THE WAY INTERNATIONAL UNDER RIVENBARK
The Way International (TWI) struggled through the loss of some of its top leaders, including staff and region coordinators, around the year 2000 as former president Martindale, current president Rivenbark, and other Trustees and leaders were hit with the Parker and Allen lawsuits which exposed the practice and tolerance of sexual misconduct by the Trustees. Since then, TWI has made some changes in an attempt to recover and build under Rivenbark.
TWI avoids releasing statistics of its membership and money. This secretiveness is in stark contrast to most religious organizations and churches, which practice public disclosure and allow their followers a clear look at the state of the groups and the decisions of their leaders. Unlike TWI, followers of most organizations have a hand in electing leaders and forming policy. In spite of the secrecy, some sources such as The Way Magazine (TWM) give glimpses of the status and activities of TWI.
TWI claimed to have household fellowships in the United States, two U.S. territories including the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 28 "International Outreach" countries in 2003 (TWM, MY03, p.3). The U.S. is divided into 51 "Limbs," which roughly correspond to states.
NEW LEADERSHIP
TWI has made more leadership changes in the wake of the resignation of President Martindale in 2000. The three person Board of Directors (Board of Trustees) controls every facet of TWI. Former Trustee John Reynolds took an "assignment change" by stepping down from the position of Trustee and taking a position in the Purchasing Department at the New Knoxville, Ohio headquarters. He was replaced by Rev. Jean-Yves De Lisle who became Secretary-Treasurer in his place, a change which was formally announced at the annual celebration of TWI's founding in October 2002. He is the first Trustee to have graduated from the Way Corps after the mass defections of leaders and splintering of TWI in the years following founder V. P. Wierwille's death in 1985. He graduated from the Corps in 1988 and began work at headquarters in the International Outreach department in 1990. A native of Canada, he became a U.S. citizen in 1998.
When Rivenbark replaced Martindale, TWI faced a huge problem. The president of TWI had been the primary public personality and teacher throughout the first 60 years if its existence. First Wierwille, then Martindale, taught at every Sunday Teaching Service, wrote the lead article in every issue of The Way Magazine, taped every class, and wrote nearly every book published by TWI. But Rivenbark does not have the ability or personality to play such a dominant role.
ROTATION OF TEACHERS
TWI has now turned to a rotation of a large number of teachers to replace the President.
The Sunday Teaching Service is the most regular and public teaching role, but Rivenbark rarely gives the primary teaching (although she is present and speaks). A recent six month period, from August 2002 to January 2003, included 24 services. However, 21 different speakers gave the teachings (more if you count wives who sometimes spoke with their husbands). Various "Trustee Cabinet" staff (men who serve as department heads at headquarters) and Region Coordinators spoke, but barely a handful spoke twice in this period. Once result of this rotation is that none of the men threaten the leadership of President Rivenbark.
A rotation of leaders have also written the lead article in The Way Magazine. These include a few of the same men who have spoke during the Sunday Teaching Services. This is a much smaller number, since there are only six issues per year, while the STS is weekly.
The all-important Way of Abundance and Power (WAP) classes were always taught on video or audio tape by Martindale (these succeeded the taped Power for Abundant Living classes by Wierwille). A rotation of teachers taught these live at times. For instance, an Advanced WAP class was taught at New Knoxville in June 2003 to nearly 200 students, according to TWI's web site (www.theway.org). Fifteen different Way Corps ministers taught the 20 sessions.
TWI also offered 42 live Intermediate WAP classes in January 2001. Each class was taught by one or more Way Corps ministers using the syllabus as a guide, plus established ministry materials and visual displays (TWM MJ 2001, p. 22).
They also presented live Foundational WAP classes in July 2001. Fifty-two classes ran in 29 states and Washington D.C., and one class in Trinidad and Tobago. Local Way Corps ministers taught the classes using the syllabus (TWM JF2002, p.22). (The Foundational class cost $100 per person in 2003.)
This rotation of teachers serves several purposes. First, it allows Rivenbark to maintain power, since no one teacher is allowed to gain the influence of being the regular teacher and face of the organization. It also serves to reduce the exposure to the disgraced ex-president. However, TWI continues to have to rely on the syllabuses, classes and books Martindale produced. See "Martindale Was Only Half the Problem" by this author for a more detailed analysis of the nature and ramifications of this rotation.
