12.09.2005

The IVCF Issue

So I read back over what I've posted and I realized I never posted about IVCF, perhaps it's water under the bridge now but as I let the cat out of the bag with my comment of a few days ago I better explain what happened. So here's the story, as best as I can remember it.
So back in late March or perhaps early April I was activities co-ordinator (one of three) for the IVCF (as I had been for the past year and a half) so we are doing elections and the topic of my position comes up at an exec meeting. I say I'm not sure if I'm coming back in the fall or not and it's recorded in the minutes that if I'm back I get my position and if not they're downsizing it to two positions.
So I decided I'm coming back in the fall, I let the IV exec know this and they say okay. Life goes on, a week or so later I'm asked to meet with the presidents, so I go. They tell me that my position has been abolished and they would like to do it with two people next school year and I'm not needed. I find this unfair and un-constitutional so I take it up with our staff worker and most of the exec.... This goes 'round and 'round in circles with me applying (and being denied for) worship co-ordinator fitting in there somewhere. The long and short of it was that by the end of the semester I didn't' have a place on exec in the fall and I didn't even want to go to final exec meeting but I did and they prayed me out as they always do and it was as if I chose to leave and wasn't forced and to this day at least half the exec has no idea what went on. The half that do supported my cause but there was little we could do about it. I eventually got an apology from both presidents and the staff worker and a promise that I would be involved this year in other capacities. (Which didn't happen, or even be attempted at happening by anyone but me until last month.) So whenever I saw certain exec people this year it was very touchy and they very much tried to appease me for fear I'd yell at them in public, or something along those lines. (which I never would have done.)
Oh and the reason they wanted to abolish my position, besides them trying to par down exec, was because I was older than all the other exec people (at 23 I would hardly consider myself old.)
So that's the story of what happened, now the underlying story of what happened goes like this: I am a strong, determined person who doesn't work especially well in teams unless I'm the leader of those teams or under the leadership of a very strong-willed person who can give specific direction as I would do. When I sense weakness in leaders I attack, I stand up for what I believe in and what I think is right or should be done and I don't easily stand down. The two presidents were both weaker individuals who I could very easily over-power when I felt something should be done differently then the way they did it. Similarly the two other activity's people, although good leaders in their own right, weren't as strong willed as me, which meant I led most of the events unless I chose to delegate them out and even then I had my hand in most things going on. I liked to be in the know and events went well with me in charge, but the presidents felt I was bullying the other two into doing things my way and no new ideas were being brought to the table.
The under-underlying story to both of the above is this: I have never been the best model of "Christian" values. I feel that many Christians are hypocrites who think people should do what they say and not what they do. I live my life the best I can and I screw up, frequently, and I know that and God knows that and He forgives me and I'm not afraid to get out there, try new things and sometimes fall on my face. I don't live the best lifestyle and I never have. I live with a guy roommate and before this I lived with my boyfriend, I've cheated on boyfriends, I drink almost every weekend, I party at clubs, I've had pre-marital sex, I've shown up places with hangovers, I've lied, I've cheated, I've snuck around and I'm not afraid to admit to all these things. I'm open to other religions points of views, I make friends with all people, not just Christians, I date non-Christian guys. I wear slutty clothes on occasion, I dye my hair, I get piercings. I've shopped in a sex toy store, I own a bikini and lingerie, I've skipped church because I was too drunk or hung-over to go or because I simply didn't feel like it. In the eyes of many people these things are considered bad and un-Christian and I am not a good candidate to endorse the Christian faith. I don't feel this way, I think I'm a perfect candidate, I know people for who they are, the real people underneath. I can get to know people on a personal level and see where they're coming from, go to where I need to to reach them. The IV, for the most part, has, over the years, become an exec of people born and raised into Christian homes with good Christian parents who taught them good Christian values, who accepted Jesus as a young age and know the word of God inside and out. They have never smoke, drank or would dream of having sex and if they have done any of these things they've repented of it and so are clean of it and would never admit to doing it 'cuz it's in the past.
I will not judge them, I'm merely stating fact, I just don't think it's fair they judged me. I knew for a long time the current exec was tying to find a way of getting rid of me to "spiritually cleanse" IV and get it back to it's pristine bubble that I threatened to break. So good for them, that's their choice, I won't judge, I'll just rant and take comfort in knowing that on judgment day they'll have to explain their actions to God and not to me. :)

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