Thanks for welcoming me... I won't disclose my location.  No offense intended to anyone.

I would also like to welcome you to the Forum MissIndependant. I am ex GRC.

Our shared experiences bind us more closely than anyone "in the world" could possibly imagine and how deeply scarred we remain today, depends on how long we were in each of our destructive sects / cults and the degree of abuse (no matter what form it took ) we were subjected to.

Your experience and knowledge helps every new person who comes to view the Forum, realise that they are not alone, when they try to find a reason for their grief and confusion.

For the people who have been using the Forum for some time, the fact that you found it and have been moved to share your story  with us is encouraging.

You ARE one of us and you are indeed welcome and we look forward to hearing much more from you. 

Cheers,
Glad

Thanks Glad...

I just wish I had known about this forum, years ago.  In so many ways I feel like I've been alone in my hurts and experiences and so have chosen to push them aside.  I was in the RCI since I was 6 mths old when my mum got born again, so when I was kicked out I had absolutely nothing!  My whole life till the age of 19/20 was consumed by the fellowship.  There was no life beyond it.  I was always a bit of an outsider at school because I wasn't allowed to have close friends who weren't in the church because they were bad ppl and would ultimately pull me away from God.  Just about every memory, every friend and every belief I had and even who I was as a person was the RCI.  When I was forced to leave the fellowship my whole world crumbled.  It was aweful!   It is the most 'alone' place to be and as I thought God hated me and didn't want me anymore, then I turned to the world and my life went down hill in a major way.  I've suffered for years with Rejection issues since that and only probably in the last two years have managed to overcome in that area.  I've even had to find out who I am, what do I believe and not just who I was told to be and what I was told to believe.  Many of my decisions and thought processes years after leaving RCI still were based on their teachings.  It was part of who I was. 

I've got to stop now because I'm getting really emotional.  Oh this is so weird.  Obviously there is still alot of hurt inside.  I just keep crying.  Not in self pitty but for the whole evilness of it all and how so many ppl have been hurt.  I'm an extremely empathetic person so I feel things deeply.  I think the biggest reality I'm getting whilst reading all of the stories on here is that I was actually in a cult.  It's not the first time I've heard that but I've always just down played it in my mind and seen it that I was in a bad church under an idiot leader on a power trip and I was just one of the more unlucky ones.  Far out... A CULT!!!!  I learnt about them at Bible College 12 yrs ago and there was a mention of the RCI even then, but it's only reading ppl's stories that I've realised to what extent the damage of a CULT is on a large chunk of society of innocent ppl who just wanted to love Jesus....Oh it's so sad!

Thank you for such heartfelt and helpful words...
It means alot to me.
One thing I am happy about now in my life is that 'I know that I know' that I have God and no longer have that guilt and fear hanging over my head. 
It is wonderful to live a free life now and make my own choices even if things are somewhat harder than they possibly would have been without the influence and brain washing of a cult.
Glad.... It has been lovely to share with you.

Hi Miss Indy,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your story with us here.
As Glad said (God bless her cotton socks), you are one of many but that doesn't make you any less special or loved, and not only by all of us here but by the creator of the universe - He loves you with an awesome love that we cannot even begin to comprehend!  So many people that have been hurt by these groups end up blaming God and turning away from him, but it was never Him who did the hurting. He has always loved us and will always love us no matter what we do or have done in the past. He may not always LIKE what we do, but He loves US with a never-ending love!!  That, in itself, is a very liberating and wonderful thought to hold on to.

God bless you and may you find contentment and happiness on your journey

Urchin x x

Oh thank you so very much Urchin...
I really did struggle for many many years feeling unloved.  I thought I was soooo unlovable and didn't deserve it either.  I finally do now but it's taken a long time to get here.  I have found a self admiration and my self esteem is renewed but only through the tangible love I've felt from God.  I have had some amazing touches from Him (after RCI days) and despite my life not always being perfect, I know that God is there with me.  I go to a church occasionally but pretty much I believe Christianity is based on your personal relationship with him and not how often you attend a church service.  Alot of that is just to portray a certain level of spirituality that is expected from the fellow church members.  Too many ppl are trying to proove something to each other instead of focusing on Jesus. 

Thanks again Urchin for your support

Ps... Urchin... I like the nick name you gave me "Miss Indy" ... heheh Miss Indy's are the beautiful winners in a beauty pagent... lol

Hi Miss Independant,

I'm ex GRC - been out for a year or so. So in the eyes of the 'WORLD' I am a 'babe'.

I am sure I speak for everyone Welcome and use this forum for the Good that it is!!

So many stories and some many real people that really care.  We all still have our scars and fears but feed off each others warmth.

Many have lost family and friends over the course of being involved in the man Made churches. I myself lost my wife and kid -

Enjoy and look forward to hearing more about you and perhaps you can benefit from the forum like so many have.

I'm glad you like your new nickname and I'm gonna keep calling you Miss Indy - cos you ARE beautiful and you ARE a winner!

You're quite right, Christianity is not based on how often you attend church but on your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm not ashamed to say (to whoever wants to listen) that I am totally and utterly in love with Jesus.

