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Michael John Rood: Continuing The WAY 

1 John 2:18-22

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Previously, the question was asked if it mattered to know if what Michael Rood teaches now is in any way a reflection of his 'former' Way beliefs. The answer obviously is, Yes, it does matter. This section will deal with a very small portion of the answer to the questions about Michael Rood teachings and Way doctrine. 

The Way International began with Victor Paul Wierwille. Rather than go into an in-depth timeline of events for the Way development, an overview of doctrine will be addressed. Wierwille developed many of his theological ideas by plagiarizing from such writers as E. W. Bullinger, George Lamsa, Kenyon and several others.  Victor Paul Wierwille was eventually part of the Jesus People movement, and is remembered by the Jesus Movement website. 

".... Believing that much of the Christian was in error, in 1955 Wierwille founded The Way to educate young men and women in the "correct way of biblical education." ... The Way International raised the ire of other Christian groups, labelled a "cult" because of their antitrinitarian views. One of the largest of all the extremist groups of the Jesus People movement, by the mid-1970s the organization boasted over 20,000 active members..." 1 

It is noteworthy that it was Victor Wierwille who went to the House of Acts in 1968 and gave Ted Wise, the Heefners, Doops and Lonnie and Connie Frisbee, and several others their understanding of the Holy Spirit. Wierwille worked miracles, cast out demons--which he did while teaching them about the Holy Spirit, as well as teaching them how to speak tongues, all in one night. The Heefners and Doops joined Wierwille and helped set up his national organization. 2

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

When first challenged by Ted Wise, who was one of the founding 'fathers' of the Jesus people movement, about his belief in Christ and even though he rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ, Wierwille passed with flying colors.

"The first person Wierwille met was Ted Wise, who put him through a test he couldn’t possibly fail. Wise said, "You know, it says in I John you test the spirits. We usually ask everybody here to confess the Lord Jesus Christ, or they freak out and they can’t. So where do you stand on this?"

"And that pleased Wierwille," said Heefner, "he liked that up-frontness. And he gave his witness. So by the time he was through with two or three minutes of talking, we said, ‘Okay, fella, we believe you.’ " 3

Lonnie and Connie Frisbee and the Wises began taking Wierwille's PFAL classes and then discontinued. Lonnie then went to join Chuck Smith in Costa Mesa's Calvary Chapel, which caused an explosion on growth. Frisbee eventually joined with John Wimber, who had also been with Chuck Smith. Wimber later split and helped start the Vineyard movement with Frisbee joining him and also others. For More on Lonnie Frisbee and John Wimber, See: What Happened in Africa?; Part 2: Taking the Mark; Quaking Like Quakers; Wheat and Tares; More Manifestations LESS Bible, etc.

The Way International teachings include: Jesus Christ is not God, denial of the three persons of the Godhead, i.e. no Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 4 Mary was not the mother of God come in the flesh, but the mother of a man, the Old and New Testaments were originally written in Aramaic, pro-abortion, bad seed theology, mass weddings, stockpiling of weapons, American holocaust and invasion, them or us mentality and much more. 5

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist...9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

See also Titus 2:13-- ...the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

The denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ is likely the reason that you will not see Michael John Rood post a definitive statement of faith on his website or in his writings, declaring that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh. Nor will you see a declaration that affirms the three persons of God many refer to as the Trinity. He talks about Yahshua, but never speaks of Messiah or Christ in terms that reveal those essential beliefs. That is also why on his old web site address we find a very short lived and revealing Statement of Faith. 

For an in-depth discussion from a reader about the various Names, please see: Yahshua, Yehoshua, Y'shua, Yeshua, Iesous, Iesus, or Jesus The Sacred Name or True Name or Taking the Name, The Mark & the Number

Found originally at Rood's old web site, www.6001.com/faith.htm, it was up a very short time. This "Statement of Faith" was obtained from Michael's website July 30, 2000, and it was still up in mid August, 2000.