Allowing a substantial number of Way Corps ministers to teach the classes no doubt also gives them a sense of importance and significance they didn't have when they served simply as a class coordinators, turning the tape off and on.
TWI also continues to have an annual Advanced Class Special, normally held at the end of November. TWM claimed that almost 2,000 Advanced Class grads attended the 2003 class in Dallas. Grads are nearly required to attend the specials, just as the Corps of the past were required to attend the annual summer Rock of Ages meetings.
There also has been a move to change some of TWI's terminology. Terms have always been critical to TWI, because language served as a way to form the cultic identity of the group. While they continue to refer to the "Trustee Household" (which includes retired or reassigned Trustees), the current Trustees are normally called the "Board of Directors." "Household fellowships" used to be called twigs, although they still refer to districts as "limbs." Followers are often called "disciples" rather than the old "leaves," so the old Way Tree model seems to be on the way out, even though TWI is just as authoritarian as the old tree structure was meant to be. The STS is held in "The Teaching Center," but they still call it both Martindale's name "The Prevailing Word Auditorium" and Wierwille's term, "World over the World" or "Victor Paul Wierwille Auditorium."
Of course, no one refers to "WOW Ambassadors" anymore since Martindale terminated that outreach program. But TWI heavily promotes its successor, "the Disciples of The Way Outreach" program. Disciples must be Advanced WAP class grads.
THE DISCIPLES OF THE WAY
Group VI of the Disciples of The Way ended their six month term in April 2000. The 73 adults and 11 children were sent to ten locations across the United States. The recognition fellowships saw a video of Martindale shortly before he resigned. TWI claimed that they witnessed to "over seventeen thousand people, taught hundreds of new people in their household fellowships, presented ten foundational classes on The Way of Abundance and Power, and established fourteen new household fellowships." (TWM MJ2000, p. 16). The magazine added, "Regarding the future plans of participants in Outreach Group VI, 77 percent are staying in the areas where they served as Way disciples; 50 percent are serving as household fellowship coordinators or assistants; 20 percent are entering the in-residence Way Corps program; and 14 percent have applied to serve on Staff at Headquarters." (which adds up to 161 percent).
Group VII ended their term April 2001. The group of about 135 adults and about 15 children served in 11 locations, ten in the USA and one in Aukland, New Zealand. This was the first of a series of years in which one group served in Auckland. They claimed to have contacted over 23,000 people (TWM MY2001, p. 23) and added, "Over 65 percent are continuing the work they began in their assigned areas, over 30 percent are involved in leading household fellowships, 11 percent have applied for a Staff position as a Root location, and 22 percent will enter The Way Corps training at Camp Gunnison this fall" (p.26).
Group VIII of the Disciples of The Way ended their six month term in April 2002 and Group IX ended their term in April 2003. There is only one group per year, even though TWI originally planned to have two or three groups a year when it launched the outreach.
About 107 adults and 5 children composed Group VIII. They were assigned to 12 U.S. locations including Atlanta, as well as New Zealand (TWM MJ 02, p. 22). Apparently New Zealand is TWI's largest overseas contingent, since it compiles a team or Disciples most every year). Of course, that amounts to only five or six adults, but like the Way Corps, TWI awards Corps and Disciples certificates to children as well as their adult parents.
Group IX was assigned to seven locations, including two near the Ohio headquarters, in Sidney and Wapakoneta. TWI still tends to count its workers twice. Years ago, people could be counted as WOW Ambassadors and Corps or staff at the same time, a practice that seems to be continued to a degree now. The Group included about 65 adults and about 4 children, only about half the size of Group VIII.. Other teams were assigned to Portland, Maine, Syracuse, NY, Richmond, VA, Chino Hills, CA and Auckland, New Zealand (TWM, MJ03, p.22).
