If you leave your church (for reasons besides abuse), and your leaving doesn't incl some sustained conversation w/fellow congregants & church leaders, it feels like you're treating the family like a fast food restaurant that you've stopped buying hot spiritual to-go meals from...
...I promise I'm not trying to be dismissive of the pain of leaving, and again, if you've been seriously harmed by your church, you're not the person I'm talking to. But as somebody who has been in volunteer leadership while married to a church staff person, I feel l've gotten...
...a sort of unique glimpse at a trend of ppl leaving w/o ever really processing that with pastors or fellow church members. And I'm not talking a/b megachurches. I'm talking a/b congregations where ppl are in relationship w/ppl and then just move elsewhere.
Again, don't want...
Again, don't want...
...to shame people, but I've seen first hand w/ppl I love that when this happens it creates serious hurt for those who are committed to the congregation AND to the people leaving and who sort of discover that departure by accident or only once the decision has already been made..
... I can anticipate lots of push back on this thread, but I'll just say in my context you've actually made VOWS and every Christian's NT uses "family" for one of the primary metaphors for the relationships w/in congregations. If you're dramatically changing your relationship...
...(and there ARE good reasons for doing so!!) please at least consider letting people in to the process, even if it's painful for everyone.
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