How I Was Rescued from the Watchtower

Cyndy Fitzgerald

I grew up in a mainstream Protestant church. Up until I was married, I attended worship services, Sunday School, and our youth group regularly. I was even in the choir. My sister and I received a good Christian education during our early years.

But after marriage, I no longer attended church regularly. With the birth of our first child, my spiritual needs began to grow so I was determined to become more involved in church. The next few years I taught children's Sunday School, and also preschool for the early education program. I also joined a women's Sunday School class. You would think my spiritual needs were being filled, but they were not.

I began looking for a new church one that offered more in education. I wanted a church that offered great children's programs and a strong, scripturally faithful, adult program. After trying several churches and denominations, I began to become frustrated in my search. Eventually I lost enthusiasm and stopped going to church regularly.

A few years later I was facing serious personal and medical problems. I was really needing God at this point in my life. At that vulnerable point in my life, two Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at my door.

Those well-intended women I invited into my home seemed to have all of the answers to my questions. I was so impressed by their "knowledge." Because I did not have a solid foundation of Bible knowledge, I was a prime target for the Watchtower's approach. If I had only remained faithful to my Christian education and Bible study, I would have known that the Scriptures warn of this very danger: "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:6-7).

The more I studied with those people, the easier it became to convince me of the Watchtower lies Satan's lies! However, throughout all the Watchtower studies, I still had my doubts. Thank the Lord! The Holy Spirit was still reaching out to me.

One day, my husband said he was going to a business appointment. While he was gone, I started doing laundry and found the address for Watchman Fellowship in his pocket. I proceeded to get a Jehovah's Witness friend to take me to Watchman Fellowship. On the way there, I told her that all I wanted was to know the truth. She prepared me to stand up to Watchman Fellowship's "lies" and I went in there alone to tell them "the truth."

Wow! Was I ever surprised. After what seemed like 30 minutes (James Walker assures me it was much longer), I had a whole different view of God. Through about three weeks of study and prayer, I began to be healed of the spiritual abuse I suffered from the Watchtower.

Five months from that first meeting at Watchman Fellowship, I was like a new person. It is truly a miracle how fast the Lord was able to bring healing and bring me into a close loving relationship with Him. Thanks to the Lord!

I believe this whole nightmare could have been avoided if I had remained strong in the Word and stayed consistently involved in a solid adult Bible study. I know now the importance of adult Christian education. Many Christians make the same mistake as I did, not continuing consistently in Bible study, Sunday School and Christian education after college. The "real world" begins after college, and that is when we need the Lord's direction most. We must take up the shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. That is the only way we can arm ourselves against the cults and all the other tools of Satan in this world.

With the Lord's help, I have made great strides in learning. I am now the Director of Childrens Ministry at Grace Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), in Arlington, Texas. I have been blessed with the opportunity to help others know the importance of a healthy Christian education at all stages of life. I pray that all who read this will know and thank the Lord for all He has done for me. I thank the Lord for Watchman Fellowship, and pray for God's help in their ministry. It is an invaluable effort toward His Will. I also thank the Lord for all my husband's efforts in bringing me out of that cult, and for our friend who cared enough to give him the information about Watchman.