Tag Archives: Cult Criteria

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Show Me the “Church-Facts”! (1)

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   Who besides faithful WOFF members has not seen the cute commercials that advertise the CARFAX® service? While a customer is looking over a potential used car for purchase, the “Car-Fox” somehow catches the eyes of the prospective car buyer and prompts then to ask the unwilling car salesman to “Show me the CARFAX®.” To which the car salesman replies with a statement meant to divert the customer to another great “feature” of the car. The advertising is effective. I have used the service in my line of work and for myself when considering the purchase of a used car. The reports include many things such as service records, any reported accidents and mileage verifications. The data is supposed to provide some level of comfort and knowledge about the used car or truck being considered. The reports can be found here www.carfax.com .

   This week, it occurred to me, wouldn’t it be helpful to centralize in one place the facts about a church or group that one may be considering joining? Would it have been helpful to know the facts about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) before I slipped among them in 1992? I had heard a vague report from someone who had heard from someone else… but, that did not catch my attention as it should have. What is there was a central location to keep the facts about churches or groups that one could or would join? What would be included?

    Okay, there are some websites out there like www.freedomofmind.com and www.factnet.org that would be helpful for ANYONE to check out before joining a church or group. But, who knows about these sites before they or one of their friends ends up getting burned by one of the groups listed? I did not know about these websites, were they even around in 1992? Now that the tool of the Internet is available, what would be or should be included in a report on a church? What would be in the “Church-Facts”?

    Continue reading Show Me the “Church-Facts”! (1) →

Books, Resources, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

“Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (5)

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     This is the fifth post in a series which will highlight insights found in the book by Dr. Len Oakes while comparing his observations and conclusions to my personal experience inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). This work by Len Oakes titled, “Prophetic Charisma” – The Psychology of Revolutionary Religious Personalities (copyright ©1997 by Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, ISBN 0-8156-2700-9) helps explain the different aspects of the personality of cult leaders. I have found that the material in this book helps me understand what I saw while in WOFF and the behaviors of Jane Whaley.

    In previous posts, we have covered several the traits Oakes lists that “broadly characterize the prophetic personality type.” (page 12) We ended the last post with the author’s description of the manipulativeness in people with these traits. Today, we begin with Oakes describing how “aloof” these leaders can be. “To the inner circle the prophet may be quite frank about some motives, but to the world beyond and to most of the followers he is aloof. (page16) Here, I must add that I was never in the “inner circle” at WOFF. I did not attend “leadership meetings” or take part in the meetings in Jane’s office before the services. My perspective is that of a regular member. I can attest that there was a caste system with some mystical requirements to move up in the system.  Nothing was ever put in writing that I saw as to how to become “leadership” within the group.  Moving down the ladder was obvious. You could express doubt as to the validity of anything Jane said or did and your status in the group was downgraded. You would be put “in discipleship” or “out of the church” until such time that Jane felt you had “repented” and “made things right”.

    “Prophets are self-contained and autonomous, seeming to need little to nothing from others… The prophet always holds himself slightly apart from others, revealing little of his true feelings and seeming to be something of a mystery even to his long-term followers. This may mean that he is unable to have close friendships… but it can also mean that he doesn’t take conflicts personally. Provided miscreants show contrition, and the cost of the conflict has not been too great, the leader can be very indulgent and forgiving. For he sees himself as above his charges in the way a lion tamer is above his beasts; they may turn on him from time to time in misguided rebellion, but he is not like them.” (page16)

    Continue reading “Prophetic Charisma” by Len Oakes (5) →

Behavior Control, Uncategorized

Not “If”, But “When”?

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   A recent theme of certain posts has been “blind zeal”. We have discussed this as a requirement to live inside of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) for any length of time. We went over several aspects of this zeal and even why WOFF members don’t see it for what it really is- because it blinds those who live by it! See first post on this subject – “A Blinding Zeal” here- https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4118 .

