Welcome to ExCharisma - brand new to the Highway, but actually several years old. Originally a small e-mail loop on
YahooGroups, it has grown to the point that it needed to be moved to this treasure house of resources that ex-Charismatics and ex-Pentecostals really need. So
Welcome to all who have arrived from the old Yahoo group!The purpose of this forum is twofold:
First, it is to be a safe haven for those who have fled from the noise and manipulation and uncertainty of the Charismatic movement but aren't sure where to go from there. We help one another answer the question,
"What now?"Second, it is to be a place where leaders and lay people from non-Charismatic backgrounds can learn about what we've been taught, why it didn't work, how we can be (or have been) damaged by it, and most importantly, how to help us "refugees from Charismania" find real purpose and genuineness in "traditional" churches. Many Protestant churches have little idea of what the Charismatic movements have become. No longer just benign enthusiasm and non-traditional worship with tongues-speaking tied on. If you're a non-Charismatic churchgoer and that's what you think, you need to read this forum too!
Check here often - there are many more "refugees" and folks waiting for their chance to jump out of the Charismatic frying pan than most people know. Many are scared to jump, but even more scared that what they're jumping
into could be worse than the frying pan.
One word of caution. Emotions tend to run high among folks who are exploring unfamiliar territory. It's scary to realize you've been wrong - and to think there's no way to be sure of what's right. Be kind to each other, and tolerant of different ways of saying things. The early part of this journey out of chaos is hard enough without harsh criticism.
This is a safe, sane place to make that journey.
-Robin
