I don't really know what to name this thread...it's meant for those who joined the Assembly as adults (or at least teens who were on their own). The Assembly, like many cults/toxic religious groups, sought to destroy our ties with parents and siblings who weren't in our little "super-overcomer" group. Now that many of us have been out for a while, could some of you please post your stories and observations on being reconciled with family members? Did you tell them why you got out? Did you try to describe what the Assembly was like for you, and its effect on you? How did they receive it? Thanks.
Clarence Thompson
I trust others will comment as well.
Coming from a dysfunctional family environment, (BTW all families are dysfunctional in some way shape or form), at the time of my salvation the assembly provided for me what I thought I needed in a family. What I now know is that it was actually an unhealthy and false "church" environment because it did not actually teach me to have a healthy relationship with Christ.
Anyway, I gave my energies to the assembly and the friendships therein, and sacrificed my connections with my family and friends.
Interestingly enough I have discovered that upon leaving the assembly the families have been quite accomodating to 'welcome' and include us in their activities, each of them having gone through their own life experiences as well.
Re. telling about my assembly experience, most people, including church folk, cannot understand nor relate to it, so I do not talk about it much except for with other former assembly members. Also, I have apologized to those that I needed to apologize to.
Life is not what it would have been if I had not experienced the assembly years, but it is what I am willing to make of it now, and it is a work in progress.
More later, maybe,
Marcia
