I was just thinking about all the things that we allowed to take place while we were at the Potter's House. I can't believe that we sat there during many of the things that I knew were wrong and did not say a word. What was wrong with us?

I am remembering once particular incident when Pastor Schulze was preaching and he dared us to go our place of work, school, etc., and carry our Bible with us throughout the day. He wanted us to bring back a testimony to share with the church of when someone stopped us and asked why we were carrying our Bible. I believe two or three testimonies were given that night at service. One in particular has stayed with me because I will never forget that such a young girl gave the following testimony:

With a big smile on her face she said the following: I carried my Bible with me all day and one girl asked me why I was carrying it and I told her, "Why not, FAGS are allowed to come out of the closet."

This young girl got a lot of amens throughout the congregation that night and many laughed. But it made me sick to my stomach and I couldn't do either because it blew my mind to think that we are teaching our young children to call people "FAGS." It broke my heart that she did something like this and her parents did nothing to stop her-they were proud of her. I couldn't help but sit and watch their expressions as their daughter gave that testimony that night and they were proud, very proud, that their daughter was getting a lot of laughs and amens that night.

We are to reach people who are hurting and bound by sin-how will we ever help those bound by homosexuality if we call them "FAGS?"

This young girl uses this term because Pastor Schulze uses it over the pulpit. She feels if her pastor is able to say it, then she too has every right to do it.

One day my son said, "Look at that guy, he looks like a fag." I turned around and I told him, "Don't ever let me hear that come from your mouth again!" He turned to me and said, "Why not, Pastor Schuzle does?" Let me tell you, he said it once but hasn't said it since.

Pastor Schulze openly will say such remarks as, "If you don't like our church, join the FAGS down the street." At one point he said, I know I make a lot of jokes about FAGOTS and I hope you guys don't think I am one or that I was sexually abused by one but they make me sick. He recently announced that he joined the gym and his trainer is, you guessed it, a "FAG." And now he has jokes about him.

If someone is reading this and you too are experiencing the same things going on in your church and don't feel right about it...most likely it isn't right. Pray, asking God what He wants you do. I can't tell you what to do...I can only share with you my testimony and my experience at the Potter's House. It is up to you do what you feel is best for you and your family. But if it does not feel right, it probably isn't.

I AM AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF A FELLOWSHIP CHURCH... I WILL NOT NAME. BUT I STARTED GOING WHEN I REALIZED HOW FAR FROM GOD I HAD GOTTEN WITH THE WAY I WAS LIVING MY LIFE & THE TURMOIL I HAD BEEN GOING THROUGH.... I HAD BEEN LIVING A LESBIAN LIFESTYLE FOR 11 YEARS IN FACT ALL MY YOUNG ADULTHOOD AND TO THIS DAY I KNOW ANYTHING MORE... I REMEMBER ALL THE COMMENTS I WOULD HEAR PEOPLE MAKE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS. I WOULD GO HOME EVERYNIGHT AND CRY ON MY PILLOW.
"JESUS WOULD NEVER CALL ME A DYKE WOULD HE?" I WOULD ASK MYSELF.
IN FACT I REMEMBER LAST JUNE WHEN ONE OF THE RUBI'S PREACHED IN THE MORNING CONFERENCE AND ALL THE WHOLE SERMON WAS ABOUT WAS HOW YOUNG GIRLS SHOULDN'T TRUST OTHER GIRLS TO GET TOO CLOSE TO THEM CUZ THEY COULD BE A LESBIAN PROWLING, LURKING FOR THEIR NEXT VICTIM.
WELL YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW THAT MADE ME FEEL. ESPECIALLY SINCE EVERYONE KNEW OF MY BATTLES WITH LESBIANISM. ALL EYES WERE ON ME.
IF YOU'RE A MINORITY YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL... HAVE YOU EVER WENT TO A STORE TO GO WINDOW SHOPPING SO YOU WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT OUTFIT YOU WANTED TO BUY THE NEXT TIME YOU WENT CLOTHES SHOPPING? AND AROUND THE CORNER COMES THE NEXT ATTENDANT "HOW MAY I HELP YOU?" AND YOU EXPLAIN TO HER "OHHHH I'M JUST LOOKING" BUT WITHIN THE 15 MINUTES YOU'RE THERE THEY COME OVER TO BUG YOU EVERY 2 MINUTES???? WHY IS THAT???? THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS... IS THEY DON'T TRUST YOU!!! THEY THINK BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR OR ETHNIC BACKGROUND YOU'RE A THEIF!!! A HARD CORE CRIMINAL...
WELL THAT'S HOW I FEEL ALMOST EVERYDAY... I TRY TO WITNESS OR FOLLOW UP ON NEW CONVERTS AND I THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO CONVINCE THE NEXT LITTLE GIRL TO BECOME A LESBO...
IT DOESN'T STOP THERE...
I WENT AS FAR AS MY PASTOR TRYING TO KICK ME OUT OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE GOD HADN'T DELIVERED ME YET. HE SAID, "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LIVE BY GOD'S WORD AND COMMANDS THAN THERE WAS NO POINT OF COMMING BACK TO CHURCH" AND HE POINTED TO THE DOOR--> "LEAVE!"
"YEAH RIGHT!" I SAID. "THIS IS NOT YOUR CHURCH!" "THIS IS GODS CHURCH." "YOU CAN'T KICK ME OUT"
AND I REFUSED TO LEAVE... AND FROM THEN ON I KEEP GOING...
YEAH THERE'S BEEN SOOOOO MANY TIMES I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT LEAVING... BUT THE TRUTH IS, IS I'M NOT THERE TO SERVE THE PASTOR OR THE HEADSHIP OR THE PEOPLE I'M THERE TO SERVE GOD. I HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY PURE BY CHOICE AND THE GRACE OF GOD FOR 1 1/2 YEARS NOW.. AND I'M COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH GOD BEING MY ONLY LOVE UNTIL HE FEELS I'M READY FOR MARRIAGE AND PUTS SOMEONE IN MY LIFE... BUT LET ME GET ONE THING STRAIGHT!!!
I AM A TOTALLY CHANGED PERSON FROM THE INSIDE OUT BUT NOT BY MY PASTOR'S DOING BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD. HE CLEANSED ME AND SET ME FREE & ONLY HE CAN TAKE THE FULL CREDIT...
I WISH THAT MY PASTOR COULD ONE DAY UNDERSTAND THAT GOD SAVES PEOPLE, THE BLOOD OF JESUS SAVES PEOPLE, THE CROSS SAVES PEOPLE... NOT TYING A NUCE AROUND SOMEONES NECK AND FORCING THEM TO CHANGE... IT'S ALL ON GODS TIMING NOT THEIRS...

"The Christian Fellowship Churches" mentioned above is led by Wayman Mitchell of Arizona and has a deeply troubled history of bad press, lawsuits, custody battles, church splits and pastor walk outs.

See the following links:

[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]

A good book to read regarding such groups is "The Subtle Power of Spirtual Abuse," which is written from a Christian perspective.

Also see this article from Charisma Magazine--

[www.culteducation.com]

The overwhelming majority of churches are positive places. It should be relatively easy to find one where there is less pressure and more understanding.