I was in evangelicalism for 35 yrs, from 15 to about 50. I raised my kids in it, homeschooled one. I was deeply involved in ministry the entire time - worship leader, ministry leader, women's leader, children's church. In 2017, I'd had enough./1
#IGotOut https://freedomofmind.com/how-to-help-friends-family-following-trumps-election-loss-false-prophecy-mass-exodus-cognitive-dissonance/

2/I'd been in a few churches where authoritarian pastors ruled. I thought they were not indicative of the movement as a whole. We ended up in a Pentecostal church that was headed by another broken, unqualified, abusive man. All the elders & ministry leaders, including me, left

3/The large group of us started a home group & began attending another church. A case of child sexual abuse was revealed & many of the people who knew (all those leaders & elders) wanted to protect the abuser & cover up what he'd done. #IGotOut

4/This was a yr before the 2016 election. I watched the same people & others I know, not only vote for Trump, but in the months that followed they became enthusiastic & some like him. I was disturbed that this amoral, corrupt liar was the hero of Ev. #IGotOut

5/I also could see the same dynamics at play in Trump as I had seen when abusive pastors were revealed for wrongdoing. They were coddled & revered & often their abuses were covered up. The issues I'd seen were not localized, but systemic. #IGotOut

6/I've spent the past few yrs sloughing off the skin of white Evangelicalism. I've been listening to black pastors & Christians, people of other faiths, LGBTQ christians & not. I no longer allow evangelicals to limit #ProLife conversations to being only about pregnancy. #IGotOut

7/Democrats aren't suspect & liberal Christians aren't corrupted. The manipulation of those who support evil ideas & actions & attach God's name to it, fills me w anger. I don't believe White Ev can be reformed as there is too much authoritarianism rotting its core. #IGotOut

8/Trump exposes what is already there. I feel a bit without a spiritual country, but I don't mind it. This has been a time of unlearning the wrong & reaffirming what is truly important. Here, I'm less sure of the answers & it's fine. I feel like I joined the human race. #IGotOut