In the previous post, we used as a resource the book, “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2). Today, we will return to this resource for the material in Chapter 2. The title of the chapter is “A Little Carrot And A Lot of Stick- A Case Example” by Janja Lalich. The author outlines the formation, operations and eventual implosion of a political cult in which she was a part of that lasted from 1974 until 1985. I have been amazed at the similarities between many of the inner workings and dynamics between this group and Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). For now, I have not done the research to find out the name of group or its leader, which the author covers with pseudonyms. Let’s go directly to the comparisons which caught my attention.
When describing the ages of the founding members of the WDU, Lalich writes, “ Baxter was 39 years old, while most of the others were in there mid 20s, which meant that they (with one exception) were 7 to 20 years younger than Baxter.” (page 54) It was similar with WOFF at the beginning- if you just look at Jane’s age compared to her main leadership. I suspect Jane is mid 70s (WOFF stopped celebrating birthdays – so who is counting?) and the rest of her main leadership early to mid 50s. There is another layer of leadership around Robin’s age that is even younger than the main leadership. What does this matter? Well, certainly Jane could/would use the reasoning that she had been walking with God longer than anyone- who is to doubt her? Right.
Early on in the formation of the WDU, Doreen Baxter “insisted on setting up various units. She began the process of dividing up the group, as small as it was. Some were put in leadership over others. Already there were separate meetings of this newly formed “leadership” before and after meetings with the rest of the group.” (page 57) I did not get to my first WOFF meeting until May of 1992, so, I am not sure how soon the “leadership meetings” started. But, for certain they were entrenched by the time I got there. Before and after meetings, some were for eating and “fellowship”, some just for “finding out who was in sin.” But, this similarity cannot be ignored for it served a purpose for Jane. She had started to add layers to the pyramidal structure in the mid 80s when “everyone was full of devils and we had deliverance day and night.” To hear her tell it, she kicked devils out of everyone- Sam included! By the early 90s, the pyramid was starting to be more defined as layers of leadership were forming.
Lalich writes, “Indeed she always found something or someone to “blow-up about.” Baxter was big, loud, (and) good at slamming down her things and making a scene, expert at making the other person look stupid. She commonly used ridicule combined with stern criticism to attack any decisions she didn’t have the final say in.” (page 58) Well, Doreen and Jane could be twins on this count. Who can deny the fits Jane has thrown and excused as the “anger of God?” Apparently, it is still going on as a recent survivor gave this account of just such a service. The Cup Smashing Service at WOFF– https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4790
Lalich tells of Baxter’s relocation to San Francisco, “She did not get a job; instead she set to work building the organization… Initially her financial support came from her own savings, but very quickly it came primarily from member’s monthly dues. When others came to visit her, they were ordered around told to clean up, empty her ashtrays, (and) open her sodas… One founder said, “I thought it was all pretty bizarre, but I went along with it. I didn’t want her screaming at me.” (page 58) Now, Jane has had it easier in some respects. She has had the “tithes and offerings” of her members to support her and she gives account to no one. She didn’t smoke, so there were no ashtrays. But, how many “ministers in-training” were at her house for years; “learning submission and God’s ways” by cleaning her house, dusting her doo-dads, ironing her clothes and cleaning her bathroom? So, on this count- I think Jane was more efficient and has one up on Baxter. Jane was able to lace everything in some super-spiritual reason to get folks to do her bidding.
Next, the author goes on to describe “Sandra”, Baxter’s right-hand supporter, “enabler and classic second-in –command/enforcer… In the years to come, Sandra, more so than Baxter, conducted almost every major criticism, denunciation, and disciplinary action. She headed recruitment, training new members, discipline, security and finances. She, along with Baxter, had final say in all promotions, demotions, assignments, punishments, and expulsions… Sandra learned every detail about every member’s life, both before and after a person joined the organization; she used this knowledge with skill…She made sure that every whim uttered by Doreen Baxter was carried out. Without Sandra, Doreen Baxter could not have pulled it off. (page 59) I must say, as far as I know, Jane has been more “blessed” than Baxter was. Jane Whaley has certain ones who “carry” certain things. JC handles finances and tell Jane how much money she has and what needs to be paid. BC handles much of the discipline and helping raise the funds for Jane’s projects and KR is a help in many areas for Jane- when she is not out of the church. From what I am told, Robin is stepping up and helping with the load tremendously and may become the strongest enabler to Jane.
For this next comparison, read all the way through and don’t stop in the middle. Lalich is telling of a member’s experience of seeing Baxter drunk. The member- Miriam mentions the episode to Sandra and she “got severely criticized. She (Sandra) said I should just let her pour the booze down; let her do what she wants. So I shut it out of my mind and lived a fantasy. I never saw her drunk again after that. You have to understand, I held her as a god. I was terrified because she had an evil side to her, but there was also a level of brilliance that kept me from questioning these things.” (page 59 emphasis added)
How many other members of the WDU did the same thing- “lived a fantasy?” How many members of WOFF or any other cult group were/are forced to live a fantasy or leave the group? Has anyone else seen or experienced the “evil” side of Jane and kept quiet because of the “brilliance” that they saw in her? This brilliance, I question, but, nonetheless, Jane knows how to get what she wants and some see that as “brilliance.” The comparison was too true to omit.
