Spiritual Coaches

I shared in "Learning to Manifest" how I learned to work the manifestations of Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues in late night outdoor sessions next to the Wierwille home. These sessions were more instructive than just learning to do these manifestations well. I also watched Dr. Wierwille's leadership of the sessions those several times he joined us.

Now his visits to our little excellors sessions were not really joyful moments. I was not just respectful of him but in awe of this spiritually powerful man. Sometimes he just frightened me. I often felt that he could just look through me and see all my weaknesses. As the sessions progressed and I grew, I came to learn what was the nature of his relationship with the Father. I didn't know for sure what it all meant but I wanted it!

Dr. Wierwille would listen so intentenly as we would manifest Tongues with Interpretation. He would lean forward on his lawn chair to the point I thought it would collapse. His mouth would move like he was silently praying. I thought he was himself Speaking in Tongues just to stay sharp. Over and over, no matter how tired he was, he would monitor us with the same intensity.

One night, I was watching him as one of the girls Interpreted Tongues. She faltered and Dr. Wierwille finished her Interpretation like she was supposed to, then upbraided her for messing up the message God had intended us to here. I was stunned. What was this? How did he know that? You can do that? I hadn't taken the Advanced Class yet so there were many things I did not know yet. You betcha I was gonna be in the next Advanced Class! I wrote about what I went through to get into the next Advance Class in "First Experiences."

The Advanced Class was not just a class to me. It was the one thing I had wanted my whole life. It answered so many questions I had about my own childhood. Wierd things were explained and I learned about the spirit kingdom for the first time. That explained so much but I still wondered about those excellors sessions with Dr. Wierwille and what he did.

As a new Advanced Class grad, the right of passage was to minister healing at the BRC in front of Dr. Wierwille. I saw him assign "helpers" to many of the new students as we volunteered ourselves for this coming of age event. Dr. Wierwille explained that the "helper" would encourage us new students by directing us to how God, through holy spirit, was communicating to the one doing the ministering. What? Where was that lesson?

The helpers would stand behind the one doing the ministering, resting their hands on the shoulders of the one in front of them. The helpers were hand picked and assigned by Dr. Wierwille to each pair. There was no voluteering for that task. Being near the front, on Sunday night, I listened to the helpers talk. They said thing like "Don't miss the problem in her kidnys." and other things like "Didn't Father show you that problem in his knee?" "How did He show you? a light, a feeling?" or "That was Father showing you, not you own feelings, go with it." Wow, This stuff is real!

For no better term, I called them "Spiritual Coaches." They coached the new Advanced Class grads in how revelation worked until they were confident. I couldn't wait for my turn to get a Spiritual Coach.

My turn came in only the next week. The Advanced Class ended on a Friday night. I wasn't going home right away and I would be at Headquarters for the next Sunday Teaching Service. That would be my chance to get a Spiritual Coach. The meeting seemed to drag slowly but it was only my anxiety to get up there and minister healing to some one. As soon as the call went out for Advanced Class grads (especially new ones) to come up and minister, I was right there. Dr. Wierwille pointed to a lady for me to minister. This was it, my first time, I will be a spiritual virgin no more! I patiently waited while Dr. Wierwille began to assign the Coaches, from the right side of the front room to the left and I was about half way. When it came my turn, he just looked at me and went on. What?! No coach?

When Dr. Wierwille gave the word, we all started to minister, while Dr. Wierwille walked up and down the front, listening to each one minister and listening to the Coaches. He came to me and said nothing, not a smile, not a frown, just stared at me for a moment and went on. What? Not even he will help me? I felt alone and abandoned.

After the meeting, I shared my distress with one of the "Coach grads" who just smiled and said, "You really don't know why he skipped you do you?" No, I don't and it upsets me too. Well, he smiled a big one at me, "Father told him you didn't need one!" I was shocked. I didn't need one? Who am I? Have I grown that much? How much I had grown got put to the test in Adrian Michigan a few weeks later.

That lesson served me well when I ran Rye New York's first Intermediate Class some years later. Dr. Wierwille asked me to run their first one to show the local leaders how it works. Those excellors sessions under the trees at the Wierwille home were very much on my mind as we broke into our small practice groups. Sure enough, I needed that former experience to bolster my believing to guide the group.

Just as I had seen years ago, a girl faltered and quit too soon. This time, it was I who finished her Interpretation. The group was stunned just as I had been years before. For the first time, they saw that this stuff is real!

I was also able to "Coach" for some of those young people to help guide them into ministering healing which is the learning ground for receiving revelation at all times. Why don't we do it today? Well, I guess we just forgot about it or don't think it is available... but it is available just as much now as then, fourty years ago. God only waits for us to rise up and meet needs. How big can you think?

The early years of the ministry were very experimental for us that lived them. There were so few experienced grads and fewer still leaders who could teach, train and coach. Fear was rampant. We so feared that if someone visited our fellowship from our church, we would not even do manifestations. We needed teachers, trainers and coaches. Today there is much experience in our leaders and we have many classes and publications to assist our spiritual growth. However, when the chips are down and the situation critical, wouldn't you like to have a Spiritual Coach to turn to and ask "Was that really Father?

We haven't outgrown our need for elders who can guide the young in the things of God. Perhaps someday, you will be the one that says, "Yes, honey, that was your heavenly Father guiding you all the way."