"1. God is.

2. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him

3. They that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled to the point of their hunger.

4. You will be given only as much truth as you will obey.

5. Obedience to the commandments of GOD can never be referred to as Legalism.

6. Legalism can only be in reference to strict adherence to the doctrines and commandments of men."

Update: While challenged about not having a definitive statement of faith on a sacred name forum, Michael Rood wrote to that forum in 2005. Here's an excerpt from that note:

From: Michael Rood
Subject: Trying to clear a little "smoke" ...
Date: Friday, April 08, 2005 8:47 AM

 

"...I think that the book will be a good statement of faith.

I dont pretend to share my faith with someone who wants a few bullet points to pidgeon hole me. I share my faith free of charge at every seminar, sky angel broadcast, and Israelnet.tv airing. No, on second thought, they are not at all free - I have had to pay with my life for years, and all that has been donated continues to pay for these "free" things. Every seminar night costs us thousands. We went broke four years ago doing them and we had to pack up and go home. This is how we get the good news out to the world.

Sensational??? I agree. I am a fanatic for the Almighty. I think the plan of redemption is the most enthralling reality in the universe. I get chills every time I tell the stories in the Scriptures. My Elohim is absolutely sensational - far beyond my feeble attempts to demonstrate.

Faith? I don't own a house. I have no life insurance. I have no car insurance. I rode busses in Jerusalem at the time they were being blown up every week. I get no paycheck. I have not had a vacation in 10 years. I get room and board just like everyone else on my staff. I live by faith - some help me along the way, but that is all up to them. I don't state faith, I prefer to live it.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to vent my faith.

The book Michael Rood is referring to, The Pagan-Christian Connection Exposed, has the following for a 'statement of faith', and recalling that Michael Rood is not Jewish unless he recently converted to Judaism in some form, which would mean clear rejection of the New Testament and Jesus Christ.

"Being that I am a Jewish follower of the Jewish Messiah, I hope that you will bear with me in this matter: I prefer to use the Lord's Hebrew name, Y'shua, rather than His Gentile nickname, Jesus. I love the name Yahshua." [page 76,77]

 

"...let me say that I consider myself to be a believer in, and a follower of Y'shua, whom I believe with all my heart, soul, mind and strength to be the Messiah of the GOD of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov." (page 78)

Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons, and even Muslims likely would agree that Jesus is the "Messiah". They just do not believe that He is God manifest in the flesh.

Michael Rood consistently rewrites Scripture as did Wierwille, because he also believes that the Bible has been inaccurately interpreted and gladly reinterprets and rewrites and rewords much. He also teaches, as did Wierwille, that the Old and New Testament was originally written in Aramaic. If one does a study of his various teachings in comparison to Wierwille's teachings, the parallels are uncanny, although some are carefully presented.

Dr John Juedes' notes, "The Way International accuses the Christian church at large of inaccurately interpreting the Bible, placing church tradition above the Word of God itself. As an example, the group asserts that four men were crucified with Jesus Christ, not two. Although The Way's founder, Victor Paul Wierwille, implied that he discovered this as a result of his unbiased study, he actually took this material from the late E.W. Bullinger..."6 

Other Way doctrine including: Jesus died on an stake, not a cross; Jesus' ministry was for 70 weeks or slightly over one year instead of 3 1/2 years;  Jesus was born in September; Constantine' s rule was when the "faith once delivered to the saints was lost," continues to be taught and are major issues for Michael Rood. 

