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Christopher Lirette

CUL 2200 – Introduction to Cultural Studies

Professor Craig Jones

June 4th, 2021

Assignment 3-1: Openness, Acceptance, and Trust Paper

I remember when I moved to Beaumont, Texas for a new job as Trinity UMC’s Director

of Youth Ministries. I came from a work culture at First United Methodist Church in Lampasas,

Texas that was pretty relaxed and casual. However, there were a few cultural aspects that I did

not consider with the move. Even though I was moving to another youth director job at a

different Methodist church, the culture was entirely different. Beaumont was closer to deep south

culture then small-town Lampasas’ rancher community. Also, Trinity was more formal in their

requirements for dress and etiquette.

The other significant difference was the culture the Senior Pastors fostered. Lampasas,

FUMC was led by a pastor who regularly poked fun at himself and lifted his congregants up. The

pastor at Trinity was more austere and the work culture was built around making him look good

and be happy. I recall making a mistake at Trinity that caused conflict with Senior Pastor. As a

result, he leveraged his power to get me to quit. October-December of 2017 was awful with two

associate pastors and the Senior Pastor creating an environment of high pressure and criticism.

There was little to no trust, acceptance, or openness.

I remember feeling anxiety pretty much every time I entered the church. I was scared and

felt I had to be perfect in everything I did to get back into the good graces of the pastors. So, I

remembered trying harder and harder to appease the associates and the senior pastor, but it never

felt like it was enough. The senior pastor and supervisors also made it clear that I shouldn’t have
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any real friends from members in the church. Given that the church was our only community

however, I felt alone, isolated, and like an axe was hanging above my neck regardless of

whatever success I had. I was wounded from that experience and when our family moved to a

new town for my wife to be an associate pastor, I felt the same anxiety from Trinity creep into

my heart and thoughts while at our new church in Fredericksburg, TX.

I learned that not everyone has had a good experience with a church community. It has

taught me to listen to, be more kind to, patient with, and understanding of those who are

frustrated with Christianity or the church. For many, there has been a pretty large breach of the

emotional trust that Christians and former Christians have invested into the church (Elmer 77).

What’s worse is the lack of repentance and reconciliation on behalf of the church with those

whom it has wounded and broken trust. “Only one thing can restore broken trust: forgiveness—

forgiveness sought and forgiveness received.” (Elmer 83). While I do not believe I am the one

responsible for the spiritual wounds in former believer’s souls, believers should do their part in

being a bridge of reconciliation, accountability, and forgiveness to those whom the church has

wounded.
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Works Cited

Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility.

InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL. 2006. Kindle Edition.