Thank you, for the confirming thoughts and memories.

If you heard from God on your own and checked it out, you were told you were wrong and in sin. I remember seeing one person in the “hall” to ask Jane about someone who left. Because Jane said from the pulpit if you want to know about anyone, you come and ask me. So, this person asked Jane about this particular person. She berated this poor person in the hall, “Why do you want to know?” “You don’t need to know.” It went on for quite awhile. The poor person was quite shaken by it all.

It was always a race to get to Jane. If someone got to her first, it seemed she believed their story. If you tried to explain your side, you were severely rebuffed. The big thing was to find little faults in people and go to Jane about it and expose their sin. So, it was all a control game from the top down to the bottom. Several children of main ministers knew how to play that one on their teachers and anyone else around them. They would get by with everything, that another child who be severely punished for doing. It was amazing to see how much everyone in the church would underhandedly get to Jane with stories to keep certain people in trouble. There were lies all the time. I left after seeing how the ministers lived one way and then preached another way. If you dared to live like them, you really got in trouble. But, that is another day.

As stated, these are recollections from my memory and may not be totally perfect. But, the tone and atmosphere can be easily remembered.