Another Rood doctrine found in Way theology, again quoting from Dr. Juedes' site, "The Way International insists that Jesus Christ must have died on a Wednesday, not a Friday as the Christian Church has always taught. While V. P. Wierwille spells out this teaching in the chapter "The Day Jesus Christ Died" in the book The Word's Way, he did not discover this in the Bible as he often led people to believe. Instead, Wierwille took this idea from E. W. Bullinger's Companion Bible, even though Wierwille never credits his source..." 7

Wierwille taught that charismatic "tongues speaking" was required and learned by practice, with students required to practice speaking tongues every morning, once they were indoctrinated enough to accomplish it by rote. Karl Kahler related in his book, The Cult That Snapped, that one didn't even have to believe Jesus was raised from the dead to speak it. 8  Michael Rood got his 'tongues speaking' and understanding of the Holy Spirit--holy spirit in Way theology--an 'it', not a person of Triune God-- from Wierwille's teachings. 9  

According to Dr. Juedes, 

"...The Way International is similar to the Jehovah's Witnesses in denying the Trinity, the personality of the Holy Spirit, the deity of Jesus Christ and the immortality of the soul."

"...The Way tells its followers to receive holy spirit by breathing in. Speaking in tongues is taught and claimed to be a foolproof evidence that the person has Christ within. The Way insists that its followers speak in tongues and operate at their own initiative (rather than God's leading) all nine manifestations of the spirit (1 Cor. 12:8-10) repeatedly. [The Way also claims that prosperity... are guaranteed to all who believe for it and give at least a tithe to The Way International.]

"...Wierwille took much of his theology from E. W. Bullinger, including: soul-sleep (after death, men are unconscious in the grave until Christ's return); the relegation of water baptism to a Gospel Age (before the Church Age began at Pentecost); and the insistence that only Paul's epistles are written directly to us. Although Wierwille teaches that Scripture is inspired, he also holds that many sections [specifically those which contradict his teaching] have been changed over the centuries and should be deleted from all Bibles."10

For more on Tithing and Giving please see the series : Is Tithing Scriptural for New Covenant Believers? Under the Law or Led by the Spirit : Introduction

Again from Dr. Juedes' site,

"...The Way International strives to teach of its members how they may "receive the holy spirit into manifestation" the act of believing and in-breathing. 

Victor Paul Wierwille, The Way's late founder, taught that opening one's mouth and breathing in deeply is an act of belief that God honors by bestowing the Holy Spirit upon the believer. (Literature from The Way International always refers to the Holy Spirit in all lower-case letters. Most Christian literature capitalizes Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is deity.)

New converts are taught a four-point method to help them receive, in a way they can sense, the Holy Spirit. First, the convert is told to become quiet and relaxed. Next, the convert is told to rest his head back "and breathe in deeply." (2) He is told that the "word 'inspiration' also means 'in-breathing."(3) The third step requires the convert to pray:

"Father, I now receive the holy spirit, the power from on high, which you made available through Jesus Christ."(4) Finally, the convert is told to willfully move his lips, tongue and throat, making the sounds that are considered to be "Speaking-In-Tongues." The person doing this is told he is forming words that the spirit wants him to speak.(5) ..." 11  

Reading various articles about The Way reveals charges of anti-Semitism because Way followers were told to read, "The Myth of the Six Million" and "The Hoax of the Twentieth Century", which at the very least casts doubt on the Holocaust. Some ex-Wayers have stated that Wierwille and other Way leaders taught that the Holocaust was a myth concocted by the Jews. 12  Wierwille also taught that "Jews are actually an impostor tribe from Siberia, not the Bible's chosen people." 13 

According to Karl Kahler, ex-way member,

"....[Wierwille] sided with neo-Nazis in claiming that the Holocaust either never happened or was grossly exaggerated by pity-seeking Jews. The Jews probably topped the list of people he hated most, although there was plenty of room for the Catholics and mainstream Protestants. He also hated and feared the IRS and the FBI, but his most paranoid fantasies were reserved for the communists." 14  

And Michael John Rood embraced and became a leader and teacher in those same Way teachings. Victor Wierwille was revered as the authority and source of doctrine. His teachings and lifestyle example resulted in him in later years being called a sex addict. If one reads material by ex-wayers, appalling tales of lust, fornication, alleged adultery and rape are related as being common place, especially amongst Way leadership, from the top down, including Limbs. Wierwille taught that women who "helped men" in that manner would get eternal rewards. 15 Adultery and fornication were simply a way to help men fulfill their God-given duties. 16 

