I have told y'all about the problems that we have had with our former church. Now it has been brought to our attention that we are to be shunned by the members of that church. This given under the direction of the pastor. We are not to be spoken to, waved at, or anything else. This is all supposedly to be unknown to us. He wants us to think that everyone is mad at us for leaving the church. Now I know what the Amish feel like. Its not a very plesent feeling. This hurts like he-- because the people were supposly our friends. Guess we were wrong to believe that weren't we? After we talked about it and prayed about it we have decided to this, we don't care what the folks do around here. We are going to be nice nomatter how rude they are. We will continue to wave, speak, and just be as nice as we have always been. Because if they don't want to acknowledge us that is their problem, we will acknowledge them. Maybe one day they will wake up and see what he has done to that once, sweet and kind small little church, and see that he has harden their hearts with anger, bitterness, and just plain rudness. Sometimes I just can't see how a pastor can be so callous to people. But, the devil :evil: works the hardest in the church. This is just one of the ways he is working within the church, I am praying that this church wakes up quickly and sees what is happing before its to late. Please continue to pray for our family as we indure this uneasy time. I keep reaminding myself that the Lord is using this to help us get closer to him. We have found a church in a nearby town that we have been visiting for the past few weeks. Just don't want to rush into anything yet. We are all taking it slow and easy feeling out the waters first.
Someone from the church told you this? That behavior is juvenile and ridiculous. If I were you I'd be glad to be rid of them all, BUT I would keep a running written account of everything that has gone on. Include the date, who all was present and what happened. This 'pastor' sounds like a certified nut and it makes me wonder what's next.
I agree with Becky, I would be so glad to be gone and going to find another church. I understand they are hard to find. But, I am sure you all will find another one. That is wonderful to you all. Good Luck.. :lol:
This is reminding me of when God allowed horrible pursecution in the early church. He didn't want them to get all comfy cozy when He wanted them to branch out :wink: . Sounds like you have evidence you made a decision in the Lord's will. That is what happened when we left our old church, too. We were actually relieved when that type of behavior from church members began....we took it as God letting us see a small part of the bigger picture....hope you get that resolve soon!
I actually heard it from a friend of a chirch member. And everything that I was told that they were to do has been happening for more than a month now. At first we though our imagination was running away with us, but every time we see someone from that church they will walk the other way, turn their heads the other way, or just plain ignore us. to us. Like I said we are going to still be nice to them no matter how rude they are to us. The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as our self. That is what we are going to do. I agree he is a nut case. Very much in love with himself instead of the Lord. We are very relieved to have stopped attending that church. I have been feeling the Lord trying to tell us that we needed to leave for a long time. It took dh something like this to make him see what I had been trying to tell him. My best friend gave me this quote, I have found it very usefull here lately. "It's better to be slent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Vicky, I'd give serious thought to that wriiten account of what's been happeneing. What if he decides he doesn't want you within the same town or county?? If the brainwashed individuals in that building have followed his directions to shun you, what else might they do for him? It's a creepy sounding situation and I'd take precautions.
But then running and hiding from them isn't the solution either. If you have done no wrong, then I would plant my foot on firm ground and stand up for what you believe in - although these people may treat you like dirt on the bottom of their shoes, treat them the way you would want to be treated... then they can't come back (or go to someone else) and say how horribly you treated them. Jackie, reagrdless of what they think or how they act, in God's eyes, they are no better than you are. Hold your head up high and be proud to be one of HIS children. My own thoughts on all of this is that these people all need to dust off their Bibles and read the Scripture (not just the preacher by the sounds of it) and realize what they are reading and how they are acting... Not a wonder non-christian's say "If that's what Christian's do, leave me out". And so Jackie, I will pray about this for you. There will be light at the end of the tunnel - it's just hard to see sometimes... Brenda
Becky, I live in Mississippi. I don't think that I have any thing to worry about with them trying something else. They are pretty harmless when it comes to physically harming anyone. I think they want to see how far they can push and see if we will push back. But we aren't pushing at all and that seems to be working. Just today one of the "church members" rode by and waved, this after several weeks of shunning us. So I do beleve that just sitting back and smiling , waving, and just plain being nice may be working. My mom always told me that you get more flys with honey than you do with salt. That is what we are trying. I just need encouragement, because tell you the truth I sometimes don't feel like being nice to these people. I sometimes feel like telling them what I think of the way they are acting, and tell them what comes around goes around. If they aren't careful that preacher is going to lead them down the wrong path. But I don't say a word I just complain to my dh and he does the same to me. Wouldn't for the world go out and say a cross word about anyone at that church. Its hard not to, thats just human nature to hurt someone becauese they have hurt you.
