This could be a book, seriously. I will spare you all of the details and hit the main points. If you have any comments or questions at all based on any of the following, or if you would like me to expand on anything I mention, please comment and let me know!
First of all, I would not be where I am today if it were not for Rick and Shirley Andricks. I lovingly call them dad and mom. 😉 The household in which I grew up fostered a rich environment of Christian Faith. We went to good ol’ FBC every Sunday morning and evening and most Wednesday evenings. Needless to say, we were “churched” extensively, every week. For this, I was never bitter. I have very fond memories of Sunday School, Bible School, friends I made, songs we sang, games we played, Bible stories, Sunday “hymn request night,” and so many more. This is where my Faith journey began: First Baptist Church in Bryan, Ohio. I made a cognitive and heart-felt decision to follow Jesus Christ when I was 12 years old and was baptized shortly after. How would I have ever come to Faith in Christ had it not been for my parents taking me to church, and even more so, their example and dedication to the Lord? Thanks mom and dad.
Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it. –Proverbs 22:6
Anyway, let’s fast forward to my teenage years. First of all, UGH. These were some of the most awkward, ugly, and embarrassing years of my life. My guess is that this is true for everyone. At least, it makes me feel better to think so! I was taller, fatter, and pimplier than anyone in 6-8th grade. I was what you call an “early bloomer,” two years ahead of the puberty curve. I was that giant, awkward kid with red dots on his face that you all were grossed out by because you wouldn’t understand for another few years. But, it was okay. I still had friends. Good friends. Especially at church, in youth group. I remember looking forward to youth group every week, though I kept this a secret from most people and acted like I hated it. That was a quick phase, because by the time high school came, I was actively involved in youth group. I participated in just about any activity you could think of. I was not ashamed of my Faith even at that age, and tried my best to live it out at school. As high school progressed, I became more and more interested in Christianity. Not only did I desire to strengthen my personal relationship with God, but I also wanted to know exactly what I believed, and why. For awhile, I went along with precisely what my church taught me (on every doctrine). The Independent Fundamental Baptists (IFBs) are very good at convincing you that everyone else is wrong. In fact, I think to some of them, it is more important to “prove” others wrong than it is to promote and teach their own doctrine, or at least it appears as such. Proof: It was a very serious and troubling thing that I had chosen to attend a Wesleyan university, because Wesleyans believe in A, B and C… I am not kidding.
SIDEBAR: I am very grateful for many things growing up in this church. There are many loving, decent, God-fearing people there whom I respect and admire. The point isn’t to bash the church or any of the people. I am merely sharing my experience. NO church is perfect.
Moving on to college. I attended Indiana Wesleyan University. It was my freshman year here that I attended a university-mandated class for all students called World Changers. The name is awful, I know, but the content of the class was very interesting, new to me, and even… life changing. Students would pick apart different doctrines, and debate in class. (This certainly was not all the class was about, but it is what it often turned into.) I fully remember myself, the self-proclaimed Baptist, arguing for eternal security, and against the ordination of women, and why the KJV was superior to all other Bible versions… so on and so forth. I would present my case, and another student would intelligently, and probably more coherently, present theirs. Wait… another Christian? Not believing just like me? Hm. They MUST be mistaken… or was I? And who’s to know for SURE what the right answer was concerning all of these doctrinal issues? We read the same Bible and came up with different conclusions. Was the Holy Spirit leading me incorrectly, or them? Who had the right interpretation?
Questioning. Uncertainty. This was a new state of mind for me. This was life changing.
Don’t get me wrong, I never doubted my basic Faith in Christ, nor did I doubt theirs. But I began to ask myself, “Would God create a Church where he desired us to be in disunity, even about the smallest of things?” If the answer is “yes,” Christ is a liar, the Bible isn’t true, and there is no point in claiming Christianity. The answer has to be “no.” My world was shaken.
To be continued… I’m tired. 🙂
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