Vol. 7, No. 8, 1990

Mission Report: Rock of Ages Festival 1990 - Reaching Out To The Way International

Chris Barhorst

Friends of Watchman Fellowship got a small group together and headed to New Knoxville, Ohio, headquarters of The Way International, for the last night of its Rock of Ages Festival.

The purpose was to distribute a specially designed tract entitled: The Way, The Word of God, Is The Will of God," which documents some of the group's inconsistencies. Included in the tract was a treatment of their theological error of the denial of the Deity of Jesus Christ.

This is just one of The Way's many errors.

The small Christian group which consisted of Steve Barhorst, Rhonda LeMaster, Rogor Thornton, Dan Holscher and this writer, were very limited in their witnessing endeavors because of the Way's intense security.

Nevertheless, tracts did go forth to Way members and on Way cars, outside of the group's property, along with some very interesting discussions.

In a recent newspaper article on The Way group, President L. Craig Martindale is quoted as saying:

"We're really on the rebound now; the last year and a half, it's been a joy again. As far as quality and quantity - first we deal with quality of life and the quality of what we do, and then the quantity will come.

"We still have a good solid group of wonderful people and we're rebuilding," (Dayton Daily News, 11 Aug 1990, p. 4C).

This is in response to the Way's definite decrease in numbers since the death of its founder and former president, Victor Paul Wierwille in 1985.

Whether this is a tactic to encourage membership or not is unknown.

Although in a conversation with a New Knoxville police officer on this same evening, this writer was informed by the officer that he thought the numbers were significantly down from the previous year.

Keep praying for The Way International to crumble further and members to come out and accept a personal relationship with the Jesus Christ of the Bible.