Quote:
Originally Posted by lisafitzh2o
Oh heavenly days...
I happened to see a thread entitled "JCM Reunion/AMC Conference" and (silly me) thought it was going to be a thread reminiscing the fun things that happened there. I should have known it would turn into a debate. I hated debates in high school, hated them in college, and am now reminded why I rarely get on AFF. Some people love them... it's just a personal thing. I despise conflict.
I am UPC, have been all my life. I don't cut my hair, don't wear makeup, don't wear jewelry, my picture has been posted on here, and I haven't heard any complaints (so far). But let me tell you something... I'VE HEARD JUDGMENTAL JUNK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE. Some "ultra conservatives" look down on those who don't look like them... as we have heard over the last 63 pages of this thread. On the other hand, I know of people who are no longer conservative who look down on us because "we are still in the bondage of UPC and standards".
Here's the thing... there is nothing any of you are going to say on this thread that will make a person (on either side) sit up and say, "Oh wait... I see where you're coming from. I no longer feel the way I did before. Hark! I have just been enlightened!".
Yes, I went to JCM... a non-accredited Bible college, and I'm sad that some of you consider it a waste of your time. I personally was able to use my JCM credits to go on to a college (yes, a REAL college) and get a Master's Degree in education, taught public school AND was a principal for 3 years. And yes, I went to the Reunion... and had an amazing time. I was reunited with my roommates that I haven't seen in 20 years... and it was as if no time had passed. I laughed during those days until I thought I would throw up. Nobody (that I was aware of) was looking down on anyone else. And here's another thing... unless you were IN that room, you can't begin to comprehend what went on there.
So now, I am disappointed for two reasons: 1) this thread didn't turn out like I thought it would; and 2) THAT I MISSED OUT ON GETTING MY PICTURE WITH THE AFFers!!!  |
I attended a "Rival" bible school out west which was constantly trying to "keep up" with JCM. Heck, we even grabbed one of your "stars" to do our music (he was the reason I stayed at the time). But it didn't get us to the JCM "cool" status and our music conference had hundreds rather than thousands. And our concert recordings....I did solos and I've never even heard the recordings so I don't even know what happened to them.
Point is...we strived for equality and never achieved it. True, there's never been a finer bible teacher than Dan Segraves and he led us, but still....we just weren't that "cool."
I'm saying all this to say....when I hear JCM attacked, I take it personally and I don't even really know why. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the entire system that was, of course, flawed. But the good it did in the lives of people is immeasurable. If nothing else, it laid the foundation for lifetime friendships and nothing is more valuable than a friendship. And at the very worst, JCM inspired a generation of UPCers to re-think the way they performed church music. I, for one, am thankful we went from singing, "Thank God I am Free, Free, Free, From This World of Sin", to "I'll Make It Home Someday", and "There is Hope......regardless of how much Lanny whitened it.
And I'm also SICK of all the JCM-gay talk. Yes, there were gay people at JCM, but guess what, there are almost
certainly gay people in
your church...you just don't know it. Or worse yet, you know it but you ignore it because he plays great music. Very reliable studies have shown that those who strike out the most at gays actually have homosexual tendencies themselves so before you type an anti-JCM-gay thing, go look in the mirror first.
So I, for one, stand up and applaud Jackson College of Ministries. You all had a great thing going and I have nothing but good things to say about what once stood as a beacon of inspiration for us all.