BY DREW DeJARNETTE,
Berryville, Arkansas, USA
About 6½ years ago I walked into the Berryville Congregation. I went because it was the church of the woman I was to marry. At that time, I never imagined I would join Community of Christ.
The church I’d been attending was Sabbatarian, which viewed any group that did not keep Saturday as non-Christian. The consequence was that I believed Community of Christ members did not have the Holy Spirit. Over the years, my experience changed that view.
Though my views differed from those of the members, they still accepted me and valued my opinion. I saw the love and generosity that flowed effortlessly from the church as a whole and from individual members.
I was not convinced of the presence of the Holy Spirit by strong words or articulate argument, but through the words enacted through their lives. However, joining Community of Christ still was not an option until recently.
I was baptized in the faith I grew up in by my grandfather. I still have full confidence in this baptism, and I considered a new baptism an annulment of the first. I had no intention of ever being rebaptized and did not even consider joining Community of Christ until after the policy changed to accept previously baptized disciples through confirmation. Even after this new policy, it took me eight months to decide.
The exclusivity of my family’s faith has caused many heated discussions about this matter. In the end, I decided God was leading me toward confirmation into Community of Christ. I still am unsure of where God is leading me, but I know Community of Christ will be an integral part of my life.
