Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) was started by Jane Whaley and Sam Whaley. The Articles of Incorporation were signed in 1979. On their recently published website, under the tab listed as “Our Church” you see “Beliefs”. Select that and you will find some very interesting information. WOFF defines themselves as a “Protestant, Non-Denominational church with a Christian school (as defined in classical Christianity)”. Honestly, I missed the term “classical Christianity” in my first reading. Well, there is no doubt about the Protestant, Non-Denominational part. Certainly Jane Whaley reports to no central office and allows NO ONE to tell her how to run her church. As far as I can tell, WOFF discloses no financial records to any third parties for any reason. Yes, the term Non-denominational fits here.

     When considering the term “classical Christianity”,  I learned that my first impressions of the term were lacking. Upon searching  on the term I found a source from Drew Theological School. This source appears to be a support school for the Methodist denomination. Since Jane Whaley admits to attending Methodist churches, then hopefully this source will be good. Certain parts of the article caught my attention.

 What is “Classical Christianity”?      Virginia Burrus, Professor of Early Church History
Drew Theological School

Here is the link to the full article… http://tiny.cc/ykkt9 .

 “The term “classical Christianity” is of relatively recent coinage. Some Methodists, among others, currently use it to refer to the views of a select group of theologians who wrote during the late Roman Empire (that is, during the fourth and fifth centuries) and laid the groundwork for such enduring doctrinal formulations as the divine Trinity and the two-natured Christ.”

     So far so good.. reading further, “The “Fathers” themselves did not agree with one another on every point.” This references the early “Church Fathers” not agreeing but, still moving forward as one. “The fact that a diversity of perspectives and interpretations can exist among those who adhere to “classical Christianity” should not surprise us.”  One definition of classical Christianity means accepting those who may not fully agree on every point? In my opinion WOFF fails miserably on this point. My experience is that WOFF, more specifically, Jane Whaley: it is “her way or the highway”.

      Further reading reveals something in the article that clarifies the contradiction in WOFF beliefs about themselves and what they practice in their daily life.   “..a question remains regarding the extent to which “classical Christianity” (as some understand it) implies “imperial Christianity.”While honoring the teachings of the ancient Fathers, we must still be willing to join theologians like John Wesley in reflecting critically on the ominous effects of Constantinianism. The money and power of the emperor Constantine and his successors backed the attempts of the late Roman church to force adherence to a single doctrinal standard: those decreed “heretics” not only lost the financial support of the emperor but also were threatened with deposition (if they were clergy), excommunication, political exile, and sometimes even political execution. Where theological pluralism was not simply eliminated by such repressive measures, it was translated into a fractured church. An imperial Christianity is thus implicated not only in the coercion but also in the division of the body of Christ.”

      While WOFF and more specifically Jane Whaley, may want to interpret their “church” and its  practices and beliefs through “classical Christianity”; the stark reality for those who live there now and the overwhelming confirmation of those who have left; WOFF practices “imperial Christianity”. There is no room for acceptable differences or critical thinking inside of WOFF. The ones who ask questions are seen as a threat to Jane Whaley and are in many cases, castigated and rebuked agressively in front of others. 

      There will be more posts analyzing the content of the WOFF website. As mentioned previously, there is more concern with what is not on the website. Churches and their leaders can believe various things about themselves and their purpose; but it is what is practiced that is more telling and accurate when discovering truth about a group.

    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 all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

      (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. ) This is post number 82.