One of the main thoughts that bothered me was: "What judgements are going to befall me now that I'm not serving the Lord full-time?"

The main teaching in the F. is: "This is it. We are it. The one and only and best place to serve the Lord. So, if you're not with us, you're out of it".

How have others handled this? With me, personally, it was a very gradual process. It took months before I realized I wasn't going to be hit over the head by God's spiritual hammar.

As you said David, the answer for one, may not be the answer for another. Some, like me, are leaving peacefully. I had no big title, I wasn't "up there", so my exit wasn't a fall from some high position. I've noticed that this makes a difference in the adjustment and level of condemnation.

My "coming out" was softened by the fact that I still believed the Word. That the Lord's promises were unconditional. I'll start making a list of these as it's the Word that is the biggest motivator and remover of doubts in God's love.

It's that Family works trip of "accomplishing something for the Lord" that makes you feel you're failing. So, if others could share how they adjusted without feeling like "I'm a horrible backsliding Judas.", I think this would help a lot of people.