Undertow, Parcast & Where is The Way Today?

Charlene shares her Way experience at presentations like this one in October, 2018.

What? A two-part podcast (an internet audio show) about The Way International and Victor Paul Wierwille? When I heard that, I tuned in right away. You may know that I spent 17 years in The Way and wrote a memoir about it—Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International.

As I listened, an even bigger surprise came when I heard pod casters say my name! More than once, they mentioned me and cited passages from Undertow. They also cited other books by former Way members, such as Karl Kahler and Kristen Skedgell, as well as non-members who have written about The Way.

Links to both parts of the show are at the end of this post.

What’s Parcast?

“Parcast is the premier storytelling podcast network focused on creating scripted, story-driven programming that is engaging, informative, and entertaining. … Since its founding in 2016, Parcast Network has totaled over 80 million downloads. The network is expected to grow tremendously, tripling in size in 2018. Parcast is devoted to creating story-driven, engaging, and entertaining programming.”

Overall, I think the producers did a good job researching Wierwille and the history of The Way. However, I take issue with the last part of the introduction to Part 2:

“By 1980, The Way International was one of the largest and wealthiest cults on Earth. Despite it’s tremendous growth, Victor Paul Wierwille’s paranoia and institutionalized methods of control ultimately led to the cult’s demise.”

The cult’s demise?

Well … I think that’s an exaggeration. Today, The Way is still in business, despite Wierwille’s paranoia, control, and ultimately his death in 1985. It is true that hundreds left the organization in 1986/87 when Wierwille’s bodyguard got in a tug-of-war with Wierwille’s successor, Craig Martindale, and all sorts of havoc ensued. I was there. I write about all that in Undertow.

More left after Craig demanded a loyalty oath, then more left when he was ousted in the year 2000 following a second lawsuit for sexual harassment. After Craig, a woman named Rosalie Rivenbark took over as third president, but many were unhappy with her controlling leadership and left or were kicked out. Rivenbark retired last year.

The Way Today

Today, a fourth person is in charge, Rev. Jean-Yves De Lisle, and while the number of Way followers has greatly diminished since the 1980’s, the cult is not dead yet. There are still enough loyalists around to keep the oxygen flowing in the organization.

And by loyalists, I mean loyal to the idea of Wierwille being a great man of God who taught “the accuracy of God’s Word.” Many cling to this belief in Wierwille’s self-reported revelation that God told him He would teach him the Word as it had not been known since the first century if he (Wierwille) would teach it to others.

That claim is the hook that hung many of us out to dry. I go into detail about it in my memoir, Undertow.

Despite Wierwille’s plagiarism, paranoia, alleged sexual predatory behavior (some accounts are published), Holocaust denial, and narcissistic authoritarianism, true Way believers still populate some towns and cities around America. Many attend fellowships, make donations, and take Bible classes directly sponsored by The Way International based in Ohio. Others attend fellowships led by former Way leaders who split from the original group to form their own non-profits. In most cases, teachings are recycled or tweaked versions of Wierwille’s teachings. Those believers either deny or don’t care that Wierwille’s teachings were mostly recycled or plagiarized from others and his behavior was highly questionable.

For recent photos and reports of Way believers celebrating The Way’s 75th anniversary, click here.