naomi3 Posted July 23, 2004 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 3 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 146 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/21/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted July 23, 2004 I am new to this site and thought....hey why not just ask. My husband and I have been in ministry for some time. We were recently on staff at a church that really taught a lot of things that were not sound docterine. It is implied if you leave their church then you are not in Gods will for your life. My husband and I were beat down for nearly 2 years and constantly being told who we were not. We got so confused because when your authority is telling you something you really want to be open and recieve correction. After batteling this for so long we knew what we were being told was not from the Lord. We had just recently left the church and now are being treated like we have some sort of plague. People are scared to talk to us because it may be "sinful". We are glad to be out of what we were under but I can't seem to "bounce" back. We have met with other people who have left this church and they don't even go to church any more because they were so hurt. All though we haven't quiet there are many times that I want to. I can't get there in my quiet time. I cry all the time. I sometimes just doubt what the Lord has called us to and put on our hearts. I think will it ever happen and just want to give up. I don't want to give up the Lord, but think of giving up the church. Has any one been through this? Can I get back to normal? Why can't I get there in my quiet times? If you have been there what helped you to heal? I never thought authority or pastors could be so mean and think so badly of their own congergation and staff. I want to trust again but find myself being VERY cautious, probably to a fault. I know what the Word says, when will it catch up with my emotions? How can I get out of this hole? Needing help and prayer! naoim3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyC Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 first of all, and i know you already know this, but nobody, pastor or otherwise, has the right or ability to determine if you are out of God's will just because you want to leave a church where you're not being fed spiritually. God speaks to each of us individually, and He doesn't resort to gossiping with us about what His will for someone else is, and how they're out of line. bottom line, you were not following MAN'S will... in this case being the will of your pastor and other church members. sounds to me like it's a good thing you got out... there's a lot of people in that church being led around by a wolf in sheep's clothing. reminds me of the old (origional) movie called the Time Machine, in which people went into a trance and blindly followed the call to their destruction. only God can heal your hurts, and i know it hurts to have been treated this way. PRAY for them! and forgive them, for they know not what they're doing! visit some churches. talk with the pastor and other members. never join a church that doesn't have an open door policy. most churches i've been to (most, but not all), will openly, publically tell their church members that if they aren't being spiritually fed where they are, then they need to be where they are getting fed. i remember one night having just such a conversation on the phone, at 10 pm at night, with my pastor. he was very kind and gentle, and said i'd always be welcomed back if i chose, but there would never be any hard feelings if i felt God leading me to go elsewhere. the church i attended at the time was fellowship bible church in mckinney texas. that's the kind of church you need to be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2bba Posted July 23, 2004 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 42 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 393 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/21/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/05/1955 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Goes to another thread Here is a post I made awhile back that you might find helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted July 23, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 276 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 7,474 Content Per Day: 0.96 Reputation: 51 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1966 Share Posted July 23, 2004 If you have truly prayed over the matter and are still convicted in your heart, a different church would surely be in need of your services. I went through similar stuff 2 years ago and without all of the details, God now has a new church to use for all of his needs in our area, and I'm glad I'm a part of it. t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Posted July 24, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 115 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 8,281 Content Per Day: 1.12 Reputation: 249 Days Won: 3 Joined: 03/03/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/30/1955 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Naomi, I think a big part of the healing process for you and your husband is going to be to go, at least for a season, to a very historical, liturgical church. You will find there a comfort and 'grounding' which I believe will help you be ready to launch out powerfully when the time comes for you to launch again. For now, NO SAILING! You're like wounded soldiers, and I want R&R for you two. God bless you. Leonard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LCPGUY Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Naomi, I think a big part of the healing process for you and your husband is going to be to go, at least for a season, to a very historical, liturgical church. You will find there a comfort and 'grounding' which I believe will help you be ready to launch out powerfully when the time comes for you to launch again. For now, NO SAILING! You're like wounded soldiers, and I want R&R for you two. God bless you. Leonard Leonard In His Love, Bro John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinity Posted July 24, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 92 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,244 Content Per Day: 0.31 Reputation: 63 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/30/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted July 24, 2004 (edited) I know Just what you are going through Right now, it seems that we are slowly getting Put out of our ministry, we are told and people act like we are the bad guys. The Pastor is blind because he puts to much trust in his associate pastors, even when there wrong, but not all the time he believes them. The Youth group pastor is not doing his Job, there is Favoritism, and lack of interest on others, he does nothing with the Youth group either. Another pastor Just hates my family ... for who knows why. A former Elder hates us too. It seems like slowly there pushing us out. Just recently they hurt some one in my family deeply... Edited July 24, 2004 by Trinity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest devoted2him Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Naomi, I know just how you feel. My entire family has been persecuted by what we thought the "perfect" church. For the past 18 months the pastoral staff has gradually and finally run us not only out of that town, but the state. It has been so devastating to our teenagers (who used to be very active and LOVED being in church) and has affected my husband. Our marriage has suffered, our health, finances, everything it seems. My brother is a pastor who gave me these words: The church is full of people and people will fail you.....God will NEVER fail us. This helped us to re-focus long enough to get away from the destruction caused by this church. We also have not been able to attend church regularly. Thanks for bringing up such a sensitive subject. At least we know we're not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LCPGUY Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 How sad that this kind of thing is going on in the Body of Christ. Unbelievable. No wonder so many people never want to see the inside of a church again. In His Love, Bro John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted July 24, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 104 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,026 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/13/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted July 24, 2004 (Naomi) I can tell you that God is pulling O-U-T a people these days. Maybe this is your call. The church is in the falling away and God is pulling a people out of a system that is becoming more and more corrupt. We went through a pretty hard time and our names were mud when we left our church. But now i am seeing a mass exodus going on in just about every church in America. I realize now it is the will of God that we are out and he has made provision for fellowship in our life. My relationship with Him has gotten stronger because it no longer depends on someone spoon feeding me. I believe because we are now in the age of apostasy that the rules have somewhat changed as far as the traditional church system goes. What worked for our ancestors isn't working today because the truth has been diluted. I think there is coming a day when we who truly follow Jesus will all have to have church in our living rooms. I feel like God is preparing His people for that day right now, so look up!! You might have been rejected by the system but most likely you went through this because you are divinely favored by God!! Press in and get it straight from the Holy Spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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