New to the Site
Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 6:55 pm
Quick synopsis: Cradle CoCr, multiple generations, sat through many a sermon on key topics of the '60s including emphasis on exclusivity, longing references to the beginning of the 20th Century "when we were the fastest growing church, etc." Due to family moves got to experience a number of different congregations in the '70s and early '80s. Stayed with it more or less (although not too convinced) into early married years. When asked to be a deacon in my early 30s, I asked the elder I was speaking with why they wanted me to be one. He didn't really answer, but reading between the lines it amounted to we're trying to expand stakeholders to stabilize this mess. That congregation routinely had attendance over a 1000 to 2000 and a fair amount of prominence in those days. It no longer exists. However, the senior pastor was pretty forthcoming against the exclusivity that was part of my early formation so I took him up on it and gradually oozed out with my family (immediate anyway as I abandoned my parents there) over 6 months (we still had teaching responsibilities so had to double-church it a while.) Have been an active member in (since then) a moderate size Independent Christian Church (first stop was pretty close to home), a United Methodist Church, another sort of experimental non-Church of Christ Church of Christ, moved geographically and have since been associated with first an UMC mega-church (about 5K mbrs) and then (currently) a very small historic UMC congregation (had moved again). I am also currently participating as a candidate in Roman Catholic Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults with possible entry into the RC at Easter. Will likely be "bi-religious" after that with involvement/attendance in both UMC and Roman Catholic settings. All this in only a little over half a century. My grandfather was a CoC Elder, and in fact I served as one in the Independent Christian Church. I have mostly made peace with my origins at this point, but am intrigued by this site. Curious to see the stories of others. If I had to pigeon-hole myself, I'd probably say I'm a Christian Humanist although I admit that doesn't convey tons of meaning.
