WARNING!!! THIS IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL AND EYE-OPENING!!!
I think it has been long enough, so I am going to tell all of those who were in the dark about the whole Wesley situation from last year and my thoughts on it now.
Well...the shit hit the fan last January when I was still attending Wesley regularly and the maintenance guy was fired because he got caught stealing money from Wesley, using Wesley's credit card to buy his gas, groceries, beer, and cigarettes. That's real classy don't cha think? (that's written sarcasm) Well with further investigation, once again they found another Wesley employee--the secretary--stealing money from Wesley, also. It just so happens that she is the minister's wife and the maintenance guy's mother. She stole the ministry's money by setting her hours on the computer, but she wouldn't show up for work all of those hours. So, she was getting paid for hours that she wasn't even working in the office; she was a little brighter than her son with stealing the money, but still neither of them were the brightest bulbs in the tanning bed so to speak. The minister was completely oblivious to this whole conspiracy, which at the time I felt bad for the poor guy. I especially felt bad for him when his wife went psycho bitch on him, thinking he was cheating on her. Where did she get the right to say that after SHE STOLE MONEY FROM A CAMPUS MINISTRY?!?! Later on though, when that was his excuse for EVERYTHING not getting done at Wesley. It got old and shit happens, but moving along...
So, I have been thinking about how I'm not going to Wesley this semester because I have Magnolia Belles rehearsal during Wesley's regular meeting time. Not a ONE person has bothered to reach out to me since classes started. I feel like that's a huge part of what makes a ministry work and I feel that they have just abandoned me...after ALL my family has done for that ministry I have not heard a single word from any of them.
I was an active member in Wesley for two years, I lived at the Methodist Student Center for 2 semesters of school, paid my rent on time, I served as an officer on Wesley's Officer team for a semester, after both of my grandparents died we donated their couch to Wesley because the parlors couches were way past their living condition, AND my mother donated $10,000 to the Wesley Foundation so that they could afford to renovate the 50+ year old kitchen in the Methodist Student Center.
The minister can "say" he's reached out to me, but he has been sending emails to my mother, not to me. Therefore, I do not think he has tried to reach out to me personally, plus he has my cell phone number, why hasn't he tried to call me?! I believe the only reason I hear anything about Wesley at all is because I have class with one of the guys in Wesley and the lame listserv.
The only people from Wesley who have cared to talk to me and keep in touch with me throughout all the drama and then some are one guy and two girls. They know who they are, so there is no need for me to name them. Something is wrong with that because the four of us don't even attend Wesley.
It's sad that you think you can find friends you will hold for a lifetime within a campus ministry and then when you have other plans that conflict with seeing them one day out of the week, they act like you don't exist anymore, no matter what day of the week it is...aren't you supposed to "reach out" to me and see how I am? You are a campus ministry right? Or are you just a facade of what a campus ministry is supposed to be?
I had forgotten I had a blogspot (and it's been terribly neglected) until you posted this particular entry. I felt compelled to comment on it :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you've said. The fact of the matter is, the Wesley Foundation of Greenville, its campus minister, officer team, and active students, have abandoned many of us. It hurts to realize that once you stop going on Thursday nights, you cease to exist. I attended Wesley for 3 years...I do have fond memories, and I am thankful for the opportunities and REAL friendships I made there. However, it has become increasingly clear to me that the friendliness and welcoming attitude only extended to Thursday nights. It's a harsh reality, but hindsight is 20/20.
I applaud you for standing up and posting this. I hope you post it to your facebook and twitter. It might be a nice wake up call for those involved in Wesley.
And darling, you may have just inspired me to start writing again. You know I have plenty of things to rant about in regard to ECU and the Wesley Foundation.
Until then, I adore you, and keep writing!
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ReplyDeleteEmily Hamm is my hero
ReplyDeleteI was involved in campus ministry in college and was "burned" by people I looked up to. I held that resentment in for a long time. After school, I took a position with the International Mission Board and served overseas for 2 years. That term ended badly. I became bitter and held that bitterness inside for a long time. It destroyed my faith and sent me in a downward spiral for 6 years. I say all this to say that Christians are sinners. The most spiritual Christians will still sin against you if you spend enough time around them.
ReplyDeleteSome ministries aren't worth being involved in. I would encourage you though, despite all the BS, to not let this or any other instance of Christians sinning against you, throw you off the narrow path. Seek first His Kingdom...