Abundant Life Pentecostal Church

 I think this is the first post I've done on this blog that actually has the name of my old church in the title.  Perhaps it's long overdue and besides, there are a few subjects I want to tackle that are linked to that organization.
 
First off, I feel pretty well justified in the decision to walk away from that church 7 and a half years ago, given the direction things have gone in recent times.  I would feel justified even without them, but these events have lent greater credence to the conclusions I reached way back then.
 
Not everyone understands the way things work in that type of church, so I'll provide a little context.  FAMILY is a huge deal in their eyes.  Over and over, there were teachings about keeping the family together, kids following the example of their parents, etc etc.  Not just the immediate family, but there was emphasis on legacy, the importance of multiple generations staying in the church.
 
Given that information, it's a big deal when some families have packed up and left, families that attended for MANY years, and they formed the backbone of that local church.  I don't claim to know the reasons that they left, but it certainly isn't difficult to come up with a few.
 
The quality of the teaching/sermons has slipped to new lows.  On the few occasions when I have heard him speak, the current pastor is barely capable of stringing together a coherent sentence, let alone bringing out a point of significant depth or imagination.
 
There's also the matter of community feedback.  Go through the local Facebook groups for our town, browse for posts asking for a suggestion for a good church to attend.  Nobody ever mentions ALPC. 
 
There was a point in time when I dreamed up ways of getting even with the church for stealing so many years of my childhood.  Countless hours spent in church services that amounted to a huge waste of time.  But after looking back across the last several years, I see that patience was the best course of action.
 
There is no need for myself or others to take direct action against the church, they are their own worst enemy.  It's far, far more satisfying to watch the church unravel slowly.  To watch families leave one after another, leaving only the most stubborn and bitter members behind.
 
It is my highest wish that the ministers live to be very, very old, and bear witness to the utter collapse of their hopes and dreams.