Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
They say, âThese are just our personal convictions.â
âWe respect if yours are different!â
But we know too much.
We sat at the tables where whispers flew.
Shame on us, we participated.
We remember the condemnation.
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They say, âEveryone freely chooses these standards!â âGodâs just led us all the same.â
But we know too much.
We saw the looks towards those who stepped out of line.
Shame on us, we gave those looks.
We remember the coercion.
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They say, âStop dividing the Body!â âWeâre all brothers and sisters in Christ!â
But we know too much.
We heard the rumors about those who âwent astrayâ by attending church outside our little group.
Shame on us, we spread those rumors.
We remember the concern.
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They say, âDonât be afraid to ask questions!â
âFeel free to come talk if you donât understand!â
But we know too much.
We raised our hands to ask the follow-up question.
Good for us, we dared to challenge and not just clarify.
We remember the consequences.
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The public-facing rhetoric sounds so niceâ
posts about the importance of unity,
comments about respecting differences.
If only.
Those of us once on the insideâwe remember the judgment, the shame, the fear.
And now the outside, we carry the scars of being branded ârebel,â âbackslider,â âreprobate.â
Unworthy of fellowship, cut off from friendship.
Not for sinâbut for lack of conformity, for too many questions, for not fitting the mold, for disagreeing on those âtrivialâ matters.
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They tell us weâre âbitter.â
They tell us itâs time to âpray through,â to âget right,â to repent and go back to what we know.
But, no, we know too much.
⢠Now we know holiness flows from relationship with Christ, not adding to Godâs Word.
⢠Now we know unity is found rallying around the gospel, not conforming to a dress code.
⢠Now we know truth doesnât fear a challenge, theologies that do deserve to fall.
⢠Now we know division is caused by false doctrine,
not confronting it with Scripture.
⢠Now we know Godâs Church is gloriously marching on, not confined to a small sect with a particular name on the door.
May we never forget where Godâs brought us from, never forget what weâve learned, and never stop sharing His life-changing truth.
Praise God, we know too much!
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Five years have flown by since the founding of Berean HolinessâReformation Day, October 31st, 2019!
From its origin, Berean Holiness was so much more than just writers and content. It became a connecting point and a communityâone that wouldnât be possible without all of you.
So many of us come from hyper-fundamentalist backgrounds where, while we were proud of being bold and brash on some issues, we were taught to tiptoe, whisper, and dance around others.
Like many of you know (and I, Natalie, found out the hard way), saying, âI follow that âstandard,â but donât believe itâs biblically requiredâ could result in sudden ousting from the group. Mentioning that, âIâm not sure that sermon was biblically correctâ would be labeled slandering the man of God and touching Godâs anointed. Pointing out inconsistencies in dress code was sewing discord. Asking challenging questions was clearly just rebellion.
We were silenced. We felt alone. We wondered if we were crazy.
Then Berean Holiness became a connecting point. Whether it was at a local meetup, community group, conference, discussion forum, DMs/email, or public comment thread, we crossed paths and a community was formed.
We spoke up. We came together. We discovered that the biblical gospel makes a lot more sense.
We say the quiet part aloud here. We donât talk in hushed voices anymore. The high-control groups have lost their grip. The most they can do is stand on the sidelines and question our motives, hoping our desire for their approval will be greater than our passion to disentangle harmful theology.
But we donât stop.
Five years later, and weâre going strong.
So many of you who are farther along in the journey of rebuilding faith still come back to encourage and support those who are just beginning. Several dozen of you have joined as monthly financial supporters, making it possible for the Berean Holiness team to grow and create more faith-based resources. And, honestly? We believe this is just the beginning.
The community facilitated and resources developed over the last 5 years have been primarily created by volunteers, and only since 2023, a couple of part-time staff. As we grow in capacity and reach our funding goals for hiring full-time staff, the quality and quantity of resources, support, and community are going to increase exponentially!
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for speaking up with us.
Thank you for testifying to the gospel of grace.
If you would like to join this cause as a monthly supporter or through a one-time gift, we have incredible matching donors who will be doubling your donations until the end of 2024 (as of right now, up to $2250). You can give now at:
BereanHoliness.com/give
Thank you for making it possible for us to create free, faith-based resources and bring together community for those who are leaving hyper fundamentalism and rebuilding faith.
Hereâs to the next five years and five decades!
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On the 2024 survey thus far, 23 people have told us that Berean Holiness has been influential in them returning to faith/salvation and 200 said Berean Holiness has been influential in them coming to understand the biblical gospel! Weâre so encouraged by this report. To share your experience with us, tap here: forms.gle/Tw3MY2TTGXHgW3on7
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It was an adult Sunday School class. The first sister chimed in to share her testimony of how God required her to follow all the Holiness standards as soon as she got saved. The second sister piped up to add that âthose peopleâ who claim they prayed and God didnât tell them to follow Holiness standards? Well, âtheyâre lying.â
Sitting there wearing my engagement ring, being the only person in the room who had left Holiness Pentecostalism for a mainstream church (a fact the congregation was well aware of), it was painfully apparent that I was being called a liar. Further comments and actions made it clear that I was not just a liar, I was also a lost backslider who ought to be avoided.
