The Way International
The Way International is one of Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985) founded nichttrinitarische Christian organization whose doctrine includes not only its own elements various other traditions.
Dissemination
In his own words " The Way" is used in 61 countries, the number of members is estimated at about 10,000 to 20,000.
Teaching
" The Way" rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and teaches instead a similar dynamic Monarchiasmus such as the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Arians.
Jesus Christ is called the Son of God, he was a perfect man without sin, but his divinity is rejected.
The deity and personality of the Holy Spirit are rejected. In the Bible ( an impersonal force that believers receive from God ) and " Holy Spirit " (another word for God ) is between " holy spirit " distinguish what is not can be traced in the Greek.
Speaking in tongues is considered confirmation of redemption. After Wierwille every Christian can learn the tongue speech after his method.
Wierwille teaches a " law of faith ": whatever the individual believes ( positive and negative ), will be fulfilled.
"The Way " sees the written after Pentecost books of the Bible, especially the letters of Paul, as addressed to Christians and thus binding on Christians. The other books of the Bible, next to the Old Testament and the Gospels, be regarded as God's word, but are not addressed to Christians and are considered useful, but not in the same way as the New Testament writings, which to the community ( to Christians ) are addressed. The exegesis corresponds essentially to the fundamentalist exegesis. Wierwille teaches that there has hardly been in some passages in the course of church history error in the transmission of the text, errors in translation, but in some cases, deliberate counterfeiting by the translator or the editor or to the contracting organizations.
Worship and Practice
Water baptism is rejected.
The group is very missionary oriented and offers courses and seminars as a live classroom or on CD.
Organization
After the death of Victor Paul Wierwille L. Craig Martindale took the lead. The group is known little information about their organization and structures.
The headquarters is called " roots ", the country groups as tribes, regional organizations as branches, local groups as branches and individual members as leaves.
The group encourages members, like other groups, and churches to tithe on income for the work of the organization. Both tithing as well as other beyond donations to the needy group or are voluntary and are to be considered and given with joy, depending on how each one it can.
History
The founder, Victor Paul Wierwille (1916-1985) was a minister in the conservative " Evangelical and Reformed Church ", which merged in 1963 with other churches to " United Church of Christ ." According to him, he heard in 1942 as God spoke to him and told him that he would take him and that Wierwille will interpret the Bible more accurately than anyone since the time of the apostles.
In 1948 Wierwille bought a PhD from a diploma mill in Colorado. In 1953, he began courses "Power for Abundant Living" hold. A few years later, he resigned from his church, where he was severely criticized for his unorthodox teachings. In the following years, his teaching concerning the Trinity and Christ's nature always dissimilar to that of the established churches.
From the Jesus Movement of the 1960s, the group got some influx. In the seventies, she began with annual rock festival, the "Rock of Ages Festival", where they also won members.
In 1982 Wierwille officially withdrew from the line and sat instead L. Craig Martindale -in.
Ecumenism
Because of their doctrine on the Trinity and the Bible, the group can not agree with the confession of faith of the Ecumenical Council of Churches.
Controversies
Some former members and champagne connoisseurs throw the organization remains extremely authoritarian structures and sometimes even brainwashing.
Wierville to have plagiarized at least eight books by three authors.