As I begin to write this series of posts, it strikes me as odd that it has taken me so long to come to some conclusion or feasible answer to the question: How does Jane Whaley exercise control over her members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? This is a question I have had to face many times since leaving the group. Well meaning folks have posed it in many different forms. Jane Whaley herself had openly scoffed at the notion while I was inside the group. She would sarcastically mock those who accused her of controlling over 400 members. How could she do that? She was only one person. And over the years, at different points while writing this blog, I have experienced sentinel moments of epiphany that moved me closer to a satisfactory answer. This series of posts is meant to explain the next step of my understanding of this complex subject.
This part of the answer will not come from directly comparing Jane to leaders of other groups that exhibit the same or similar practices. That part of the foundation of my answer has been well documented. Next, let me address the scoffing that I have witnessed Jane herself exhibit at the above question. It would be difficult for the patient to accurately diagnose this disease. Would anyone really expect her to layout with any understanding the reason why or methods she employs to work her deeds over so many? Does a cat know it is a cat? Does a dog know it is a dog? Does a person who exhibits such pathological behaviors really understand the deviousness and destructiveness of their own behaviors? I see no evidence that she does. So, even though Jane will be made aware of these posts, I don’t expect her to call and thank me.