It's quite bizarre really cos in my RF days (left 16 months ago) I didn't even realise that one could have such a  relationship and that was after 24 years there!!  The pastors there didn't really lead us to Jesus or enthuse or equip us to want to know more about Him. Maybe cos they didn't really know Him themselves? There's a saying in the church I go to now, "to know God is to show God" or another way of putting it is, "the God you know is the God you show".  It seems as though the 'rev groups' only know a God of fear, judgement and control so that is how they show God to be (by their fruits)  but I have since come to know a God of love, mercy, grace and compassion and that is the God I want others to see and come to know as well.

God bless, Urch

Hi Ian....
Thanks for your thoughts....

It isn't that I didn't realise till now that I was in a Cult... I'm not that ignorant.  I obviously didn't explain myself well enough.  I have known it was a cult. I just suppose the reality of the true extent of it has hit me.  It is easy to know something in a general sense (like RCI being a cult as such) and like I said, I thought I was probably just an unlucky case and in one of the worst fellowships in Aust.  Other ppl I know from the RCI who've left haven't seemed to have had such a bad experience (unless they too have decided to brush it aside) so I didn't really know how many ppl out there have suffered so terribly until this forum.  I suppose that the true meaning of what a 'cult' really is has been what I'm learning now.  That's just through lack of knowledge on the subject.  I've actually referred to my upbringing as being from a 'cult' many times over the years.

I suppose too that in some ways I thought at Bible college that perhaps they were just exaggerating when putting RCI in the same category as the Mormans etc.  The cults they mentioned were off the planet with very weird teachings of aliens etc.  Till then alot of what I knew doctrinally and as a Christian, I thought was normal regardless of whether I agreed or not.  Who was I to question what was preached even if I did disagree and frankly we weren't taught to think for ourselves anyway.    I didn't know certain things were 'cultish' as I had no other teaching to compare to.  I just thought they were a bit screwed up and too strict.  Remember I was only very young and naive at that stage when I started College, had only been out of RCI for about a year then too. 

In College I was so consumed back then on experiencing God for the first time in my life and finding out about the basics of love, mercy, forgiveness and grace etc.  All of the things other Christians know from the start.  All of these things were so exciting to me.  I finally discovered that there was more beyond speaking in tongues, (I was eleven yrs old when I received).  I was learning that we had 'gifts' and learning that I personally could have a place of importance in God's plan and that somehow I could possible make a difference even though I was a female too!  How wonderful it was at that time in my life.  It was like I was a new Christian.  So focusing on the negatives of my past church was the least of my worries and it just all got pushed aside as I began my new journey as a 'normal' christian.  I had many other things that concerned me and many hurts from the molestation I'd suffered and also being rapped and I didn't directly connect those things with the RCI at the time.  I just unintentionally turned my back on the RCI and didn't relate those days to my present life.  'Move on' so to speak and not dwell on the past.   For a while now though I've known fully that those things I suffered and other things like my mindsets etc was totally a result of being part of that church and the fact that it was a cult and that all the bad things that took place were due to an evil hold of lust that was on the church..... Reading stories on this forum is definately confirming what I already knew in my heart but maybe didn't understand totally.

Anyway I hope that explains it... hehe ... sometimes it's hard to get it across properly because the whole thing is really quite complicated. 

The Bible College I went to was at Hillsong/ sydney.  It was a wonderful time for me and the foundation of my new Christianity.  I loved what I learnt there however I am certainly over any teachings from there or any other church for that matter that preach 'serve', 'serve', 'serve' and 'ministry', 'ministry', 'ministry'.   There are too many Christians striving to achieve a position or recognition in some way or other and that tends to put focus back on oneself and one's church rather than on your personal relationship with Jesus.  I have been in ministry and positions many times but I would rather not have man's pressure on me so I just now focus on getting myself through life and learning and growing as much as I can personally and to be a good mum.  From time to time I know God uses me in different ways and it's awesome when he does.  It's through him and not through my doing.  I just continue to try to accept ppl and genuinely love those in my life and to forgive.  This is a light shining in the world despite all the mess I've been through.  Not many ppl when meeting me would ever suspect what I've been through.  It's not like I'm a walking disaster heheh.... 

Forgiveness keeps ppl from being bitter and twisted.  I'm certainly not a bitter ex Revivalist.  More in shock right now than anything else because some ppl's stories are so sad. 

Actually I read your's and Drew's Intro's on your site last night and they were both lovely.  Your heart to show ppl the truth is wonderful and I really think many ppl have benefitted emensely from your teachings. 
It's fantastic and I never even knew about it all this time...

Thanks

Hi E5
Thanks.  I hope this forum is ok (safe) too.  I've read around most of the posted stories and there are a few negative and tactless ppl making comments.  I think this would definately turn away some ppl from sharing, especially when that's what we've come from and have been hurt by already.  It just doesn't make sence why ppl would be like that on this forum.  It makes me wonder why they are on here if they only want to be trouble makers and not contribute in a positive and loving way. 
Oh well...
Thanks so much for welcoming me and hopefully I will be able to be one of the 'stayers'. 
Miss Indy