The Church Hurt Me. But That Wasn’t My Biggest Problem.

People often assume I left evangelical Christianity because I experienced church hurt. Church hurt was real. It affected me and my family. But it wasn’t the biggest reason I left. After fifteen years in ministry, graduating from Bible college, and spending years studying Scripture, I kept coming back to one question. If Christians believe they are being transformed into the likeness of Christ, why doesn’t that transformation seem more evident? The New Testament describes the Church as the Body of Christ. Followers of Jesus are called to humility, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and love. Yet what I often experienced, and what I continue to observe, is pride, arrogance, condemnation, and hostility toward people who question, leave, or simply don’t fit the mold. This video isn’t about claiming Christians should be perfect. It’s about asking whether our behavior reflects the Jesus we say we follow. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Please keep the conversation respectful. My goal is conversation, not division. If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about faith, mental health, public lands, and life after evangelicalism, consider subscribing. Everything I share comes from my own experiences and my own journey. I don’t expect everyone to agree, but I hope we can all leave these conversations with a little more empathy than we started with.