Review For Gateway Baptist Church

Brandy T.
Former Member
Very proud church, falls very short of where Christ would have us be.
1
Average: 1 (1 vote)
1/5
They are good people, with good intent. Their theology is very far from grace, though. If your thing is traditional English hymns ONLY, and being told that you're sinning if you ever listen to anything else, ever, and if you believe that women should wear dresses and skirts only, and that any women who wear pants must not be saved (even to the point of rebuking women who show up to work at the church on a Saturday wearing scrub pants, telling them passive aggressively in the sermon the following Sunday that you don't want them working there in pants in case someone were to drive up to the church, because they might see that and get "the wrong idea" about what you believe), then this is the place to be. If you're a woman, and you're okay with being ignored when you ask for change in the church, and being told "If you're starving, then it's because you're not eating what's put on your plate," so that they can escape their duty as a shepherd..... then you're in the right place. If you differ at all from these folks' beliefs, they question your salvation. Example, from their Facebook page recently: "So many people out so little focus on the house of God, if you don't think a place of worship is important, I would encourage you to make an attempt to get with God and make sure your saved. Church is a privilege for us to go and worship the God that saved us." Interpretation, if you're not moving Heaven and Earth (or quitting your job) to be in church every time the doors are open, you probably aren't saved. My husband was a career FF/EMT who worked every 3rd Sunday and Wednesday... according to them, he was sinning by not blowing off his job of saving people's lives to be at church. If you dare to open a Bible that isn't a KJV, you're a sinner and are probably lost, because they believe that the Spirit would CLEARLY lead you to the KJV only if you're saved. If you eat at a restaurant that serves alcohol, even if you don't order or drink alcohol, you're sinning, because people might THINK you're drinking. (Need I mention that if you have a glass of wine occasionally, you're a filthy sinner and deserve chastisement??) If you go to the movies, you're sinning, because people might THINK you're seeing a bad movie. It's all about outward appearance at Gateway. If you believe that women can wear women's pants, then you're probably not saved. If you're a woman who wears women's pants, then you're an abomination and I can promise you, you will be reminded of it at each sermon you attend. If you have tattoos, you will be constantly shamed for them and made to feel inferior. They have run so many people away from their church because of their holier-than-thou view. They believe they are God's gift to the world, and you better not challenge that hierarchy or the preacher's daughter will attack you with vehemence over things that she wasn't around to see, and you will be called a liar and told to repent, when you are not lying at all... you're just daring to speak the truth. Do not donate to missions at this church, because it will not go to the missionaries. At one time, it went to put their daughter through college, who knows what they spend it on now. We are blessed to have started healing from our six year experience here and have found a church that is wonderful, and is helping us to heal and re-learn the TRUE God of the Bible, and to fall in love with my Bridegroom again. We left in 2015, for many different reasons. The biggest one at the time was that they refused to try to help us when my twins were born preemie via emergency surgery and we were trapped near Atlanta with no gas money, no food money, nothing except the house that a family member was letting us stay at while she was out of town. After we finally broke down and asked our church family of six years for help, they disappeared and I went a week without being able to see my babies, and they were perfectly unaffected. Maybe this is the place for you. If so, good luck. Like I said, good hearts, but very misguided theology.
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