This is the next installment seeking to answer the question of how Jane Whaley controls the members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The first post only covered two parts of the answer. There are several parts to the answer to the ever resounding question. Here is the summary from the first post…

From Phillips’ work, we learn that many people have and will confuse the voice of their conscience with the voice of God. He says that the conscience is not a reliable source of guidance because even though some would argue it is our final moral guide; the conscience can be trained with wrong perspectives from our environment and/or the people around us from whom we take counsel. In our desperation for answers to life’s important issues, we often seek answers from our peers or ones we respect. In my opinion, Jane Whaley’s narcissism colors her perspectives and when seekers come to her, the counsel given is ultimately oriented to serve her and the voice of her conscience which she claims is the voice of God Himself.

In essence, Jane commandeers and seeks to supersede the ability of her faithful members to hear the voice of their conscience and/or if we may say- the voice of God speaking to them individually. Her position of super-spiritual authority demands that her faithful members relinquish the right to assert that they can or have heard the direction for their life independent of her required input or approval. The culmination of this process is more gradual for some than others. For those recruited into the group, the process of surrender to Jane may come in small steps of surrender masked or euphemistically labeled as surrender to the will of God. At any point along the journey, a new recruit may stop to consider the outcome of denying Jane the control she requires and demands, but, the consequences of refusal would be severe and will be the source of major emotional trauma and damage. Refusing Jane her control over you may cost your job, your home, your family and years of lost enjoyment of life.

Continue reading The Question: How does Jane Whaley control her members of Word of Faith Fellowship? (2) →

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.

Continue reading The Question: How does Jane Whaley control her members of Word of Faith Fellowship? (1) →