After a brief rest from writing for this blog, I have returned to continue the journey. Everyone has a different perspective on religious cults. Since leaving Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in July of 2008, I have vacillated on the idea of telling strangers about my involvement in a religious cult. Once I introduce the subject, some react with loud indifference; others show some cursory interest. Still others actually respond and offer their encounter with or knowledge of the subject of religious cults.
This past weekend, I attended a festival in the county where I grew-up in Virginia. The weather was cold, windy and rainy; so, the attendance was very low. There were the normal activities found at most every festival in small town community. The events included an author’s table where local author’s could bring their books and meet folks, answer questions and sell books. The majority of the conversations that day were between the authors and the friends or family that came with them. My Mom set up at her table and we had a great time talking to the different authors. As the day passed, I was asked about my “book”. It was then I was able to share about my blog and the forthcoming book on my experiences at WOFF and what I have learned since leaving. That is a project for sure along with others I have undertaken.
One author confessed that she had a sister that had spent time in the Way International several years ago. She happily admitted her sister did not stay in that group after she learned their true agenda. As the day passed, she expressed her hope that I would keep in touch and let he know when the book was finished. Another author listened intently and did not scoff or excuse the subject of religious cults. Her name was Jane. She had lived in various parts of the country and admitted to having living previously in a communal setting. She called one place “a farm”. It was located in a nearby county. After describing the living arrangements, she paused. I interjected that after studying cults and reading some about communal living, I had learned that not all communal living arrangements could automatically be assumed to be cultish or have mind control techniques involved. However, in many communal living arrangements the group did morph or evolve into a more pyramidal structure with one person or a small group of people telling others what to do. She agreed and smiled. We discussed several communal living groups from previous years in this country such and the Shakers, the Oneida community and others.
All in all, it was an enjoyable day regardless of the weather. Meeting other authors and hearing their stories was quite motivating and caused me to reflect on my journey. Obviously, many authors write from their experiences and use their books to share their lives with others. That is no different from what I have been doing with this blog. These posts tell of my life during and after WOFF. Life for most members at WOFF involved/involves communal living arrangements. Multiple families and/or several single folks will live together in a house. I have shared about this in previous posts. What I have not shared to this point are my thoughts about this type of living.
In 1988, my wife and I shared a house for a few months with a pastor and his family in Charleston, SC. They were so kind to take us in as we looked for work and we found another place to live. The family shared their home and it was not intended to be a long term situation. There were light moments and some more serious times as we discovered each other’s patterns and behaviors. I appreciated the help.
A few years later, in 1992, after spending about six months in a small house on Highway 161 south of Greer, SC; we were invited to move in with the pastor’s son and daughter-in-law in Greenville, SC. We would be there until January of 1995. There was much more spiritual significance tied to this move as the pastor’s son and his wife were “to help us learn God’s ways”… We moved in expecting to move to the next step that God had for us. Honestly, as I look back, it was a time filled with mixed emotions and spiritual confusion. We would later learn that families living together was common in WOFF and was “God’s way for those in leadership to take hold of those just learning to walk in the Spirit”… The intentions may have been honest and the hopes sincere, but, I see it now as a tool to further gain control over members and draw them deeper into the deceptive abyss called WOFF. The dynamics of mixing two or more families in a super emotional and spiritually charged environment such as WOFF was a perfect place for Jane to exercise her “gift”. Early on, Jane and Sam even came to our house we shared in Greenville to admire the Christmas tree… things have changed in that regard.
As this past weekend brought back memories of my experiences with WOFF style communal living, I was struck by a comment I heard on television this evening. It was from Mac Taylor played by Gary Sinise on CSI:NY. The show is titled “Nothing from Something” This website provides an outline of the story: http://www.popstar.com/Shows/CSI:+NY/Reviews/Episode/7.20/1 . The line was near the beginning “Sometimes evil finds you on the road you take to avoid it”. The scenario of the show had nothing to do with religious cults. But, as I reflected on that statement, I realized that there was some truth in it when you consider the path many take when coming to WOFF.
When my wife and I moved to Greenville, SC in 1992, we considered the move would take us toward God’s will and not toward “evil”. It was a road we chose thinking that better days were ahead. Communal living as prescribed at WOFF was just part of the road we had chosen. Being a part of the Greenville church meant you were a part of WOFF. The “truth” that came from Jane Whaley and leadership at WOFF was just part of the package at the Greenville church. The outcome was not obvious at first and certainly the evils which would be uncovered in the years to come were well hidden in the early days.
Who joined or joins WOFF in full knowledge of the mind control used by Jane? It just does not happen that way. Churches in general and WOFF specifically would not normally be described as evil places. For those who do not know, joining WOFF is a road taken to avoid evil. But, what has happened to many members over the years who fell into Jane’s web? Seeking refuge, seeking help, seeking all that was supposed to be good and God- evil was found on the road taken to avoid evil.
“Nobody joins a cult. Nobody joins something they think is going to hurt them. You join a religious organization, you join a political movement. Most of all you join a group of people you really like!” These are the words of Deborah Layton on the PBS Home Video- “Jonestown” (copyright 2007). In an effort to walk with God and avoid the evils of the world; evil finds WOFF members under the sinister disguise of a Christian church. All the time dressed in Scriptures, wrapped in feel good thought-stopping language, overlaid with large homes and newer cars, all of this covering the underlying mind control techniques. WOFF turns out to be a well planned sham which in reality is a contrived religion created by Jane Whaley under the title of a non-denominational, evangelical church. Many have taken the WOFF road supposing to avoid “sin” or other evils, only to find evil(s) resulting in emotional turmoil, physical abuse and destruction of their families.
Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog. 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, for posts written by John Huddle, any information about WOFF is from his 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 349.