John Lynn became part of the Way in the late 60's and was also a Limb Coordinator for Washington DC in 1987 and wrote almost as many Way books as Victor Wierwille. Mr. Lynn wrote that,

"Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they'd "never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." 17  

Wierwille also taught as a 'core belief' that,  "Sex between married lay people and married Way Corps clergy can be a "one-time healing," rather than sinful adultery or the abuse of a care-taking relationship." 18 

Michael Rood alludes to this issue in Tape One of his cassette series, The Seventieth Week of Messiah:

" I was once around some people that called themselves Christians, and it says in Shaul's writings, "Blessed is he that condemneth himself not in the thing which he allows. All things are lawful but all things are not expedient.." From that they extrapolated that flesh is flesh and since we are not under the law but under grace that you can commit adultery and it's OK. All you have to do is confess your sins and it's all taken care of."

"Didn't Jesus die for all your sins, past, present and future? And so you don't condemn yourself. And it's OK. And so what sin is, is when you condemn yourself. That's sin. So no matter what you do, if you commit adultery, as long as you don't condemn yourself you're OK. You just don't want to have a bad conscience against God."

"Well, I would say, you know just standing back a few feet that they may have taken the writings of Shaul and wrestled them to their own destruction." 19 

'They" wrestled the Scriptures to their own destruction? Michael Rood was a leader in the Way for at least 22 years, having believed, embraced and taught those same things. No where in all his messages that this author has listened to, does he take responsibility for teaching those things or for leading people to destruction. Those who leave false teachings, especially those in public ministry, have a responsibility to clearly renounce those things publicly, so that those who were followers have opportunity to understand why. The Apostle Paul's example of declaring the things he did, before being called by Christ to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a very clear example of how and why it should be done. It comes down to honesty and being for the sake of others.

Contrary to what Linda Miller stated that Michael began his speaking career in Two Harbors after 1995, in the online article, Going My Way by Tim Bullard, a Way Newsletter is quoted which shows Michael Rood to be a speaker in a Way  weekend military exercise. 

"...In the "Military Household News," a theme of military saints as "Athletes of the Spirit," is forged for a weekend program at the Holiday Inn by the Ocean in Virginia Beach with speakers Walter J. Cummins, Research Development Chairman, Randy Anderson, Mid-Atlantic Region coordinator, and limb coordinator of Virginia, Britt Lynn, limb coordinator of West Virginia, and Michael Rood, limb coordinator of D.C."..." http://www.timbullard.com/TheWay.htm

That means Michael was a speaker in the late 70's and 80's, as was also shown in the 1981 Washington Post article. And we know that he was teaching Way home fellowships in 1994/95. Recounting the experience of former Way member Hannah Janney, the Washington Post article, The Way of Many,  states:

"....Janney said that in October 1979 Wierwille told corps members to get their guns ready and prepare to defend themselves against a nuclear attack. 

"He told us that God had spoken to him and that the Communists were going to attack," she recalled. "We were supposed to speak in tongues and pray around the clock and not tell anyone or else word might leak out. There was just mass panic. I got ready to go out into the field, but then Wierwille told us that our speaking in tongues had averted the attack."

Way officials said that never happened either. They said the firearms training was discontinued this year, the victim of unwarranted negative publicity. 

"It was just a hunter's safety course," said The Way's Washington area director Michael Rood, a former Marine Corps marksman. 

"We teach people how to floss their teeth, do jet-style packing and handle guns." 20

According to Karl Kahler, stockpiling supplies and weapons training were indeed a part of Way training.

