My Testimony — From Religion to Relationship

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, and from a young age, I was taught that it was the only true religion — that everyone else was deceived. My entire life revolved around it. We went to the Kingdom Hall every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and on weekends, we spent hours going door to door in the ministry to meet a certain number of service hours each month.

I wasn't allowed to celebrate birthdays, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I couldn't salute the flag, play sports, go to dances or prom, or participate in any school events. I could only wear skirts or dresses. My life was governed by strict rules and expectations — and with such a rigid schedule, plus schoolwork and studying whatever publication was being taught at the Kingdom Hall, there was little room for anything else.

At a very young age, I was taught how to defend my religion. Certain scriptures in the Bible were seen as "danger zones" — ones we had to be ready to explain away. We would rehearse what to say if someone challenged our beliefs during door-to-door ministry. I even remember people answering their doors and saying, "I'm a born-again Christian." I didn't understand what that meant, but I knew it was something we didn't believe in. Those homes would be marked and avoided for a while.

Now, after studying the Bible for myself, I can see clearly that those are the very scriptures Jehovah's Witnesses spend so much time rehearsing to refute — because they reveal the truth about who Jesus Christ truly is. And I've learned that being a born-again Christian isn't something to avoid — it's the greatest honor and the only way to eternal life.

"Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.'" – John 3:3

Jehovah's Witnesses focus heavily on the religion aspect — following rules, attending meetings, and performing good works — but not on a personal relationship with Jesus. They deny the deity of Christ, teaching that He is not God but the Archangel Michael, and that the Holy Spirit isn't a person, but merely a force. Almost every scripture that points to the divinity of Christ has been changed in their translation of the Bible.

Because of that, I grew up knowing about God, but not truly knowing Him.

When I moved out on my own, I stopped going to the Kingdom Hall and, for the first time, I felt a taste of freedom. But I mistook rebellion for freedom. I swung to the opposite extreme — partying, drinking, and living for the world. My then-husband became a DJ, and we thought we were living the dream, making money off the nightlife we loved. But after nearly two years of clubbing five or six nights a week, the emptiness crept in.

When I got pregnant, I stayed home while he continued to go out. Eventually, I learned he had been unfaithful with multiple women. That heartbreak ended in divorce, and I began raising my daughter as a single mom.

Years later, I met my best friend — the man who is now my husband. We had a daughter together and wanted a spiritual foundation for our family. My husband had grown up in church and was saved as a teenager, but had strayed away from the Lord for years. Slowly, I began to see a change in him — he started praying more, reading his Bible every day (even if it was just for 10–15 minutes), and watching The Chosen. There was a peace about him that I couldn't explain.

Then one day, he said something that stopped me in my tracks: "I want to go to church."

To someone raised as a Jehovah's Witness, that was terrifying. I had been taught that churches were false, that stepping inside one meant betraying God. A part of me was still afraid I was going against the "true religion." But I agreed to go — just once. We told each other that if we didn't like it, we wouldn't go back.

We walked into River of Life Church in April 2023, and we haven't stopped going since.

That's where my eyes were opened. I joined Freedom, and for the first time in my life, I learned that Christianity isn't about religion — it's about relationship. I discovered that Jesus Christ is God, not a created being.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." – John 1:1

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." – John 1:14

I realized that the Holy Spirit isn't a force, but a person — my Comforter, my Counselor, my guide into all truth.

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth." – John 16:13

And I finally understood grace — that salvation isn't earned through service hours, perfect conduct, or meeting attendance, but through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." – Ephesians 2:8

In November 2024, I surrendered my life to Jesus. I let go of fear, deception, and control — and embraced freedom, truth, and love. On April 20, 2025, I was baptized, publicly declaring that my old life was gone and that I belong to Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Today, I walk in freedom — not because I follow a religion, but because I follow a Savior. The One who rescued me from deception, healed my heart, and gave me new life.

For so long, I lived by rules.

Now, I live by relationship.

For so long, I tried to earn God's approval.

Now, I rest in His unconditional love.

And I will never again avoid the title "born again" — because now, I understand that it's not something to be feared… it's the very heart of the Gospel.

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." – John 8:36