The WOFF “Don’t” List – Part 1

     Life at WOFF was full of “don’ts”. Some were spoken “don’ts”, others were supposed to be understood by example. If you did not catch on to the “don’t” in certain cases, you could be called out during a service or summoned to the office to answer why you did the “don’t” that you were not aware of doing. Does that make sense?

     Now, before we really get into the list, be assured that I will not be able to recount every don’t. I simply don’t know them all and that is probably my fault. But, please, don’t blame me! Some of these don’ts are not bad as a guideline. But, remember to stay at WOFF you don’t have a choice. You do the do’s and don’t do the don’ts or you may be in rebellion and put out!  Also, I may list a “don’t” from one time period of my time of 16 years that turned to a “do” or a “maybe do”, depending on if you heard God or Jane say you could do that thing. Are we confused yet? I hope you don’t get confused as we go through the list.

      Some don’ts were easy as pie. At WOFF, you don’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, dip or chew and you stay away from those that do. That should be no shock. Were there folks that smoked? Well, Jane pointed out one fellow by name during a service and accused him of smoking cigarettes. As far as I could hear, he never admitted to that “sin”. He was real cool on the outside about being called out as a “smoker”.

     During the one service, one fellow got up and admitted to drinking beer and watching a movie at a movie theater. Those were two don’ts you just don’t do and feel “right with God” at WOFF. He was not endorsing his actions, he knew “we just don’t do that”. That phrase was a very common phrase at WOFF. It was usually said to demean and put down the folks who did the don’t.

     So, we have covered the basics; tobacco, alcohol, movies. We also mentioned in previous posts at WOFF – “we don’t read newspapers, (unless Jane or someone approved reads them to you in a service…). (see this post .. https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=307 , don’t even read the headlines!)   WOFFers don’t read magazines, (you could lose your job! see previous post here- https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=318 ).   You don’t read books that are not approved. You don’t even read your Bible too much! Some folks were accused of reading their Bible to avoid working! (This reading was “giving to a religious devil!”) One time Jane said Sam had given over to this devil! Of course, Sam agreed.  

     Yes, you don’t take notes during the services. You don’t fall asleep during a service. You don’t talk to someone else when Jane is preaching. She will call you out and tell you to take it in the foyer or hall, if it can’t wait. You don’t get up to go to bathroom during a service unless Jane knows you have a condition that warrants distracting others. Some folks were self-appointed monitors and would point out to Jane that “too many folks are moving around while the Word is coming forth”. So, when someone does get up, DON”T WATCH THEM! You are being distracted and “we don’t let that happen!”

   Well, men don’t wear shirts in the sanctuary that were not white or blue. If you wore the wrong shirt, you could be called out during the service or afterwards and told “we don’t wear that color of shirt in here”, don’t you know that? “Where were you when we got ahold of that?” “Don’t you pay attention when God is speaking?” There were usually some very “encouraging” words for those that either don’t know better or may have been so new to not have told that particular “don’t” yet. Also, you could be sent out to change your shirt.

     One unwritten, but very practiced “don’t”; women went to great lengths so they “don’t” wear the same dress as another woman to the same service, especially to “special meetings”. I saw many women come to the podium and hold up a new dress. They would ask the women in the service, “Does anyone have this dress?” If someone had it, then the second person was expected to return the new dress. Because, “we just don’t want to loose an attack at the other person.”   

     During the singing parts of the services, you participate with your whole heart! “We don’t just check out and look around”. Don’t look around and stare at others while you are suppose to be worshipping God with your whole heart and being. “We just don’t do that.” Several children had a hard time with this one. Some were “helped” in different ways. Also, we don’t stare at visitors or new folks that may not know all the don’ts or be wearing certain clothes that “we don’t wear.”  (no jeans, no shorts, no sleeveless anything, no dresses above the knee, no flashy ties that look like you bought them at a Yard Sale! ) The “don’t” list for clothes will be another post.

