I once believed I was part of God's special remnant.

[Ataraxian]

Hello ya'll. Several years ago when I was only a teenager I became convinced that God had led me into his recovery of truth and practice. I was convinced that just as God has always worked with a select few people on earth in different times, that I was part of the select few that would ultimately yank him out of the sky.

I saw many unhealthy and strange things while I was in the Local Church, but always ignored them with the intent to focus on the bronze serpent and "The Body."

During a lengthy week-long dialogue/debate with a well educated man about a certain important matter of the faith, I became frustrated that he might be correct. At that time I articulated to myself that I would accept the truth no matter what it was, even if it meant that orthodox Christians would consider me a heretic. During week two, I became convinced that the Bible agreed with the "orthodox" viewpoint and not that of my friend. While that was a relief to me, the important part of the story is that I had articulated that I will accept the truth no matter the consequences.

As it happens with a lot of people in the Local Church, I asked myself if the Local Church is what it claims to be. Do they really own the only table in any given city? Are they really all about "oneness" or is that a merely a bunch of talk? Is their belief and practice in harmony with each other? Are they REALLY the "Lord's Recovery?" To make a long story short here, I was forced to answer myself honestly because it was already articulated in my being to accept the truth. I had to determine the truth of the absurd statements the Local Church makes. After several weeks of desperate prayer, Bible Study, phone calls, and conversation I came to understand that the Local Church is a denomination. To those of us that left, it's quite obvious, but those still in the LC remain blind to such an obvious and simple truth because they don't want to believe it. Not only did I come to understand that the LC was a denomination, but I also came to understand that the LC was highly divisive and arrogant. I came to understand that the LC was downright... just... wrong.

So, I accepted the truth and left the Local Church. My uncle, who had previously left the LC comforted me saying, "there is life after the Local Church." He was right!

As I've told others recently, I intend to write a lengthy testimony of not only my experience going through the Local Church, but also the adventures of three generations of my family. My extended family has given me their blessing to make their stories public. They strongly believe that the ways of the Local Church need to be exposed. I've written a little of it already, but I find that I get in a bad mood when I write about the Local Church and put the document aside. With time though, I'll finish it and post it. It won't be anything too grand, I'm just saying that this post is my introduction to the forum, because too much time may pass before I finish the other document.

In the spirit of full disclosure, please know that I am an agnostic. This means that I don't care too much about theological disagreements or whether or not LC followers are modalists. The Local Church has a well established history of hiding truth. Their practice is corrupt, and good-hearted teenagers and college kids across the world are duped daily into believing that the LC is "God's Move." That is what concerns me. Thanks to the internet and forums such as this, ex members that are willing to speak up can expose the Local Church for what it is. I intend to add to that voice, eventually. It will mark a point in my life where the emotional, mental, psychological, and physiological affect of the Local Church finally is of no consequence to me.

For those thinking about leaving the Local Church, know that there is life after the Local Church.