Have You Ever Turned Away?

StrawberryQueen

Well-Known Member
Have you ever turned away from Christ or the church? Why? What brought you back?

My experience: I was brought up in a church enviornment that was toxic and basically evil. It's a small church built by my great grandmother-so of course I had to go. The old Sunday School teacher was fired-but still in the church, b/c the Deacons were sitting in the front row and looking up her dress. The new Sunday School teacher is a pedophile and a child abuser (oh did I mention she's related to me?).

The old pastor was about 80 and was out of his mind. Once he preached on the evils of the US women's soccer team. He was unintelligible (not his fault-he was old), but the church refused to hire the new pastor they had taken on. Sooo we listened to the old pastor for 10 more years ramble and rave.

The new pastor was a well known womanizer, had problems with alcohol (which he refused to resolve) and was trying to hit on every woman in the church.

Then they ran him off and we got a whole new group of people who had children who had sex, did drugs and ran wild-in the church, literally. These people were all about money and installed all this fancy new equipment w/o telling anyone they were doing it and then tried to make us all pay for it.

And to top it off the parishoners (all 20 of them, me and my family included) are 70+ and hate anyone under the age of 70, and hate each other. They've all been in the church so long that they have such histories with each other, ranging from voodoo curses being put on people to abortions, rapes in the church and it goes on and on.

Needless to say, for a long time I felt no real tie to Christianity or the church other than I believed Jesus was my Savior. Oh I was also forced to be baptized. I came one day with my grandmother and when they did the alter call they all came up to me and said, "well? Are you ready?" I was 12.

It wasn't until I got to college and saw my friend convert to Islam that I was brought back. I didn't buy her excuse of Christianity being "too hard to understand." So I took it upon myself to educate myself on my religion and find out what's really going on. And now I'm here! :D

Anyone else have any stores to share? Phew I know that was long!
 

1god1

New Member
I think you can turn away...and still physically be in church. I've never left...I've been too afraid. I've seen saints leave and die before they get a chance to come back. That is a situation I would not like to be in. There was a lot going on at your church. I think most would've used that as a reason to leave. Glad to have you back!! Just keep telling yourself..you have to be accountable for you...noone has a heaven or hell to put you in.....
 

firecracker

Well-Known Member
There was a time that I stopped believing in God and didn't attend church. It was during the lowest point in my life. I was dealing with a bad marriage, bad people and wasn't living right across the board.

One things for sure God doesn't let go of his children even when your going through hell on earth.

I don't have any bad church experiences only a few funny stories from comedic episode in a NYC church and the holy ghost Madear story:lachen: .
 

empressaja

Well-Known Member
As a teenager I was begining to accept Jesus into my life. I grew up in the church. But the church I grew up in was very law based and more ritualistic and not really relationship based. So I really didn't understand what it meant and so I turned away because of the image the church portrayed; it being so difficult to live up to not understanding or being taught the relational level. Now I am back. I'm so happy I am back cause I was headed down a path that was going to have a very ugly outcome detrimental for my children and myself. I was recently baptized and it seems as if things are harder than ever , but I know it will be fine. But if someone would have told me 8 months ago I would have accepted Jesus into my life and been baptized I would have looked at them a little funny. God is good though. He is bringing me through. :)
 

Honey6928215

New Member
StrawberryQueen said:
Have you ever turned away from Christ or the church? Why? What brought you back?

My experience: I was brought up in a church enviornment that was toxic and basically evil. It's a small church built by my great grandmother-so of course I had to go. The old Sunday School teacher was fired-but still in the church, b/c the Deacons were sitting in the front row and looking up her dress. The new Sunday School teacher is a pedophile and a child abuser (oh did I mention she's related to me?).

The old pastor was about 80 and was out of his mind. Once he preached on the evils of the US women's soccer team. He was unintelligible (not his fault-he was old), but the church refused to hire the new pastor they had taken on. Sooo we listened to the old pastor for 10 more years ramble and rave.

The new pastor was a well known womanizer, had problems with alcohol (which he refused to resolve) and was trying to hit on every woman in the church.

Then they ran him off and we got a whole new group of people who had children who had sex, did drugs and ran wild-in the church, literally. These people were all about money and installed all this fancy new equipment w/o telling anyone they were doing it and then tried to make us all pay for it.

And to top it off the parishoners (all 20 of them, me and my family included) are 70+ and hate anyone under the age of 70, and hate each other. They've all been in the church so long that they have such histories with each other, ranging from voodoo curses being put on people to abortions, rapes in the church and it goes on and on.

Needless to say, for a long time I felt no real tie to Christianity or the church other than I believed Jesus was my Savior. Oh I was also forced to be baptized. I came one day with my grandmother and when they did the alter call they all came up to me and said, "well? Are you ready?" I was 12.

It wasn't until I got to college and saw my friend convert to Islam that I was brought back. I didn't buy her excuse of Christianity being "too hard to understand." So I took it upon myself to educate myself on my religion and find out what's really going on. And now I'm here! :D

Anyone else have any stores to share? Phew I know that was long!

LAWD!! IT'S A WONDER YOU HAVEN'T LOST YOUR MIND!!!:eek:
 

PaperClip

New Member
(Sad laugh) I tried to turn away this summer but simply, Jesus would not let me go!!!!

