The Way International

In this episode I chat with Em about the history and changes within The Way International. We discuss Em's experiencesd growing up in the movement, what happened when the entire family were shunned, and the various abuse allegations and cases against leadership and beyond. This encyclopedic account of TWI, courtesy of Em, is one of the most thorough episodes to date.
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[@DoubleDeckerDream]

I grew up with my parents being members who got made alumni from leadership when I was a kid and then recently let back into some leadership now that I'm in my 40s. They are still totally on board with everything and none of us kids are interested in any of it but they still try at every visit.

[@tomlehr861]

I was with them from 73 to 87 and took every class,every program was a leader, so glad to get out, wierwille was a con

[@duanekapp5525]

you lie,read his books

[@tomlehr861]

@@duanekapp5525 i met him many times and talked to him,lived at headquarters,i dont need to lie,ots a cult, i ran the class for reverend green he was a good friend, he is now on the board of tristees,been there done that

[@sdigiaco]

You’re right

[@tomlehr861]

@@duanekapp5525 not lying,i knew him

[@lauriemane]

I was born into it in 1995, while my family was in it for decades prior. At 29, I still have random waves of "I can't believe this was my life... and still is a part of those who are very important to me" and here I am...

[@cvrsedwithrage]

Em, thank you for sharing your story with all of us. And Kacey, thank you for giving her this platform to spread awareness. I was born into TWI and to say it gave me undeniable trauma would be an understatement. This year specifically I’ve been trying to do more research and find others with similar experiences and then I found this episode. As a queer individual myself, I resonated a lot with what Em said regarding her own sexuality growing up in the cult. The teachings of devil spirits were still very prevalent during the time my family was involved (2005-present day) and when I did finally come out in 2015, my father used those beliefs and teachings as a response. That does real damage to a kid, let me tell you. Even though I was apart of this organization at a different time, the abuse was still very much there. And they are doing SO much rebranding to, I can only assume, make it prettier on the outside. Covering up everything. There’s still so much I’m healing from and coming to terms with, but this conversation made me view my own experiences in ways I haven’t before. Even unlocked memories I had completely blacked out. So thank you Em and Kacey for this.

[@Queen_Soles-jy2uq]

I’m a former member and not saying you, but many wrongly believe that it was good under Wierwille but went south under Martindale, it was always a cult, as Wierwille was a false prophet, plagiarized his books, taught heresies etc

[@tyannokay]

My parents met in the Way. They both went through the Way Corps, during which they were used as unpaid workers, were sleep-deprived and starved, my mother was r*ped by numerous men, basically used as sexual currency, and my father was also close to other women who were systematically r*ped. My mother was even targeted by VPW himself. My parents left after we died and I was raised to believe in everything my parents learned in the Way. My parents both dealt with severe mental health issues before they joined the cult, but they were permanently scarred from their experience, and I myself now must contend with a number of disorders, including PTSD. I have attempted s*icide multiple times, and now even if I miss my meds for a few days, I get s*icidal again. This is what the Way does to people.

[@juleslynn476]

I grew up in this too...but was born in the 70s and remember Werwille's leadership and how it was then, then lived through Martindale's take over and my dad was a Twig leader...we were also "kicked out." I wonder if our family's knew each other... I'm so happy i came across this video. Thank you. I feel validated and not alone. I wish we could talk. You spoke of all the same hell i lived and gave a voice to the same pain. You lived my life, except a better out come in the end for you. Thank you...again.

[@Jaboa-lb9px]

I'm right there with you! My parents dragged me into it as a teenager. It was pure insanity. Santa disappeared, 1st aid became third aid, and one person spoke in a random tongue while some on else interpreted through prophesy. I have terrible memories!!

[@veritylove212]

I participated in the Way in the late 80's and early 90's. I walked away when we were given an option to remain with the current leader or someone else. At that time, I openly spoke, I stand with God and no man. From my experience, people were very regimented and I recognized the rigidity. I found it easy to walk away.

