This is the fifth post in a series about my personal experience and observations of loud prayer, blasting and deliverance. These observations are from the entire 16 year span of meetings in Greenville, SC and at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The blasting and deliverance were the signature practices of WOFF during my years there. Please, read the previous posts in order to have a background understanding to this material.
At times, people would be grouped for “deliverance” prayer for a certain purpose. Children could be grouped to pray against rebellion, back-talking or unclean thoughts. Adults could be grouped to pray against fear of death, unclean thoughts, perversion. If you participated in Free Masons, Eastern Star, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Amway, witchcraft, karate or martial arts of any type – you could be in a deliverance group for that. In order to set-up these groups, the chairs in the sanctuary may be stacked or moved to the side to make room for the deliverance circles. Most of the time leadership would take to the stage to oversee the groups and who was getting prayer for what. If someone in leadership needed prayer, then that group would include those who were “carrying that person’s life.”
During the set-up for the prayer, there was the need to supply folks with paper products for coughing and nose blowing. Paper towels, facial tissue or toilet paper were the acceptable sources for this need. Some folks would prepare a stack of paper towels to hand out to the person getting prayer or to others in the group as needed. The set-up of the prayer groups could take several minutes.
Some observations during these group prayer times. LOUD. I wore earplugs during the later years and could hear the prayer- just fine. I found tissue paper in the ears a lot less effective that ear plugs rated for at least 30 decibels of protection. I usually carried them with me when I was headed to church and having loud prayer was a possibility.
This is the fourth post in a series about my experiences with “loud prayer”, “blasting” and “deliverance” while in Greenville, SC and later Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) at Spindale, NC. My entire time in this group spanned from 1992 to 2008. The amounts of loud prayer or deliverance varied as time went on. During my last few years at WOFF, there were fewer extended prayer meetings than in the early years. The length of most meetings was shortened and we were told to “get the children home quickly to get them in bed”. Seminar meetings were put on a more regular schedule as well as the number of meetings reduced. In the early seminars, there would be three meetings a day. In recent years, there were only two meetings a day during week long seminars. Most every seminar series of meetings ended with a “fellowship dinner”. This was not the case in the beginning.
Jane Whaley and the members at WOFF may claim these posts are “persecution”. However, telling my personal experiences is not meant to hurt or wound. I just desire to tell it like it was during my days in arguably one of the most controversial religious groups in western North Carolina. Since much of the time in my years at WOFF, there was limited access to the media, including newspapers; I did not realize the full scope of the controversy until I left and began to learn about things not shared with regular members. Not all members of WOFF know the full details of the many court cases originating from child custody disputes or other issues.
As far as I remember being told, Jane Whaley began to practice deliverance in prayer groups before 1979(?) when she and her husband, Sam returned to Rutherford county from Tulsa, OK. If not in 1979 (?), I think it was soon there after that Jane and Sam departed from their relationship with Kenneth Hagin Ministries. The pivotal issue was deliverance and the question- “Can Christians have devils?” Jane Whaley, Sam and their followers believed that deliverance was essential and Christians could have demons in them. Sam Whaley had been a teacher at Rhema Bible School for Kenneth Hagin Ministries in Tulsa, OK. He had traveled to many countries sharing the teachings of Rhema. This of course ended when WOFF was started.
This is the third in a series of posts about my personal experience with loud prayer, blasting and deliverance. My first contact with this practice was in 1992, in Greenville, SC . This small, independent church was not formally organized or connected with WOFF. However, in practice this church was a sister-church and would in 2002, merge with WOFF. Leaders from Greenville would regularly attend WOFF in the late 80’s and early 90’s on through 2002. This laid the foundation for the merging of the two groups.
“Loud prayer” is actually a term coined later in my time at the Greenville church and later WOFF. In the early days, it was called “blasting devils” or “deliverance”, “hitting devils in someone” or “hitting the heavens” or some other phrases. After the public scrutiny which came through several child custody cases at WOFF and the DSS lawsuit, then the use of certain terms faded and others became popular.
Whatever the term used for whatever time period, the prayer was loud! Generally, in the early days- louder was “better”. If the person was praying in a weak manner, then they would usually get help in the form of someone coming beside them and praying “with strength”. This was meant to help the person get a breakthrough to be able to pray with strength. Yes, behavior modeling in the most basic form. I know because during my time there, I was helped and some times helped others.
“Blasting” prayer was a shrill sound emanating from pushing the diaphragm upwards and using the vocal chords to make the shrill sound as seen in the previously listed video. Using the upper throat could damage your vocal chords. Most every time, after a period of prayer folks would sound hoarse. Cough drops – many times Halls®, would be recommended and sometimes passed out to folks for relief. This blasting prayer would be performed in small groups or with the entire church prayer for a certain purpose. Group prayer or prayer groups for individuals could last for two or more hours. You prayed until the person got a “breakthrough”. This of course could cause much sweat and some level of exhaustion. Fans were placed in the Greenville church as the building was small and could get warm during prayer times.
