Berean Holiness

Berean Holiness Guiding Believers Out of Fear and Shame and Into the Gospel of Grace (Acts 17:11; Galatians 1:6-10)
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“If you leave Holiness [hyper fundamentalism], I’m warning you—sin will take you farther than you want to go…” The terri...
09/02/2026

“If you leave Holiness [hyper fundamentalism], I’m warning you—sin will take you farther than you want to go…”

The terrifying narrative about “what will happen” if I were to ever leave our exclusive movement or break Holiness standards (by wearing makeup, jewelry, pants...) was ingrained into me from a child. A car wreck seemed like one of the better options. Other possibilities included going insane, prison, addiction, promiscuity, one divorce after another, and “your children’s blood on your hands.”

Despite the narrative, it’s been 7 years since I left. 7 years since I became a “backslidden reprobate,” (according to ministers I respected) by slipping on a Mardel’s ring, thrift store capris, and publicly cross-examining our teachings. 7 years, and I’m still waiting on the threats to come to fruition.

While I wait for my life to descend into the promised debauchery, I’m learning so much from verse-by-verse sermons each week, my husband and I are looking forward to celebrating 6 years of happy marriage, my adorable toddler is running around sing-yelling, “OH!! How [I love] Jesus!”, our church friends just brought us some amazing homemade meals, and the newborn in my arms fills my heart with joy.

I’ve done nothing to earn this beautiful life. I could lose it all tomorrow, and God would still be good. But for today, I’m so grateful for His grace and His blessings—the greatest of which is relationship with Him, bringing assurance of salvation.

•••

If you, like me, have been told terrifying stories of “what will happen” if you leave hyper fundamentalism, I hope this is a reminder that the threats are empty words.

Yes, there are people who reject Christ and turn to false ideologies and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The consequences are destructive, and sometimes we’re harmed by loved ones’ choices (no fault of your own). Even so, *you* don’t have to go down that path.

Cling to Christ.
Take your time disentangling faith.
Rest in God’s promises:

He’ll never leave you or forsake you (Heb 13:5), His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:28–30), He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11), nothing can separate you from the love of Christ (Rom 8:34–39).

If you leave hyper fundamentalism for Christ, then no matter what happens (bad things happen to everyone eventually), He’ll be faithful. And no matter what happens, you can have assurance of salvation like you never experienced in a works-based, fear-driven environment.

But as long as you keep untangling, healing, rebuilding? I wouldn’t be surprised if, 7 years from now (or much sooner!), you’re also blessed with a beautiful life.

May we be living proof that the “what will happen” narrative is nothing more than fear mongering.

May our lives be a testament to the keeping grace of God.

•••

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24–25)

08/10/2026

You’re sitting down with a couple of leaders at a church you’re seriously considering joining, but are still vetting. They tell you to ask anything. What would you ask?

“The church group I’m part of is so unhealthy, but I don’t see any way out—there’s nowhere else to go. Every other churc...
08/06/2026

“The church group I’m part of is so unhealthy, but I don’t see any way out—there’s nowhere else to go. Every other church disobeys Scripture by not practicing the holy kiss.”

While this is not an exact quote, it accurately paraphrases real messages Berean Holiness has received. From Holdeman Mennonite to General Assembly of the Church of the First Born to Old German Baptist Brethren and other Anabaptist traditions, there are multiple hyper-fundamentalist groups that teach and preach that greeting with a kiss is not optional—it is a biblical command.

Just like other hyper-fundamentalist groups, framing fringe teachings as essential doctrines causes members to feel like they can never leave. This is why it’s critical to cross-examine these extra-biblical requirements in light of Scripture.

In our new article, Ethan examines the requirement of the “holy kiss,” looks at the underlying issues of faulty Scripture interpretation, the two meanings of “tradition,” and the importance of understanding commands within their context.

You can find Ethan’s article here: https://bereanholiness.com/holy-kiss/

07/28/2026

When you’re told that Deuteronomy 22:5 forbids men and women from wearing the same *kind* of garment—that men must wear pants and women must wear skirts to stay categorically different—remember:

• The men and women in the original audience of Deuteronomy were all wearing the same kind/category of clothing—a tunic (kethoneth)—and continued to do so after this command was given

• When God created clothing for the first man and woman, the text implies He clothed both of them in the same basic kind/category of garment (kethoneth), “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21, NKJV)

This isn’t to say that there weren’t any stylistic differences between men’s and women’s tunics. There likely were, but there are also stylistic differences between men’s pants and women’s pants (and between a man’s kilt and a woman’s skirt, for that matter).

