I may do a more detailed post later, but for now this will have to suffice. I am also planning a detailed letter that outlines my decisions that lead me to leave Gaylord Community Church. That will be circulated to a few that I think need to know why, and if more want to know I’ll answer the questions or pass the letter onto whoever wants it. However, it hasn’t been written yet. I hope to have it done by the weekend.

I do want to address the rumor that I favored one side over another. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I want to say this, I am, besides a very deeply spiritual Christian, I am also a researcher. Once past my emotional responses, I look very closely at all the independent data possible to make a decision. In this case, I prayed fervently, talked to independent people, and looked over evidence. I didn’t just get the information from one side. Not to mention having served on previous churches boards that, incidentally, dealt with complaints from the congregation about the staff or the pastor, I made my decision. It was a painful decision to make, but I couldn’t go along with what had happened.

I am, or at least I thought, very good friends with people who stayed at GCC, so when I left Gaylord Community Church for Life Church, I was shocked to hear that I left because I was in the “Scheer clique.” Obviously, those people don’t know me as well as I thought, and to hear these things was very hurtful. I follow Christ, and not any particular pastor. I made this decision out of prayerful contemplation, scripture, reason, and experience. The Wesleyan quadrilateral of defining your faith.

Anyway, things, on a personal level have spun out of control for me. I get mad about the rumors between the churches, and about me. Also I have lost at least one friend on Facebook because of this split. In fact, I told Mary and another friend of mine that I haven’t felt this heartbroken with this decision, since my first girlfriend in college broke up with me, and since I don’t intend to revisit that time again. I am leaving Facebook stay out of the dueling “yea! I love my church” status messages.

I had also considered leaving Life Church briefly, for a local UM Church, i.e. the Boyne area, where I know the pastor as well. However, leaving Facebook will have to suffice for now. If some of the family strain gets too much, I may still go there, but for now, I will attend Life Church, and because I disagree with the decision and process that went into that decision, I can’t go back to GCC in good conscience.

I will always be friends with those who have opted to stay and I love each one of them. It will be awkward to meet at times, but that will fade. I will not harbor any resentment. That would be unGodly.

So until the smoke clears…

Caritas,

Jeff Lutz

This was cross posted from my Facebook notes.