After I finished college I moved to KC to join staff at ihop-kc. I served as a sound tech and worked with a lot of the worship teams. My skills were in demand as I was pretty good but we ran the sound levels so loud (80 db min) that my hearing is now damaged after mixing live sound for 40 hrs a week. I saw a lot of odd things but in my naivety I didn’t realize they were odd. But I was also overlooked for “promotion” despite my service. I wasn’t good looking enough, extroverted enough… really I have no idea why. I just didn’t “fit the mold”. I internalized a lot of this rejection. After a few years I started teaching at the high school affiliated with IHOP, while also remaining on staff. Mid year one year I was asked to resign or repent from the school because they determined I was “offended with God” because I hadn’t raised my hands in worship. I refused to agree with their determination about my spiritual state and left the job and later moved to another state. I left feeling confused, heart broken, and ashamed that something was somehow wrong with me. I have since moved on and not looked back.
- Staff2005-2011