Tag Archives: Leaving a Cult

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

The True Cost of WOFF Membership… (1)

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There are times when different themes of several posts will begin to converge and allow more insight into the life of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) members. This is just such a time. On Saturday, I pondered the events over this last week and actually the last few weeks. Without going into great detail, I have seen the cost of WOFF membership from a new perspective. After having been a member and now a former member; my experiences and observations cannot be wholly dismissed. I am not an outsider who has never seen the intimate cozy surreal almost “family atmosphere” of the homes and the church buildings.  For some, my words may still be considered highly prejudiced. Yes, that could be assumed since I have lost my immediate family, many friends and sixteen years of my life to WOFF.  But, in this post, I hope to present a more complete assessment of WOFF membership.  In this post, I will attempt to list the benefits AND what I see as the actual cost of being a WOFF member.

In recent posts, we have discussed the many conflictions and conundrums of life at WOFF. We have discussed the advertising of WOFF member-owned businesses in media that regular members are not allowed to partake of. These WOFF member-owned businesses are not advertising for new members- directly. But, if WOFF were to run some commercials on radio or television, what would it sound like? We have all seen or heard commercials for churches before. What if WOFF had to hold to the same standards as drug companies? That makes sense as some say that during a WOFF membership, some faithful members are so addicted to Jane that it can be like a drug addiction.  Hmmm…

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Stockholm Syndrome at WOFF? (1)

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 During this last week, I heard the term “Stockholm Syndrome”. Though I had a vague idea what the term meant, I took some time to read more and found a very informative resource article titled: “Love and Stockholm Syndrome: The Mystery of Loving an Abuser” The article was four separate pages with the link to the first page found here- http://counsellingresource.com/lib/therapy/self-help/stockholm/ .

The article was written by Dr. Joseph M. Carver, PhD. The website was labeled as “Counseling Resource”.

For this series of posts, I will review the parts of the article that help explain how and/or why many members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) act as they do toward and in defense of the leader, Jane Whaley. We will review the characteristics of the Stockholm Syndrome and also hopefully gain some insight as to why many WOFF members cut-off and walk away from their family members and friends.

   As the author introduces the subject, he begins by remarking when people make changes away from certain behaviors or destructive relationships, they sometimes look back and find it hard to believe they once had dark thoughts. They may even miss those negative controlling relationships. Why would this be? Socially it makes no sense to long for that which was destructive in your life. The answer may be found in understanding the Stockholm Syndrome.

   In order to bring the question closer, how many times have WOFF members heard Jane brag that former members longed to fellowship with present members?  She announced as some sort of endorsement or badge of validity that she must be doing something right! Ex-members still want to be around her as long as she didn’t “hit their sin”. Again, I believe the answers don’t validate Jane and her practices, but in truth, the answers point out just how destructive WOFF-life has been on many folks. Let’s continue.

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Books, Resources, Uncategorized

“How I got sucked into a cult…” from the UK

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    A few days ago, Google Alerts® provided a link to an article about Nick Skinner. I did not know who Nick Skinner was but, the title of the article caught my attention. The subtitle told me a little more: “Nick Skinner, husband of Savannah Miller, talks for the first time about life inside a Costa Rican cult.” I continued reading this article written by Lynne Wallis and knew it had many points that could prove helpful to our readers.

  According to Steven Hassan, a leading cult expert, there are four main types of cults. We have reviewed mostly religious cults on this blog. Other that religious cults, there are political groups, therapy/large group awareness training groups and commercial groups. Source: “Releasing the Bonds” (Copyright© by Steven Hassan 2000, A Freedom of Mind Press Book, ISBN: 0-9670688-0-0) It helped me to review this article and see the common techniques used in the group Nick Skinner became a part of and the practices of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The link to view the entire article is here – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9061694/How-Igot-sucked-into-a-cult.html . We will only review certain parts that coincide or appear similar to the practices of WOFF we have discussed here on this blog.

  Skinner begins, “People don’t tend to go looking to join a cult,” he says. “Instead, curious and often idealistic people are led into recruitment and their lives are then ruined. That is certainly what happened to me.”  Well, that seems to fit the WOFF experience. How many WOFF members, present and pervious were drawn into Jane Whaley’s group by their desire to “know God”, have a family living in God’s ways… I can say for myself that there was certainly the curious idealism that led me to be a part of WOFF. Oh, it was disguised as “seeking the call of God” or “wanting to know more of God’s ways”. In reality, I look back and remember the curiosity and desire to live the life God had for me and yet I did not use any discernment or verify anything about WOFF. It was so easy to believe what was going on at WOFF as being the “move of God”… because I wanted to believe it.  I have done more research about a car I wanted to buy than performing any research or verifying the past of Sam and Jane Whaley. That was sad to realize.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

The “It Hurts” Post by Jan Groenveld

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 The following post came to my attention recently. I may have read it before, but was not ready to admit how much truth was in it. Today, I read it and instantly knew it had to be shared here. First, let’s review a little background about the author. “Jan Groenveld (1945 to October 22, 2002) was a former member of the LDS Church and the Jehovah’s Witness.[1] She spent a total of fifteen years in these organizations before leaving them in 1975.[1][2] After her negative experiences in these organizations, she resolved to make more information about what she saw as “cults” available to the general public.”