[@CultVaultPod]

Thank you for sharing this Verity!

[@notjafo777]

Was in The Way for 3 1/2 years practicing and about 2 more years in "spirit". Also attended several "classical" churches from weeks to years respectively over a 30 year period. I am now a totally free atheist. Not an activist atheist. Too many woke and extremist left positions in the atheist world at the moment. When a person like Rationality Rules gets roasted by the ACA for being honest about postpubescent trans athletes, it begins to look more like christian/muslim asinine doctrine. Go all the way and give up the christian fantasy belief!

[@greendragon4058]

Thank you for your story and thank you Casey for allowing this platform. You don't see the way International a podcast very often I have brought it to a lot of people's attention but nothing seems to come of it. I agree with you and it is very hard to find stories of survivors and of the nastiness of this cult. My sister at the age of 13 joined this cult she came home and told us about all the things that were so great about this cult and I'm thinking to myself this doesn't sound right. We tried everything we could to get her to not join this cold to no avail. I feel Maybe the more we tried the more she wanted to stay. The way International moved her clear across the country from us I remember going to visit her and spending a week with her and just on the off chance they had a meeting and so being courteous I stayed. I could not believe the things that I heard when they were talking about the Bible, the Rock of Ages and how they taught kids to get their on their own by dropping them off in the middle of nowhere with just a bit of money and they had to find their way over there I was stunned this was the time of serial killers Across the Nation that were very prevalent I was mortified when my mother passed away my sister and I went to the house I said we need to clean up and get everything because we were going to have visitors, I handed my sister a vacuum cleaner because I have PTSD and cannot handle the noise of a vacuum and blew up at me I don't do housework, she was homophobic she's also racist she wasn't even the same sister I knew at all she refused to talk to me because I have friends that were gay. She took all my mother's jewelry anything of value and donated to the church. When we went to church my sister was mocking the church service and it took everything I had not to smack her I told her you have respect because this is what your mother would want. It was not my sister and em, as of 2024 my sister is still in the way in the National and it is still the same. They took my sister away and they stunted her growth she has a mind of a 13 year old. I had to stop at various parts of this just to calm down but I did finish it I am so glad that you have found some peace. I have accepted that my sister will never get out and I just need to get on with my life and in a way you have helped me do that. This organization needs to be called out hearing this is the first podcast I have seen to call this Colt out thank you Sorry I have to talk to text

[@notjafo777]

It's hard to find "survivor's stories" because the number of true victims were few and far between. Most survivors don't want their stories on public display. Most people who left the Way either went on benignly with their lives or joined one of the splinter organizations. Sorry about your personal experience, but yours is not a typical story. The problem with the Way is that they practiced what the bible taught. They were not a secularized sanitized organization like most protestant churches in America. What "positive" the bible teaches came late to the party. Confucius and many others predate the bible. The negatives the bible teaches are unforgivable. Slavery, the degradation of women and homophobia are just a few of the pieces of doctrine that makes the bible indefensible.

[@sdigiaco]

1:24 it seems like a choice that recruits are making. However when lies and misleading information and heavy restrictions are employed along with the physical injury of mind control, a person’s ability to reason is impaired making it impossible to employ critical thinking and free will choice. In short, the ability to be natural is gone. And once you leave it is the most difficult part of recovery for you have to learn how to be natural again. Think about that for a minute. It’s quite frightening and very reminiscent of living in the realm of the twilight zone.

[@Youtuber551.]

I almost got recruited into this cult by a member named Joy. She pretended to be a very nice person that loved me so much, until I started asking tough questions, then she cut me off and moved on to someone else she thinks she can manipulate. These people are very evil.

