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Investigation of WOFF – Inside Edition – 1995 (2)

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  In 1995, Inside Edition aired two segments on Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. Bill O’Reilly actually was the announcer for the first segment! Inside Edition had acquired much of their information and footage from the Trinity Foundation (link- http://www.trinityfi.org ). The Trinity Foundation sent an undercover investigator inside WOFF. For now, we will review this video and the statements contained in it and compare them to what I was told and now remember from my time in WOFF.

   Our last post included this statement made by the announcer, ““Outsiders seldom see the decidedly different way this secretive sect worships God…”  That is an understatement- would you agree? The scene being shown is of a regular prayer service from that time that included small groups of folks sitting in circles around one person and praying for them. The announcer goes on in the same line of thought, “… regularly screaming to split the ears of devils…delivering this man and others from demons inside them so they can walk with God.” The next scene is shown from below, looking up into a member’s face as he received prayer. I recognize this man “getting prayer” and the one above him praying.

    The announcer continues, “Until now, many of the members may have been kept in the dark about allegations of child abuse, sexual molestation and unlawful imprisonment and cult like mind control techniques.” As the announcer speaks these statements, footage of members going in and out of the church building is shown. One can recognize very clearly, Frank and Robin Webster going in the front door of the sanctuary along with others. The scene shifts to a view of Jane Whaley standing in a parking lot and speaking with Ray Farmer in the background. You can tell Jane is speaking, but, you cannot follow her words. The announcer continues, “Their leader is 55 year old Jane Whaley, a former school teacher with no formal theological training…”  

   Continue reading Investigation of WOFF – Inside Edition – 1995 (2) →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Searching Questions for WOFF Members

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  In a recent post titled, “Is it the Love of God or Jane-Love?” -link-https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4589,  I quoted from Steven Hassan’s first book, “Combatting Mind Control” (Copyright©1988, 1990 by Steven Hassan, Park Street Press, ISBN: 0-89281-311-3). I referenced a section titled, “Asking Questions: The Key to Protecting Yourself From Destructive Cults”. For that post, I only used two of the questions he suggested. Today, we will review all the questions. Following each question, I will offer my perspective after having been a member of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).

   The front of Hassan’s book has several endorsements from which I will quote two in hopes of bringing some perspective of how well respected and admired Steven Hassan’s work has become.

   “A valuable, well written book on a topic of genuine importance. Steve Hassan explains precisely how cults operate to control minds and, in the process, he provides sharp insights into how the influence process works in everyday situations as well.”       Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D –Author of “Influence”

   “Anyone who has witnessed a loved one rapidly slips into the emotionally insulated and distant world of a cult knows the extent and swiftness of its catastrophic effects. Few people understand the mechanisms by which these devastating seductions are systematically engineered by cult leaders. Steve Hassan knows from experience. Through his examples and analyses, we finally witness how cults work and learn how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from them.”  Stephen Josephs, Ed.D. Psychologist- Founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Neuro-Linguistic Programming

   Again, these questions are from the section titled, ““Asking Questions: The Key to Protecting Yourself From Destructive Cults”. (pages 106-110) Hassan introduces the subject noting a very important characteristic of those in cults, “Although most groups use deception, it is important to realize that most cult members don’t realize they are lying in the process of recruitment. For that reason, by asking these direct questions one after another, you can usually discover that either you are not being told a straight story, or the cult member does not have the straight story to begin with.” (page 106)

   Continue reading Searching Questions for WOFF Members →

Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Investigation of WOFF – Inside Edition – 1995 (1)

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  In 1995, Inside Edition aired two segments on Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. Bill O’Reilly actually was the announcer for the first segment! Inside Edition had acquired much of their information and footage from the Trinity Foundation (link- http://www.trinityfi.org ). The Trinity Foundation sent an undercover investigator inside WOFF. If I remember correctly, his name was Pete Evans. Also, if my memory serves me right, the investigator had a camera in his glasses that would film the activities within the services. During this time, I lived in Greenville, SC and attended special meetings at WOFF.

