Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Help surviving a rogue Church	Amanda	Sunday, July 11, 2010
Question: Dear Brother Ignatious I am a Christian but not a Catholic, I am not anti-Catholic it just tends to depend which Church I find myself in. For 5 years I was more than happy in a Church that although was under the covering of a Pentecostal Church was more non-denominational in nature and most of the members were Catholic. Sadly it closed and my daughter and I had to move. We moved to a local Pentecostal Church and at first things seemed good. It was on officially joining as a member that things went very sour. I had a friend that had started the Church before me and we used to go for coffee on a regular basis but now it seemed more and more like she couldn't meet for coffee unless the Pastor's wife came too. At one point I asked if it was possible that she didn't join us as the conversation was private and I didn't know her as well as I knew my friend. She grudgingly agreed. I started feeling very uncomfortable about going to the Church but there was no real rational explanation and at that time my daughter was happy there so I thought it was just me and dismissed it. The Pastors knew my last Pastor and the Pastor of the Church whose building we had rented from an interchurch partnership and they were friends. I was still involved in visits to an Old people's home where services were given and we had worked closely with the local Catholic and Anglican Church. As a result my Pastor had decided to leave the Pentecostal Church and move to the Anglican. The new Pastor repeatedly made snide comments to me about my Pastor's move but was never up front with my old Pastor about it. I told them I was considering leaving and I was told I was wrong and that I was supposed to be there. When a youth camp my child was at went seriously wrong (leaving her so traumatised she spoke to Police). We left and as I had items of theirs I had to return we arranged to meet. It was the only time I have felt unsafe with a Church leader. I was told that it didn't work that way that the pastor decided if and when we could leave and they would have the right to speak to any new Church leaders I went to, I told them to consider us gone and left. I was told not to contact anyone from Church especially my friend. We were harrassed with phone calls until I changed the number and e-mails for 6 months. Demanding to know why we weren't at Church. The phone calls, e-mails and texts have finally stopped but strange things have been going on around the house. i have always forbidden anything of a certain nature so there is nothing like that here. Things move and are thrown around, I have prayed and it goes for a while. They started when we left the Church. I have found it so difficult to go to Church after this as I don't feel safe and my daughter has panic attacks at the thought. Any Advice would be helpful. Thanks Amanda
Question Answered by Dear Amanda: What you are describing is called "religious abuse". Many, non-denominational denominations, most of them Pentecostal in flavor, are actually personality cults where the leaders try to exercise nearly total control over their people. From what you have described, this group sounds like one of those cultish groups. My primary advice is to join the only True Church in the fullness of the faith that Jesus personally founded -- the Catholic Church. While there are splinter groups from the Catholic Church, and on a very rare occasion some individual priests, that exercise the same kind of religious abuse the Church herself does not believe in such utter control. You will be safest in the Church that Jesus founded. In the meantime, from the phenomena you are describing it sounds like you may have a transference of demons from this abusive group to your household. Demons will hang around any group or person that practices religious abuse. I would recommend the Hedge Prayers of Protection, the Rebuking Particular Spirits, and the Breaking of Curses and Spells found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog. If you need to, you can remove the phrases in these prayers that are "Catholic" in nature. Do not let the devil scare you away from worship. But, I would stay away from the so-called non-denominational groups. One of the problems with non-denominational groups is that they are not under any sort of authority or supervision beyond themselves. When a group is their own authority, without even a denomination to oversee them, corruption is more likely. We will pray for you and your family. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Help surviving a rogue Church

Amanda

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatious

I am a Christian but not a Catholic, I am not anti-Catholic it just tends to depend which Church I find myself in. For 5 years I was more than happy in a Church that although was under the covering of a Pentecostal Church was more non-denominational in nature and most of the members were Catholic.

Sadly it closed and my daughter and I had to move. We moved to a local Pentecostal Church and at first things seemed good. It was on officially joining as a member that things went very sour. I had a friend that had started the Church before me and we used to go for coffee on a regular basis but now it seemed more and more like she couldn't meet for coffee unless the Pastor's wife came too. At one point I asked if it was possible that she didn't join us as the conversation was private and I didn't know her as well as I knew my friend. She grudgingly agreed.

I started feeling very uncomfortable about going to the Church but there was no real rational explanation and at that time my daughter was happy there so I thought it was just me and dismissed it.

The Pastors knew my last Pastor and the Pastor of the Church whose building we had rented from an interchurch partnership and they were friends. I was still involved in visits to an Old people's home where services were given and we had worked closely with the local Catholic and Anglican Church.

As a result my Pastor had decided to leave the Pentecostal Church and move to the Anglican. The new Pastor repeatedly made snide comments to me about my Pastor's move but was never up front with my old Pastor about it. I told them I was considering leaving and I was told I was wrong and that I was supposed to be there.

When a youth camp my child was at went seriously wrong (leaving her so traumatised she spoke to Police). We left and as I had items of theirs I had to return we arranged to meet. It was the only time I have felt unsafe with a Church leader. I was told that it didn't work that way that the pastor decided if and when we could leave and they would have the right to speak to any new Church leaders I went to, I told them to consider us gone and left. I was told not to contact anyone from Church especially my friend.

We were harrassed with phone calls until I changed the number and e-mails for 6 months. Demanding to know why we weren't at Church.

The phone calls, e-mails and texts have finally stopped but strange things have been going on around the house. i have always forbidden anything of a certain nature so there is nothing like that here. Things move and are thrown around, I have prayed and it goes for a while. They started when we left the Church.

I have found it so difficult to go to Church after this as I don't feel safe and my daughter has panic attacks at the thought. Any Advice would be helpful.

Thanks

Amanda

Question Answered by

Dear Amanda:

What you are describing is called "religious abuse". Many, non-denominational denominations, most of them Pentecostal in flavor, are actually personality cults where the leaders try to exercise nearly total control over their people. From what you have described, this group sounds like one of those cultish groups.

My primary advice is to join the only True Church in the fullness of the faith that Jesus personally founded -- the Catholic Church. While there are splinter groups from the Catholic Church, and on a very rare occasion some individual priests, that exercise the same kind of religious abuse the Church herself does not believe in such utter control. You will be safest in the Church that Jesus founded.

In the meantime, from the phenomena you are describing it sounds like you may have a transference of demons from this abusive group to your household. Demons will hang around any group or person that practices religious abuse.

I would recommend the Hedge Prayers of Protection, the Rebuking Particular Spirits, and the Breaking of Curses and Spells found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog. If you need to, you can remove the phrases in these prayers that are "Catholic" in nature.

Do not let the devil scare you away from worship. But, I would stay away from the so-called non-denominational groups. One of the problems with non-denominational groups is that they are not under any sort of authority or supervision beyond themselves. When a group is their own authority, without even a denomination to oversee them, corruption is more likely.

We will pray for you and your family.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.