Since leaving the JW's, I've been to several churchs.
One, I just picked one randomly and showed up. I talked my husband, and both children into going with me. We came in and sat towards the back. I was fine until the minister started saying somthing about the new ones coming forward. He even had the entire congration bow their heads so we could come up unafraid. When everyone bowed thier heads, I whispered to my husband, "we're outta here." We left. The next night the minister of this church came by our house to talk to us. My husband answered the door and told them that he was only there because I wanted to come. He had no interest in joining and really didn't want to even talk about it. They asked if they could talk to me, he told them I was at work. They asked if they could visit me at work. He said, "sure". and gave them the address of my work. They didn't come to my work as far as I know, and never came back to our house. (I was working at a strip club)
I've been to my husband's dad's church. He was a full time pastor for Little Jewel Church in Ashland KY for over 50years. It is Old Regular Baptist. He got the "calling" when he was 16 and dedicated his life to this church. He was well know and very popular and traveled to other churchs with his sermons. This group of baptist are very strict. Women don't wear makeup, or cut their hair. They can't wear pants or shorts..ever. When memebers start getting what JW's called 'weak' their term is 'back slidding' . They can get 'excluded' instead of 'disfellowshipped' . One of my husband's brother in laws got 'excluded' for wearing shorts while mowing his yard. Well, actually they weren't shorts, they were jeans that he had cut off right below the knee. Also, in this group, you can't be divorced, ever...you must wait for your spouse to die, or you are considered double married. For instance, my husband's brother 'back slid' and left the church. He moved away and married. Then he and his wife divorced. He remarried and a few years later he came back to the church. He was warmly welcomed back. But...he now said he wanted to fully come back and be able to preach. But because his first wife was still alive, he would have to divorce his second wife and go back to his first wife, before he could be fully accepted back in any "preaching" postition.
Last summer, an older black women invited me to her church. I was the only white woman there. It was very lively, lots of music a band. Everyone was clapping and sometimes they would get up and walk around and shake people's hands and hug. Not fancy a church, It was mostly poorer people. But all the men had on bright colors. I'm talking bright orange and lime green suits. And most of the women had on bright dresses and fancy hats some with feathers. They also had a young children section where they called children out for doing good. And everyone clapped.
Well, there's are several others...but I just noticed how long winded I am this morning.
lisa
