1 /5 Daniel Huerta: Don’t go. This is a horrible church and possibly one of the worst ones I’ve ever been to. Sadly I grew up at this fake church and it was because of what this church teaches and doesnt teach that I was led to believe that God does not speak to people personally anymore and all we have is the Bible. This church is doing very bad things by literally robbing people of their relationship with God, by insisting that he only speaks through reading the Bible and ignoring any way to make this personal. Then they go around and insist that what matters is not mere intellectual knowledge of God. So they will tell you its more than just intellectual knowledge, but then when you ask how to make it personal they cant help you because theyre text only believers and don’t want to say that God speaks outside the Bible. They will just point you to Bible study, saying that that is the "primary way that God speaks to us." That is either a copout answer that basically means "I dont know" or theyre saying all you have is the Bible because the days of visions, dreams, impressions, promptings, or other forms of divine guidance are over. (There is no reason for this belief. The closing of the canon or ending of the prophetic office has nothing to do with ending of divine guidance.) Or in the slight chance that it’s recognized that God speaks outside of reading the Bible, they will never fail to say that scripture is first priority and nothing can contradict it, as if that’s their way of downplaying any personal experience or justifying themselves for ignoring their own personal walk with God.
Its because of this churchs syncretism with postmodern skepticism that I missed years of Gods guidance and am still missing it, and if they dont teach how to connect with God personally, Im gathering that this is the norm. They completely ignore spiritual warfare and miracles. How many people were left suffering when they asked for prayers for healing and this church thinks that not even one out of the thousand members has a gift of healing? Then the prayers are the most pathetic things I have ever heard. They try to comfort you by just asking if you have "talked to God about it" and then when you say yes, the response is to just trust in Him. But the prayer was nothing but contradicting themselves because theyre just asking God to do what He already is going to do, if that is what He wants. Believers share in the Ascension and are seated as a royal priesthood in the heavenly realms and have the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose. Our prayers should not be weak, powerless requests to ask God to do what He already is going to do. What even is that? What were they trying to accomplish by saying that? If they think it will happen regardless of prayer because God wants it to happen, why are they asking him to do it? If they think God won’t do it even if they pray, why add that preface and ask Him to do it?
It’s worth mentioning as a side note that this church also has bad attitudes and views on mental health and dating and relationships, and it’s deeply sexist. It may take some time to really see it, but especially in how certain topics are discussed it’s apparent. Anytime dating/relationships is discussed, men are portrayed as heartless pigs while women are these fragile creatures that God cares so much about. That’s rape culture. Men are blamed for pretty much everything really. Porn, divorce, and any time a marriage problem happens it’s the man’s fault because women are the smarter and empathetic and spiritual ones. But I’m sure that attitude affects them for the worse too
Maybe they keep quiet about these spiritual issues to avoid getting labeled with the extensive errors of charismatic churches, but leaving people suffering or stealing their personal connection with God is not the solution. Yes, this church is friendly, diverse, and has developed programs for children, but you will not grow at this church, either personally with God or in your understanding of doctrine. This place is nothing but a sham.