What this does tells us is that, even IF Deuteronomy 22:5 is a command that directly applies to Christians today, and even IF we interpret it as meaning that men’s and women’s apparel should be distinct, even then, stylistic differences are sufficient.

Deuteronomy 22:5 does not forbid women’s pants.

07/27/2026

May we never find our assurance of salvation…

in the length of our sleeves,
in the name on our church door,
in our Holiness heritage,
in the approval of peers,
in affirmation from a “man of God,”
in words spoken at our baptism,
in speaking in tongues,
in uncut hair,

But may we always find our assurance of salvation in Christ, and Christ alone.

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
—Ephesians 2:9

Trapped and unsure if I’d survive—that was how I felt spiritually at the time. On a phone call with a Holiness missionar...
07/21/2026

Trapped and unsure if I’d survive—that was how I felt spiritually at the time. On a phone call with a Holiness missionary, I was as honest as dared to be, “The sermons here are so shallow; they barely touch on Scripture. I feel like I’m starving spiritually.”

That wasn’t the first time I’d struggled with something about the church I was attending. From no one from the community being saved/joining the church in 10+ years to turning a blind eye to adultery, the Holiness churches I’d attended over the years had some serious issues.

And to be fair, a lot of churches have serious issues—that’s not unique to hyper fundamentalism.

What was different was the fact that you can’t leave and find a healthy church. Our group was (supposedly) the remnant, the only uncompromised fellowship, the one right way. Attending a church that wasn’t an approved Independent Trinitarian Holiness Pentecostal church—with sufficiently strict dress codes—was out of the question.

But our group was so small that a person counted themselves blessed to have even 2–3 churches within driving distance. And by “driving distance,” I mean within an hour’s drive (my family drove an hour each way to most church services).

People who only had one approved church within an hour’s drive had the decision made for them—that one Holiness church was their church.

The upside was that no “church search” was required. The downside was that if the 1–2 approved churches in your area had serious issues, your options were to either quit your job, uproot your family, and move to another part of the country, or to remain trapped in an unhealthy church.

•••

Since leaving hyper fundamentalism, I’ve moved states several times for reasons relating to jobs, marriage, and family. Every time, a “church search” has been required.

Finding a church was a steep learning curve, and realizing that I often had 40+ churches to choose from was overwhelming. There were times when I missed the decision being made for me.

But what I first saw as an impossible task I later came to see as an incredible opportunity.

40+ churches? For the first time in my life, I could afford to be picky. I could afford to have high standards. I could afford to ask questions like:

• How often is the gospel preached?
• Are essential doctrines held to firmly?
• Is grace to disagree given in the nonessentials?
• Are sermons motivational speeches or focused on bringing God’s Word?
• How often is Scripture exposited verse by verse? Exegesis or eisegesis?
• Is there a plurality of leaders?
• What is the accountability structure for leaders?
• How have past failures in leadership been handled?
• What’s the structure for church discipline of members?
• When was the last time church discipline was carried out?
• Is the worship/song service focused on glorifying Christ?
• What policies/practices does the church have to protect children’s safety and minimize risk?
• What community outreach is the church involved in?
• When was the last time someone from the community was saved and joined the church?
• What opportunities are there for building relationships with other members?

•••

While every church is going to have areas needing improvement, there’s no question that some churches will be healthier than others. And while every member contributes to the overall health of a church, it’s impossible for a single member (especially a new layman) to reform a church. Choosing a church that’s already grounded in Scripture is so important.

Can a church search be exhausting? Yes.
Is it a lot to learn for those of us who grew up in exclusive groups? Absolutely.
Is it overwhelming when you live in an area with dozens of churches to sift through? For sure.

But it’s also an incredible and exciting opportunity.

If you’re leaving hyper fundamentalism, you’re not trapped anymore. And if you live anywhere near a large town or city in America (especially the South or Midwest), chances are that you have dozens of options, with some caring, kind, and biblically-faithful churches among them.

Don’t let the opportunity go to waste—go be picky!

May God lead you into a congregation of likeminded believers who reflect His heart, follow His Word, and will build you up in your walk with Him.

07/03/2026

How could people who attend church three, four, sometimes seven times a week still struggle to comprehend the grace of the gospel?

If you’ve been attending a church that heavily errs on the side of performance-based acceptance, it may be because—whether or not you’ve been taught the gospel right on paper—the “gospel”you’ve seen lived out is distorted.