 

 

Jan Groenveld
Jan Groenveld

“The most dangerous lie is that which most closely resembles the truth.”Jan Groenveld

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Books, Resources, Information control, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

More Conflictions, Conundrums and Confusion… VIDEOS!

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Not all posts end when I finish writing them. Many times I keep learning even after I have written about a subject here on this blog. This subject of conflictions, conundrums and confusion is one of the areas of new learning. I continue to see areas that confuse me about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and its members. The confusion is especially evident in the advertising that the WOFF member-owned businesses are doing! These things just did not occur when I was in WOFF. This all makes me wonder if members are allowed to skip free through Youtube®?  Or can they now ride the wild Internet any time they chose? Somehow I doubt that …. But, here is some new information to consider.

As mentioned in the previous post, Rutherford County is starving for jobs. The new Facebook® hub will help. Still many leave the county for work every day. When I was inside WOFF,  I worked outside the county most of the time. Some days I drove up to an hour or more one way to work. Several others inside WOFF do the same or more. During one stretch while working for Two Mile Properties; I traveled to North Augusta to work. Our first stop in reviewing the confusions will be Two Mile Properties (TMP). My unique experiences will be saved for another post. Today, we will let others talk about TMP. First off, property management was a difficult business. It was so tough to make everyone happy all the time. That being said; I did a simple search and found these reviews….

What do you want to know?

Do not live on any of their properties they are cult owned, by word of Faith Fellowship…..bad news – By rucrazy on October 02, 2009 at 09:54 AM

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“Best of” WOFF Conflictions, Conundrums and Confusion…

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  As I was traveling in my car last Wednesday, my radio was tuned to a local station in Rutherfordton, NC. As happens many times, one can be listening and not really hearing what is being said or the music being played. Actually, I was half listening- that is until a commercial played for a company I was very familiar with: Carlson-Farmer Construction Company. Last I knew this company was owned by Kris Carlson and Ray Farmer. Both of these men and all of their employees attend Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. Many of them I had known very well over the years I attended WOFF. Why bring this up? The irony of a WOFF-member owned company using the radio to advertise for business struck me as odd and full of hypocrisy! WOFF members are NOT allowed to even LISTEN to the radio! Ask RL! He was “corrected” several times in front of us all for listening to the radio and reading the newspaper! Any member of WOFF who has been there for any length of time has already met with “the authority of God” in this area. Her name is Jane Whaley.

   The thought of using the exact thing that Jane Whaley said could take you out of the move of God and into hell, to solicit business seemed wrong! But, that thought reminded me of years ago when I was working for Two Mile Properties in Gaffney, SC and then in Spartanburg, SC. I was the manager of two different apartment complexes over a period from January 2003 until August of 2005. During that time, it was approved to use the newspaper to advertise for renters for the apartments. Naturally, I had to verify the ads were running. So, I had to buy a paper and at least look at the classifieds. At first, I was hesitant because reading the newspaper was billed as something to take you out of the move of God and into hell. Wow! What a conundrum! Required to read it and told not to read it! That was pretty indicative of several things while being a part of WOFF! 

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Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Jane’s Perception Became Your Reality…

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   Today, in a conversation I had with someone who had never been a member of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I tried to explain to them how a member of WOFF could be accused and found guilty of a sin, while never committing the act. Jane Whaley uses the Scripture in Matthew 5:27-29- (Amplified Version)

 27You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. 28But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna).

   I was not trying to explain the correct way to incorporate this in one’s life, I was trying to explain how Jane uses this passage to control members- often members who are younger and may not have any idea what the term describing the sin act – actually meant. If Jane perceived that a member had a thought or evil desire, then she often would press for a confession to confirm her “word from God”. The pressure could be light at first, and then increase intensity as she would be convinced she had heard God and that member was in sin. This tactic was not limited to Jane, as many in leadership would have the same “skill” to root out sin in WOFF members. Remember, the environment we are talking about- a pyramidal control structure. Regular members toward the bottom of the pyramid had more “leadership” above them looking at them and pressing them to open their heart and expose their sin. A few young boys (men, now) have confided in me that they would confess to sin when they did not actually know what the sin act consisted of. Many times, this was sexual in nature. After leaving, one man told me he found out what he confessed to and was mad since he had never done that act. Other told of being required to write their confessions. After they left WOFF, they would be reminded of their written confessions and that they could/would be used against them, if they attacked! Can you say black-mail or at the least- WOFF-mail?

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