This week, a beautiful friend I made on social media shared with me that she decided to leave the Southern Baptist Association after she attempted suicide because of trauma she experienced at the hands of the church.
She still has Beth Moore’s books and bible studies on her shelves because of what they meant in her life and healing.
Yesterday, I shared with a friend that I would be writing an essay soon about the trauma I experienced through purity culture funneled to me through the baptist church. This trauma played its own part in my self harm and destruction in my late teens and early 20s. This trauma effected (s) my sexual health in my marriage for which I have had counseling for and still deal with on some level quite often.
I told her that we left the Southern Baptist Association (that blessed me in beautiful ways as well as I grew up) so that our boys would be able to see women who are spiritually gifted and called fulfill God’s plan for their lives and lead in the church.
I want my sons to come to God through love and experience joy not guilt, shame, and fear.
Today, I saw many reports by the associated press that stated the Southern Baptist Conference voted to remove two churches with women pastors.
There are hurting women in the church. Hurting people, but hurting women. They desire community. They desire pure love. They desire a healthy environment to worship and serve. They desire to follow Jesus and love his people without having to pretend they’re okay with the position they’ve been put in as members of churches that claim to be his.
Honestly, these churches are probably better off as independents.
I desire the denomination I left several years ago to open its eyes and focus on the significant things – to love instead of leave behind.
I hope for them to see the inconsistency in asking women not to consider abortions, to submit to men who are not leading in a Godly manner, and to trust they have their best interests in mind and heart (spiritually) while banning churches that are allowing women to follow calls God has put on their lives without pushing down their spiritual gifts.
How delusional is an entity when they believe that voting to remove churches with women leaders is important when women are attempting to take their lives to leave an abusive and corrupt system daily on a lay people level?
Tearful women, like me, who have their hearts broken by male leaders in the church are choosing to leave one by one whether straight to heaven or to a different denomination.
There is no need for a vote.
There is need for change.
Trailmix 