Can you relate to any of the following?

•••

• The gospel says God’s love is freely given, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

But you’ve experienced, “Run faster, jump higher—maybe we’ll love you if you do more.”

• The gospel says Christ desires to tenderly care for our brokenness, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

But you’ve experienced, “Hide your brokenness. Work harder!”

• The gospel says you are so valuable that the Creator of the universe chose to die for you, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

But you’ve experienced, “You’re only worth as much as you can do for us.”

• The gospel says God’s love sets us free from the torment of fear, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.” (1 John 4:18)

But you’ve experienced, “You’re walking on eggshells—one wrong step and you’ll be an outcast.”

• The gospel says God’s love is unconditional, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).”

But you’ve experienced, “We’ll only love you to the extent that’s convenient for us, if relationship with you would hurt our reputation, we’ll be gone.”

•••

If you’ve experienced a distortion of the gospel being lived out around you, we hope you won’t stay in that environment indefinitely. Many people have, and many people have burned out spiritually.

After living in a world of performance-based acceptance, nothing is as healing as God’s people showing Christ’s grace and love. One context to find those people and experience that healing is a healthy, local church—one that faithfully teaches and lives out the gospel.

If you’ve never found a healthy church but are ready to consider looking, you would be welcome in our community group starting Tuesday evening. While we can’t make the hard decisions for you, we would be honored to walk along side you through the process, as we discuss both the Scriptural and practical aspects of finding a healthy church. The cost has already been covered on your behalf, you only need to apply. More details in the comments.

“I’m not in a cult!” Maybe not. But are you in a church or group that behaves like a cult? If so, it could be just as de...
07/02/2026

“I’m not in a cult!” Maybe not. But are you in a church or group that behaves like a cult? If so, it could be just as detrimental to your faith if you choose to stay.

We hope the repost below will help you determine whether or not you are observing cultish traits.

For teaching on how Scripture defines a healthy church, and support finding one near you, a Zoom community group will be starting July 7th. The cost has already been covered for those who would benefit—you only need to apply before the group fills. Details in the comments.

I’ll never forget when a Holiness Pentecostal minister told me to get out of missions and stop sharing the gospel.He had...
07/01/2026

I’ll never forget when a Holiness Pentecostal minister told me to get out of missions and stop sharing the gospel.

He had just realized I no longer exclusively wore skirts and dresses, and one of his first concerns was making sure I didn’t continue serving in outreach and children’s ministry (even in nonHoliness churches).

He explained that I was no longer “set apart” wearing women’s pants and cosmetics. Supposedly, the world would look at the way I was dressed and laugh and say, “She doesn’t have anything we don’t have.”

I tried to interject that Christians are not set apart by clothing, but first and foremost by love. I believe John 13:35 was the first verse I quoted:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

The minister objected, “Sinners can love people!”

“But Christians love even their enemies, and that’s something that the world doesn’t do.” I replied.

To my surprise, the minister retorted that what I said wasn’t true. That unbelievers do love their enemies—there’s nothing special about that. He then returned to his speech about how clothing sets the saved apart from the lost.

It slowly dawned on me that this minister, one I once respected as a “man of God,” didn’t grasp a foundational concept of Christianity.

Later that day, one of his unsaved family members (who only knew he confronted me and not what was said) reached out to say to ignore his harsh words because that minister and his wife are “some of the most hateful people.” While I understand sharing biblical truth can be mislabeled as “hate,” I don’t believe that’s what was being referred to when it came to this particular couple’s reputation. In reflection of their skewed theology, they were known for their clothing, but not for their love.

•••

In the above conversation, I never had the chance to read the passage about love for enemies setting believers apart from the world. Allow me to share it here, it’s Matthew 5:43–48:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Love for our enemies doesn’t come naturally. That’s the whole point, it’s supernatural, a miracle God works in us as He transforms us into the image of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is far more difficult to replicate than long sleeves and a long jean skirt. But the more we display it, the more different we are.

God help us, as we disentangle from artificial separation from the world, to never neglect the genuine.

—Natalie

(If you’re disentangling from hyper fundamentalism and considering moving to a healthy church, a community group that may be helpful is starting in a few days! The cost is already covered; info in the comments.)

06/30/2026

If you’ve ever had to make the difficult decision to leave an unhealthy church or a hyper-fundamentalist church movement, how did you know it was time to leave?

What realization or incident pushed you to take the step to move on?

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