was his life beginnings and how he learned to read.

In 1825,… Frederick was sent to live in Baltimore, MD to the house of Hugh and Sophia Aduld. There is the city he caught his first glimpse of freedom. Mrs. Auld took time to teach Frederick to learn to read the Bible. He was a quick learner and Mrs. Auld was excited to show her husband. Her husband not happy at all, in fact he was enraged. “Hugh Auld with course and brutal language told his wife that slaves should never be taught beyond their station. ‘Not only was it illegal to teach them to read, but it would spoil the best n[igger]r in the world.’ A slave, ‘given an inch, he will take an ell,’ he said. A slave should know nothing but the will of his master. ‘If you learn him how to read, he’ll be running away with himself.” The text goes on… “Frederick … on the other hand learned the most important lesson of his youth: there is something unnatural about slavery;…” (page 5, emphasis added)

I read this passage in September 2008, about 60 days of being out of WOFF. Those were frightful times as I was struggling with the notions put in me while in WOFF. Those who leave are “under a curse, Judases, digging themselves a deep hole” as some would say. So, this passage woke me up! The reason that Information control is so heavy at WOFF, is because, “If you learn him how to read, he’ll be running away with himself.” Teaching slaves to read was illegal. Of course members are allowed to read- their Bible. In the cases of students: textbooks are monitored and censored. Allowing members to read ANYTHING they want is illegal at WOFF. Otherwise, those dutiful, hard working, tithe giving members will get ideas and be running away with themselves!

After I read this I sent an email to a dear friend. In the email, I share how I read this between 3:00AM and 5:00AM and could not sleep! It all made sense. Keeping members from the newspapers, TV, magazines, most every book and other sources of information; keeps them “in their place”. (if I may be so bold to use a WOFF phrase!) Also, as Frederick Douglass learned, “..there is something unnatural about slavery.” It is unnatural to not have access to the free flow of information. The choice to partake or not partake should be up to the individual, unhindered in any way.

“A common form of information control involves blocking out any critical or negative points of view.” Some cults simply forbid members to have access to any non-cult material such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio, and the Internet…”. These words from “Releasing the Bonds” by Steven Hassan (copyright 2000) make it very clear. Religious cults as well as other mind control groups, attempt to control the information available and thus “keep their members from running way”!

One main “breach in the dam of control” for me occurred when I searched the term “shepherding movement”. The similarities between the religious move of control in the 70’s and my life experiences at WOFF were too stark to ignore! That started the process of my “running away”. If the WOFF experience had not been so blatantly like the stories of control I was reading about; I may still be at there, today. Here are some links to the type of information I read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherding_Movement

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/shepherding.htm

There are plenty of other sources for this subject.

To my good WOFF readers: you may think that you have free access to all the information sources that you want. You just don’t “want to read the newspaper or watch television or freely surf the Internet”. I remember that rationalization tool. Is it really true or are the consequences of admitting to partaking of the “forbidden” too great for you to risk a violation? Remember– “there is something unnatural about slavery”. In reality, you had to give up your freedoms to continue to be a part of the group. Isn’t that “spiritual slavery”?

So, to the newest members: did you realize that in order to keep the job or housing you were given that you would have to give up your freedoms in so many areas? Has the spiritual bondage been too slow in developing for you to notice? How is that “..freedom in Christ” working out for you? My critics from WOFF say I don’t use enough scripture. For them:

“My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses].
Galatians 2:3-5 ( Amplified version)

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. I KNOW for sure and will share that post. Holocaust teacher: Are you reading this one?

Look on the right side of any post for “Categories”, select the drop down box and view any previous post by selecting “Uncategorized”. Use the slide bar on the right to scroll down to the bottom. Select “Previous Entries” to review older posts. As always, comments welcome.

(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. )