(Originally posted in the RSQUBF guestbook in 2005.)
Name: Freedom in Christ
Comments: At UBF the level of a believer's spititual maturity is measured according to how active and devoted that person is in the ministry. I believe this to be wrong. Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with works. It's not about how many Bible students one has, or how many weekly testimonies one writes. It's about seeing things the way God sees them, period. And the Great Commission is not about getting people to join your church or my church, either. It's about saving souls. I was a member of UBF in the Los Angeles area for two and a half years. During that time I was treated with much kindness, warmth and respect. Many there knew my life's story. In the few months prior to joining, I was a lonely, alcoholic porn actor who came very close to suicide. Incredibly, when I chose to leave UBF in order to attend another church that is nearer to my home, no one so much as asked me or even cared as to why I had made that choice. Everyone, including the senior missionaries, simply said their goodbyes and quickly forgot about me. And why? Because I was not considered to be a "useful" shepherd. I was not as active as others were, therefore I was not seen as a precious soul that God wants to keep from going astray. Simply put, in their eyes I was nothing more than just a number, an expendable number that could easily be replaced. How sad that people who call themselves "shepherds" could have such a distorted view about God's love for others. I truly pray that God opens their eyes and hearts to the truth, because in spite of their ignorance they genuinely love the Lord and wish to serve Him.