I donât visit Holiness churches much anymore, but Iâm glad I did then. It opened my eyes to realize just how far Iâve come. To remember that, there was a time, when I thought the gospel was Jesus+
Jesus + conforming to our church group
Jesus + special revelation of our âstandardsâ
Sure, I gave lip service to the gospel.
It was through Christ, I knew that in my head.
Salvation through faith by grace.
I had it right on paper.
But the gospel I lived out and believed deep down was different.
Because, all those other âChristiansâ who believed salvation by grace through faith in Christ?
Well, they were all lost.
Spiritually immature at best.
Certainly unworthy of fellowship.
The biblical gospel wasnât enough to qualify them.
If you *really* got saved, you would be led by God into the light of Holiness (aka, our church group).
If you *really* got saved, you would receive revelations (convictions) about beards, and makeup, and wedding rings, and all our other group identity markersâeven the ones we admitted werenât in Scripture.
But if the gospel isnât enough, if Jesus isnât enough, is that really the gospel at all?
Yes, genuine relationship with Christ will transform us; love for Him will compel us to obey His commands and turn from sin. But special revelation of extra-biblical standards? Joining and confirming to a special church group?
Those are not biblical litmus tests of salvation.
Thatâs the âgospelâ of Jesus+
And thatâs not the biblical gospel at all.
#DisentangingFaith
#GatekeepingtheGospel
âJesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.â (John 14:6)
âMoreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.â (1 Corinthians 15:1â6)
How did hyper fundamentalism affect your understanding of the gospel? Please let us know on our annual survey! forms.gle/FDBBhXLdP7fUpVHTA
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âI thought I was so much better than anyone else who did not follow my strict rules. For example, in youth group, I didn't wear skin tight clothing or leggings nor had I ever dated anyone. So therefore, I was much better off spiritually than some of my peers (a lot of pride and self righteousness!) I went to Crown College in Knoxville TN for my freshman year of college, and there I realized that a lot of what was preached as basically gospel (dress standards, music standards, dating standards, etc.) Were preferences and not actually found in the Bible. It shook my faith to it's core at the time and I stopped reading my Bible for a year, even tho I still attended church and chapel and did/said all the right things outwardly. I almost walked away from Christianity altogether because everything was upended for me. Any questions I brought up to peers or Dean of women or even my parents (for a short time) were treated as rebellion and I was told to just read my Bible and obey.
Now 11 years later, my faith is strong and I'm so thankful for the people who met me where I was and helped and prayed for me and showed me that God didn't make cookie cutter Christians and it's ok to have different standards and preferences. There is liberty in Christ!â
âHeidi, 2024 Survey
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How did hyper fundamentalism impact your view of God and the gospel? We want to learn from you!
Your input will directly impact the resources we create in 2025. Thank you so much for giving of your time and sharing your experience!
To start, tap here: forms.gle/4FPXUDuFWMrGfFFW7
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âI used to believe that I was saved by works. We believed that you had to dress a certain way, wear no makeup, be baptized in Jesus name, and speak in tongues in order to make it to heaven. I am so thankful that as we studied scripture the more the true gospel was revealed to us, and now I feel a weight has been lifted and I can serve God not out of fear or based on my works or the traditions I kept up with, but because I am free by the life changing work of Christ alone."
âAnonymous, 2024 Survey
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"Before I came to understand the gospel I believed in a three-step salvation process. I believed I had to be baptized in Jesus name (by an ordained minister that believed as the UPC taught), repent and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues. I believed in grace. I believed in the cross. I believed in Jesus. But I had no understanding of the gospel. Looking back I realize I placed my faith in myself and my abilities to get myself to heaven. God was like a master chess player and I was a pawn. Heâd place me here and there and give me tests and trials to see if Iâd sink or swim. I now have a relationship with Him. Iâm learning of His character. Iâve placed all of my faith, trust and hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ. My salvation is secure because of that. "
âRhonda, 2024 Survey
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"Something that my current pastor has said repeatedly is âYou are more sinful than you know, more loved than you can imagineâ. I can imagine how this could easily be co-opted by fundamentalists, but it brings me a lot of comfort.
The Oneness church I grew up in taught me that only those who spoke in tongues [had] actually received the Holy Ghost. This means that those who hadnât spoken in tongues were not saved. And I hadnât spoken in tongues, despite many long, laborious, and humiliating trips to the altar. After long, exhausting nights in the altar, âseeking the Holy Ghostâ, and I still hadnât spoken in tongues, I was often told that I simply hadnât fully repented; otherwise, God would fill me, and I would speak in tongues. It took me a long time to realize that this was turning repentance into a work. The catch 22 is that this sort of work would require the Spirit indwelling to achieve; it was an act of sanctification, not the initial repentance that marks the beginning of the Christian life.
I did eventually have some sort of experience that I and others around me called âspeaking in tonguesâ, but not until I was in my early 30s. This meant that I lived a great deal of my life in terror of Hell. And, bizarrely, I made a sort of peace with it; itâs difficult to unpack the psychological damage that living like this can do. I can only tell you that Iâm grateful that I no longer live under this impending threat.
