A reclamation project for the stories of those who left the United Pentecostal Church and other similar religious organisations. 🎙⚡ï¸
Hi friends. We are back this week with a brand new guest who is sharing his story of growing up as an Apostolic Pentecostal.
Hi Friend. Jessica is back to share her story of leaving the UPCI. Often when we leave we lose our friends, family, and community. Jessica opens up about finding her own faith, self esteem and her community.
Hi Friends! We are back this week with a new guest, Jessica. When you grow up in an organization like the UPCI you are told from a very young age exactly who you are supposed to be. For Jessica, she knew early on that who she really was would jeopardize not only her ministry but potentially her eternity based on what was being taught. We go over how she handled it and why she ultimately walked away.
Hi Friends. This week is a solo episode discussing mental health in the UPCI and why it is often swept under the rug if they cannot pray it out.
Hi friends!Our anonymous guest is back this week to talk to about her decision leaving the UPCI. Fear is what keeps so many people in the pews but it can also be the thing that almost brings us back. Luckily, our guest learned how to handle things in a better way through therapy and psychiatry. Both things that she was told were against God's will.
Hi friends! This week we are back with a brand new guest who has decided to stay anonymous. Sometimes we may think that you have to be in these organizations for an extended amount of time for trauma to occur. That is not the case in this story. It often does not take long before the true colors of the leaders to come out and the pain to be front an center.**This episode discusses topics that may be triggering for some, proceed with caution**
Hi Friends!Katie is back to wrap up her story of being in and leaving the UPCI. During the time of her abuser being arrested and convicted, Katie was on another journey regarding her faith. Were the things she was taught and believed for so many years biblically accurate? Was her lifelong foundation secure? Or was there more?
Hi friends!This week our guest, Katie, is back sharing her story of what she experienced during her time in the UPCI.In this episode we discuss the lack of support that she received after her abuse as well as trying to cope with her leadership suggesting she date her abuser. *THIS INTERVIEW DISCUSSES SEXUAL. ASSAULT AND MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR SOME. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION*
Hi friends! This week I have the absolute honor of bringing to you a story from our new guest, Katie.Katie is one of the survivors from a monster that the UPCI actively tried to cover for and hide and has agreed to share her story with us. This interview discusses sexual assault and may be triggering for some. Please proceed with caution.
Hi friends!This week I wanted to share a little bit about some of the things in my upbringing that are hard for me to talk about. Thanks for helping me feel brave enough to open up more.
Hi Friends! This week we are back with our guest, Alexis, to talk about the events that led to her ultimately leaving the UPCI. Through therapy, vulnerability, and healing, Alexis and her husband were able to land on solid ground. In this episode we discuss how you can do the same.
*Please note this episode contains conversation about suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling I want to encourage you to seek out professional help*Hi Friends! We are back this week with Alexis who shares more of her story in the UPCI. With the idea that "struggling" meant that she was outside of the will of God, Alexis went all in at Bible school. In this episode we discuss the her time there as well as what marriage and ministry were like for her early on.
Hi Friends! We are back this week with our brand new guest, Alexis. During our interview, we discuss the incredible pressure that she faced starting from a young age growing up in the UPCI. Alexis had dreams of being a performer but quickly learned who she was and was not allowed to be. *this episode discusses the topic of eating disorders, please listen with caution*
Hi Friends We are back this week with our anonymous guest to talk about what happened after leaving the UPCI. This episode does discuss suicide, so please proceed with caution.
Hi friends! This week we are back with a new anonymous guest who is sharing her story of her time in the UPCI. Growing up with extra pressure of you family your family being heavily involved can take a toll on your well-being. Our guest walks us through the ups and downs of trying to leave and ultimately suffering burnout.
Hi friends! Join me for a quick recap of my latest video posted and why I wanted to share it. With the push from the UPCI to obey your pastor, where is Jesus in all of this?