TWM bragged that the Disciples "have witnessed to over five thousand people and have followed up on hundreds of interested individuals" in the first four months (TWM, MA03). If this number isn't inflated (as some TWI numbers have been in past years), it works out to about one contact per disciple per day. The magazine stated that the Disciples witnessed (that is, promoted TWI fellowships and classes, since registering for the Foundational WAP class is the primary goal of witnessing) in pairs, door to door as well as in malls.
TWM stated that these Disciple Alumni also went a variety of directions: they stayed in their assigned areas (usually not their home towns) or became household fellowship coordinators, headquarters staff or resident Corps.
While the numbers of Disciples are far lower than that of the old Ambassadors program, they have been a means for TWI to make new contacts and recruit more people to take the classes. The Groups have also served as a way to place a Way presence in certain cities. It has also served to further immerse followers in TWI culture and draw them into Corps or Staff.
THE WAY CORPS
The 30th Way Corps graduated July 2001 at Camp Gunnison- The Way Household Ranch. Vice President Harve Platig, Director of The Way Corps, Rico Magnelli, Associate Way Corps Director and President Rivenbark were present at the graduation weekend. This Corps numbered no more than 22 adults and no more than nine children (Junior and Mini Corps). There was no shortage of Way lingo in TWM's report of the event, referring to "a tenderizing song service" and concluding that "We all walked away more salted and prepared to prevail in greater depth" (TWM SO 2001, p.23).
The 31st Way Corps graduated July 2002 at Camp Gunnison with the same Corps directors. This class included about 19 adults and about two children..This class devoted several months to studying and reviewing the Advanced WAP and teaching segments of the Foundational and Intermediate WAP classes to their peers. This suggests not only that they become steeped in Way thought, but also that they have very limited and narrow courses of study compared to Bible colleges and seminaries.
The Corps had other classes, including English for the Greek Student, Greek, Marriage and Family, A New Life, LEAD Outdoor Academy, Class Coordinator's Training (TWM JA2002, p. 24-25).
After the Household Holiday Relocation the last week of December they returned to campus with new household fellowships, new jobs and new housing. They make these changes every three or four months.
The Gunnison campus also tries to maintain relations with the town of Gunnison by holding an annual School Appreciation Night to thank local schoolteachers and administrators.
RIVENBARK'S TESTIMONY AT AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING
President Rivenbark gave testimony at the March 2003 evidentiary hearing in the Peeler Lawsuit which update TWI policy on several topics. She said that followers should not be in debt, but that they are not required to be debt free. However, she said that Way Corps and leaders are required to be debt-free (pp. 19-20). She denied that TWI teaches that harm will come to followers who are in debt, although the plaintiffs are likely to make a firm case that TWI has in fact taught that.
Rivenbark also admitted, "we teach them that the tithe is the minimum amount to give" (p. 22). She claimed that 60% of TWI's budget goes to employees, 18% to maintain facilities and 14% for training and publications (totaling 92%).
Rivenbark described some of the efforts to hide two of Martindale's sexual affairs. Instead of removing him, they only asked that he follow a more supervised schedule so they could better monitor him. They asked Martindale to step down as chief teacher and president (but to remain on the research staff) only when the Allens made the wrongs public by filing a lawsuit. She admits that neither the April press release nor the April 2000 statement to the household via telephone hookups with TWI fellowships mentioned his adultery which caused the changes (pp. 33-35).
Rivenbark's testimony is troubling for two main reasons. First, Martindale's adulteries were serious sins, ethical failures, and even illegal because they involved employees. They should have removed him promptly for both spiritual and organizational reasons. Instead, they hid his adultery and the only consequence was minor schedule changes. The fact they wanted to keep an eye on him (via a tighter schedule and more supervision) says that they didn't trust him to avoid such wrongdoing in the future. In the meantime, they served as "enablers," allowing him to continue virtually unchecked. Even when they convinced him to resign the presidency, they allowed him to keep a responsible teaching position as head of the research department..
Second, Rivenbark's testimony reveals the fact that they were hiding this critical error from followers and leaders alike. They made guarded attempts to acknowledge the error only after Allen made it public first. Even then the release and tape hid much of the truth. They didn't say something because it was right to do, but because TWI followers were hearing the truth from other sources and were getting angry.
Dr. John Juedes, 2004 www.abouttheway.com tdy_underrosie