So..."Why DID you leave?"

We want to hear from you... 

Countless times we've all ran into each other out in local shopping centers, restaurants, and even other churches.  By now we've all become familiar with those seemingly "divine" chance-encounters haven't we?  So we quickly gravitate toward the usual friendly "Hey, how are ya?" greets...stopping for a minute to chat or continue walking on.  Either way--"The Million Dollar" question that comes to everyone’s mind is:  "Why did YOU leave?"

Most members that became deeply involved for years at Cornerstone, would have never imagined themselves leaving -ever.  So after continuously serving, worshipping, and supporting the same pastor and his teachings together...we cannot help but to wonder the same things.  What changed and when?  However, when it comes to the point of actually stating our reasons FOR leaving --it can be initially a little awkward to be the first without knowing where the other party lies.  If anything else, folks tend to make sure they at least communicate the fact that they ARE doing GREAT and (despite what we've been told) our life hasn't "fallen apart" since leaving the 'Stone.  (Yes, everyone that leaves Cornerstone discovers this POWERFUL TRUTH -The Blessing and Favor of God are NOT attached to a Leader or a church building.  This "fear factor" is simply a tool that spiritually abusive leaders use to control.) 

One of the primary reasons people DON'T share why they leave...is because so many CREDIBLE members have been VILLAINIZED once they do...their "reasons" for leaving are always dismissed or due to "offense".  -Surely there couldn't be a REAL REASON for leaving Cornerstone...I'm sure "Bishop" has his reasons for handling things the way he does??right?  However --your ability to SHARE your transition with others, is a KEY indicator of where you are in terms of "living out" your new position of FREEDOM. You are no longer PHYSICALLY bound as a slave in Egypt…so why would you allow yourself to remain MENTALLY bound by the same control OUT of Egypt?  You are now FREE to speak without "Pharaoh" and his minions STILL controlling your every move.  How long must some of us continue to sit by and "watch", paralyzed in FEAR by the OPINIONS of others?  You have been "unplugged from the Matrix" -it's time to stop living in it.  It's not "spiritual warfare" that's being launched ...it's psychological. 

With that being said, those brief encounters in public are often NOT by chance.  The folks that are considering the decision TO leave Cornerstone are certainly not likely to inquire INSIDE the walls of 1520 Reynolds Rd.  So, both parties are given "their moment" ...and then it passes.  Sometimes we walk away thinking, "I wish I would have said this or that..." 

So, whether you are still committed to staying or currently sitting "on the fence" a lot of people are "seeing things" and starting to ask those tough questions.  It's TIME to put it out there... and to hear THE FACTS DIRECTLY from those WHO HAVE ALREADY LEFT. 

Was there an "IT" in the whole process that did it for you? 

What was YOUR experience when you discussed what you were seeing with either:

•Michael Pitts

•Robert Pitts

•David Banks  

•Jeffrey Smith
•Janet Wend
•David Roberts -Lima
 
 

"So...Why DID you leave?"

LIFE after the Stone is Rolled Away

Recovering your Identity in Transition

So here you are…you have found yourself in a place you probably never expected to be.  Let’s begin by sharing a brief testimony that was recently submitted to us.  A former member shares what she went through when she realized that Life AT Cornerstone was no longer what she signed up for.  She is a beacon of inspiration to those who are also seeking to restore their TRUE IDENTITY…
           
          Dear Speaking Truth in Love,

“Thank you for allowing me to share a part of my story with others.  First off all I want to say to all those who left, that God WILL RESTORE all the years you spent at Cornerstone. We all have an exciting journey ahead of us as we follow God’s will for each of our individual lives.  For the first time, I am experiencing a great freedom in Christ that I never new existed.  I have never felt closer to the Lord, in so many years!

My story with Cornerstone begins almost 20 yrs. ago.  As I type this, I can honestly say that I never thought I would find myself in this position.  It’s almost surreal after having watched so many good and strong people leave over the years. Like so many, I watched and wondered what happened to them and why did they leave? Being that I was a dedicated, tithing member for almost two decades, let’s just say that’s a lot of years of indoctrination for lack of a better word.  It has now been a year since I first started to gradually pull away from the church.  And as much as I have enjoyed my new found freedom, initially it was one of the most difficult choices I ever had to make.  Cornerstone was "the place" - "the church that had it going on" and Michael was the anointed one with the revelation that no one else seemed to have. So, how could this be happening to me? It used to be a place of joy for me and I have received many wonderful deliverances there in the earlier years. However, things have changed since and it's like my eyes have been opened to a very different spirit there. 