     During my time at WOFF, I held a job that required me to take my phone into the sancutary during services. Normally, you don’t take you phone into a service – it distracts – even on vibrate. We don’t want to distract others from hearing the Word. I was responsible to answer emergency calls from the answering service that served the seven apartment complexes owned by the property management company that I worked for at the time. One service in 2008 as far as I remember, I took a call and left the service to talk in the foyer. This motivated another member to “get me checked out” and they went to tell a certain person in leadership sitting on the front row, that I had taken a call and left during the preaching.

     Don’t stop reading here, it gets better. I took the call and solved the crisis of the moment and returned to my seat. So, this leadership person gets up off the front row (Don’t watch him!) and gives me the nod as he comes down the isle. That was a signal you don’t ignore. The person who reported me was a bit smug, but kept still. I went out to see what I had done that was a don’t. (you did not get called out to be praised…) This leadership person stood there with his finger on his chin as if posing and said so-and-so had come to him and said I took a call and left during the preaching. What happened? I said there was a call from the answering service about a natural gas leak and I had to solve the issue. There could been an explosion! He nodded and said he would check with Jane to see if “I had heard God to take the call.” After the service, he came back to me and said Jane said I had heard God that time, but be sure not to be pulled out taking calls and missing the Word. So, what I had done was a “don’t” but, it was okay. But be careful and don’t do it too often or “the devil will pull you out of your place”.  Are you getting the picture?

     This is just a few examples of life at WOFF. Honestly, living in “Don’t-ville” was tough. There were so many “don’ts” to keep track of you would of course miss one or two and be told, “We don’t do that”. Of course, how stupid could I be? The flow of life has already been determined and I don’t have to think for myself. Others have done that for me. But, oh we don’t say that.

     This is just the first installment of – The WOFF “Don’t” List. There is more to come and we have yet begun to scratch the surface of how deep the don’ts could pile up in “Don’t-ville”… Don’t miss the next post! 🙂

     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 hope this is a help to them.

     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 are 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. )

2 thoughts on “The WOFF “Don’t” List – Part 1”

  1. >>> This comment has been edited in order to meet certain standards of this blog. The original comment is on file and can be viewed by the writer or who ever the writer allows.<<< Okay this is miradnda; some of my family just started going to that church , and they act like they dont even know me anymore. they wont talk to me , wont have anything to do to me. they act like everything I do is wrong! just because I dont go to that stupid church. I went one time and didn't come back , thats probably why they wont talk to me. because miss jane whoever she's supposed to be wont let them! well i hope jane see's this ; " jane who is you supposed too be? you aint god, you did NOT die on the cross &and if god didnt want people to smoke , drink or anything else he wouldnt have put it on this earth! and also i dont know why everyone acts like they have to listen to you, you aint no one special , so if you wanna contact my number is (deleted)!!! " this is sydney ; or better known as the syd-kidd * ha ha (: ...well you see i have been reading all this stuff you put &nd the only thing i dont understand is why is jane trying to play god with everyonee? is she gonna be tha one on judgement day telling people to go to heaven &nd hell. &nd also talks about how "dancing" is a sin...well people dance in the Bible for joy. so apparently she is not "worshiping" tha right god as she should. because all of the things she say's is wrong &nd sins is not anywhere in the bible.! so i realllllllly reallllllly dont understnd why she is trying to play god is she planning on writing her own bible???? [[she probably is]] &nd just so you know guy, people at word of faith are calling you crazy for making this website but i dont believe you are crazy * so dont worry about the bad things people have to say because what ur doing is soooo* right! thanks for making this website! (: [hope you read this jane!] ew! ---lovee, sydneyyyy <33

  2. I am a survivor. I left in 1993, a year or two after the new buildings were built (which they now occupy). We first started going to WOFF when it was on Hwy. 221 North.
    My question is who is this running this website? I am interested in maybe having some dialogue. I have tried to look up some friends of mine who also left, but cant find them.

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