I have a myspace acct and was asked why I left my church, this is an old writing I kept in my yahoo drafts, but it's time to get it out...
My nudism was (is) a private thing.
God forbid, not something I felt I could (can) easily share with those around me, at work, church, and our neighbors or closest friends.
That privacy changed two weeks ago. (today's date: May 6, 03) A video tape of a show that was aired frequently on cable television where my husband and I talked about our nudism was given to my pastor, who happened to also be my boss, by a concerned member.
The way it came about was most devistating, one of those moments where you thought..."just shoot me now and get it over with." I did not lose my job, but was asked to step down from a leadership position I had held for the last 10 years.
A week passed, I was challenged to do a biblical word study on the word "naked" and the findings I had were not in a positive light. Most of the scriptures I came upon were in the negative, of shame and punishment (forced nudism). I had given my pastor the link to the Fig Leaf Forum (Christian-Naturist Newsletter) for him to investigate himself. He then told me that I would be discussed at that evenings Deacon meeting, but he would do everything he could to protect me, or was it to protect himself and the church?
I found out the next day the board was told that the reason I was asked to step down was of a private nature and they were fine with that.
Then I was asked if I had made any decisions about our social nudity, in other words, are you willing to give it up?
I knew right then and there, that no matter what I said or did, it was going to be a no win situation.
Church discipline would be the result of saying no, but continuing (lying), or even saying yes, we plan on continuing, there would be consequences. I shared with him my current findings on the word study and he assumed it meant that we were giving it up...all I could say in response to his lecture that followed was: "I understand", "I understand"...I sounded like a spineless robot.
I left the office, feeling broken and defeated. My freedom had been snatched from me and I have no one to blame but myself.
I spent one hour on the phone with Pastor Jeff Bowman from Fellowship Bible Church, in Aneheim, CA, a naturist pastor who has been through a similar experience and encouraged me greatly! He also told me he didn't have good news as far as my accusers were concerned and that the worst of it was probably not over. So I prepared myself for the worst. In the weeks ahead, I felt it was time to slowly climb out of the legalism and judgement of the leadership I had submitted myself under and faze out of the fellowship and work I did at my church. I knew if I stayed, and others found out, it could cause some problems in the congregation, and I didn't want to be part of a scandal....(I say that jokingly now!)
Update... I did leave my job at the church in August of 03, got hired by a friend at the Ranch. Then I left the church January of 04...and even my best of friends did not contact me....
Correction....my best friend, when I talked to her about what happened, cried, later after numerous emails told me basically, that she could not fellowship with me unless I repented and got right with God. There were a few others I talked to after I left, they were cool about it, but I don't hear from them. My friend Dottie still keeps in close contact and we have lunch when we can, I can talk about anything with her.
What did I learn?....Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't hold it against you.