I've been in church my whole life and finally accepted Christ for myself during my sophomore year of undergraduate school. Went through life and so much stuff came to the tipping point in the summer and I wanted to leave God and the church because I was so disappointed and so discouraged...things that I had expected to have in my life had not yet manifested. I felt so alone and lonely. I allowed church folk to get so deep under my skin. I had gotten burned out from the church politics.

My plan (yeah, right) was that I was going to stop going to church and obeying God's instructions but I would still give my tithes and offerings and go to church on the Christian equivalent of the "high holy days" such as Resurrection Sunday and Christmas. So basically, I was sending myself to hell without enjoying the fleshly pleasures. I've always felt like that if I'm going to do something, then I need to do it to the fullest extent, on either side of salvation.

But like I said, Jesus wouldn't let me go and in my heart, I didn't want Him to let me go. It's been baby steps getting back involved in my church and doing those things that the Lord has chosen me to do. I never expected to feel like I wanted to turn away from the Lord. It was definitely a weapon of the enemy but the grace and mercy of the Lord continues to prevail in my life, and all I can say is THANK YOU JESUS!
 

pebbles

New Member
StrawberryQueen said:
Have you ever turned away from Christ or the church? Why? What brought you back?

My experience: I was brought up in a church enviornment that was toxic and basically evil. It's a small church built by my great grandmother-so of course I had to go. The old Sunday School teacher was fired-but still in the church, b/c the Deacons were sitting in the front row and looking up her dress. The new Sunday School teacher is a pedophile and a child abuser (oh did I mention she's related to me?).

The old pastor was about 80 and was out of his mind. Once he preached on the evils of the US women's soccer team. He was unintelligible (not his fault-he was old), but the church refused to hire the new pastor they had taken on. Sooo we listened to the old pastor for 10 more years ramble and rave.

The new pastor was a well known womanizer, had problems with alcohol (which he refused to resolve) and was trying to hit on every woman in the church.

Then they ran him off and we got a whole new group of people who had children who had sex, did drugs and ran wild-in the church, literally. These people were all about money and installed all this fancy new equipment w/o telling anyone they were doing it and then tried to make us all pay for it.

And to top it off the parishoners (all 20 of them, me and my family included) are 70+ and hate anyone under the age of 70, and hate each other. They've all been in the church so long that they have such histories with each other, ranging from voodoo curses being put on people to abortions, rapes in the church and it goes on and on.

Needless to say, for a long time I felt no real tie to Christianity or the church other than I believed Jesus was my Savior. Oh I was also forced to be baptized. I came one day with my grandmother and when they did the alter call they all came up to me and said, "well? Are you ready?" I was 12.

It wasn't until I got to college and saw my friend convert to Islam that I was brought back. I didn't buy her excuse of Christianity being "too hard to understand." So I took it upon myself to educate myself on my religion and find out what's really going on. And now I'm here! :D

Anyone else have any stores to share? Phew I know that was long!

OH, GOD!!! THANK-YOU, JESUS!! :notworthy:

Despite ALL of that craziness, you're still here!! I'm so thankful!! Please, stay with us and pray! God's Glory will be manifested in your life. He kept you through all of that for a reason! :clap:
 

Southernbella.

Well-Known Member
I've definitely turned away from church, but not away from God. He is still the Head of my life. He leads me, guides me, keeps me, and strengthens me. I'm really enjoying getting the Word for myself.
 

StrawberryQueen

Well-Known Member
pebbles said:
OH, GOD!!! THANK-YOU, JESUS!! :notworthy:

Despite ALL of that craziness, you're still here!! I'm so thankful!! Please, stay with us and pray! God's Glory will be manifested in your life. He kept you through all of that for a reason! :clap:
Thank you Pebbles!
 

BrickbyBrick

Well-Known Member
StrawberryQueen,
Your experiences make my ex-church look angelic in comparison:eek: . Like Lauren450, I have turned away from this church, but not from God.

This church was small and I'd also grown up in it. As I got older, something felt wrong. Women couldn't wear pants and had to wear head coverings to all the services. Women could not give closing prayer. Unmarried women could not marry someone not of the same faith. And our services were tooooo long (would go from 2-7pm ).

Some of the men of the church were disgusting. They'd get married and make passes at the young women of our church. Some women were so mean. I was part of an all female youth band in the church and we'd just finished our second album. A producer who'd heard our music wanted to know who the lead singer was who did all the vocals on the album, and perhaps work with her on a new album. Our manager came to us and told us what happened. Immediately the women in the group rebelled and said that it couldn't be allowed. They took it to a vote. Most of the girls voted against the lead singer doing this christian album. That singer was me. I left the following year.

I'm no longer hurt, but I've accepted that many churches will carry this type of behavior, and that if I want to rejoice in the Lord, I'd better make loving the lord my priority and not a hobby. I thought that I could remain aware of God in my daily life without the help of the church but I realize now that I am not disciplined enough to do so and it is beginning to show. Yet I loathe the pettiness I see in church, and I loathe my own weakness in paying attention to it. This is my cross to bear.
 
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