First, for this post, some background to understand how I came to be a part of the Greenville church that became associated with WOFF. Before moving to Greenville, my wife and I were a part of a church in Summerville, SC. While in that church, I had a problem saying “no”. When something needed to be done, many times I would volunteer. It was not a healthy situation. The pastor carried a heavy load and he appreciated the help when it came his way. However, my desire to help outran my maturity level. The pastor tried to correct the situation and I mistook his help as a personal attack. So, after leaving that church, I was in need of some guidance. I had been a part of four churches since 1983. Two of the four were ones in which the leader/founder did not submit to oversight from an association or group of elders. Unfortunately, though this set-up brings with it issues; I did not see that as a danger, at that time.
The pastors of the Greenville church had contact with my wife in years prior to 1992.We visited the church and thus encountered loud prayer, blasting and deliverance. After a few visits to Greenville, we moved to become a part of the church. This church was a small, independent church with no formal ties to WOFF. However, as we began to learn; that was in the process of changing. The Greenville church had formed a growing alliance with Jane Whaley and WOFF. The leaders from Greenville had taken several trips to WOFF and begun to bring back the message taught by Jane Whaley at WOFF. The transition for me into this church occured during the first quarter of 1992. Prior to first visiting the church in Greenville, I did not know anything about Jane Whaley or Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).
The first experience with loud prayer was the second service at the Greenville church. The first service we were late and missed the prayer. Upon arriving at the second service, immediately the drums and loud noise could be heard in the parking lot. Shrugging off any questions, we went in and there encountered a prayer service like none other I had ever seen. Afterwards, I voiced my questions and was provided with answers about the prayer. As many years have passed since that time; I do not remember my exact questions, but a few scriptures provided during that time stuck with me.
“But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has [already] come upon you.” Luke 11:20 Amplified
“After the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion [pride, vanity, haughtiness] and has purged the bloodstains of Jerusalem from the midst of it by the spirit and blast of judgment and by the spirit and blast of burning and sifting. “ Isaiah 4:4 Amplified
Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth! Job 37:2 Amplified
This series of posts will be my personal experiences and reflections on my involvement with “loud prayer”, “blasting” and “deliverance”. These practices of loud prayer, blasting and deliverance are no doubt considered the signature practices of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). This group has received more public scrutiny because of “loud prayer”, “blasting” and “deliverance” than any other activity. Though a person could pray loud and receive deliverance if praying by themselves; most every time this activity involved other folks in small or large groups. My desire is not impugn or attack in anyway other members who participated alongside me in these activities and prayer meetings. I will not suppose to assess the sincerity or insincerity of others as I do share my personal reflections in a very sincere manner. WOFF members who read this or have it read to them, may no doubt at first feel shocked and maybe offended with the observations I will share. That is not my intent. I desire to answer the questions of many who have never been a part of loud prayer or deliverance by sharing my unique perspective. By holding back, keeping secrets or not sharing the details, I would do a disservice to my readers.
The practice of hiding what went on in WOFF services or closed door meetings is the very thing that allows Jane Whaley to keep much of her power over members. The hiding of what went on at WOFF also furthers the deceptive facade that keeps the surrounding community ignorant and feeding on the pablum put out by Jane and her leadership.
What is “loud prayer” or “blasting”? What is “deliverance”? How did it start at WOFF? Is it practiced other places? What scriptures are used as the basis for these practices- if any? Why would one submit themselves to these activities? Who would participate? How long were the meetings of prayer and deliverance? Did the children participate? These are some of the questions I will attempt to answer. Remember also, my perspective is one of attending meetings for 10 years from an hour away and then being inside the group for six years until July 2008. I do not practice loud prayer or deliverance now, nor do I know of any ex-WOFF members that do. One ex-member expressed his hesitation in telling others that he participated in this kind of prayer. It brought many questions he was not comfortable in answering. I welcome the questions. As I write these words, I also face the risk of further separating myself from some that I love dearly. To them, I ask for grace in hopes that one day understanding will come.
A fellow from Inside Edition® came into WOFF and taped some of the prayer meetings. Here is a link to watch what he filmed… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPpbmDDRm8M The prayer groups depicted in this video were actual folks in loud prayer or “blasting” sessions. I recognize many of them. I will not comment on the young lady in the video, at this time. Needless to say this caused no smal stir at WOFF.
Another video surfaced on YouTube.com® from years ago of Jane Whaley at a church in Sweden. This is from a time in the late 80’s… Jane is talking about deliverance, groanings and “getting devils out of you”… Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mipon05dGks
In future posts in this series, I will explain more about the terms “blasting”, “deliverance” and “loud prayer”. Also, I will answer the questions listed above while sharing some of the reasonings presented and my personal account of what happened to me during these sessions. I will share my thoughts and the physical effects felt during these sessions. Before I finish, I will give observations made of others who were in these groups and the group behavior dynamics that appeared to be working during these sessions. My experience is no more special or unique than others who have been at WOFF. But, they are my experiences and I believe by sharing them, it will be a help to others.
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