Just going back to some old posts because I was curious, so of course I just need to say this: You poor girl to have to put up with this, from a CHURCH no less!!! I can't believe that any pastor would even think about such a thing. He will have to answer to God for it and anyone else who chooses to "follow" his instructions. I hope things have gotten better since then and that you are happy with your new church. Good for you for leaving such a place that would condone these actions! If I would have been a member at that church and heard of a pastor leading everyone into shunning a family, I would have left immediately! Who would want to be a part of a place that leads people into acting the opposite of how a Christian should act?
I agree with rumpledoodles...it's a sad picture of what Christ's body has become. The thought I had was that there are probably people in the church who really don't want to shun your family, but are torn because they feel compelled to follow the leading of the pastor. My heart goes out to them....and your family as well Vicky. We experienced a similar kind of thing when we were asked to leave a church because of the way the Lord was leading us in our faith. I can't say that the pastor directed people to shun us, but we certainly felt the disapproval and separation from many of the families that we had known. It's very heartbreaking to experience, but God will bring you through. Hang in there and just keep on keepin' on. :wink:
What causes a pastor of a church to ask someone to leave? I am just stunned that there are people who think that it's ok to act that way!
When that happened to us, our new pastor didn't ask us to leave....he found out that we visited a different church one Sunday, called us that evening, found out that I varied from his doctrine on one issue and basically said not to let the door hit me on the way out :? It happens, and the sad thing is I think he felt he was protecting the rest of his flock from my views (he was also anti-homeschooling and referred to my husband and I as "separatists" during Sunday School). But like I said before, at least we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were supposed to move on.
we still live in the community. here is something funny to think about the pastor and several other members go the long way around to church and to visit people. see we live on the short way to the church. when we see someone from that church we speak and act like nothing has happened. they really want us to say something, but we don't. the sad part about this whole thing is that my dh had known just about everyone that goes to that church his whole life. and now they want hardly speak to him. i was real good friends with an elderly lady, we had the type of relationship that you would have with a grandma. now when i call her she cuts me off very short. i have even tried giving her stuff from our garden and she want take it. sometimes my heart feels like someone stabbed me with a knife i hurt so bad. i wish i could understand why he feels that he must do this to my family. how can a pastor stand up in front of a worship service and tell others that they must forgive and forget when he cant do it himself. he honstly believes that he is doing the right thing by being this way and the people of this church is listing and doing it. we are enjoying our church that we are going to. but our heart is not in it anymore. we are scared of getting close to the people. i wish i had the fire that i once felt. i pray that the Lord will give it back to me.
Oh my gosh! Vicky, I had to read your post a couple times for I could not believe my eyes. I am so sorry for the cruel and vicious way your family is being treated. That type of behavior is totally unnecessary and really leaves me speachless. Parting words, I tell my boys, "If it feels good to be mean there is something wrong, it should feel good to be nice". Prayers that this part of your life passes quickly and with a good ending. Question:?????????????????????? Does anyone know where in the bible that it talks about that it takes a stronger person to right a wrong for example sticking up for someone when many dont than it does to just go along with the evil?????????????????????????????
