OVERVIEW OF THE WAY'S SPLINTER GROUPS

When The Way International splintered in the years following the death of founder V. P. Wierwille, many splinter groups formed. Prominent ex-Way leaders took with them networks of ex-followers of TWI. For example, Vince Finnegan formed a new splinter group primarily from the block of Wayers he led in New York state, and John Lynn took the Washington, DC and Indiana limbs (approximately statewide areas) with him to form Christian Educational Services.

The splinter groups saw themselves as radical departures from TWI, distancing themselves especially from TWI's corruption in areas of authoritarianism, sex scandal and inept leadership. Yet, they also saw themselves as "reformation" movements, returning to the "pure" teachings on Wierwille. This was a tension, because they had to be like TWI in order to please potential followers, yet different from TWI to keep them from thinking that the splinter groups would repeat all the errors of the old TWI. Some of these, like Bibelcenter, are not strictly speaking a group of people, but are organizations led by ex-TWI leaders which embody TWI doctrine.

The splinter groups kept all the core teachings and practices of TWI. While they saw themselves as very different from TWI, outsiders could see that the splinters and TWI were fraternal twins. The splinters introduced some variations of teachings over time, since they no longer had to tow the TWI line, along with cosmetic changes in titles and terminology which obscured their descent. But they continue to be staffed and supported almost exclusively by their old network of TWI followers (who are aging rapidly, most having left TWI some twenty years ago) and their children. If there had been no TWI, the splinter groups would not exist either.

Here is a list of some of the more prominent TWI splinters. All are led by ex-TWI leaders, some boasting the royal blood of having someone from the Wierwille family involved.

Spirit and Truth Fellowship International, formerly Christian Educational Services (CES); John Lynn, John Schoenheit, Mark Graeser (recently removed) Probably the largest of the splinters, driven by Lynn's charisma and Schoenheit's academics. Newsletter: The Sower. Large database of former Wayers.

Living Hope International Ministries, Christian Biblical Counseling; Vince Finnegan and son Sean. Newsletter: Glad Tidings, www.kingdomready.org

Christian Family Fellowship; John Shroyer, Wayne Clapp. www.cffm.org Victor Wierwille began S.O.W.E.R.S., CFF's version of The Way Corps in 2008.

Word Promotions, Ltd, Christopher Geer. Newsletters: Glimpses of Truth, Future Considerations. Geer has kept a lower personal profile than many other ex-Way leaders, and has produced the most slavishly reproduced rendering of TWI's Power for Abundant Living classes, which he calls Walking in God's Power (Foundational, Intermediate, Advanced).

Cortight Fellowship, Michael and Christine Cortright. Large database of former Wayers.

Atlanta Bible Fellowship; Bo and Stanley Reahard. ABF and CES have strongly promoted the Large Group Awareness Training called Breakthrough (aka Momentus) developed by former Wayer Dan Tocchini.

Bibelcenter, Wolfgang Schneider, in German, and in English as Bible Center.

Christian Research and Felowship, John Hendricks, with his To Know God class.

West End Bible Fellowship, Ivan Maddox.

Rood Awakening, Michael Rood. The most radical departure from TWI, and the best showman among ex-Way leaders. Rood began on the Prophecy Club speaking circuit and found his niche promoting observance of Mosaic law and Hebrew festivals. While TWI had anti-Semitic tendencies, Rood is Zionist. The only splinter composed almost entirely of people who were never involved in TWI.

Ex-followers and leaders of TWI maintain contacts developed in TWI through lists of "believer" links on the Internet, databases held by splinter groups, and forums such as www.greasespotcafe.com