   This week I was able to secure a copy of the two segments that were aired in 1995. At some point in the future I hope to be able to provide access to these segments on this blog. But, for now, I will quote and comment on the content and my share memories from that time period. Before we proceed, I realize that many who are suffering under the hand of WOFFness were small children in 1995 or have joined the church since that time. If for no other reason, I hope to provide some back ground for those that were too young to realize what was happening  and/or give some perspective to those who were unaware of these segments aired by Inside Edition. These are not the episodes that were aired about Lacy Wein. That material can be found on YouTube® – here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPpbmDDRm8M

   The first Inside Edition segment, broadcast in February 1995, opens with scenes from a group prayer session. A voice is heard from within the church saying, “..in Jesus Name…” and the group begins the motions and sounds which all former member know were indicative of the blasting, loud prayer and deliverance sessions so common at WOFF. The announcer begins by saying, “They are raising the rafters in this church trying to scare the devil out of these kids with a bizarre form of prayer…but, is it spiritual healing or downright child abuse..?” Then a former member is shown saying, “I got hit so hard one time, I almost flew over the desk…” Next, a child psychologist is shown saying, “If you look at the kids faces, it is really quite fascinating, they’re dead.”  About the time she says this you are shown images of a lady putting her fingers to the face of a child on each side of his mouth and pushing upward as if to create a smile. I recognized the child, his mother and the lady trying to force the child to smile. This gesture was to encourage the child to get his “happy face”. Right?

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

WOFF Members are Jane’s “Help”

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   This past Sunday I went to Hickory, NC and actually went in a movie theater and viewed “The Help”. For those who have not seen the movie, it is well worth your time. This was only my second trip into a movie theater since leaving Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The first time was several months ago when I saw “Toy Story 3”. It was in 3D! That movie had a subplot which included several toys breaking away from a toy cult inside a daycare. See clip here.. http://disney.go.com/videos/#/videos/characters/pixar/&content=1715474

  Now my second theater adventure was “The Help”. I will provide information about the movie and the give reason for the title of this post. Here is a Review from DreamWorks:

The Help stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny-three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed-even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. — (C) DreamWorks

(source link- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_help/trailers/11146032 )

   This film was written and directed by Tate Taylor. I will share a few trailers to give a better feel for the plot. The first trailer is a great overview and introduction.

  Continue reading WOFF Members are Jane’s “Help” →

Books, Resources, Uncategorized

9/11 – Where Were You? Who Will Forget?

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  This past week and especially the last 24 hours have been filled with ceremonies, pictorials, memorials to those who died on 9/11/01. It has been ten years since that fateful day. Do you remember where you were when you first found out? I was taking an early morning walk and Mitchell Henderson called me. We both attended Word of Life Church (aka Grace and Truth Fellowship) in Greenville, SC. The church leadership, as directed from the sister church – Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC, did not condone televisions in the homes of regular members. Mitchell had heard about the events on his job and called to let me know. The first plane had hit but not the second one. I asked him if the tower had collapsed yet and then commented that it sounded like terrorists. As far as my work schedule for that day, it fell apart as no one wanted to talk business. Everyone was following the events and the developments across this nation. I did not have a working television in my home and had to catch up-dates elsewhere.  

   The day was a Tuesday. Word of Life Church had Tuesday night fellowship meetings and many of us gathered at the church and watched the events unfolding and videos of the towers collapsing in the school building on “monitors”. I distinctly remember standing behind NB and watching over her shoulder as the scenes were replayed on the screen. I turned away as the scenes were filled with pictures of the jumpers who leapt off the Tower in order not to be burned alive. All of these scenes became part of the story and etched in our memories- probably forever. Who can forget?

   The air waves have been filled with stories of tragic loss. Last night, as I viewed a movie about Flight 93 I was stuck by the many conversations that passengers were able to have with their relatives before the plane was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The passengers were able to avert another terrorist victory because they received information from those calls to relatives. That was an interesting piece of the puzzle.

Continue reading 9/11 – Where Were You? Who Will Forget? →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Emotional Control, Uncategorized

Is it the Love of God or Jane-Love?

