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| Title: Disfellowshipped after 22 years | |
| Revival_Centres_Discussion_Forums > Reviving from Revival > Introductions and Stories | Go to subcategory： |
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Anonymous
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Date Posted：25/07/2005 9:38 AMCopy HTML I joined the Revival Centres in 1982 with my husband as a young motherand wife. Having been witnessed to by our dear neighbours with whom we still have great love and eternal connections, we had been miraculously converted through a series of personal encounters with God. My only reason for going to the RevivalCentre (as it was then, but laterly Revival Fellowship)was to be baptised since God had shown me I needed to do this. My first experience of a Revival Centre meeting was mixed. It was a small South London fellowship. The Pastor was ill equipped for the role and the congregation appeared to be nervous. However I was there only to be baptised so I did not really take much notice of the individuals since I had no plans to return. However after being baptised and witnessing to my family who rejected the gospel we found ourselves returning to the fellowship to be with others who had experienced the miraculous baptism of the Spirit. I was like a sponge soaking up every spiritual lead I could. It was not long however before the true nature of some of the 'saints' of God began to leak out. My zeal and enthusiasm for God manifested itself in wanting to open my home up to others for prayer and fellowship. This was interpreted as young people wanting to 'take over'. Praying in tongues in a group was forbidden unless the Pastor was present to assess whether or not it was appropriate. My husband who offered to play the guitar since there was a lack of musicians was also seen as wanting to take over. It wasn't long before I began to realise that both myself and my husband were seen as a 'threat' in some way. I first began to feel my joy ebb away at this time but being a new Christian and looking up to others who i believed were mature and knew better than I did, I submitted, albeit reluctantly to a regime of control and oppression. Admitedly at the time I did not recognise that this was the case. I felt I was being 'decipled' and learning to submit to the authority of others which I was told was scriptural.We went along for several years challenging some of the practices and rules which we felt were unscriptural and controlling. We were told that we were trouble makers and that everyone else was happy. We knew from most of the saints in the fellowship that many of them were unhappy. New people who came along rarely stayed. I had a great passion for witnessing to people and brought many people to meetings only to find that often someone would pressurise them, criticise them or offend them in some way. I began to lose heart in witnessing fearing bringing them into the fellowship as I did not feel it was a safe place. I commented to the Pastor on one occasion that there was no love among the people. I was told that people who are falling away oftenmake this accusation.My husband and myself left the Revival Fellowship after a few years and within a year a dozen people had been baptised in our home and were fellowshipping regularly including my parents in law. It was at this time as a new Leader that my husband approached the Revival Centre to return since he felt he needed guiding in his new role. He was told ifhe came back he would have to hand over his flock and sit in the back row indefinately. Being ahumble soul he did this much to the distress of our small flock who were unhappy with the RevivalCentreculture. There were many unspoken ruleswhich until you broke them you were unaware of.Disapproval or not being included in activities were the methods used to convey the Pastor's displeasure. I was very unhappy in these early days but being a dutiful wife I supported my husband in his decision to return. I felt my walk with God was stifled and oppressed. I was trying to serve two masters, God and an organisation who seemed to have conflicting agendas for my life. God seemed to be trying to speak to me in dreams, signs, wonders and ministry but the organisation did not recognise these methods of walking with God and so this was a dilemma for me.Eventually we moved to Northern Ireland through a series of miracles and doors which God opened up to us. This was at the disapproval of the UK Revival Centres. Within a year we had a small house group of eighteen people fellowshipping and baptised. What we had learned in our time in Revival Centres was how 'not' to minister to others so we began to learn how to 'minister' in love. Once again this was seen as breaking away from the traditional Revival Centre way. Constant interference from Pastors in Australia and the UK many of whom were unfamiliar with our situations or culture in Northern Ireland became burdensome. The UK and European saints attended many of our conventions and commented on the freedom which we enjoyed as though it was an anomaly they were unfamiliar with. Some were affronted by it. Our own saints while under the banner of the bigger organisation enjoyed a more relaxed atmosphere. However two situations occured which broke my heart and from this time on I did not trust the Pastors in the Revival Centre. My fourteen year old daughter was molested by a brother in the Church who was ninteen years of age. The 'rule' for Pastors