Category Archives: Criteria for Cults

What critieria should one use to determine if a group is a cult?

Why is WOFF Obsessed with the Holocaust?

    Recently, in a discussion on Facebook®, this question was posed. It is a valid question. For one, is there any other church in North Carolina besides Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) that has been so taken up with this historic event? If there is one, it has not crossed my radar. Also, there were academic areas of emphasis in years past, remember the science conferences or the Thomas Jefferson conference? None of the others have developed into a road show. Road show? Yes, see the article here from an online newspaper in Deming, New Mexico. WOFF is taking it on the road, again. http://www.demingheadlight.com/ci_18082999?IADID=Search-www.demingheadlight.com-www.demingheadlight.com

   Here is an excerpt: Guests to the Night to Honor Israel will have a chance to see works of art on display, courtesy of the Holocaust Museum in Spindale, North Carolina. The museum was a dream come true for the Word of Faith Fellowship and the Word of Faith Christian School in North Carolina. Students, grades K-12 have their works of art across the nation, and now Deming can tour choice works on display at the DPS auditorium.   

   Let me say I was there during the gestation period for the budding event. Who could have seen the development of this academic interest into a full blown take it on the road display? Some years later, I took the online Holocaust class through Cleveland Community College taught by Karel Reynolds from WOFF. The class was enjoyable though the irony did not fully hit me until I left the group. We were studying the beginnings of the Third Reich as Hitler came to power as Chancellor. Some of the restrictions he imposed on the Jews, as well as the Germans sounded awfully familiar. Why did I not see them while inside? I believe it was because of the blind zeal for Jane Whaley and the WOFF cause. Regardless if Hitler stole and violated personal freedoms of the Jews and then the Germans, we at WOFF were “learning God’s ways and walking with Jesus”.  It was as if we were thinking, “If we are in a cult, Jane will tell us!” Really?

   “To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.” Benjamin Franklin

   Continue reading Why is WOFF Obsessed with the Holocaust?

This Privilege Has Been Paid For With Blood….

   As could be expected, freedom of expression does necessarily bring with it a voicing of opinions and with that privilege we then must come face to face with the reality that there are different views and opinions. With the expression of different opinions can come heated discussion and in some minds controversy. For some, this is unacceptable. For some, the world should be a place for peace, peace. Reality tells us that is just not the case. And for that we should all be grateful.

     When researching the concept of “freedom of expression”, we must cite some obvious sources. An obvious choice would be our U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

   Other sources that would help with the understanding of the idea of freedom of expression or freedom of speech would include some text found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#cite_note-22

 “A succession of English thinkers developed the idea of a right to freedom of expression, starting with John Milton (1608–74), then John Locke (1632–1704) and culminating in John Stuart Mill (1806–1873). Locke established the individual as the unit of value and the bearer of rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness. It was the role of Government to protect these rights and this belief was first enshrined in the US Constitution, with the First Amendment adding the guarantee that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”. John Stuart Mill argued that human freedom is good and without it there can be no progress in science, law or politics, which according to Mill required free discussion of opinion. Mill’s On Liberty, published in 1859 became a classic defence of the right to freedom of expression.[21] Mill argued that truth drives out falsity, therefore the free expression of ideas, true or false, should not be feared. Truth is not stable or fixed, but evolves with time. Mill argued that much of what we once considered true has turned out false. Therefore views should not be prohibited for their apparent falsity. Mill also argued that free discussion is necessary to prevent the “deep slumber of a decided opinion”. Discussion would drive the onwards march of truth and by considering false views the basis of true views could be re-affirmed.[23]  

    Continue reading This Privilege Has Been Paid For With Blood….

WOFF is UNSAFE? Doubters Read This- Please.

    Below is a repost from another blog. Yes, it happens to be my mother’s blog. She gave me a heads-up about the content and actually finished the post before the day for the Spring Missions Project where I wore a sign which read- WOFF is UNSAFE. Word of Faith Fellowship is WOFF. In the previous post, I never really explained just how WOFF was/is UNSAFE. Obviously, I just assumed everyone knew especially if they were a reader of this blog for any length of time. In order to clear-up any lingering doubt, let me list a few things that were/are in danger while inside of WOFF. Danger is one synonym of unsafe. I used “unsafe” because it left more up to interpretation, but I have no problem saying that certain things were in DANGER, if you were/are a member of WOFF.

