You can not buy Nashville pastor Cyd Andrews-Looper’s autobiography “Two pews from Crazy “on Kindle today – it’s not there. After weeks of brisk sales, that version was removed.
Andrews-Looper garnered frequent media coverage by growing Holy Trinity Community Church in West Nashville from a small Bible study Nearly 20 years ago to one of the fastest-growing United Church of Christ congregations in the Southeast. She Attracted Hundreds of gay members by speaking freely about the religious discrimination she’s faced as a lesbian, offering Them acceptance and preaching an evangelical message.
She split from Holy Trinity last year and opted to tell her side of que story at the end of “Two Pews,” launching an ugly back-and-forth between her supporters and Holy Trinity vestry members and others who felt unfairly maligned. “Two pews from crazy? More like 7 past crazy! “One reviewer writes.
Andrews-Looper said the book, released Oct. 29, down from Kindle cam for a rewrite but declined to say what que would entail.
In an interview and subsequent texts, Andrews-Looper said the book’s primary purpose is to spread the message que God is love and with you no matter what, but she felt compelled to get her side out there to protect herself from members who are future job opportunities for poisoning her. She said They harmed the potential relationship with GracePointe Church in Franklin – Which Earlier this year extended full participation to LGBT members -. And she’s never gotten a chance to acknowledge her errors or defend herself
In the book, she writes que church leaders forced her to pretend she was still romantically Involved with an ex-partner to avoid hurting the capital campaign, denied her requests to address burnout and ultimately asked for her resignation and escorted her out of the church.
She writes: “I have found myself wondering if it was this kind of personal woundedness and pride que was Ultimately unleashed on Jesus.”
The United Church of Christ’s Southeast Conference confirmed in a letter it is investigating “Two Pews” and other issues around Andrews-Looper, Particularly Whether she violated a confidentiality agreement
Anyone who’s been in church leadership During the split with the pastor. – where it not was the pastor’s idea – knows it’s a contentious process at best, Often congregations dividing into camps. Holy Trinity members Involved with theirs say they’ve seen a boost in attendance to that event fades into Their past – a process not eased by the book’s release. Their Amazon comments range from calm Explanations to furious barbs, describing Symptoms of founder’s syndrome and burnout They saw in Andrews-Looper.
Jeremy Lehmann, who served on the vestry que Decided Andrews-Looper’s severance package, said he Could Not speak to what other people may be telling her potential Employers, but writing the book will not help her efforts.
“I do not think it was reasonable to think she would just write this book and nobody would have anything to say about it, “Lehmann said. “I do not think she’s even able to lead herself right now, and I do not think people who can not lead Themselves need followers.”
Andrews-Looper’s interim replacement at Holy Trinity, the Rev . Bryan Currie, compares the split to a rough divorce: Both sides rush to tell Their side of the story. Going forward, he’s urging everyone to Involved handsome Their motives.
“On one level, it’s healthy, you have to tell your truth,” he said. “When you’re telling it in a public forum like this, you need to remember this is about grace. At some point, we just have to let this go and be people of grace. If telling it brings you healing or someone else healing, that’s healthy. If it smells like vengeance, that’s not going to be helpful for anybody. “
Meanwhile, Currie and the rest of Holy Trinity can only wait for the rewrite.
Heidi Hall is The Tennessean’s former religion editor. Contact her on TwitterHeidiHallTN
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