Girlfriend is part of charismatic christianity, help me understand!!
Hello whomever reads this. My journey with christ started a few years ago. I am 31 and a late in life follower of christ. Years of combat and returning home to work in first responding gave me every reason to no believe but I simply felt lost and places my hand out for christ to pick me up. I am a slow reader and started with matthew, luke and john working my way through genesis then exodus and so on. I do know have the most intelligent interpretation of the bible but i do believe. I pray privately and I proudly share my faith.
4 months ago I started a relationship with a lovely christian girl who works emergency medicine in my community. We are going through our relationship slowly, the way christ intended. She had a mentor whom I have met. A very kind man however I get strange "leadership" and many young people are very close with him, including my girlfriend. I found nothing strange about this at first.
I have been to her church once, a very small gathering, with this man leading the worship. Then there was chanting, speaking in "tongues" and running around waving colorful flags. It all felt uncomfortable and not biblical to me. She then invited me to her "house church". I went. There were about 20 members there which was an abnormally high number and I suspect it was because they knew the "new boyfriend" whom they have been hearing about would be showing up. At first things were great, casual conversations and dinner. Then a short testimony from an member who claims to see and hear demons and spirits claim to use his powers for christ and ministry. I felt strange in his presence. It was something with his eyes. Then came the question by my girlfriends mentor asking about good and bad things for the week. One lady had some neck pain and a few members touch her and loudly and charismaticaly prayed for her. Then she was asked how she feels and stated that her neck feels much better....."PRAISE JESUS" then crawls over to a corner to receive and neck massage for about an hour.
Another member had a cold, ears were a little plugged so everyone touched him and prayed for his ears to be unplugged. After 2 attempts at prayer he felt no results. Then we sang, and waited for the Holy Spirit to enter the room. Then certain people were prayed over. There was lots of crying, wailing and shaking. Then the leader, my girlfriends mentor said they wanted to pray over me. I allowed it.
I became circled with the hands of 4 people placed on me. The prayers first felt sweet and real. Then become messages from the lord and images they saw in their heads. Then came the whispers of "tongues" in my ear which sounded demonic. I when from genuine emotion to feeling sick to my stomach. Afterwards they ask if i had any questions and i mentioned tongues. The excitement in the room to share "acts" with me as justification felt like a prepared response.
I left with a lot to think about and a lingering feeling of discomfort. I do believe in the bible speaking in tongues happened, i do believes miracles have been performed through the holy spirit. But i do not believe atleast 10 people in a living room were all speaking in tongues and capable of bringing healing in that moment. The colorful flags with pictures of lions, the tongues, the power to heal all felt "cultish". I still feel uncomfortable thinking about and slightly sick to my stomach.
I care deeply about this girl. She is not a deeply integrated in this group as the other but it seems more like a sense of community for her that a genuine belief.
I would love if someone can explain how and why i am feel this way. Am i justified to believe that this might be some mental health/cult of personality church i found myself in? How do i bring this up to the girl im with? Am i wrong to not want to raise my future kids in this environment? I just would appreciate someone with more theological expertise to help explain this all to me in laymans terms and how to approach my girlfriend with this in a healthy way. Her comment to me was as long as you belief in jesus christ and he died on the cross for our says it doesnt matter what i believe. But there was something very wrong with how i felt about this church group.
Thank you whoever reads this and thank you to whomever responds.
Bless you.
Posted Sep 13, 2026, 6:14 AM UTC