Tag Archives: Michael D Langone

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

After WOFF – Times of Reflection

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    As I start this post, I do not fully know the direction it will take or the content it will have when I finish. Many times, I outline a rough draft of a post at least in my mind before I even begin typing. This time is different. It is my usual time to write, after 1:00AM. This place seems intensely quiet as the rolling menagerie of the day seems to fade in and out. The reflections of the past and the present seem to roll over and over in my heart and mind. The future is a hope and a budding dream that unfolds one day, one week, and one month at a time.

    During these last few days, I must admit an aversion to writing for this blog. That must be obvious as the frequency of the posts has dwindled since the end of April. Those that follow close are not surprised as I am passing through another crossroads in my life. Contrary to the claims of some, my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) has a lot of bearing on this crossroads, this time of reflection and place of decision. Let me explain.

    My first encounter with WOFF and Jane Whaley was the May seminar of 1992. WOFF members have taken the week of Memorial Day to have “seminars” since before I was even a part of the group. As far as I know, this will continue as the reasoning has been “our members are already off work”, it is easier to get together and hear God. This week long “seminar” has traditionally served as the last week of classes for the school children. May has been an exciting month for WOFF members in the past. The first seminar I attended held such a wide range of emotions and feelings. It was my first exposure to such a large group participating in “blasting and deliverance”. Later, the term “loud prayer” would be used to lessen the effects of the term “blasting”. It also was my first experience in seeing who ran WOFF- Jane Whaley. That was obvious from the very first meeting(s).

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Books, Resources, Uncategorized

And What Made You Realize You Needed to Get Out?

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   This past Saturday evening, I was among friends. We were eating, talking and laughing a lot. One person was new to the group and had some questions for me. The questions took the conversation in a totally different direction as they asked about my involvement in the “religious cult”. The previous post explained my answer which was brief. In another venue, I will explain in more detail how I became involved in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). My time either directly to indirectly affected by the teachings the leader of WOFF, Jane Whaley, totaled 16 years.  Later in the same conversation, this question came up, “And what made you realize you needed to get out?” I began be telling about certain events that happened April 9, 2008 and the meeting at the church in RF’s office. The pivotal understanding came to me when I saw that the others in the meeting considered what was happening as totally NORMAL. The events of the meeting and the display of Jane coming in a screaming at me and pointing her finger in my face were totally acceptable to the others in the room. They seemed to think the gesture was normal and in this case-needed. That one meeting was a catalyst that allowed me to consider that my time at WOFF was coming to close. It was not the total answer, but it did push me forward into unchartered waters of considering that WOFF was “un-normal”. While you are in WOFF, the thinking when a person considers WOFF as NOT God’s will is explained as they “want to keep their devils”. The exit from WOFF is explained in more detail in this post from April 20, 2010 – What Thoughts Helped Me Leave WOFF?? Part 1 – https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=1396  

   In previous posts, I have used the book, “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2) as a resource. The author explains in the Introduction some of the findings about those who leave cults. “Obviously, the control cult leaders achieve is not absolute because ultimately most people leave cultic groups (Barker 1984), although a sizeable number remain for many years. In one of the few studies that investigated why people leave cults, in structured interviews of 90 subjects, Wright (1983a, 1983b) identified four main reasons for defection. The first reason is a break with the cult’s social insulation. Only 4 of 12 persons separated from the group for three or more weeks (for example, on an extended visit to family) returned to the group.” (page 9) This makes sense, right? From 1992 until I left in 2008, I never spent time away from the Greenville church or WOFF – with family or any other reason for more than a long weekend. IF I missed a Sunday service, it was a big deal. In WOFF, they don’t use the term vacation. “Who would take a “vacation” from God, God’s will or God’s people?” The term is “time away” to rest or be with family; family in WOFF or who sympathize with WOFF. If there is a way to make the trip seem more spiritual, then that layer was added to excuse Jane and her crew to take a week away to the beach in the house they owned near Charleston, SC. Breaking from the “cult social insulation” was not acceptable at WOFF- for obvious reasons.

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Uncategorized

How Did You? Why Did You Join a Cult?