   When I first began to see WOFF members display this zeal, I viewed it with awe. This was when we first started coming to WOFF in 1992. I thought this “zeal” was something to be desired or coveted. After all, most members and certainly everyone in leadership in the Greenville church could hardly talk about anything else but – “What God was doing in Spindale!” It was not until we moved to Spindale, NC to live INSIDE the group that I realized how messed up the members were and that I had lived in a fantasy while in Greenville thinking that all WOFF members had it together spiritually. That was idolatry. That idolatry was exposed quickly as I began to live among the members of WOFF. It became clear that all WOFF members did not “walk in the high places with Jesus”. How was this made clear to me? Once I went inside WOFF, I saw how EVERYONE was corrected, rebuked and placed under Jane Whaley and the “holiness” she walked in. If you harbored any doubt about who was in charge at WOFF, that doubt did not live long. From the very first meeting, I could see who ran the show.

   Today’s question concerning this required “blinding zeal”; have you noticed it in your life or the life of those around you. This question is posed to three groups. First, we will pose it to present members of WOFF. Second, we will pose it to former members. And lastly, we will ask outsiders when or if they have ever noticed the blind zeal which permeates WOFF-life? My theory from the years I spent under the teachings and dictates of Jane Whaley is this; it is not “if”, but when will you recognize this “blind zeal” in your life or the lives of those around you? Each group will need the question posed a little differently.

    Continue reading Not “If”, But “When”? →

Books, Resources, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Blind Zeal in “Minimal Loss” Episode of Criminal Minds®

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    In October of 2008, an episode aired in the Criminal Minds® television series was called “Minimal Loss”. I did not see it then since I still did not own a television even though I came out of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in July of 2008. Not until August of 2009 did I purchase a television. Some teachings of WOFF and Jane Whaley were hard to measure against the reality of “new” freedoms. Change was hard to come by after 16 years. “Minimal Loss” depicts two of the shows main characters as they attempt an investigation into a religious cult. Yes, I know the whole premise was conjecture and very much “Hollywood”. However, after watching it a few times, I began to see it as a composite of several true aspects of religious cults of years past. A conversation with a cult expert over this question confirmed my thoughts as they agreed the show was a composite depiction of certain known characteristics of cults.

    In brief, the local authorities become suspicious after a phone call is made accusing one of the male leaders of inappropriate contact with underage females. That is not unlike Tony Alamo of Alamo Ministries, Warren Jeffs of FLDS or Michael Tessner of Strong City. All of whom we have written about before and last I checked each was serving prison time for convictions on these types of crimes. The religious cult in the show lives on a compound set in many ways similar to the one the Branch Davidians lived on in Waco, TX. There are weapons and explosives and the like used during the show. Two FBI agents from the BAU team go in undercover to assess the situation and interview the younger females. The whole plan blows up literally when a State leader orders a raid based on an ongoing weapons investigation he was leading. The raid goes bad and I will not go into a lot more detail of the sequence of events except to draw out some interesting content that pertains to the theme of this blog.

   Let me acknowledge here that I am sure I do not recognize all the similarities between the show content and other cults. Even after watching it four times, I see new things. I am also sure I am set to key in on certain things that relate to my experience in WOFF and under the teachings and directives of Jane Whaley. After the State raid goes bad, the BAU is called in to negotiate with the cult leader for the best ending possible. The title of the show comes from the strategy used. Minimal Loss is the chosen strategy otherwise known as the “trickle theory”. Moves are plotted to get one person released, then maybe one or two more and then more. If at any time the negotiations break down the team would go in the extract as many as possible recognizing they will not save everyone. Some will die and in this show some did as we will mention later.   

  Continue reading Blind Zeal in “Minimal Loss” Episode of Criminal Minds® →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

Why is WOFF Obsessed with the Holocaust?

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    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? →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

This Privilege Has Been Paid For With Blood….

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   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…. →

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

WOFF is UNSAFE? Doubters Read This- Please.

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    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. →