"....In the mid-1970s [Wierwille] he predicted that a communist takeover of America was imminent, and he had all the believers stockpile bags of dried foods and other essentials in preparation for "going underground." When the invasion didn’t happen, he claimed the prayer and believing of The Way had saved the nation from apocalypse. Still, just to be safe, he initiated weapons training for all the Way Corps, and stockpiled assault weapons in secret armories around the country..." 21

"....Around 1972 The Way built an unremarkable two-story structure near the Wierwille barn known as the Executive Office Building, or EOB....  Underneath the EOB, said Duncan, is a bomb-proof bunker built to house the gold and silver, plus "all kinds of survival equipment, armaments you wouldn’t believe, Uzis, various kinds of shotguns, long-range rifles, grenade launchers, plastic explosives, a lot of explosives." He said some $23,000 worth of weapons were stored there. " 22

"...The stockpiling of survival kits was to continue, preferably with a year’s supply of non-perishable food, with ropes and mountain-climbing gear, with weapons and ammunition. ...Starting in either 1976 or 1977, every member of the Corps at Emporia was taken to the local National Guard armory and given a class in marksmanship and weapons safety...A Kansas National Guard official told reporters: "It was much like the military. They used .22-caliber rifles, and bulls-eye targets at 50 feet ...Rev. Allen Denton, told U.S. News & World Report, "What I saw was not a hunters’ safety program, (for which) you don’t need to know how to hit a bullseye from three different positions — prone, sitting and standing."18..."  23

"...the ministry finally told reporters around 1979 that it was discontinuing its "hunter safety course"...Stories circulated that secret weapons training continued, but they were never confirmed. A few stories circulated that The Way had stockpiles of weapons, but they were never confirmed either...." 24

Karl later relates the eyewitness testimony of Tony Martin, who was called in to instruct the weapons and military training. He related information about training about kill zones, triangulation and target practice with "guns [that] had been converted to fully automatic and silenced. They fired at human silhouettes from four positions: standing, kneeling, prone and from the hip..." 25

From the Excultworld website, in an online interview Denver police officer, Mark Roggeman stated, 

"...Wierwille had claimed he attended several colleges where he received his Biblical and Greek education.  I showed her letters, which I still have from the places that he claimed he went to school. Two separate letters stated that he was never there. Moody Bible Institute is one for instance."

"....The other thing I did was go up several times during the years to Camp Gunnison which was connected with The Way International, I spent time with the police there we took a drive down the river by the camp. A friend of mine who was at one time a Denver Police Officer was elected Sheriff of Gunnison County. He called me some years back to inform me that the local gun dealer had told them that they had purchased five hundred AR15 semi-automatic versions of the AR16.  ...Why would a Bible based group want weapons?..." 26

Way  Splinters

The eventual splintering of The Way International, which began in 1987, revealed contention over topics that were a very real part of The Way practices including: authoritarianism, plagiarism, practice and approval of adultery, and false teaching. 27  But Michael Rood was not a part of that initial 1987 contention, which hinged on adultery to begin with. In fact, we can conclude that Michael Rood was part of The Way International cult for a minimum of fifteen years, simply based on John Lynn's statement below.

John Lynn stated in an email to this author,

 "...Bob Carden preceded me in DC, and I'm not sure if Michael Rood was his immediate predecessor. I think MR was the LC for 2-3 years, but he was not fired, as far as I know--just reassigned..." 28 

When others were fired from the Way leadership in 1987, including John Lynn, for entering into contention on the adultery and other listed issues, John Lynn states clearly that Michael Rood was not fired, meaning he was not identified with the agitators and those who questioned The Way teachings. 

Indeed, based on Michael's current theology and methods, there is very real indication that he has merely reinvented himself with the same basic theology taught by Victor Wierwille, and which he embraced wholeheartedly and disseminated with passion. That is no different than many of his 'former' Way friends, who he continues to work with, and who reinvented themselves and present a revamped version of Way teachings. 

