This makes me grieve and rage in equal portions. The love of Christ requires something beyond even human decency and, in this action, I can't see that they've shown either.
I am saddened for Pastor Rick, whom I don't know, and disgusted for the way he is being thrown away from the denomination he had devoted his life to. I am a few years older than you Dad, but he and I attended church and Sunday School and youth group with him back in the day. I too have a personal reason for leaving that church many years ago, even though my parents had been faithful members and big financial contributors there both before and after I left. I am now a very Happy Director of Music at a PCUSA congregation and will never again be a part of that original church. Please pass along my deepest condolences to your precious friend.
I feel deeply for Pastor Rick's and your experience. I grew up COTN and was on track for ordination until 2016 when I was confronted about my beliefs on this issue, and was essentially told that I would never be ordained unless I changed. Even with how much that stung and changed my life, I was fortunate to not be financially dependent on the church in any way. What happened to Dee Kelley and Rick is outrageous, cruel, and despicable.
I often wonder how the church I was born and raised in (former pk), went to school in, and worked in for about 8 years are so far apart in what we believe now. More recently as I have watched more public things the COTN is doing to people, it brings back old wounds of what happened both to my father and to me. And everything that happened, happened before I came out even to myself so that wasn’t even part of it. All this to say what the COTN use to do in smaller more private ways is becoming larger and more public. 14 years after I left it still makes me sad.
This doesn’t surprise me. After going to Trevecca (also a pastor’s kid btw), I saw how two faced people were. My dad passed away shortly after I graduated and I didn’t see a reason to continue to go to church after that. I only went to support him and my mom in their efforts at the church we were attending at the time. Haven’t stepped foot into a service since.
This is devastating. I can’t imagine the pressure and fracturing that would be brought about if my father’s ability to perform his life work was impacted by my actions.
This makes me grieve and rage in equal portions. The love of Christ requires something beyond even human decency and, in this action, I can't see that they've shown either.
I am saddened for Pastor Rick, whom I don't know, and disgusted for the way he is being thrown away from the denomination he had devoted his life to. I am a few years older than you Dad, but he and I attended church and Sunday School and youth group with him back in the day. I too have a personal reason for leaving that church many years ago, even though my parents had been faithful members and big financial contributors there both before and after I left. I am now a very Happy Director of Music at a PCUSA congregation and will never again be a part of that original church. Please pass along my deepest condolences to your precious friend.
I feel deeply for Pastor Rick's and your experience. I grew up COTN and was on track for ordination until 2016 when I was confronted about my beliefs on this issue, and was essentially told that I would never be ordained unless I changed. Even with how much that stung and changed my life, I was fortunate to not be financially dependent on the church in any way. What happened to Dee Kelley and Rick is outrageous, cruel, and despicable.
I often wonder how the church I was born and raised in (former pk), went to school in, and worked in for about 8 years are so far apart in what we believe now. More recently as I have watched more public things the COTN is doing to people, it brings back old wounds of what happened both to my father and to me. And everything that happened, happened before I came out even to myself so that wasn’t even part of it. All this to say what the COTN use to do in smaller more private ways is becoming larger and more public. 14 years after I left it still makes me sad.
This doesn’t surprise me. After going to Trevecca (also a pastor’s kid btw), I saw how two faced people were. My dad passed away shortly after I graduated and I didn’t see a reason to continue to go to church after that. I only went to support him and my mom in their efforts at the church we were attending at the time. Haven’t stepped foot into a service since.
It’s one of the two reasons i left. I feel your pain. Sending love!!
❤
This is devastating. I can’t imagine the pressure and fracturing that would be brought about if my father’s ability to perform his life work was impacted by my actions.