Thanks for sharing.

Your story is close to my heart. It is sad how true the statement is that “The church is the only army that shoots its wounded”.

There is so much going through my mind right now it is hard to focus, but hear goes…

First, understand that our battle is not against flesh and blood, or pastors and friends. It is against spiritual powers. We have an enemy that despises and hates us only less then God himself. Satan will do anything to steal your heart away from God. Even use those closest to you. The IC today has become blind by the fact satan even exist. That is satan’s greatest accomplishment. If he is out of the picture we have to blame ourselves, each other, and God for all the bad and evil that happens to us, or we do.

Second, God loves you. You cannot earn His Love. His love is unconditional. When we confess our sins it is not to gain God’s favor, but for our own healing. God is always pursuing the broken, hurting, sinful people. Before they repent, or confess their sins, or even turn to Him. That does not change when we do turn to Him. He still pursues us to no end, even at the cost of His own life. Unfortunately the IC thinks that you have to earn God’s love, at least theirs anyway. That is sad, sad that they cannot grasp the true meaning of Unconditional Love. We cannot earn it. The best part of that is; We do not have to! “He loves us with passion without regret, He cannot love us more and will not love us less!!” (M. Card, Joy in the Journey)

When we do come to God he gives us a new Heart. A good heart! a restored heart…Krissy…you have a good heart!…your husband has a good heart…You are GOOD!

You may already have read my story - http://lettersfromleavers.com/blog/2007/05/09/leaving-worcc-work/

This is a good one too -
http://lettersfromleavers.com/blog/2007/03/11/does-the-ic-do-more-harm-than-good/

I have found a more intimate relationship to God since I left the IC then all the years I was in it. It is a good thing to seek God on your own.

I like that you yelled and screamed at your pastor. Jesus did the same thing to the religious leaders in His day.

Well, enough rambling for now.

Peace and Joy,
Rocco

A pastor from our church called my friend not long ago, simply to find out what the name of her pastor is and what church she goes to. She said she could not remember the name of the either and that was the end of the conversation.

My friend was terribly hurt by our church!
God used my family in an amazing way for her wedding at our church. They treated her so bad, that her entire family left the church after her wedding. They had been there even longer than us, more than 10 years.

I am afraid that my pastor is going to send a most UNWANTED poster to churches nearby with my family’s photo on it!

What is the desired outcome to such actions by a pastoral staff? That the people who were hurt and left are never able to go to a church again????

Is that Biblical????
None of this makes sense and I feel that we are indeed in a war!

I pray that God grant you the healing to continue in the journey. God isn’t done with you and the only Person that needs to forgive you already did. “It is finished”.

Peace

We did not feel that we would get fair treatment in a time constrained, pre-service portion of their regular board meeting this Sunday.

We sent our a letter to every board member’s home today via certified mail.

We stayed above board, not throwing anyone under the bus, in an effort to come to a positive resolution.

We await a response. My husband is in bed still at 1:30 pm more depressed than he has ever been.

Please pray for us, please pray for the church and a heart that is willing and open for REAL FORGIVENESS and REAL HEALING!

Pastors are put on pedastils and they are just as much sinners as lay men. They got the power to, and to dispose of a problem seems to be the easy way out so they can look good and keep there jobs since sins under their watch does not look good to them. just my hypothesis though it may be different in some situations.

if you know other who have been hurt by this church/pastor then its not a good church. I know you want justice and thats okay to seek and maybe seek a positive solution to the problem.

Your pastors at this church sound like Spiritually abusive pastors. There are lots of them out there. You can learn about Spiritually abusive pastors and churches on many on-line sites. And the book “Subtle power of Spiritual abuse” is an excellent book and will give you comfort that your not alone. Sending letters to other churches to warn them of their former members is a sign and characteristic of an spirtually abusive pastor. And recieving a painful exit from your former church is another sign of an abusive church and is cultic activity as well. take care

I hope this note finds you well. I would like to encourage you more. My wife and I left the IC a couple years ago and have grown closer to the heart of God like never before. You are not alone in this. Please feel free to send me an email, I would love to share my story of how God has been working in our lives, as an encouragement to you.

My mail is… rosacola (at) gmail (dot) com

Don’t think you are alone, unlovely, or broken. God loves you!

Rocco

We had an opportunity to share our feelings and our heart that no one should have to go through this.
We left there with more knowledge, however, that stirred our sense of well being.

Be careful who you share your feelings with!

In our church, it gets back to the pastor even if it’s not about him or the church. Then it’s shared with the entire board! Then it’s kept in a record - in the hearts and minds of all of them!

Talk about gossip!

They also mentioned they could revoke our membership due to our attendance and lack of giving through all this!

Hello? We were hurt! By them!!!!

Anyway… they are to meet with the pastor and come up with a plan to move forward in a positive direction.

They encouraged us to keep going to church.
Of course we want to, it’s home.
But, I wish we didn’t know so much about their hypocritical ways!

I’m a hypocrite at times, too. Who isn’t?
But I am not on the stage preaching it and not doing it on Sunday mornings.

Lord, help us all!