Update: Due to the 2007 controversial breakup of A Rood Awakening Ministries, the organization was split into two groups. One held by Jamie Louis in the original A Rood Awakening! Ministries Oregon office, and one held by Michael Rood and some new staff. Michael Rood launched a new corporation in Michigan, where his new office is, called A Rood Awakening! Ministries International.

Two new websites were launched by the Rood camp, one called reallyrood.com in competition with the original aroodawakening.tv, unroododespertar.tv and aroodawakening.com, all of which have since been shut down. The new michaelroodministries.com was launched in direct competition to the original michaelrood.com, which has been shutdown. Jamie Louis also included in his Ya'akovlevi site the name of a new business called Torah to the Nations, based in Oregon. On December 14, 2007, Michael Rood's Michigan attorney's filed lawsuit against Jamie Louis. For more on this See: A Real Michael Rood Awakening Concerning Alleged Torah Observant Activities  Michael Rood has shown in his correspondence related to the breakup that he has indeed fond memories of New Knoxville, the headquarters of The Way International. end update

It should be understood that Ex-wayers and Wayers tend to gather amongst themselves. Those who actually have left The Way International in general keep up many of their old "Way" ties, mainly because they've been trained to spurn evangelical Christians and because they realize they have a package of beliefs and practices that don't fit in anywhere else. Many who have left, have not renounced the beliefs, but rather many cling to them, often wishing things were "back to what Dr. Wierwille originally intended." Many seem to see his death and Martindale's take over to be the problem with The Way, not the actual beliefs, Wierwille's scholarship, plagiarizing, or immorality.

In a correspondence with Dr. John Juedes, whose research into the Way presents probably the best overview of it's doctrine, practices and historical information, with helps for ex-way and Way members alike, he stated:

"...TWI reassigned leaders frequently, so 2-3 years is likely a typical rotation.

Yes, the quote you have is accurate about Limb leaders needing to be fully committed to TWI. They aren't elected. TWI is an authoritarian organization. The top 3 people, the Board of Trustees make all decisions, including personnel. They make sure only obedient loyal folks get into leadership, esp. at that level...

Rood's idea of a catastrophe and invasion of America by foreign armies comes from his Way involvement. They heavily promoted the American Holocaust idea in the 1970s. Rood is definitely not in TWI now, but is located in a little town in MN. I don't know when he left TWI, but TWI lost huge numbers of followers from 1987-1990, so that's a likely time. He has spoken to many groups, (including TWI splinter groups) mainly focusing on the American holocaust at part of the end times. In the 1990s he promoted the idea of the holocaust and tribulation starting in 2001...

Prophecy Club has also had Rood as a speaker, because they promote the American holocaust/ invasion of the USA idea. ...

 ...  He says God told him to move [ to Two Harbors] from San Antonio a few years ago." 29. 

The idea of why Mr. Rood moved to Two Harbors is relayed in various forms. One is that God told him to move there from San Antonio. Another likely scenario is that he was "driving truck on Christmas day in 1995 and pulled off the highway to go to a Christmas church service in Two Harbors, (which any other time Michael refers to as a pagan celebration) one thing led to another and he moved onto the property of the people who 'invited him for Christmas dinner" He told people he was from San Antonio, Texas and was going through a divorce he didn't want. 30 

From his audio tape, "In Everything Give Thanks- An Introduction to Archaeology", Michael Rood paints another picture of how he entered Two Harbors...

"I was in Washington state a little over a year ago--I was doing a seminar on Bible prophecy, at the end of the evening on a Saturday night , a minister came up to me and said that they found pharaohs chariots and army strewn for a mile and a half  at the bottom go the Red Sea and we've gotten it on video. ...I had been teaching for 8 hours that day.

"...was given a video by a pastor in which ....they found pharaoh's chariots and army but they also found Sodom and Gomorrah and Gomorrah was still standing. Tonight I have a piece of brimstone that was collected from Gomorrah. ..."

