How did you get into the church of Christ? SURVEY

[Grace1973]

My Mom was 7th Day Adventist and became a member of the cofc around 22 years of age. My Father was a Methodist but joined the church due to my Mom's influence, all before I was born.

[ena]

My Mom was 7th Day Adventist and became a member of the cofc around 22 years of age. My Father was a Methodist but joined the church due to my Mom's influence, all before I was born.

Wow that is quite a mix. My parents met in the Methodist Church and converted before I was born. I think my dad was convinced that the baptism was better. While my parents were not as party line. The Church rubbed off on me in the wrong way. As a child I did not have equipment to judge what I was hearing. I came here wondering why the experience was so negative. I now know it was the attitude expressed. Fortunately you are born with a moral rudder. You just have to learn how to use it.

[nivensimani]

I'm not really clear on how my family (both sides) got into it. I discovered my paternal great grandfather converted to Church of Christ after living in a household where my 2nd great grandmother (his mom) was Jehovah's Witness. But I also think my grandmother and her side (she married my great grandfather's son) converted to Church of Christ before getting married. Then there's my mother's side. They clearly deviated from Baptist because I don't know any others on my maternal side who are Church of Christ. I'm not clear on how or why they converted.

I was forced into it clearly lol but I am free now

[tifarmer]

A lot of good stories on this topic. Of course, many of them reflect heartache and torn families when they were happening. I'm viewing them all from a comfortable position, treating them as irreverent entertainment.

In my own family, my father (so it is told) became a member of The Church as a condition of marrying my mother, who was a CoC preacher's daughter. Whether his was a "conversion experience" is doubtful. I don't suppose getting dunked was a particularly painful experience, in any case.

I will relate one seriously painful "conversion," however. One of my CoC first cousins wanted to marry a young independent Bible church woman. Her condition for marriage: circumcision. For him. Yep, at age 24, he got cirked. He'd been an easy-going, cheerful sort. Under her tutelage, he became a Baptist preacher of some stripe. Hellfire, brimstone, baptizing the same bunch of kids over and over and boasting of the large numbers in the church bulletin. He must've found some comfort in that vicious environment. Perhaps reminded him of his childhood.

Humans are strange animals, innit.

[B.H.]

I was raised Church of Christ though daddy converted from Baptist after marrying momma. We all were the nonclass variety a great grandfather was a deacon and a great great uncle an elder. We started going to a main linecchur h becausecthe nonclass one just couldntcstay open anymorecdue to deaths and moves. The one cuppers had set up a church a few years before and were actually up to 50 members at the time. They had a stink with our chur h so mom didnt want to go there. She went to the big mainline church in town because her cousin went there. Most of the surviving members of the nonclass church went to the one on beaton st. One or two went to the one cup church but I was ccx told would always tell them to stuff when someone tried to badmouth our church.

[FinallyFree]

I think shlybluz takes the prize for the most interesting and bizarre story!

[Moogy]

I will relate one seriously painful "conversion," however. One of my CoC first cousins wanted to marry a young independent Bible church woman. Her condition for marriage: circumcision. For him. Yep, at age 24, he got cirked. He'd been an easy-going, cheerful sort. Under her tutelage, he became a Baptist preacher of some stripe. Hellfire, brimstone, baptizing the same bunch of kids over and over and boasting of the large numbers in the church bulletin. He must've found some comfort in that vicious environment. Perhaps reminded him of his childhood.

Humans are strange animals, innit.

Makes me wonder how that Bible-strict young woman knew (before the marriage) that he was uncircumcised.

[FinallyFree]

[quote=tifarmer post_id=45163 time=<a href="tel:1624203300">1624203300</a> user_id=797]


I will relate one seriously painful "conversion," however. One of my CoC first cousins wanted to marry a young independent Bible church woman. Her condition for marriage: circumcision. For him. Yep, at age 24, he got cirked. He'd been an easy-going, cheerful sort. Under her tutelage, he became a Baptist preacher of some stripe. Hellfire, brimstone, baptizing the same bunch of kids over and over and boasting of the large numbers in the church bulletin. He must've found some comfort in that vicious environment. Perhaps reminded him of his childhood.

Humans are strange animals, innit.

Makes me wonder how that Bible-strict young woman knew (before the marriage) that he was uncircumcised.
[/quote]

Why was this even an issue? I thought only Jews had to be circumcised.

[agricola]

Well - Jews and Muslims.

(How DID she know? maybe she just asked??)

[shlybluz]

I think shlybluz takes the prize for the most interesting and bizarre story!

Thank you It does seem quite strange with having many years away from it; but knowing how my father operated it makes total sense.