Charlene Lamy Edge Speaks about The Way International

UPDATE on 2/25/2026: I just received two copies of the re-published version of  The Way: Living in Love  by Elena Whiteside that I ordered from The Way last week. I wanted to see whether they changed any of the text in the original text of the book that shows VPW in a bad light. THEY DID. In the quotes from the original version of the book (I own) that I give below, I will now bold the wording that's been deleted in the re-published version that I just bought from The Way. Greetings, readers. This post will give you insights into attitudes Victor Paul Wierwille (1916 - 1985) founder of The Way International, had about women that were published in a book about The Way in 1972. Those attitudes are not flattering to women. They are written in black and white, making them irrefutable evidence. The book? The Way: Living in Love In 1972, The Way International's American Christian Press published a book by Elena Scott Whiteside,  The Way: Living in Love . In the book, Whiteside ...

* This photo was taken in Squaw Valley, circa 1975, featuring Way Corps grads and Victor Paul Wierwille who is on the left side, wearing a white coat, sunglasses, green hat. Charlene is in front of him, wearing a green sweater, sunglasses, white hat. Others' faces are blurred to protect their privacy. This photo was included in Charlene's book,  Undertow . Greetings, readers. If you are new to my Blogspot account, welcome. Today's post is not pleasant, but I think it’s important—a list and descriptions of source materials presenting first-hand accounts of women who say they were sexually abused by Victor Paul Wierwille, founder of The Way International (1916-1985). He was married and had five children.  Note : Frankly, with the Epstein files in the news every day, this topic in my personal history has come back to haunt me. I feel compelled to speak out again on this outrageous and damaging aspect of my Way experience. There are more adjectives I could use, but those are en...

Today, in 2026, most of the people running The Way International organization did not personally know the founder: Victor Paul Wierwille (VPW) who died in 1985.  Current Board members are listed here:  The Way International - Biblical Research, Teaching, and Fellowship I did know VPW. He trained me to be a leader in The Way and assigned me to his biblical research team.  (See photo at the end of this post featuring Dr. and Mrs. Wierwille, me, my former husband, and others on stage at the annual festival at Way headquarters, 1983. From my experience, I can tell you he used fear to draw believers into his high-control organization and keep them there. VPW’s authoritarian influence is preserved in his tape-recorded teachings, printed books, and videos of films made of him teaching the Bible. Many of those videos are posted on YouTube. If you search online today, you can find these materials. But be aware that VPW plagiarized many other Christian authors, even copying most ...

What did I say in my first published interview?  In the summer of 2017, not long after Undertow was published, Professor Maria Moss at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany , invited me to give a presentation about my cult experience to students and faculty in the American Studies Department.  Afterwards, she interviewed me for the blog the department publishes.  Part I:   American Studies Blog Here's a bit from Part II's intro: "After  last week’s introduction  to the seductive power of the fundamentalist cult 'The Way International' and the practice of speaking in tongues, in this installment, readers will find out more about both  Charlene Edge’s  'faded scars' as well as memories of happier times while serving The Way." Part II:  Interview with Charlene - Part II Thanks for reading! Charlene Find my books at Amazon. They are also at other major booksellers. Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way Interna...

  Greetings, readers. BookRiot lists Undertow Did you know that my memoir, Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International  made Book Riot's list of must-read books on the topic of cults?  Undertow is #78:  100 Must-Read Books About Life in Cults and Oppressive Religious Sects Other news Today, January 23, 2025, Amazon dropped Undertow's paperback price to $18.99. List price is $24.95.  If you're someone who was (is) involved with The Way, one thing my story offers is behind-the-scenes history you can't find anywhere else. I've documented many facts in the Notes section and included a Bibliography at the back of the book. Besides ex-followers from my age group (over 60 yrs.), numerous second-generation followers have contacted me after they read Undertow , surprised at how my story put a lot of pieces together for them about their experiences in The Way, pieces their parents either didn't know or didn't want to discuss....

Greetings, readers. Did you know there are two videos of yours truly on YouTube? First video In this one I share my memoir,  Undertow,  my experiences in The Way International, and features of cults. It's titled "A Cult Insider's Story."  View it at  CHARLENE L. EDGE --Author "A Cult Insider's Story The presentation was recorded in February 2021 for  The Global Centre for Advanced Studies (GCAS). The director, Creston Davis, introduces me. Second video The is the recording of my book launch for my second book, From the Porch to the Page: A Guidebook for the Writing Life.  The event was held at the Winter Park Library in Winter Park, FL in 2022. View it at  Author Salon: Charlene Edge Both books are sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble in paperback and eBook. Indie bookstores and public libraries can get them for you in paperback. Thanks for reading, Charlene Charlene Lamy Edge Bio Charlene grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a Roman Catholic family...