    The number one thing in danger for a WOFF member was/is any true relationship with God they had before they went into the group. By her practices, Jane Whaley seeks to slide between her members and God. She “hears God” when they are wrong and when they are “right”, which is seldom. The later being when she helps them “clear-up a few things” and makes sure they are “hearing accurately”. Hearing God or walking with God without Jane’s input or control was/is not part of the practices of WOFF. She was “responsible” for your soul- so she said then and I presume still says now. Being “responsible” gave her a right to direct, impede, monitor, in WOFF-reality – overtake and replace your personal relationship with God. To me, that was/is dangerous.

   Other relationships which may suffer greatly or be in true danger were/are your family relationships. That would include those inside and outside the group. The following repost deals with family relationships outside of WOFF. I will let my mother speak to the hurt and bewilderment. As for family relationships with those inside WOFF, they are always subject to Jane’s intervention as well as the level of blinding zeal one person in the relationship may have or want to acquire. Different levels of consuming zeal for WOFF-life and what that entails can strain marriage or parent-child relationship. That also should be obvious from the total number of “family” relationships which have been wrecked by the intervention of a “spiritual parent”. To allow a “spiritual parent” to be a guide or “someone you lock-in with” (translated – tell your heart issues to and submit to their directives) was seen as another level of WOFF-zeal called “submission”. This could have been Jane or it could have been someone else in leadership under Jane’s direction. Do you see the dangers here?  

    Continue reading WOFF is UNSAFE? Doubters Read This- Please.

A Blinding Zeal

   Earlier this evening, I was in Wal-Mart® in Forest City, NC helping someone get groceries. This person was a former member of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). As I stood by the entrance to the store talking with the greeter, who I had not seen in a long while; a present member of WOFF walked by me. I was not sure she recognized me. I knew who she was immediately. Later in the evening, I responded to an email from another ex-WOFF member and mentioned this person in my email. I wrote, “I saw (her name) tonight at WalMart® and felt sorry for her. Her “zeal” was blinding at times, as was mine- I am sure.” The term “zeal” stuck with me as I remembered a song we used to sing in years past at WOFF. If I remember right, Jane stopped us from singing it. My first time singing this song was in 1984 at a church in Sheldon, SC. It was titled simply- “The Zeal of God”. Though different groups may modify the original words, here are the words as I remember them:

THE ZEAL OF GOD

 THE ZEAL OF GOD HAS CONSUMED ME

IT BURNS IN MY SOUL

A DRIVING FORCE THAT CAN NOT BE STOPPED

A FIRE THAT CAN NOT BE QUENCHED

OH  HALLELUJAH,  HALLELUJAH

OH HALLELUJAH,

HALLE- HALLE-HALLE-HALLELUJAH

    Continue reading A Blinding Zeal

Update: Raimund Melz – Mountain Rock Church – Pictures

   In previous posts, we have drawn from the movie “Join Us”. We have provided several posts reviewing material in the movie. The film is presented by Interloper Films along with Lusitan and was produced by Ondi Timoner and Vasco Lucas Nunes. (Copyright© Third Floor Productions, LLC 2007). The film has a dedicated website with supporting information. The site is www.joinusthemovie.co . One of the posts was titled: Join Us – Reflections and Comparisons (3) link: https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=3511

    Toward the end of the movie, I found several points of interest I believed worthy of mention. My point of reference was/is comparing and contrasting the material found in this documentary of members of a religious cult in South Carolina to my time of involvement with Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. We have noted several comparisons in previous posts, but yet I have found more.

