ex-xian

As far as I know, I'm the only de-converted pentecostal/charismatic here. While my discussions have been very helpful, it would be nice to be able to talk to someone else about leaving such a sect.

In case someone has heard of the Brownsville Revival, I went to bible school there. Before bothering to make a long post that no one will read or relate to, I'll wait for a response.

[prayer mode]jebus, please let there be more people who don't believe in you the way that I don't believe in you![/prayer mode]

Sci_Fidelity

Posted by ex-xian


No, but it sounds like a rip-roarin' good time! Praise the lawd!

ex-xian

Once the evangelist said that he thought it was a great thing that a lady's son was terrified of hell. So terrified that he couldn't sleep at night or concentrate during the day. I guess the preacher thought that the fear of hell would keep him from backsliding or, even worse, touching his "special place."

www.brownsville-revival.org

ProNihil

Yes. During a difficult time in my life, I was a resident at a Teen Challenge facility for about two months. I chose to go there of my own accord, due to percieved spiritual difficulties and what I thought at the time was the influence of Satan in my life.

I had been a Christian for about 8 years before that, and went to a fundie Bible College in Alberta, Canada. This college was non-denominational, having all sorts of students from different theological (only evangelical) backgrounds. My own experiences in non-denominational churches were that the typical Pentecostal/Charismatic Christian was indeed a brother or sister in Christ, but that they erred in a few places in their doctrine and Biblical interpretation. The college did not say that students and teachers could not pray in toungs etc. etc. but that the institution as a whole could not support the practices from a Biblical standpoint.

Anyway, Stephen Hill and Brownsville were a hot topic at Teen Challenge, which I am sure you know is a ministry of the AoG. We would watch videos of the happenings in Brownsville and were constantly told that the Spirit of God was moving in a way that was unheard of in recent history. Due to my previous training, I never really believed (or saw biblical evidence for) what was going on in Brownsville or at my Teen Challenge center for that matter.

I was taught that in order to find out what the Bible is telling us, that careful exegesis and scholarship must take precedence over personal feeling. However, the emphasis on feeling is precisely what I saw at Brownsville and Teen Challenge. In fact, after a while, my wall of intelligent and careful scholarship began to crumble in the face of so many claiming to have beautiful and holy experiences while communing with God. I remember breaking one evening and letting the assistant pastor teach me how to speak in tongues. Of course, by this time, even the dabate on whether they could be taught, or were a gift from God had gone out the window in the face of hope. Hope for a closer communion with my Father, less fear and a certainty of the fact that no matter what may come, that I have that Father in heaven who loves me.

I began to read Kennith Haagin who, even to a good majority of AoG members, is a little out in left field. No matter though, I was hungry for the kind of relationship with God that I read about in the Bible, and that I percieved others were having in my midst.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, I left Teen Challenge after two months and was homeless for a while untill I finally got my shit together and realized that the only person or being who will ever love and take care of me is me! It has taken some time though, to get to the point where I am now. Sometimes I think life would be easier just jumping back into that world (Charismatic or Non-Charismatic) and letting go of all my natural inhibitions. I cannot though. Something inside of me, and I suspect many other ex-christians on this board, tells me that truth must be placed as the highest ideal in my life. In front of personal comfort and fear of the unknown, laziness and indifference, I should fear most of all that which kills my natural inquisitiveness and drive for something real.

I believe that I know where you are coming from ex-exian, and would be more than happy to discuss your thoughts on these matters.

Biff the unclean

Would that be Brownsville Texas? Because god is about to smite it with Tropical Storm Erika

Philosoft

No, that would be Brownsville Assembly of God, right here in Pensacola. Lucky me.

Mageth

Originally posted by ex-xian
As far as I know, I'm the only de-converted pentecostal/charismatic here. While my discussions have been very helpful, it would be nice to be able to talk to someone else about leaving such a sect.

I thought I mentioned to you on another thread that I was raised AG (Assembly of God, for those of you fortunately "out of the loopiness").

In case someone has heard of the Brownsville Revival, I went to bible school there. Before bothering to make a long post that no one will read or relate to, I'll wait for a response.

I've heard of it, yup. Praise Gawd, Hallelujah Jeezus!

Amos

You should go back there and ask the whole congragation to pile on you in effort to set you free from a very persitent devil that has been tearing you apart for some time. When things are really hot and the meeting his reached its highpoint you give thanks to all and call it by name: "the spirit of fundamentalism."