was that if a situation occured in their family or assembly other Pastors needed to be consulted. My husband who was Pastor at this time, dutifully handed the situation over to the UK Council of Pastors who in conjunction with the Australian contingent ruled that my daughter as well as the offender should both be put out of the Church. My daughter was distraught at the event especially since she trusted this brother and had a strong regard for him. She felt abandoned and abused by the Church, the offender and her family who were expected to carry out this punnishment. She maintained her dignity and returned to the Church but her spirit was crushed and broken. She never truly recovered form this incident and further similar events in her life and the lives of her sisters only compounded the effects of an abusive regime into which they had become accustomed. Another daughter found herself in a situation which resulted in her being disfellowshipped. She confessed to her husband a fault. Her husband was also put out of the Church for not preventing his wife from 'sinning'. Again I sanctioned these punitive measures. I am not proud of this but at the time I was indoctrinated into believing that this was scriptural. I believe this daughter has never recovered from the treatment she recieved although she also returned to the fellowship. There have been many other such innapropriate decisions made by the UK Council of Pastors.Eventually when a split occured with the Revival Centres, we became associated with the Revival Fellowships. We had a new council of Pastors and the future looked more promising. It seemed that the UK could organise themselves independently and work alongside Australian Pastors rather than be directed by them. It wasn't long however until the UK under pressure succumbed to the 'old' way of Senior Pastors who once again assumed an Authoratarian role.Our departure from the Revival Fellowships came in 2003 after twenty one years of service in the Organisation. An issue arose as to the deity of Jesus. It seemed that one of the Senior Pastors did not believe that Jesus was God and my husband was reprimanded for preaching that Jesus was God. This issue was later 'made light' of. Ironically we met another group in Northern Ireland who believed the Acts 2:38 message of salvation and during a conversation they produced a leaflet entitled 'Jesus is God'. I believe this was a divine encounter as it showed me that other people believed and were like minded with us in the gospel. We visited this group and one of their members visited our group. It was an exciting discovery to find like minded saints. After my husband attended a Pastors meeting in the UK he was disfellowshipped. He openly declared his consultations with this group and his displeasure at a Senior Pastor in our fellowship who while believing that Jesus is not God continued to forbid others to say that Jesus was God. After 22 years my husband recieved a phonecall saying 'After you left we had a chat and decided you have to go'. I guess this is how you treat the saints of God after they have supported and served the Organisation for so many years. After this there was no communication. No one contacted me to ask me how I was feeling or if I wanted to remain in the fellowship. My children whom I had brought up in the Church did not contact me. My son in laws assumed the role vacated by my husband. There was no consultation, no debriefing, no discussion, thanks or good wishes. We did however acquire a document sent to other Pastors giving reasons as to why we my husband had been disfellowshipped. There were about fourteen accusations, assumptions, criticisms and judgements, many of which lacked any evidence or supporting facts. I can only describethe experienceas abrutal and unnecessaryamputation.Since then most of my family left the organisation. We are in a process of recovery from years of oppressive spiritual abuse. I do not use this term lightly. Under the banner of 'Christianity' there are many good things and wonderful saints of God whom I love and miss but the Organisation and those who assume roles of Pastoring and Ministry are misguided in so many ways.I have now discovered the true meaning of 'grace' and 'love'. I have returned to my first love and am free to explore the manifestations of God without scrutiny, criticism, opression and rejection. I feel free for the first time to worship and please God in whateveer way the Holy Spirit directs. God has begun to minister to me once again in dreams, revelations and gifts. I believe God is doing a restoration programme in my family. He has shown me this through signs and wonders. The organisation of the Revival Fellowships tried tobreak my family,Satanwanted to destroy a family of God who were strong and gifted and a threat to his plans. Satan meant it forevil but God has meant it for good. A grain of wheat unless it is broken cannot yield any harvest. We have been broken but it was the best thing which ever happened to me. I am now free in Christ and I know the love of brothers and sisters who unconditionally love me, acept me and with whom I can be myself and openly discuss any issues which concern me without fear of judgement, criticism or insecurity. God has begun to restore all that the cankerworm has eaten and it is even more glorious than the former. Praise the name of God. I forgive all those who have damaged my familyand I pray that those whom I havehurt will forgive me also as God has forgiven us all. Amen!