I no longer believe that you have to be baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus and receive the spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues to be saved. I believe that you have to repent, and place your faith in Christ. Yes, believers should be baptized, but the baptism itself doesnât save. Our actions, including repentance, can never please God. Understanding salvation from a more technically perspective was really helpful to me. Itâs really about being âin Christâ. When I belong to Him, His righteous is imputed to me, not because Iâve earned it, but because I belong to Him and He loves me. He died carrying the burden of my sins, I live in his righteousness. Understanding this double imputation has been very valuable to me."
âMatt B., 2024 Survey
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If you were part of Oneness Pentecostalism or a similar movement, how did their teachings impact your understanding of salvation and the gospel?
Please share your experience at the link below!
forms.gle/ChJsi7or9i9gFZzs8
âAnd brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.â (Acts 16:30â31)
âThat if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.â (Romans 10:9â10)
If you are disentangling faith from Oneness Pentecostalism, there are resources available to you! Check out our directory here: bereanholiness.com/apostolic-resources/
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âI saw my salvation as something fragile. I spent my life with virtually no assurance. I think the only time I felt assured was in the middle of an ecstatic altar service, and the evening following. The next morning-forget it. I had probably not prayed enough that morning. I probably had some hidden sin deep down-and obviously I couldnât pin point that because why would God show it to me?
When presented with the gospel-by my husband who was also disentangling at the time-I wept. I couldnât accept it at first. But when it hit my heart, I rested. For the FIRST. TIME. EVER.
I miss the people. I miss the relationship with my family. But I wouldnât take it back because even without those things, Iâm resting in the gospel.â
âAndrea, 2024 Survey
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âI thought God was watching me with a microscope waiting for me to slip up. My entire view of the Gospel of Jesus was tainted. In fact, I barely recall messages that talked about Salvation unless sandwiched between holiness standards. When I left the holiness movement, I was so bitter. If it wasnât for the church I attend, I wouldâve been swept up in bitterness and anger. I remember thinking, âI have no clue who Jesus is.â Itâs been 13 years since I left and in the last few years my understanding of the Good News is simply thatâitâs so, so good. Iâve fallen in love with the Jesus of the scriptures and my heart genuinely aches to see individuals so caught up in man-made standards that theyâre missing the goodness of God.â
âAnonymous, 2024 Survey
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These testimonies of discovering the biblical gospel while disentangling faith are especially encouraging!
As we compare and consider survey responses this year, our team is learning a lot about the ways hyper fundamentalism impacts believers across demographics.
If you havenât submitted your survey response yet, we want your input. Please tap this link: forms.gle/MEEwnA3kFhJDfLqm7
So far, weâve received 400 survey responses.
The goal is 1,000!
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Did hyper fundamentalism impact your view of God and the gospel? We want to hear from you on our 2024 survey!
Start here: forms.gle/MEEwnA3kFhJDfLqm7
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Have you taken our 2024 annual survey? Our team and board would love to hear from you; link in the comments!
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A picture says a thousand wordsâwe were very much against TVs! Were you also taught that TVs are sinful? If so, what do those churches teach now?
As electronic technology continues to change, so do the Holiness standards and teachings surrounding it. Some fellowships have made even more rules, but many others stopped preaching against television altogether. Sadly, how to use discernment and discretion when choosing content is still rarely taught.
In our NEW ARTICLE, Nathan cross examines the arguments against TV with logic and Scripture. More importantly, he shares practical wisdom for navigating electronic entertainment as a believerâprinciples that apply not just to TVs, but every other medium as well.
Check it out and let us know what you think!
âIs TV a Sin? Freedom and Discernment with Electronic Entertainmentâ
NEW Article: bereanholiness.com/is-tv-a-sin/
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Good news! We recently released our new resource directory for former members of the Friends and Workers, âThe Church with No Name,â or, as most commonly called by outsiders, the 2x2s.
For those who arenât familiar, this group is referred to as âthe 2x2sâ due to their practice of preaching in pairs. They meet in homes rather than churches, hold to dress codes that overlap with Holiness standards, and their workers (ministers) forfeit having their own homes, instead staying in various membersâ homes as they travel and preach.
For those who are in this group or have left, I was excited to spend dozens of hours researching and compiling resources, as well as combing through digital versions of old newspaper articles from the part of Ireland where this movement began. There are sections dedicated to personal stories, cross examining doctrine and teachings, the history of the movement (starting with William Irvine and Edward Cooney), and resources regarding recent scandals.
You can access all this and more here: bereanholiness.com/2x2-resources/
What group would you like us to create a resource directory for next? Let us know in the comments!
â Megan
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Berean Holiness exists to encourage the Church towards biblical holinessâone which flows from Christ Himself and yields the fruits of love, unity, and effective outreach. Like the Bereans, we endeavor to study out modern day teachings of holiness by âexamining the Scriptures daily to see if these things [are] so,â (Acts 17:11). Thank you so much for joining us as we dive into the theology and practical application of biblical holiness, as well as the history and doctrinal development of the Holiness movement.