I would like to start out
with extending a warm hug and thank you to John (whose name has been chanced
for safety reasons.) For stepping forward to give his story on his experience with
“Oneness Pentecostals”. I would just like to say that John is a fantastic guy
who is tall and handsome and can often be
seen riding around on a white horse. So if you see him, you know who I’m
talking about!
Looking good John!
Hahahahahahaha!
*Jokes.
But in all seriousness,
this interview was intense and I sorted my information under the fallowing
questions. Here we go.
When did he join the
church?
He was 20 when he joined
and 30 when he left. He is now 31.
Why did he join the church?
He was a really messed up
kid with a lot of addiction problems (that started young) amongst other things.
He had recently met a girl who had come from a similar situation, and also
wanted to get away from her self-harming ways. So they both decided that they
would go church shopping together. At first they did not like what they were
seeing. A lot of inconsistencies with churches fallowing certain doctrine and
not others. A lot of them had no proper resources for helping them clean up
from addiction. Also the typical singing
and clapping hands “praise the lord” church was very unattractive to John’s
mind of a 20 year old guy. (as
apparently its not to a lot of guys in their 20’s).
Apparently there is entire
books written on the topic.
They chose the church they
did because they were very deep into their bible readings and were very hard
and consistent on the “facts”. The harsh
war general type speech style of teaching appealed to John’s “manly side”. And
it defiantly drew a clear line in the sand when it came to his bad habit and
addictions. Cleaned him up real good. He even recalls seeing miracles in the church,
in relation to healing, and he considers himself staying sober a miracle in
itself.
Why was he picked to being
trained for future leadership?
Basically he was the right
man for the job. The young people he was ministering to fallowed him, he showed
a strong commitment to the church and showed enthusiasm in his work.
In an earlier e-mail John
had mentioned to me that he faced more pressure and restriction then the other
church members because of his position. I asked him how the restrictions on him
were different than the ones on an average church member.
John explained to me that
the restriction were the same, just he had to deal with them to a stronger
degree. He recalled a time when he came to work ( aka. the church) and he shirt
was not pressed properly and he would get hauled into the office and yelled at.
He was required at all times to be a “perfect” example to young people he was
ministering to. He also had to put in an intense time commitment. He and his
wife worked 6 days a week for the church and had only 1 day off to themselves.
Then I asked him what
happened him that caused him to question the church and eventually leave?
He recalled a verity of
events and reasons. For one thing they could not get way, no vacation time; it
was alike asking for the world to get 2 days off to go see family for a
holiday. He stared seeing inconsistencies in the church doctrine. The
leadership was acting hypocritically. They band their congregation from
watching TV or movies, but will go home and break out the video camera and make
home movies of their kids. When John decided to call them out on all this, the
response he got completely dismissed and refused acknowledge to his concerns.
He pretty much got told not to question authority and get back to work.
His Wife was feeling it
too. She worked the day-care with the pastor’s wife who had all the dirt on the
personal issues of all the church members.
But instead of keeping it to herself, this lady decided to gossip it
around town. And the person who heard the most of it was John’s wife (who
wanted no part in any of it.) It became a great distress in her life.
Speaking of his wife. A
little background info on her. Her and John met when they both started looking
for a church. They found the one they chose, and life got interesting when the
congregation found out that they were living together already. As the time in
the church progressed they feel into their social environment and were married
11months after meeting each other. But unlike most couples, they didn’t really
have a relationship with each other. They had a relationship with the church.
They committed themselves to it 6 days a week and had little time to actually
develop a deeper understanding of each other. They did this for 10 years. I was
afraid to ask about there current status considering John was clearly not
wearing any rings on his left hand. But in the end of it all they felt drained
and beat-up ( I can relate to this feeling after just one church service). They
simply had nothing left to give.
In earlier e-mails I had
also mentioned that I had pretty much escaped that day “unscathed” but he
mentioned that he was not so lucky and is still suffering the effects of that
church. I was not sure if he would be willing to share but he did and I am thankful
for it.
He tells me
at the point that he had left he assumed that life would simply move on and he
would get a new job and everything would be just peachy. If only that were
true. He was hit with feeling of severe depression and horrific feelings of
self hatred that enveloped him to the fullest. Strangely enough these feeling
were immediately relieved by him moving out of his house way from his wife. One
of the craziest things that is blowing my mind about all this the “time warping
affect” that this guy seems to have experienced. And sadly no, it’s not this
kind of time warp.
He remembers
days his depression was so bad that he litterly doesn’t remember whole 24 hour
time periods, in which he, drove, worked, walked. Etc. The biggest thing that amazed me was the fact
that the environment he has in was so thought controlling that according to his
doctor, he has not mentally grown and matured past the point of a 20 year old.
He made not free choices for 10 years. He was told how to dress how to walk,
how to talk, he didn’t even make a choice on buying a car without consulting
the pastor. As he said “The Church took away all your ability to make a
decision.” He also in this time discovered without the church as the third
person between him and his wife, after 10 years together, needed to start
having a relationship together. And to their shock and amazement then now
realize that they have nothing in common. They are currently “separated”. His
wife has progressed to the state of an average 30 year old and this 10 year
“mental gap” between the two of them has caused a lot of stress.
I couldn’t
help but notice A few things while talking to this fellow. #1 yes the ring was
missing. #2 he looks 30 but it was honestly like talking to a 20 year old. it was strange sitting in front of someone
who is clearly 7 years my senior, but if you blindfolded me I would tell you he
is 4 years younger. #3. During the time I was talking to him he stated multiple
times that he is not sure if he believes in god anymore or in anything. Yet
like two good punk rockers we got into some heavy discussion about topics
everyone else avoids ex. Religion. I noticed at this point he immediately
kicked back into his preaching stage and started explain to me all the heavy
strict doctrine of his last church and how it is justified. Shocking coming
from a guy that told me he didn’t believe in god not an hour earlier. I don’t
judge him for it thou. I guess it just shows how deep in his system this church
got.
My last
question was one that concerned me heavily.
How much
danger am I in for publishing this interview? And how much danger faces the
people left at this type of church?
He assured
me that I was in no danger as a journalist, but I still felt the need to change
his name anyhow, for his sake. However he told me that this church, also has
two sister churches. One is harmless but there is one on the north end called,
First United Pentecostal Church. This place is without a doubt, Dangerous. I made
a point of Google mapping it. The singe in front of the church says “The BIBLE Pentecostal Church.” I would say don’t go near
it but that might be kind of hard considering the huge fence they have around
the place , and the warning singes on the road gate. If there is one thing I have learned in my
past 26 churches, it is fear the church with a tall fence. Cause chances are
they are trying to keep something out, or worse, keep something in.
"I urge caution to anyone that goes to any instatution that claims they speak for god."
-John.
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