By: Helen
I came to know Jesus when I was 31, coming out of an unchurched background. We chose to go to a little church close to our home where renewal was beginning to happen. Many changes were made within the church but the hierarchy stepped in and sent a man who was religious to try to contain the “outbreak”. Eventually many people left, joining other churches where Holy Spirit was allowed to move more freely. I found after, that when I challenged the leadership in other churches that I joined, on things I saw being done that wasn’t In God’s Word, I was reprimanded. But I know that I heard His voice….there were many confirmations of it afterwards. It has left me sure of one thing, that Jesus is alive and that I choose to follow Him with all my heart and cannot again go back into the “system” that binds. It has cost me over the years as many friends found it difficult to understand why I didn’t just submit and accept the “system”, but it left me without Jesus and His tender presence. Now many of them are asking questions as they are feeling trapped and don’t know why they are so restless.
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This mini testimony was found on this page: http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/2012/02/do-you-have-a-story-to-share.html
Called Out: Now What? 
michaeldc110
February 17, 2012
It seams that those who have not been born into that system from an early age, but rather have had some real life experiences outside of what I call “hot house Christianity”… that these catch on quicker that “the king has no clothes.” As in this child’s story, those who are as children in God’s kingdom can see the truth when church potentates are strutting their stuff before all. I am so grateful that Jesus sent us His Spirit to lead us into all truth and out of error. It is getting past the myth of “delegated authority” that finally sets us free. Jesus never delegated His authority to men so they could take His place in Christ’s body, but told us that He would never leave us or forsake us. True spiritual leaders are never “over-lords,” but rather they lead with transparent lives as living letters written by God for all men to see. Paul said, “Follow me just as I follow Christ” not “Follow me because I have a title and an office in the Church.” There is a huge difference.
Also, submission in Christ’s body is a two-way street. When it is always one way, top down, is when danger and folly are near. Peter wrote, “Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 KJ2000). The trouble in many church setting is, “In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.” Blind people need blind guides and blind guides need blind followers. But even here God can accomplished His purposes with Divinely appointed ditches for then to fall into. After following many a blind church leader into many nasty effluent filled ditches (that is what ditches are for in the third world setting of the Bible), I finally got my eyes off of mere men and sought out THE Teacher to lead me and as long as I followed Him and not self-willed men, I have been able to avoid all the ditches. 🙂
Loretta
February 17, 2012
Timely and helpful word Michael thank you. Just today, i had a “Church potentate” from one of my past Churches, suggesting to me that I’m in sin if I’m not submitting to Institutional Church “delegated authority” and “over-lords”. I told him there were God appointed elders in my life/ (unorganized) fellowship. He was denying that a fellowship can be unorganized, and denying that elders are appointed by God— he was saying that they are appointed by (Church)men and I should be under them. He was denying that there is any other church than the Organized one…. then he ended by telling me that I should be open to coming back and that he senses “no peace” in me. That was the slam-down, the put down.
ivana
April 27, 2012
Loretta: Do not allow them to manipulate you with fear and condemnation. Thats not from God definitely!
Loretta
April 29, 2012
Thanks Ivana!
Denise
October 14, 2017
I’ve run across more and more people lately who are walking away from the church “system”. (“come out of her my people …”). I grew up unchurched and went to a revival tent meeting in 1995. I thought I got saved that day , but in the last few years I was re-baptized , because I began to have serious doubts. I stayed with that church for 3 1/2 years. My kids and I attended every Sunday , helped out whenever and where ever we could. My daughter enjoyed watching the 2 year olds during the main service. She did this faithfully for the church for the entire time we attended. In 1998, when she was 17, she gave birth to a son. The church refused to allow him in the baby dedication that they held whenever someone had a new baby. When I confronted the pastor , he said it would be wrong because he was born out of wedlock. When I asked how come there was no problem with 3 other members whose daughter’s had out of wedlock births , I was told that ” well … their parents have been going here for a very long time , and blah,blah,blah..” I will not repeat here , what I said. But it was not very Christian and definitely not kind. I went and got my daughter and grandson , collected my son , flipped off the pastor and never went back. I have not been back to any church for more than a visit in the last 17 years. The last 12 or so I haven’t gone at all. But I never stopped believing in Jesus. I know He is the Son of God , He died for me , and I love Him dearly. The only affiliation I have now is , I am a Christian. Period. In the last couple of years it has been lovely. My daughter moved away , but still believes. My son and I have a very close relationship with Christ. I know more now about the living God of the Bible , than I ever learned in “church”. The church system is a false system of man made rules , regulations and doctrines and occasional snobbery. The pastor of the church that day , did me a great service. He unknowingly introduced me to the Savior he couldn’t teach me about. Amen.
Loretta
November 1, 2017
Denise, Just found your comment now. Really great comment, I so hear you, get it and agree. This is a good encouragement for many who have also been though similar scenarios. I’m super positive that it’s likely the other members in the identical situation, who were allowed to have the baby dedicated, were longtime, financially well off, regular “tithers”. If that’s so, they literally “paid” for the privilege. Thank you for sharing and God bless you, your daughter, son and your grandson, and bless your faith, trust and hope in Christ.