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   Saturday evening, I was among friends for dinner and an evening of talking and laughter. Most of the people there knew at least part of my story and were not shocked when I would answer; No, I have not seen that movie or No, I have not done that or heard  of that — whatever “that” was… There was one person who was new to me and I made mention to them that the reason I had not seen very many movies was because I had spent several years in a religious cult. In that group we did not watch movies or television or do other similar stuff. This person took the answer in stride and we moved on. The cult involvement was the reason I had not done many things that others folks would consider normal or acceptable. A little later, this person asked to go back to my answer and wondered more about the “religious cult” thing.

    The question was sincere and I was a little taken aback. It had been several months or more since I had been asked directly- “How did you or why did you join a cult”? Immediately the last fifteen plus months of writing these posts flashed before me and I mentioned my blog. Then I began saying a person doesn’t join a cult. I mentioned Deborah Layton’s statements that people don’t join cults; they join groups of people they like and enjoy. No one wakes up suddenly with a desire to join a religious controlling cult. This person asked another question, “Did you go to church growing up?” I said yes, the local Methodist church. They really were taken back and said or inferred; did you not know the difference? It was at that point, I got off on a tangent and never really got back to answering the question. Growing up in a denominational church does not teach a person how to keep from being lured into a cult. After the evening was over, I remembered how I had dropped the ball and thus we have this post.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

“Recovery From Cults”- Langone – Definition of a Cult

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       In the book, “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2), we find a definition of a “cult” that is worth noting. It is derived by the author from two sources. The first source is from a conference in 1986 sponsored by the American Family Foundation, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Johnson Foundation. Next, he uses some concepts from the work of Singer and Ofshe as mentioned in previous posts. Here is the definition:

    “A cult is a group or movement that, to a significant degree, (a) exhibits great or excessive devotion to some person, idea, or thing, (b) uses a thought-reform program to persuade, control, or socialize member (i.e. to integrate them into the group’s unique pattern of relationships, beliefs, values, and practices), (c) systematically induces states of psychological dependence in members, (d) exploit’s members to advance the leadership’s goals, and (e) causes psychological harm to members, their families, and the community.” (page 5)  

   Langone goes on to write that, “Of course, some groups that cause concern do not meet all the definitional criteria, while others become more or less cultic over time…Not all destructive groups are cults, although all cults, as defined here, will tend to be destructive.” (page 5) Why do I use this definition as a resource? Because in my estimation, it helps clarify what some may consider as grey areas or what could be called a clouded perspective. Some may see my perspective as skewed. When in reality, I have been open to debate on the facts and existing knowledge of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). After being under the teachings of Jane Whaley for a time frame of sixteen years, I left the group in 2008. Since then, many questions have been raised in my mind when reflecting on my experiences and firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of WOFF. This blog documents my search for answers.

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Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Thoughts on Thought Reform – From Another Source

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    The resource text for a previous post titled-  “Dr. Margaret Singer – Voice for the Cult Survivor”  found here: https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=3789  was taken from this book:  “Recovery From Cults” – Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse– Edited by Michael Langone- (copyright © 1993 American Family Foundation – ISBN 0-393-31321-2). As I have continued reading this work, I found another reference that I viewed as worth sharing. There are so many resources mentioned in this book, I can see several posts reviewing the material found inside this book.

    In the “Introduction”, Langone outlines the purpose of this book. He mentions that it “does not aim to be an overview of the cult phenomenon… Instead, the book tries to illuminate general principles pertinent to understanding conversion, post-cult problems, and post-cult recovery. It also describes practical techniques for facilitating recovery from cultic involvements.”(page 1) I see this book taking a while to read and digest. 

    In this post, I will take definitions for “a thought reform program” found in this resource text and compare my experience from my time in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Jane Whaley is the leader of WOFF. I spent sixteen years either directly or indirectly under her teachings. My time in that group came to a close in July 2008. Since that time, I have been searching for answers to many questions about my time there, my reasons for being involved in that group and the lasting effects of being a part of  WOFF.  So far, questions have been more numerous than the answers. We move forward.

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