On the subject of “investigations”, the author tells what happened inside the WDU. Does it sound familiar? “The use of a best friend, or in some cases a spouse, as a key player in an investigation, denunciation, trial, or expulsion became a standard technique. Not only did it serve to separate people from one another, instilling distrust for any and all comrades, (members) but it also taught the lesson of organizational allegiance above and beyond any personal loyalty.” (page 61 emphasis added) So, Jane didn’t make that one up herself? The famous WOFF technique is not unique to WOFF. It seems as if Baxter had this down and in place long before Jane perfected it at WOFF. What do you know? So, not just at WOFF, but in other cults, people give-up their family ties for “organizational allegiance”? You mean a political cult could “walk in the ways of God” and not know it? Do tell…
The author tells how this played out inside WDU. “Finally, Baxter determined Helene was to be expelled as an enemy. This meant that for all intents and purposes Helene no longer existed and was to be completely shunned. If party (group) members saw her on the street, they were to look straight through her as though she wasn’t there. This, too, became a standard party method for dealing with adversaries (real or otherwise), expelled members, defectors, anyone who spoke out against the organization, (and) anyone Baxter decided she didn’t like.” (page 61 emphasis added) Okay, Baxter had this in place before Jane. But, Jane was able to lay some spiritual terms over her defectors like- Judases, God-haters, backslidden, fornicators with the devil, and so on. Somehow, it made those who stayed feel justified in their complete shunning of those who left. After all, who wants to fellowship with a “God-hater?” Actually, for a member of WOFF to be caught talking to anyone who had left, without Jane’s permission, could be reason enough to be put on church discipline or even put out of the church.
The comparison continues. “Besides Helen’s formal expulsion, as a finishing touch, a small squad (of female members from the founding group) was sent to physically intimidate her.” (page 61) WOFF has done this in the past by running people off the road and trying to keep people from getting on their plane at an airport. WOFF intimidation has turned high tech and now includes threatening text messages and phone calls. Face to face confrontations have not stopped, either. WOFF is just more comprehensive in their approach. Does that seem like the love of God?
Lalich writes about the condition of the WDU after one year under Baxter’s leadership. “Behavioral norms of the core group had been established. The foundation of Baxter’s control had been laid: dominance through hierarchy, secrecy, segmentation into cells, devastating criticism, turning friend against friend, paramilitary activities, goon squads, members’ terror of making mistakes, expulsion, physical and mental abuse, and the capricious arbitrary use of power… In the name of beneficent social goals, activists became a part of a duplicitous machine that impoverished its members, stripped them of their individuality, turned them into organizational spies, exhausted them with 24-hour a day demands, and attempted to destroy their pasts and connections with friends and family.” (page 62)
Frankly, I cannot say that Jane had accomplished all of this in the first year of WOFF since I was not there. I personally don’t remember the controls being as bad in the early 90’s as in later years, some of this could be because we still lived in Greenville. But, by 2002, when we moved inside the WOFF structure, Jane Whaley and her control machine were in full operation. There was a definite hierarchy as well as secrecy. Many things were on a need-to-know basis, thus many things did not reach the lower levels of the pyramid or to regular members. Friends were turned against friends- no doubt. If you didn’t tell on someone- you had the same sin! Leadership did double as “goon squads” sent after someone who ran away or even someone who was allowed to leave. WOFF members were always afraid of making mistakes (sin); could that be because “I didn’t want her screaming at me….”- yes. We were always being threatened with being “put out of the church.” That was so common. We took mental and some cases physical abuses as the “discipline of God”… Was there “capricious arbitrary use of power” at WOFF? Well, Jane would never admit it, but, the use of her WOFF-power did seem based on her whims – but, she always gave a spiritual reason, so we would all think she had “heard from God.” That was the excuse that made everything approved and acceptable. Really?
The WDU goals were framed in another manner than WOFF, but the methods to reach the goals were the same. In WDU, the member was called a “cadre”, in WOFF everyone was a “minister of God”- whether you were ordained or not, it did not matter. It was supposed to make you feel a part of the “move of God” and even a cut above an average Christian (non-WOFF person). We were stripped of individuality and we spied on each other in order “to encourage each other to serve God.” We were always “on call” to do God’s will. This could be the middle of the night; it could be the middle of your day- it did not matter. You want to serve God, right? Then you will lay down your life to help others– any time. And as far as the WOFF attempt to destroy your past and connections with friends and family, it was all disguised as laying down your will for the call of God. We were asked why would you want to fellowship with someone who is not serving God. The destruction of your past was necessary at WOFF to secure your place in the move of God… It was not put that direct, but, that was the result.
Lalich goes into greater detail later in the chapter. We will pick this up in the next post. You will be shocked at some of the details that were in WDU and are in WOFF. The similarities range all the way down to the housing and fund-raising! We will continue to explore these similarities and make the comparisons.
Before we close, I wanted to share a comment sent to me in response to the most recent post about “passion”. This friend is a survivor of different cult and has been a help to sort out some tough questions. She writes, “It was a good prompt…..and a fresh perspective! It is possible to shelve passion out here…….rather than having to face the hurt of what was taken….. to pick your passion back up…….seems to me to be one of the most painful parts of being out…….for it is in doing this that you have to face ‘the rape’ of your soul.”
Yes, facing “‘the rape’ of your soul” expresses the depths of damage that survivors of cults have to somehow come to grips with and then ultimately pursue healing. Just who do you tell? Just how do you take the first step to heal? When will the pain subside? Will I ever not be a cult-survivor? How do I go forward and restore the passion, the purpose I once had, knowing there are those set to violate and steal/abuse my heart, my years, my very life? Who can you trust? If I deny my passions, I am denying the purpose for the rest of my life. Please, God help us.
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.
Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.
Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.
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 399.