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Jojo the Lion
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#1
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：26/07/2005 7:55 AMCopy HTML And here I sit so patiently waiting to find out what price / I have to pay to get out of going through all these things twice
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Ex_Member
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#2
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：27/07/2005 9:28 AMCopy HTML Reply to : Anonymous Welcome! You have joined a big club...the ex-member crew is bigger than the member crew. Your story sounds very similar to many I've heard. I'm sorry you feel mmistreated. I hope you can find some support somewhere...if not here then somewhere. Did you take any other members with you when you left? So it sounds like you still hold on to the RCs style salvation message, but what do you now believe about God and Christ? And which group published the pamphlet you got hold of? Do they have any larger affiliations? Have you joined up with them? |
MothandRust
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#3
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：27/07/2005 2:43 PMCopy HTML
Instagram and Twitter: @mothpete
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Anonymous
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#4
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：28/07/2005 10:08 AMCopy HTML $%*'`[Anonymous]%*'`@
yes I remember it well. As I recall you were a shining light among so many in your fellowship who appeared cynical, brittle and disillusioned. You had a fresh openess about you that I can clearly recall. You made quite an impression. |
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Anonymous
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#5
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：28/07/2005 10:23 AMCopy HTML $%*'`[Anonymous]%*'`@
No we did not take any other members of the church with us, although some left disillusioned. The pamphlet came from the UPC which are a large international organisation and also hav a cult page. We learned a few things there about worship but their legalistic standards about the length of hair, women's dress codes and 'holiness' standards seemed more important than anything else. We did not stay there, nor did we feel that we would. God gave us a temporary respite there, taught us some new things, gave us some new friends and brought us into contact with the group we fellowhsip with for the time being. I am currently reviewing all my old philosophies about life, salvation and many other things. Every day they are changing. Twenty two years of indoctrination takes some escaping from but God is so good and little by little he is showing me so many new things. I never believed the RF standard methods - salvation by tongues evidence and I never taught it. God is drawing me into a deliverance ministry which is something the RF would not have recognised nor approved of on several counts. However I have not sought it, God has brought the people to me in my place of work and shown me what to do. I am not sure where it will lead but I am going with God on this and not men. I fellowship with a group called Fresh Oil in Lisburn and am involved in some pastoral work in the short term. This I believe is a temporary situation. I love the saints of God in this small group. They are full of love for God, not all baptised and not all of a full understanding of the baptism of the holy spirit but they are very hungry for God and have the freedom to explore their relationship and intimacy with God at their own pace. It is an apolostic spirit led church. We are currently setting up a web site. God is moving me on to new things and a new work which is exciting. I wait and watch in anticipation. What do you do in China? |
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Anonymous
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#6
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：28/07/2005 10:33 AMCopy HTML $%*'`[anonymous]%*'`@
I can relate totally to what you say. What was the outcome for you? Did you leave or were you also amputated from the RF? I felt that I had a gift of evangelising and bringing people to God. This was my commission (if you like). It was not forced on me but was a labour of love. Unfortunately when they were (as you say) pounced on by half the church, 'grilled' and prosilysed, obviously they did not return. I guess (putting myself in their shoes) I would have felt the same. Nevertheless, the effect this had on me was that I did not want to bring people to the Church any more and so I quashed the gift of evangelism in my life. I then felt that I was not fulfilling my purpose and so eventually if God had not extracted me to use me elsewhere, I believe I could have lost all desire to persue God because every time I sought God, he sent people along to me that needed a word of encouragement or enlightenment. How sad this is in the telling of it. |
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Anonymous
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#7
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：28/07/2005 3:47 PMCopy HTML $%*'`[Anonymous]%*'`@
Oh yes??? |
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MothandRust
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#8
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：28/07/2005 4:02 PMCopy HTML Everything unravelled before me when my daughter felt she had recieved God's spirit. The oversight (bless their little hearts) told me that she wasn't close to it yet. That's when I realised that the jigsaw puzzle was completely out of whack and, in fact, most pieces were in backwards. I am loving not being in the RF. The things God is revealing and teaching me are awesome with this newfound perspective. I wandered off track for a while but am starting to feel good about life again... even though it sucks (I tell ya, it rains on the just and the unjust... and those of us in the middle). My story and other mad ramblings can be found in the threads of this forum somewhere... Instagram and Twitter: @mothpete
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Jojo the Lion
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#9
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：29/07/2005 8:43 AMCopy HTML Northern Ireland is in the news again with the IRA statement. One thing that impressed me about the Belfast assembly was how the spirit of unity could clearly cut across the religious/political backgrounds of the individual members. The two conventions I went to in May 2001 & 2002 were both fantastic I know there are people in the north london assembly who were deeply upset at oversight bureacracy. I remember myself the frustration at being told by the oversight to be more active evangelically, whilst they would constantly hamper our creativity. Although the oversight expected 100% trust from the assembly, they never seemed to trust us much as supposed spirit-filled saints of god, yet they expected us to be constantly creative in outreaching to the public. In 2003 I had pretty much lost appetite for personal spiritual enterprise and found it more than enough just to sit in meetings and hang out with the young peoples, which was what the oversight wanted me to do. I think the young peoples leader expected that my earlier freshness and enthusiasm could influence the young people for the good, but then I did not really have the force of personality to have any kind of leading role, after all most of the young people had grown up in the assembly, but I had only been there for a couple of years. Maybe I just got into too much of a comfort zone.