"...what transpired in just about a weeks period of time, I was up in northern Minnesota, I was to a place that the Lord sent me by a revelation several months before and not even understanding at the time the full ramifications of why I was being sent there. I taught a seminar, one weekend when I was there ...some people were saved, they were very instrumental in opening up more areas up there, this is where I just came down from northern Minnesota, the north shore of Lake Superior where I was wearing a jacket to stay warm...when I went into town, what I did was  I had this old, this sixth generation copy of this video with me and so I walked into town and I went to every business, every shoe shop, beauty parlor, anything that had a sticker on the door that would say Open, I walked in the door and I said "you'll never guess what they found...."

"I...rented a banquet room at Superior Shores, they had a big screen TV...showed [the video] publicly, that night in this little town of Two Harbors, about 70 people came out that night ..."

Dr. Juedes' article Review of "Overview of Events", is a review of  John Lynn's " Overview" of what took place when the Way started to unravel. It provides an explanation of the splintering of The Way after the death of founder Victor Wierwille. John Lynn reveals, upon being fired in 1987, that he started a different version of the Way, with many members from Washington DC.

"Overview of Events is an audio tape of a talk given by John A. Lynn in October 1987 in which he describes the turmoil in The Way International in the years immediately following founder V.P. Wierwille's death....

...TWI then fired Lynn along with others. Soon many of the ex-Way leaders were launching their own research and teaching groups-- Lynn, Schoenheit and others founded Christian Educational Services and Bo and Stanley Reahard began Atlanta Bible Fellowship. Many other organizations followed, all having essentially the same teachings, organization, goals and methods as TWI.

...The leaders who left or were fired took large numbers of Way followers with them. Lynn says that 80% of his Washington D.C. Limb left with him (supplying a base for his organization). Other Limbs were said to have left TWI as a block also. In just a few years, TWI lost two-thirds of its followers-- and of its income, causing the trustees to sell property such as the Emporia and Rome City Campuses. By 1998, TWI had lost perhaps 85% of the 35,000 active followers it had around the time of Wierwille's death..." http://www.empirenet.com/~messiah7/rvw_overviewev.htm

One source stated to this author that when the Way college affiliation was brought to Michael's attention he said that as soon as he found out what the "college" affiliation was, he "got out right away." That would have meant he left the Way before 1979, which goes against eye witness testimony, and public record. He was in Way leadership, which required the "college indoctrination" and in fact, Michael was teaching Way home fellowships as late as 1994-1995, according to Greasespot Cafe Forum and Chat site. 31 [This information has been confirmed via others directly connected with Michael Rood, through private email correspondence.]

Meaning Michael John Rood was in The Way International or holding to Way doctrine at least 22 years. That's 22 years minimum, because facts show Michael Rood's doctrine continues to clearly reflect Way doctrine and practices. We are reminded:

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

 

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The Reverend Michael John Rood

The Creator's Calendar and the Restoration of All Things And Raiders of the Lost Book: New Discoveries in the Hebrew Text of Matthew > Michael Rood & Nehemia Gordon 2005 USA Summer Tour

Michael Rood,  Sky Angel , Ron Wyatt & The National Religious Broadcasters

Series On Michael Rood> Michael John Rood: WAY Days   > Part 1 of series; The Reverend Michael John Rood ;   Michael John Rood: Continuing The WAY  ; Michael John Rood: Marine Chaplain, Jewish Gentile Rabbi, & Reverend?  ; Michael John Rood: Dad & Early Church Communications ; Michael John Rood: Messianic Karaite Rabbi ; Michael Rood: WAY Colleague, Occult Calendar & False Prophecies

Other > Other Articles About Michael John Rood  ;  David Hall & Michael J. Rood & The MJAA ; The James Trimm & Michael Rood Factor ; Michael Rood & James Trimm & The WAY ; Vicky Dillen's Inquisition ; EdNydle Newsflash ; Also see SeekGod.ca Letters