Around 1998, or when I was in 8th grade, a new guy named Chad Cosgrove* started attending the youth group. He was dating a girl in our church whose family didn’t subscribe to courtship, something she and her sister were essentially slut-shamed for behind their backs. Because this guy wasn’t…

To say it’s been a while since the last post is an understatement. While I needed some time away from this project for my own mental health, I’ve also been going through a bout of writer’s block. Despite an almost infinite list of topics and experiences to cover, I kept…

I was eleven years old when I last remember feeling shame for not receiving the gift of tongues. I was standing at the front of the sanctuary at kid’s camp lined up alongside several of my friends and acquaintances. I peeked to my left and then to my right. I…

The following has been written in screenplay format and includes various Sundays' memories at Church while in GTC. Some instances depicted happened years apart, but all accounts did occur between 2002 and 2006. This is based on journals from that time period and the collected memories of some of those…

This is part two of Isolation. If you haven’t read part one, please start here. The following two accounts are from different people who wanted to share their struggles with isolation. One is another GTC alumni, and the other is a friend from a similar background. These stories may feel…

The following was written by the same author of Chapter VII & VIII — Above Reproach. The following story details her struggles with isolation both in and out of the church. I used to joke around with friends and family years after leaving the church that I was in a…

Let’s talk about that attempted coup. A while back, I wrote a chapter dedicated to American Evangelicalism and another one dedicated to Violence and Militarism. Both of these articles perfectly reflect exactly what happened on January 6th, 2021, in Washington D.C., as thousands of MAGA chuds rallied outside the Capitol…

It’s hard to look at the history of Christianity without seeing the manifestation of war and violence that it’s brought to the world. While the phrase “More wars have been started because of religion” simply isn’t accurate, it’s believable because of its proximity to the truth. I don’t intend to…

I wanted to take a few moments to thank everyone who has been reading and following us on this journey. There are several chapters still to go, it’s just a matter of getting them written with all of life still happening around us. There have been several alumni and ex-members…