And here I sit so patiently waiting to find out what price / I have to pay to get out of going through all these things twice
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Ex_Member
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#10
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：29/07/2005 8:43 AMCopy HTML Reply to : Anonymous It sounds to me like you're on a very healthy journey post-RCI/RF. I wish you every success with it all. I am also glad you didn't get sucked into a Oneness group for too long. The last thing you need after leaving a cult is another one. After my years of searching, Bible college and leadership work, I eventually became an Agnostic but that's certainly not everyone's story. To answer your question, I am in China where I have started an ESL consultation business to government schools and private companies. |
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Calamity Jane
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#11
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：30/07/2005 8:22 AMCopy HTML I can relate to your story. Isn't it amazing the dreams, visions and revelations that you have when NOT affiliated with the RF? God's been rebuilding the foundations of salvation in me as well. It's kinda scary and exciting all at the same time. A lot of damage has been done but I'm all the more stronger for it though, as you seem to be. Hope to see you around Jane
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jsc1215
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#12
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：15/08/2005 11:49 PMCopy HTML New Revelations: I am amazed too as to how God has restructured my life and helped me fine-tune my knowledge of the Word after I left a similarly oppressive church environment. What is equally amazing is how, once we have been enlightened to the liberty and freedom that is in Christ Jesus (our great God AND our Saviour), those whom we once associated with refuse to acknowledge us or listen to what we have to say. I acknowledge there is only ONE God. His name is revealed to us as Jesus. I follow the Acts 2:38 message and uphold it with a renewed passion. Keep the faith, and never, NEVER give up. John Cady
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Anonymous
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#13
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：17/08/2005 6:43 PMCopy HTML Reply to : jsc1215 I sincerely hope you find your way to an even greater level of freedom as you walk life's road. Watch out for that UPC lot though. |
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Anonymous
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#14
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：20/11/2005 9:48 PMCopy HTML $%*'`[Marmalade Pie]%*'`@Reply to : Anonymous from Ireland.
Dear Anonymous It is pretty painful isn't it when friends suddenly disappear in an instant. In your case after 22 years. Grim! Reading your post brought back many interesting memories for me. It is painful to understand that the affection people had for you was conditional upon you remaining in the same hall or house with them for a couple of hours a week. My RF experience showed me the truth of a strange concept - "if you notice a problem, you are a problem". Despite my many years there, a pastor showed a friend of ours who remained for a while the scripture 1 John 2 v19 to show that I was never really a part of it. People have to be ready to leave and should not try to be talked out of it. I know people who have left RF, and have then had to work out who they actually are. It can be hard. Hang in their Anonymous from Ireland. Thinking of you and your humble hubby. Marmalade Pie |
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old holborn
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#15
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：30/11/2005 9:41 PMCopy HTML
in 1986 we were part of your early ministry, at your house meetings, and my wife was baptised and recieved the Spirit there, myself a week or so later baptised in the vry cold sea. We recall those early days with great nostalgia, so full of the joy of the Lord, such happy times , as the scriptures were opened up to us. And then alas we joined RCI,.and things were never the same. We were fortunate to be able to continue the house meetings tho, and everyone who visited would remark on the happiness and joy they experienced. From those early days our family membrship rose until there were 11 Spirit filled , 3 generations. Now only one member remains, House groups a thing of the past, all meetings at the meeting hall where the Pastor can control every aspect in case we should become disorderly. I dont propose to go into a sour grapes mode, whats past is past, and we have to press on towards the victory, we arent in the least traumatised by our treatment, we've been received with much love at our little local Baptist Church, where the fruits of the Spirit are very evident, the people very kind, and tolerance to all beleivers is preached, The Word is'nt divided according to one mans ideas, but is divided according to well authenticated and accepted practice, and is preached faithfully, and fully My purpose in posting this is to re-asure anyone who is in doubt now thro their RF experiences that there is life after RF, and more abundent, there is a thriving body, it's composed of arms, legs, feet etc, with Christ as the head,, called by various names, with different methods of operation, just like our own bodies, and it 's unified by the Holy Spirit, no matter what we were taught, Ive discovered and beleive that. God Bless all who are walking in faith, may you make it to the end.
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord "
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Anonymous
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#16
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Re：Disfellowshipped after 22 years Date Posted：04/12/2005 6:47 PMCopy HTML Reply to : Anonymous
Could you ps post your STORY in the GRC ROOM, IT WOULD BE SUCH A BLESSING TO MANY THERE, wOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM U, my e-mail add is- robertharrison25@yahoo.com.au |
My wife and I have recently resigned from RF, after 18yrs RCI/RF , having been founder members of RF after the split. I'm contributing this having only just discoved your website, and recognising the writer of "disfellowshipped after 22 yrs."I'm ashamed to say I was one of those who caused them a great hurt, by my initial reaction, but glad to say we were reconciled shortly after, and I was graciously forgiven. I can now appreciate how you must have felt at that time , having experienced similar reactions from brothers and sisters, some of who we brought along and nurtured over the years. One dear sister in particular, who likened me to Esau, giving up my birthright for a mess of pottage , and later referred me to a scripture, but I looked no further than my page heading, that said "Gods wrath against backsliding Israel"
