Dear Editor:
I used to be a member of a church located within the local community. I was associated with this particular church for at least two years. During that time I would volunteer my time to clean and help out in the nursery.
I once was asked to clean and move the furniture in one of the nursery rooms. Soon after, the minister came to me and told me to move the furniture again. Her reasoning was that members of the church had made complaints to her. Several members had complained that the furniture could be seen from the windows on the outside and thus ruined the image of the church. I was caught by surprise by such a comment.
Not long after this incident I became sick and was unable to attend church. I missed church for a couple weeks due to illness. As a result, the minister of the church had called and left a message for me. In that message I was told not to come back.
Instead of the minister providing personal support to me in time of illness I was rejected. It was very hurtful to hear the news. Later on, I also learned that my name had been removed from the mailing list for the newsletter.
The church claims to be a welcoming community and doors are open to all who wish to worship. Their mission proved to be false. The minister and the members closed the doors and rejected me. Churches are supposed to be the pillars of strength within a community. Ministers of churches are supposed to accept people and lead them down the road to salvation, not reject them.
It is biased attitudes of members that ruined the image of this church not the furniture that could be seen from the windows.
I encourage area churches with the community to support its members. Ministers need to visit the sick, counsel them, and comfort them. They need to offer prayer and encourage others. I encourage ministers and the members to be sincere and make our church communities stronger.
In closing, the minister and the members of this church may have rejected me but God won’t!
Sincerely,
Eugenia Snedegar