I left the Worldwide Church of God well over a year ago and removed my name from the membership.  It is difficult to appreciate such narrow-mindedness unless you were a part of it. I had tried to work things out...and in process realized how much lying had really taken place. I didn't know. 

I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was a child. And am thankful that His presence, as I see it, protected me in the WCG. 

It was hard for me to realize that it was a "cult" and that I had been taken in. I went to a mainstream church (Methodist before the WCG) and wanted to learn about the word and God and noticed that most people didn't even bring their Bibles. So...since the WCG "appeared" to be different, I fell for it. But God nevertheless was protecting me and working in my life, else I don't think I would have had the courage to leave and face losing almost all my friends...and maybe all of them eventually anyway. 

Some of the few that have hung in there with me know that I showed them genuine love and friendship and saw the overcoming in my life and in my families, but as I have come to see and realize the horrible deceit in that church, I am seeing more clearly how brainwashed we were and some still are. They don't want the truth about Mr. Armstrong and they will not believe someone like me--not really, not totally. 

I have stored in my memory bank many of the statements made to me personally by the ministry and others and because of the educating I have done about dysfunctional lifestyles in families, suddenly the pieces came together. The data was in and I "knew" that people like you [ESN] had been telling the truth and I now understand how misrepresented you have been and now experiencing myself I am sorry that I ever had anything to do with the WCG.

I hope this doesn't affect me for the rest of my life. It  makes me so angry that I now have to "recover" when I so much wanted to follow Christ. Thanks for having the courage to expose it all and Keep up the good work.

By Phyllis (first name used with permission)
February 10, 2001

Articles For Those Who Were Emotionally and Spiritually Abused 

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