Right now I am writing my second novel entitled “The Hungry Pit” dealing with one person’s experience with losing the church where her faith took root. I am exploring the connection established at Baptism, the rebellious teenage years, the visit back that sparked a return, the wedding, the move away, the return visit only to find a hole in the ground. The book explores events and people that can lead to the disintegration of a church and searches for answers.
If you can relate, if you have had a church close on you, I would love to hear your comments. How did it affect you? What happened (please no names, only situations).
Church has been a major part of my life. The church I grew up in was demolished and replaced by a strip mall. So much of my early years were spent there. Now, I only have memories. I can never walk those halls, go down the steps, visit the old classrooms, put my hand in the holy water font, walk in for a few quiet moments in the middle of the day and pray.
Has church been an important component of your life? Please tell me about it.
Rich Rockwood, Christian Author 
Been there. Done that twice.
Ann, how did that leave you feeling?
Damaged. Afraid to get involved in another church. We left before the church collapsed under the weight of a very controlling pastor. We found it difficult to stay with any one church for very long. Homeless, in a sense. This was early in our marriage when we had very young children.
Thanks so much Ann. What I am trying to show in the book is how such events in a church impact its members. I appreciate your taking the time and being so honest. Did you finally get connected to another church?
For the next 10 years after first church collapsed, we attended three different churches for two or three years at a time (we went back to one of them twice separated by two years at another church). At the two-time church, we dealt with another angry pastor. That church later failed a few years after we left, due to poor choices in pastors. We finally found a church with a very good youth pastor, and we have been at that church since 2000….13 years now. So it did finally get better.
After what you endured, it seems you were relieved finally to find a church on the right track. Thanks again for telling your story.
I’ve not been through this, but a close relative has: the result was a feeling of abandonment, being discarded and disregarded, not being valued; left without an anchor or support; church friends scattered and community lost.
It was a sad situation that didn’t have to happen, could have been avoided, and should have been handled much better.