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    During my time inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I witnessed many things. I heard Jane Whaley preach many “strange and wonderful things”- or so I thought.  During my last few months there and especially after I left I began to experience some of the things Jane had taught and encouraged her members to believe and act upon. One of those things was the shunning of friends and family. As the months have passed and I have written about WOFF practices, none has been so devastating to me and the many other folks who find themselves on the receiving end of such behaviors. I have been contacted by many fathers as well as brothers, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and other relatives who recount the same or very similar stories. They have been cut-off from contact either gradually over time or over one incident. It could have been as simple as the television or as drastic as wearing shorts or jeans. But, in every case at least that I am aware of the cut-off and shunning of a relative was in order for the WOFF member to show loyalty to and love for Jane Whaley and her rules. The WOFF-spin was that the person who left did not “love God” or was “attacking Jane” by leaving or how they acted or what they had said. For those who live in the surrounding community and see the well groomed WOFF-life being lived before them, let me give more details. For all that shines is not gold.

    The WOFF-dramas that tear apart families are not hashed out in the view of public – well, except those child custody cases seen in the courts. Those follow a script and for the most part end up in the parent that leaves getting very little actual visitation with children still in WOFF. A few WOFF-children have chosen the non-WOFF parent and have left. But, they did so facing the cost of losing WOFF friends, WOFF School, and regular contact with the WOFF-parent that stayed inside the supposed “Christian” church known as WOFF.

   The scenario I am more familiar with both from being inside and now being outside for three years, includes the family members who stay, refusing any contact with those who have left WOFF. This part of the WOFF-drama is hard to explain even to one who has seen it from both sides. Why? I believe that many that see the glitter and glamour of WOFF-life do not actually see the trauma and drama for those inside and those that make their way out.  So, for those in the community, appearances can be deceiving. The price to pay to stay and play is high for sure. I saw it in other lives before it came to be a part of mine. I saw other families being torn apart but, not one day before it began to happen to me, did I think I would be a victim of Jane-love. 

   Continue reading Is it the Love of God or Jane-Love? →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Religion Used as a Narcissist’s Tool of Control (7) – Bad Boundaries

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    This is the seventh in a series about the subject of narcissism. The source book has been – “Why is it Always About You? The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism” (Copyright©2002, 2003 by Sandy Hotchkiss, LCSW, published by FREE PRESS, ISBN-13:978-0-7432-1428-5). I have been quoting excerpts from the source book and comparing them to my experiences at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Our last post on this book focused on the author’s explanation of “Exploitation” in chapter 6. I have put forth my ideas while attempting to explain the author’s observations in light of the religious setting of WOFF. This post will end this part of the series. In a future post, we will revisit the resource book and review the author’s views on “Survival Strategies for a Narcissistic World”- Part III of her book.  

   Hotchkiss begins this chapter by giving some background and perspective as to the importance of having the proper perspective as to our Self and others. Though we are “by nature social creatures who thrive on meaningful affiliations with family, friends and community. We all need to belong to something, someone outside of ourselves… The soundness of the boundary between Self and others will affect not only how we perceive ourselves but how we experience other people and to a certain extent how we are treated by them. Good boundaries, the recognition of separateness, make for healthy relationships.” (page 27) 

   Let me put the author’s comments in light of the religious system of WOFF. In a previous posts, I shared that in the WOFF religion, the concept of “Self” is distorted at best and disdained as a norm. At least for regular members, the boundary of “Self” is not nurtured or respected, but, preached as evil and not having worth. Can we forget the message titled “Living Segmented Lives”, which taught that “God did not want us living “separate lives”…” The net effect was to further condemn those who wanted to have a healthy “Self”- which was seen as evil. What may have sounded like “truth” was in practice used to bind and control members. As a WOFF member, “Why would you put your needs before God’s people or Jane?”

    Additionally, who can count the times that Jane would address the congregation as one and lump us all in together as full of sin, evil, full of lust and the cause of her long worrisome hours of prayer and sleepless nights? When sin was discovered in one member, it was preached and taught as being in all. There were numerous services where different “sins” associated with “Self” were “dealt with”. Jane used the Scriptures referencing the “Body” of Christ as a tool to destroy any healthy “Self” by using the need to “belong to something, someone outside of ourselves…” as a means to submit to her unhealthy application of a Scriptural principle.   

   Continue reading Religion Used as a Narcissist’s Tool of Control (7) – Bad Boundaries →