[Loncey Elie]

Ever since I was born, I have followed my parent’s religion with the Body of Christ Christian denomination. This religion has been tough for me to accept now that I am twenty years old. This is due to the fact that within the Body of Christ religion church, the rules are very strict in regard to how to conduct myself. The dress code is very different for men and women where men are mandated to wear pants and shorts, whereas women have to wear dresses and skirts. This distinction has to occur because my religion believes in following the Old Testament. However, I have recently been attending a liberal Christian denomination church called the Church of Salem. I have been transformed in many ways by attending this church because the worship, communion, and message of each service day transform me in many ways. I began to see Christianity as a relationship with God instead of a religion that has provided me with love, peace, joy, and grace to be able to confidently say that I am a Christian. The biggest challenge that it has done with my preconceived notion was learning how to be open-minded. This new type of mentality I have gained has allowed me to be able to listen to others and be understanding of people whether or not they agree with my beliefs.