Hi friend and happy new year! We are back this week with Jonah to talk about what happened when he left the UPCI with his family and what ultimately led him to write his book. https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Such-Thing-Dragons-Pentecostal/dp/B0C5P7VX8Q/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2NPS6B07ZDNQW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xZrK8_xnwxJasg7aQV9g1oeM1Z9y53eROf9jg99wRaygaqJE56ZNICyIbdBovQYIQAPmw1mpLMmTEsBduEWrbsFD5iOJwPM0lqNqc4NeFPEy7wtEuJDo5BHndUKmZjhRS_7KFtGlA1gVlOS7DVCSI4FclrlzcuLl6JLesuJoh7dKA0LCqIGnlPcJXoe9QrTV3yAC8tHBJgilQGB2i1U9HBoNMBsiutvTB20VH3i_d8A.q-tz81n0NEDnyyaHJNSKvg2T0IWMOsnEGYOSx0S8VZ4&dib_tag=se&keywords=no+such+thing+as+dragons+book&qid=1735740329&sprefix=there+no+such+thing+as+dragons%2Caps%2C272&sr=8-2
Hi friends! This week we are back with a brand new guest, Jonah, who shares his story of leaving the United Pentecostal Church. When you leave church the first time as a "rebellious" young person, you often make your way back to try and find solid ground to stand on. Jonah found himself coming back and having a passion to help young people with their walk with God. But, their questions lead him to have his own internal struggle with what was being taught over the platform. the more he began to search, the less the Bible was lining up with UPCI beliefs.
This week Amanda is back to wrap up her story of leaving an Apostolic church. When Amanda decided she did not want to attend she could have never prepared herself for what came next. Through her marriage ending and a strained relationship with her children, she has found a way to heal and have a happy life.
This week we are back with a brand new guest who will be sharing her story of leaving a oneness Pentecostal church. Amanda, who was still in high school when she was married to a preachers son, recounts the moments that led her through the doors of a church for the first time and what ultimately started her journey out. A failing marriage, mental health that could not be addressed and so much more.
Ethan is back this week to talk us through his experience with leaving his church. We all saw others leave and be shunned but when it is our turn we assume they will not treat us as badly, but they do. So how do you leave and not become a worse version of yourself? How do you leave and find your footing when you are told that torment is waiting on the other side?
Hi Friends! This week we are back with our new guest, Ethan. Being raised in the independent section of Apostolic Pentecostalism, Ethan takes us through his childhood and what it was like. The questions that Ethan had were overshadowed by the fact his family was deeply involved and he was expected to follow suit. As we know though, the questions cannot be ignored forever and eventually we hit our breaking points.
Hi friends! Thank you for your patience in the delay of getting episodes back. This week is just a brief solo from me and full interviews return next week.
This week we are back with Andrew to discuss what life was like once he and his wife left the UPCI. Trying to figure out what you believe after decades of indoctrination is not easy but when former leadership begins to openly speak out against you, sometimes you have to push back.
This week we are back with a new guest, Andrew, Who shares what it was like to be in the United Pentecostal Church for 30 years. Being an analytical thinker in a high control organization is often tough and it was no different for Andrew. At some point the quiet sound of things that do not make sense becomes louder and becomes something you can no longer ignore. Even at the risk of suffering consequences that we were told would happen if we questioned the authority over us.
Bryan is back this week to wrap up his story of leaving the UPCI. We were often taught the verse "study to show thyself approved" but studying brought questions that no one in the highest leadership positions could seem to answer. So what do you do when the place you called home ends up being nothing more than manipulation? Because "once you see it, you can't unsee it."
This week Bryan is back to bring us part 2 of his story. Being told that you have what it takes to be somebody in the organization is the dream of most people who attend. But when words are not met with action by those leaders who speak into us it can be confusing and frustrating for someone who is giving their all to the church. Eventually Bryan finds an outlet to be a minister but it becomes the thing that ultimately opens the door for him to leave the UPCI.
This week we are back with our new guest, Bryan, who shares the story of his time in the United Pentecostal Church. From a young age feeling the pressure to be saved by speaking in tongues, trying to have a bulletproof doctrine to defend, to feeling the betrayl of leadership letting you down, this episode covers a lot of ground and you will not want to miss what Bryan has to say.
Hi friends. Season 2 is back with a guest outside of the United States and brings a perspective of what the UPC is like in other countries. Our guest shares her incredible journey of being a “miracle baby” and finding the courage to seek professional help to find true healing.