[@notjafo777]

Hope you stay away from all christian fantasy. Remember- no (none, zero, zilch, nadda) contemporaneous historian mentions jesus or yeshua or christ or christos etc when he was supposedly running around performing magic tricks with his sorcery. 1st century Palestine is a highly well documented era of history. It's problematic for the christian that no one mentions jesus during his lifetime and the only mentions later in the century by respected historians are mere footnotes briefly mentioning there was a cult of apocalyptic believers- nothing more. The best reference to jesus, The Testimonium Flavianum, in Josephus is highly contested and most likely a forgery.

[@jeffbailey181]

Similar experience. I had two Way Witches work on me. They employed what is called " love bombing" . One even told me in a not- so- direct manner that I would be rewarded with oral sex if I joined up. She was a low woman who had the filthiest mouth of any female I had ever encountered up to that time. The other one was a ' handler' or trainer of Ms. Potty Mouth I gathered and her pitch was more subtle. Almost all the ones in their Twig smoked liked chimneys and drank like fishes. Very creepy people. How anyone could buy the load of bull from Wierville is quite beyond me.

[@monicarios841]

Unfortunately I was in this cult. I was mind f$&ked for a long time. I was also ‘mark and avoid’ along with my mother in law and her husband. Glad we were able to get out and my daughter did not have to grow up with those people.

[@jeffbailey181]

@@monicarios841 Know a guy who got in The Way and left, but the experience caused him to go from one screwball sect to another. Last I heard he believes he is of the same DNA as Jesus was courtesy of overdosing on Dan Brown

[@sdigiaco]

I was marked and avoided too.

[@mikecarlin9012]

I was with the Way. Your guest got a few things wrong. Ambasador one, the plane was not a jet, but a prop.

[@hugmc]

I took the PFAL late seventies wonderfully finding out a lot about God’s word which my church lacked. Man is not perfect by any means but God is what I did appreciate about the way international which I am no longer a part off is the door swings both ways no one was forced too stay and no one was stopped from leaving and God is still on the throne God bless you in the name off our living lord and saviour Jesus Christ ❤

[@MrDragpics]

The class was correct the leadership wasn't.

[@MrDragpics]

There was a problem with the leadership mid 80s so the u.k. collapsed,still thankful for what I was taught

[@sdigiaco]

The most difficult part of anyone’s experience is realizing that we trusted people who lied to us. Whether or not the words used by deceitful people are true or not makes no difference. The truth of their motivation for teaching at all comes out in their actions. And unfortunately the only way to make a determination of this type is to spend time with them. This is where first generation survivors of TWA make their mistake. Not engaging is the only option and I would also advise against reading their literature because the truth is a powerful hook especially when it is all mixed up with 1/2 truths and lies. Now add to this scenario a completely selfish motive and now we enter a true danger zone. Just don’t engage. Stay safe and hold fast to God alone for guidance. He doesn’t need an intermediary.

[@michaeln8925]

I grew up in this ministry but i learned that the founder plagiarized other christians writings like bullinger and styles Also my dad is still in the way international but he still forces there beliefs on me but i respond that God is not the creator's name its a pagan word and the God word derives from the Sanskrit word Hutum which means smoke and this is explained by Jeffrey armstrong in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJbFaJhvj9OKjrM and he explains more in this video of where the God word came from kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ-koKt3rpuprbs The sea scrolls has the creator's true name in them and its IEUE and this name was mentioned in the Church around the 12th century Flavius Josephus said in 70AD that the creator's true name was on the golden crown of the High Priest and said the name was 4 vowels

[@russianbot3131]

I found her its Maggie mugens😅

[@resist.]

Wow you've got more content!

[@CultVaultPod]

I’m caught up now! More coming over the weekend :)

[@resist.]

@@CultVaultPod When do you go live again

[@CultVaultPod]

@@resist. I’m not sure sure yet. Juggling lots but hoping to try and get up to date with cult news at least once a month if I can!

[@christianrokicki]

Boy, seems like there are a lot Christian cults. One must need to be very special to be selected by God. But then to realize that it is just a fantasy would be devastating, I imagine, somewhat.

[@duanekapp5525]

no membership,free to come and go, learn God'a power there