The Narrow Path Ministries

Just curious what church/ denominational/ or religious backgrounds (or lack thereof) are represented by the contributors on this forum.

Here's my ecclesiological background/journey:

Apostolic Christian Church (20 years)- a denomination in the anabaptist vein
Foursquare Church (8 years)
Imago Dei Community Church (a couple months)- a semi- "emergent" church
Aletheia Christian Fellowship- nondenominational (5 years pastoring- we started as a home church and we now rent space but still consider ourselves a home church at heart)

Baptist for a long time with a big gap in the middle.
Now just kind of wandering, mostly attending a Calvary Chapel.

I grew up in a Wesleyan church, the same church I'm currently working with

Grew up Methodist (pre salvation). Made my decision to follow Christ by reading a 4 Spiritual laws booklet on my own back in 1972. Went forward publically at a Hal Lindsey seminar in 1973. Mostly Conservative Baptist after that but also 4 years at a CMA chruch while I was living back East finishing my education. Now at a community church with Baptist roots.

In college got saved in a "full gospel" type college ministry/church and was there 7 years.

I then was in Southern Baptist church for 2 decades, though my doctrine has been influenced more by scriptures than by Southern Baptist influence.

I was getting articles/newsletter from Bahnsen Theological Society for awhile. I've seen myself as being closer to Calvinism views but probably don't hold to much of the 5 points, if that makes sense.

Nice variety. Keep 'em coming!

- no regular church attendance as a child (parents were 'dis-membered' by the Baptist church on being Spirit-filled), and there was no Pentecostal church in our area.

- independent (Croatian) Pentecostal church with a lay pastor (my dad) for a few years

- AOG (Australian) for next 30 odd years (some as a pastor's wife)

- independent, no official name, home church for last few years, led by our previously AOG ordained pastor.

Raised in an atheist/agnostic home.

Became a follower of Jesus in my early 20's through a direct encounter with Christ apart from any church.

20 or so years in Vineyard churches.

2 years in a house-church.

2 years no church, except the Snohomish County Correctional Facility (not an inmate but a Chaplain volunteer).

1 year Quaker.

United Methodist as young child

Folks helped start a small nondenominational bible church with Christian school and attended 2 years grade school there

Folks split and mom joined large Baptist church

Attended Methodist (dad and grandparents) and Southern Baptist (predominantly) church through high school

Variety of churches off and on (mostly off) through college and law school

Quite active in Baptist mega-church in large city ever since -- surprisingly, the size of the church made the smaller groups more intimate than attending a "normal" size church -- almost a church within a church.

Visited a few nearby churches but found them mostly dead -- interested in home church/community church environment, but fellowship and relationships in present church (and activities for kids) really makes it hard to leave (and haven't found a better fellowship worth leaving the great teaching in present church, anyway)

My mom and dad were both Brethren- they met at Grace College (a Brethren school) in Winona Lake, IN. So my very earliest years were in Brethren churches.

When we moved to Ohio we attended "Calvary Evangelical Church" which I believe had some brethren background. This is where I accepted the Lord the best that I could understand, in 3rd grade.

When we move again we attended a Baptist church (GARBC)- very conservative. I had a very strong youth minister who went on to be a missionary for years in New Guinea.

During HS I pretty much stopped attending church because I had a job at a golf course that required me to work on Sundays.

In college I fell away from church (but never really lost my faith- i just wasnt obedient, which is probably means I did lose my faith). But i never rejected God.

During my first marriage I attended a Presbyterian church- the first pastor was a godly man who I learned a lot from. he left to be a missionary in england, and the new pastor I am convinced was not saved.

We left that chruch and went to another big Baptist church. about 6 months later the church split- dramatically. half the congregation got up and walked out of the service. i guess there were underlying issues that i knew nothing about. but i really liked the pastor, so we followed him to the church he started, which was a non-denominational church.

After my second marriage I started attending an evangelical friends church (Quaker roots) but my church doesnt really have any Quaker distinctives, other than that we dont have baptisms very often (which really bothers me an i am a big voice in trying to get this changed) and we only have communion about once per quarter. Other than that it is good Bible based church, but perhaps not as charismatic as I would like. My wife and I teach classes regularly and we are pretty involved in many aspects of the church. However, I still need to get any deeper teaching elsewhere, either from Steve G or other sources I have found.

TK