Keaton is back to help me wrap up season 1. We discuss the cult like tendencies within these organizations, tithing manipulation, and the ongoing issues of assault. What is the goal in bringing these topics to life and what is the hope for people still inside? Find out this week. https://m.youtube.com/@roundtablediscussions?si=Y2KcIZ00U8MuzPHW
Melissa is back to talk about what the last year has been like for her since leaving the organization in 2023. We discuss what salvation looks like to her now as well as how her views changed about oneness theology. You won't want to miss this week!
Our very first guest is back to recap his story and give us an update on where he is now. An open rebuke, a finalized divorce, and the politics of the organization are all discussed this week.
This week we wrap up our interview with Scot about his time in the UPCI. When you become aware of the flaws within the organization, sometimes speaking up can bring a backlash. Defending minorities and women often puts a target on your back with people in the organization. In the end, we learn, we grow and we become better.
Scot is back this week to discuss what being an evangelist in the UPCI was like. What did it take to get the crowd amped up? It was not reading from the Bible. Tune in to hear about the catch phrases used and what led to the moment he decided that enough was enough.
This week our new guest Scot gives us an in depth look into his childhood growing up in the UPCI. When your family is looking for status and community, the church tends to be a place where these things are made available, but at what cost? We discuss the culture created by these organizations that tend to take advantage of those who are most vulnerable.
This week our guest discusses how leaving can affect someone living with OCD. From having the rules laid out for you, to now experiencing life in a whole new way. It is scary but the decision to be true to yourself can lead to happiness in the end.
Friends we are back this week with a brand new guest who has so graciously agreed to share her story. Growing up in a family with a well known last name can be a lot of pressure on a child growing up. When you add in autism, and OCD, the pressure can be even more intense. Our guest tells us what growing up without a diagnosis was like as well as what led her to bible college.
So you've left the organization, now what? In the conclusion of Abby's story she shares her beautiful journey of finding and embracing her true self outside of what the UPCI wanted her to be.
Being in an organization and congregation where public shaming is a common occurrence can make leaving even more difficult than it already is. Abby and her husband decided together that they had enough and she walks us through the months leading up to their final service in the UPCI.
This weeks guest Abby has a story that is not like most of our other guests. Being a product of “flirt to convert” she talks us through what led her to the doors of the UPCI and how her life changed when she became part of the church.
This week Lacie gives us some insight about how her leadership/family reacted to the decision she and her husband made to leave. We discuss the stress people face when starting over again in life but that ultimately there truly is peace waiting for you.
This week we are back with a brand new guest to talk about her experience inside of the UPC. From a very young age her entire life plan was set by her family, who was also her leadership. With everything on track, life had a heartbreaking way of making everything fall apart. One question leads to another and at the end of the day the decision to search for answers isn't always easy.
This week Lauren and I wrap up her story by discussing life after leaving. It can be tough to find yourself and community so Lauren tells us how she navigated life after leaving.
This week Lauren is back to discuss her decision to leave the ALJC. From scripture being twisted by leadership, to doing the right thing even when it's hard, we dig in deep this week to lay it all out.
This week Lauren talks about her time spent in the ALJC. We discuss similarities between the UPCI and the ALJC, leaders being treated as celebrities, and what her “I've had enough” moment was.
This week is a solo episode where I share my thoughts on “resurrection Sunday”, Good Friday, and what it felt like to try and comprehend a cross without conditions.
This week our anonymous guest takes us through being a child in the UPC. We discuss the topics of rapture anxiety, speaking in tongues, and homosexuality.
John is back this week to talk to us about his decision to leave the organization. He gives us a look into the inconsistencies he found while studying the Bible for himself and the decision to truly forgive what happened to him.
Being accepted by leadership can be such a great feeling in any organization but what happens when leadership changes? John tells us his story about going from everyone's go to guy to being rejected simply based on who he is.
Burnout, self discovery, the c word, and everything in between. Amy talks us through her decision to leave the church and ministry. We also talk about the world events that took place shortly after that solidified her decision to walk away.
The purity ring era that purity culture presented was such a damaging moment. Promising yourself to one person at a young age brings an idea of a life that will bring nothing but blessings. What happens when a decision that is suppose to keep you on course becomes the catalyst to have you question everything? Amy shares the first part of her story this week to talk about it all.