“Raven” by Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs (copyright ©1982 Tim Reiterman, Introduction copyright 2008 by Tim Reiterman, ISBN 978-1-58542-678-2); the authors tell “The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People”. “Tim Reiterman is a prizewinning journalist who extensively covered Jonestown for the San Francisco Examiner. He was wounded in the jungle airstrip attack that killed a U.S. Congressman, plus three reporters, and a Peoples Temple defector.” (from the back cover) This book is over 600 pages. I have just beginning book, however in just reading the Preface and Prologue, I felt compelled to share some insights.

    Honestly, I have had this book for several months. The sheer size of the work has kept me from opening the cover and beginning to read.  After finishing Seductive Poison by Deborah Layton (copyright 1998 – Anchor Books, ISBN 0-385-48984-6, 308 pages) and previous to that “In My Father’s House” by Minn Yee (copyright 1981,Holt, Rinehart and Winston, ISBN 0-425-05387-3, 361 pages), each one about involvement in Peoples Temple and with Jim Jones; it finally was time to tackle this extensive work. One reason I hesitate to open such a large book is that once I begin, reading can consume any time I may have away from work. It is vital to plan the reading.

     In this edition is an updated Preface by Tim Reiterman explaining the methodologies used as well as ten misconceptions the authors sought to clarify for the readers. This list sets a course in order for the reader to understand the direction of the material. Two of these misconceptions are worth noting here as I believe they run parallel to life at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) headed by Jane Whaley.  First, I shall quote, “Rather than social misfits, Jones’s followers generally were decent, hardworking, socially conscious people, some highly educated, who were drawn to the interracial church. Many wanted to help their fellow man and serve God, not embrace a self-proclaimed deity on earth”. (page X) Much of this applies to WOFF. Members of WOFF are decent, hardworking folks. Some are highly educated, either joining with the education or obtaining it while there. For myself and possibly others, the cultural mix of the church seemed to put at least some sort of “seal of approval” on the group. As many as 19 different nationalities have been represented at WOFF and the idea of such a mixture of folks seemed to justify overlooking some of the less positive aspects of life there. Looking back- what a mistake that was. Wrong is wrong and finding excuses to justify and turn away from some of the obvious methods of control was a big mistake on my part. Do any other former members agree?

     Also, in my opinion, many WOFF members do not seek to embrace a self-proclaimed deity on earth. And to my knowledge, Jane Whaley has never claimed to be deity, in the flesh. However, her conduct and what she requires of members, reveals her ideas that she is unique in her ability to hear God for them. Since the final say for every critical, or not so critical decision, rests with Jane; her actions speak volumes about her perception of her worth to the church. Many members feed that self-perception as they follow the “required path” and continue to seek her counsel in matters great and small.   

   Another point made by Reiterman in the Preface was “When the poor and troubled came together at the Temple with those who wanted to help such people, they formed a family-like bond that for many was as strong as their loyalty to Jones.” (page X) As I witnessed at WOFF, through the direction of Jane and her leadership, members were encouraged to view other members as their “spiritual family” and in many cases defer to them over natural family relationships. The constant perception that outsiders, possibly being used of “the devil” to draw members away set-up a strong “us vs. them” environment. This was very intense during court cases. There were hours spent in corporate prayer “warring” and “hitting the heavens” and “getting a breakthrough” in order for God’s will to be done. God’s will was always in favor of the declared need at WOFF, whether it was more offerings, more jobs, more work for the companies owned by church members, healing for members or relatives of members, or for attitudes of judges to change. Quite naturally, there were strong ties built between folks during these times of “fighting” a common enemy. These allegiances were always subject to change if a member left WOFF.

    Reiterman makes one other point in the Preface that is worth noting here. He is writing about how quickly Jonestown fell into disrepair was looted, ransacked and then swallowed by the jungle. No matter how fast the physical environment faded and changed, one truth remained, “People who surrender their worldly resources, their offspring, and the most basic decisions in their life to a man, a cause, and an organization, do so at their peril.” (page XI) It is regretful that I did not know this truth before joining the church in Greenville and ultimately WOFF. This book echoes the voice and warnings of a survivor of the airstrip attack who had studied Peoples Temple and Jim Jones for a year and a half before the crisis in November 1978 and then three years afterwards. He had no vested personal interest into the outcome of his research, as far as I can tell, except to tell the truth of his findings. With excitement, I will continue reading this book and posting on it as the material warrants.

     Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. 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.

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      (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. ) Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 150.