Charlene Lamy Edge Speaks about The Way International

First, a few words about Undertow If you’re not acquainted with my story in Undertow , here’s a section from the Preface of my book: In its heyday in the 1980s, The Way International was one of the largest fundamentalist cults in America, with about forty thousand followers worldwide. Founded in 1942 by a self-proclaimed prophet, Victor Paul Wierwille (1916–1985), who marketed the group as a biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry, The Way still operates in the shadow of its dark history. I knew Wierwille personally. As one of his biblical research assistants and ministry leaders, I am a witness to his charisma, as well as his abuse of power and manipulation of Scriptures to serve his own agenda. I discovered his sexual abuse of women and chronic plagiarism. Today, those underbelly facts are hidden, denied, or otherwise squelched. The years of Wierwille’s authoritarian reign and the chaos after his death provide the context of my story. Former Way devotees endorse Underto...

Greetings, readers. The following is an important book review of  Losing The Way: A Memoir of Spiritual Longing, Manipulation, Abuse, and Escape. The book is a memoir by Kristen Skedgell, published in 2008. The review is written by Liz Childers, a former follower of a Way offshoot. I know Kristen and her story. What she reveals in her book is extremely disturbing. In my view, among other things, it shows Victor Paul Wierwille, the founder of The Way, at his worst: a depraved sexual predator. As I said, the book review was written by Liz Childers. On May 1, 2026, Liz published her review on her Substack account called "Finding My Way," and she gave me permission to published here. You can also read it on Substack at "Review of Losing the Way - by Liz Childers - Finding My Way." Note: the three memoirs Liz refers to that pertain to The Way are 1)  The Cult That Snapped   by Karl Kahler 2)  Losing The Way  by Kristen Skedgell (out of print). 3)  Unde...

* 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...