   Near the end of the film, Patrick Provost-Smith a Professor of the History of Christianity at Harvard Divinity School was shown saying these words: “Anyone can claim to be a pastor, if they have a following… What one can look at in terms of a warning sign for realizing one is involved in an extreme group is that one can no longer account for one’s self as a human being as a person with thoughts, with ambitions… if only your pastor can tell you who you are to the extent that you have no story left of your own – leave.”  Does this happen at WOFF? Do any of the faithful regular members have their own story or does Jane Whaley tell them who they are – either directly or indirectly through the use of religious mind control? Quite frankly, while I was in the group, I did not have see how much control WOFF/Jane and her leadership had over my life. I was under the illusion until the last few months of my time there that I was in control of my life and “walk with God”. What a joke! That was the major part of the deception.  In my opinion, WOFF members do not see or are even allowed to admit to themselves or others that there is a problem with WOFF-life. WOFF members are required to check their religious freedoms, as well as other freedoms that others in this country enjoy- check them at the door give them up for the faux promise of “fulfilling their call” and making it into heaven. It is no wonder people leave that group in emotional turmoil and upheaval. There is such an adjustment to make when exiting any religious control group. “Join Us” documents some of the struggles.  

Continue reading Update: Raimund Melz – Mountain Rock Church – Pictures

After WOFF – Times of Reflection

    As I start this post, I do not fully know the direction it will take or the content it will have when I finish. Many times, I outline a rough draft of a post at least in my mind before I even begin typing. This time is different. It is my usual time to write, after 1:00AM. This place seems intensely quiet as the rolling menagerie of the day seems to fade in and out. The reflections of the past and the present seem to roll over and over in my heart and mind. The future is a hope and a budding dream that unfolds one day, one week, and one month at a time.

    During these last few days, I must admit an aversion to writing for this blog. That must be obvious as the frequency of the posts has dwindled since the end of April. Those that follow close are not surprised as I am passing through another crossroads in my life. Contrary to the claims of some, my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) has a lot of bearing on this crossroads, this time of reflection and place of decision. Let me explain.

    My first encounter with WOFF and Jane Whaley was the May seminar of 1992. WOFF members have taken the week of Memorial Day to have “seminars” since before I was even a part of the group. As far as I know, this will continue as the reasoning has been “our members are already off work”, it is easier to get together and hear God. This week long “seminar” has traditionally served as the last week of classes for the school children. May has been an exciting month for WOFF members in the past. The first seminar I attended held such a wide range of emotions and feelings. It was my first exposure to such a large group participating in “blasting and deliverance”. Later, the term “loud prayer” would be used to lessen the effects of the term “blasting”. It also was my first experience in seeing who ran WOFF- Jane Whaley. That was obvious from the very first meeting(s).

    Continue reading After WOFF – Times of Reflection

Follow the Money and Consider the End Game…

     In previous posts, we have reviewed some excerpts from the work by Tim Reiterman- “Raven”. Reiterman co-authored 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)  The link to the most recent post is here… https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=3343 . There are more similarities in the story of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple when comparing them to Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).

    As I have continued reading “Raven”, I have been amazed at the revelations about life in the Peoples Temple. The mechanisms set-up to secure funds to hoard and in part pay for Temple needs was elaborate. One aspect was the number of folks on public assistance. “Officials found that 17 percent of the Jonestown residents had been on SSI, compared with a 2 percent national average… A November 1979 “Investigation Report on Peoples Temple” prepared by the California Department of Social Services, found that of 992 Temple members checked, 550 — about 55 percent—had a history of receiving public assistance of some sort. According to the report, 109 of the 550 continued to receive assistance in Guyana, and 51 of those cases were “potentially fraudulent.” Fifteen cases involved forgeries on checks and 36 cases involved parents, spouses or grandparents fraudulently signing public assistance checks after the rest of the family had migrated to Guyana.”(page 591) The national average for those receiving public assistance today is around 40%, sadly enough. But, the point is that this ploy was just another in the many used by Peoples Temple to obtain funds. Why? Because Temple members signed over their income checks of any type to the church and were given an allowance. “People signed over pay checks and disability, welfare and social security checks, receiving in return room, board, medical care and other benefits.” (page 256) “The Temple would monitor and maintain control of every dime, paying rent, phone bills, and other allowable expenses. Wage earners signed over their checks; in turn, they were allotted a certain amount of money for their needs and had to submit requisition slips for the rent, even personal articles such as toothpaste, shampoo and sanitary napkins… The very day she (Joyce) handed the church an $800 paycheck, she had to submit a request for $10 for the children’s monthly birthday party outing.” (page 297) This financial arrangement was included in what was called at Peoples Temple – “going communal”.

   Continue reading Follow the Money and Consider the End Game…