Despite the disappointment in what “could have been”, I am moving forward with my life.  However, I never thought I would face so much disorientation and doubt after leaving a church. Who would have thought that getting back to the basic foundations of the Word would be the antidote?  It's just not normal to have to "deprogram" your mind or at least I am not aware of others who leave churches and need "deprogramming". I guess that's probably because most church folks are not guilted to stay or told about the bad things that will happen if they get out from under "covering".  Again, lots of doctrine to sort through.

With that being said, I had to go deeper into the root issues of my attachment to Cornerstone.  I discovered that part of my unhealthy bond to this church, was because I developed an unhealthy connection to a man and his mission.  Of course this was always encouraged from the platform.  Being that we were always told to “find your place” and “stay connected by giving and serving”.  So, I gave them what they “wanted” and in exchange I got what I “needed” -a “place to belong”.  Every Thursday and Sunday, I had a place that I needed to be, as I served endlessly in different departments within the church.  My friends and I would often talk about how we were so lucky to be apart of something so big.  There was no other place to be and Pastor was “one of a kind”.  Although I use to really admire and look up to Pastor Pitts, now looking back I cannot honestly say I ever really “knew” him.  It was more like knowing an actor and his "illusion” of a Pastor's Role that I knew, which is really sad to say the least. 

When I first left, I spent a lot of time reflecting on “What really happened?”  “Why didn’t I see this coming?”.  I came to the conclusion that all my answers would not come overnight, this would be a journey.  So I decided to keep moving forward and find another local church to attend while trusting God with the process.   Upon my first Sunday in 20 yrs. visiting a new church, I felt I stuck out like a sore thumb, to say the least.  The old fears came upon me, causing me to wonder did the Lord leave me because I left Cornerstone?  Would God’s blessing follow me to a new church and pastor?  Why do I feel so guilty for being here?  However, I decided to push through my fears and enjoy the service without feeling the need to analyze it to pieces. 

As I walked around looking for a seat, I remember finding myself at the front of the church.  I expected ushers to close in on me any minute and shirk me away for violating some proper protocol rule…but nothing.  Wow, this is different I thought.  It was like being bound and then suddenly discovering I was already free; the pressure of possibly doing something “wrong” was simply no longer there and it was refreshing!  After the service was over, the Pastor came up to me and said “Hi, how are you?”  I felt a little embarrassed, but couldn’t stop a sudden flow of tears right infront of this complete stranger.  I explained to him that I couldn’t understand why I felt such a heavy burden of guilt for simply attending another church.  He told me.. “Because GUILT is in that house”.  Wow..there it was!  I was allowing the control tactics that were used on me in Cornerstone to STILL control me outside of Cornerstone.  This was especially true of my emotions.  I thanked the Pastor for his compassion and he called over his wife to pray with me.  As I walked out the door that morning, I truly realized that at times FREEDOM is subjective.  Freedom is always there, but sometimes our perception of the past clouds our view of the land we live in today.  TODAY IS MY FUTURE I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR! 

I realized that my identity had been wrapped up in a church; even somewhat corrupted by the teachings and leadership methods I sat under for years.  However, it will be up to ME to recover it.  I would have to be the one to get back into the Word and stop attaching my identity to a man’s vision instead of toward my personal relationship with Christ.  I did this for years at Cornerstone, without even recognizing it.  Since that revelation, I realized that “Church” is not a building.  I am apart of The Church, because I am a Child of God. And I am free to follow the Voice of God toward the place(s) HE chooses for me to join my efforts in helping others.  This may or may not be indefinitely defined by one particular local church..  It’s wherever the Good Shepherd leads me.  My prayer is that all reading this will find FREEDOM in following the VOICE of the Holy Spirit as He stirs truth within you…Just keep walking.”

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Thank you for sharing your testimony "Confused No More", below are my thoughts about recovering your identity... (short and sweet)

What is the definition of IDENTITY?

The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a person is definitively recognizable or known.  And as Christians, we know that TRUE IDENTITY can only be discovered through a personal relationship with our Creator.  According to Col. 3 --“you have been raised with Christ” -“ your life is now hidden with Christ in God”.

Phil. 3:8-11 -- Here Paul writes: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and may be found in Him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law (works) but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings...”

From the above scriptures, we clearly see that your authentic identity is derived INTERNALLY by your relationship with God through Christ Jesus.  However, when we belong to a particular church for a long period of time, it can become easy to gradually begin shifting our identity to the things that are EXTERNAL instead.  In the church world, the external would be the "Relationships" and the "Roles" you served over the years.  Maybe you were an usher, choir member, or children’s worker for several years.  Human nature has a tendency to cause us to identify ourselves by the people, places, and things that are most familiar to us.  There is nothing wrong finding people to “identify with”…meaning that you have mutual agreement.  The problem lies when you begin to solely attribute your “identity to” a particular group of people.  And we begin to believe:  “This is who I am, because this is where I am and what I do."