2 /5 jaime blackwell: This is a Church that boasts the word of God. As a former member of this church, I have struggled just as much after leaving the church as I did over issues that pointed me to this church. I feel in my heart it is importance that I finally make this statement.
The church will tell you there is a god.
My now ex-wife and I went to this church, hoping to find help and healing for our troubled marriage. They were very friendly. They prayed for us and made us feel welcome! They asked us to volunteer. We attended church related classes. They asked us to lead classes.
We were encouraged to join women’s and men’s groups, respectively, And then lead the groups, all while trying to learn a path to fix our marriage. In the end this separate volunteering Made our marriage all the more difficult. We decided to take a marriage encounter course in an attempt to help our marriage, We were asked not to take the class. But Instead, lead a table that included four other couples seeking help. We said it felt funny leading a table in a class that we were hoping would help us. But they needed table leaders. We led our table to the best of our abilities. Things like that happened often. At a service just before the 2016 election. The founding pastor of the church visited our campus with a strong message. You wouldn’t be a good Christian If you didn’t vote for the Republican candidate. A man that was divorced three times. Had cheated on his wives in each marriage. a man whom was known to hurt others for personal gain. But he stood behind the Bible, so we must vote for him. I didn’t because of his lack of morals and values.
That same pastor went to Congress and prayed over that man and later boasted about it.
At the time, my wife and I were volunteering upwards of three and four times a week at classes, events and services. when we should’ve been trying to fix our marriage. This time apart from each other might’ve even driven a wedge farther between us. We eventually decided to divorce. It was a very difficult time in both of our lives. We went to the pastors of our campus and asked for guidance. The female pastor of our campus Told my wife that divorce was bad. She then listened to my wife’s explanations, and when My wife left that meeting the female pastor came out and told me things that she had said. I really didn’t expect that.
I had my own issues and I needed to speak to the Male pastor myself. that’s how it works. So i requested a meeting with the head pastor of the campus who was supposed to be a friend. He never showed up for that meeting because somebody else needed help at that time. I scheduled 4 other meetings and was stood up repeatedly. The last time he sent me a text message saying that he was sorry but he was very busy and couldn’t see me at the scheduled time. He didn’t realize that I was sitting closely behind him at a table observed him talking to “friends “
I had made repairs to their (The pastor’s) home several times at no charge. Sometimes in the middle of the night to ensure that their family was comfortable. Yet he couldn’t carve out 10 minutes for me.
None of that mattered now that my wife and I were divorcing. we weren’t valued members of the church anymore. That became apparent very quickly. It wouldn’t be ideal for a divorcing couple to be seen volunteering in a church or helping other people when we were divorcing against God’s will.
Another friend of ours who attended the church was a single mother who was prevented from volunteering because she was single. Therefore basically wearing a Scarlet letter. It Just wouldn’t look right. It’s been over four years since I’ve attended church yet the scar remains. I no longer believe in Jesus. I believe in the universe. The universe doesn’t ask for 10% of my salary nor that I need to be connected in order to be a good member in standing.
The rest I leave to you.
I don’t discourage those for what makes you happy. But realize, this church is a multi million dollar business . Believe in yourself first.
My ex-wife’s opinion is not represented in this review
