WLS responses from church

Hello everyone, I was wondering what the response has been from your church family concerning your WLS. I haven't had my surgery yet and haven't told anyone at church about it. My husband is a minister and we have sought God's guidance on this issue and we are confortable with our decision. We will certainly tell everyone when I have a date set and see what happens. Take care and God bless!...>Sheila

Dear Sheila, The care and response from my church were wonderful. As an Orthodox Christian, I was concerned that I was doing something that may be considered vain or cosmetic. I take my spiritual life very seriously and wanted my priest's blessing before I underwent this surgery. Father was so kind and loving. He told me that this wasn't cosmetic in any sense of the word. This was to save my life and he was proud that I was proceeding. This made it so much easier to do. There was only one person in my church that was against it (she knew of someone who had the surgery 20 years ago and had serious complications. I told her that great strides had taken place since then.) Everyone else prayed for me, supported me and loved me. My church family is the best. I will pray for you and ask God's blessings and guidance for you as this is a life-changing surgery. His unworthy servant Linda Elizabeth

My husband is a minister and we have only been at our church for one year. I chose to not tell anyone at church the nature of my surgery, and he only announced I was having surgery until the day before. But we did let them know that it was elective and that it was 'ok' - we didn't want people to think I was sick. Everyone was supportive and prayerful. When I came back to church after a month, I was down almost 30 lbs. and everyone was so surprised at how good I looked (I guess they all expected me to look like I had been sick, even though we told them I wasn't!) I was prayerful about how to deal with questions if they came up, but 2 months later, no one at church has asked me anything about the weightloss. I decided that if the question arose, I would probably go ahead and say that I had gastric bypass surgery. Once one person knows, the whole church will know!! And I'm ok with that. But everyone has to make a prayerful and comfortable choice with telling others about their surgery. By the way, Thank God for this new message board!

Sheila, I am the Pastor and I haven't decided for sure what I'm going to tell them. I've told my secretary *****cently lost 8 pounds on Weigh****chers and wanted to know if I've ever tried WW. Only about 13 times! I have very mixed feelings because I am just not very good at not telling the truth! I am meeting with my Bishop in a couple of weeks to tell him about it and will ask his advice. I think that since I am the Pastor, I have more of an obligation to be honest with them than if I were the Pastor's spouse. I'm sure that I will tell the Church Council. Also, I do want them to pray for me. I, too have prayed about this and am very peaceful about doing it. I th in kit is a gift from God. Ruth

I am a Pastor's wife and it never crossed my mind to not say anything about having WLS Surgery. We are a close knit church membership and everyone has been totally supportive and it's really nice when everyone tells you how good you're looking. I had surgery on a Tuesday went home on Thursday and was in church Sunday. I don't really understand the purpose of being so secretive. My church family is just that my family and I support them when they're sick and in the hospital and I would hope they do the same for me which so far over the years they have been wonderful in that aspect. As far as those who are not supportive just be polite and tell them you are having the surgery and hope they will support you in prayer even if they don't support you in having this surgery. And by all mean take what negative things people say with a grain of salt, most know nothing about WLS and are speaking from what they have heard from some 4th cousin once removed LOL! I even had someone tell me a nurse told them no one should have this surgery?? Well for one thing what type of nurse was she, was she a pediatric nurse etc. even people in the medical profession is just as unaware of this surgery as your average individual. Take your advice from someone who has been there and done that!! is the strongest advice I could give and to research the surgery and your doctor yourself. Take care and God Bless.

Dear Sheila, I also have not had my surgery yet. My church family is very loving and supportive. I have been in a prayer group for 3 years now and we have joined in prayer for freedom from overeating etc. In those 3 years, my weight has been down a little and up again. When I first started researching WLS, I too didn't want to tell anyone. I felt that there would be a lot of critisism or judgement. After all, am I saying that God can't help me lose this weight? But when I finally felt sure this is what I wanted to do, I told my closest friends. They were sooooo supportive! They have seen how I have suffered with this problem, how I have tried every weight-loss diet and suggestion offered and how I have sincerely sought God on this matter. I am a secretary at our church, so everyone knows me, and I have to say, now that almost everyone knows I will be having WLS in August, I have had nothing but loving support. If there are those who don't agree with what I'm doing, they haven't said anything to me. My group and I pray weekly for my outcome. It's so great to have the prayer support and I feel very confident that our Lord will be with me and that everything will be great! Hope this helps you. May God bless you as He has me.

Sheila- I understand your comcern. I personally chose to tell a few dear and close friends in the church that surround me with prayer and support. I asked them not to tell others, because I felt it was up to me to chose who I wanted to know. I wanted to do it that way, so I could be sure no one was getting misinformation and would get the correct info about the surgery. When I did experience someone being hestiate about it or a comment about God not wanting me to change my body I handled it like this. "If I had cancer in my breast would God be okay with me removing that body part?" Of course the response was yes. Then I explain how much obesity was a disease for me (I had sleep apena). Although, it is an elective surgery I felt it would save my life, just has much as having a breast remove for cancer would. They understood that and became prayer supports and have been excited to see the weight loss. From Ashes to Beauty - Cheryl

Sheila, I had told some of my close friends and wasn't too worried about whether it would "get out" or not and was fine with that. Well... last Sunday night my Southern Baptist pastor preached on healing out of James and at the end of the service asked if anyone would like to come forward and have the elders anoint with oil and pray for healing. I felt the Lord leading me to go forward for healing of my diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea thru this surgery (date July 15th). I thought the pastor would just have a personal time of prayer with each person. After each person explained to the pastor why we were there he had us sit down on a front pew. Once everyone had spoken with him he announced to the church that each person would come up and briefly tell why they were there and then the elders would pray and anoint with oil. As soon as he said that I was in a panic. I had not planned on telling the whole big church about my surgery so I started praying...hard. I told God he was going to have to give me the words because I had no idea what to do. When it was my turn I told the church that I had diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea all related to my weight and that I was having WLS surgery July 15th and was very humbled at that moment, but when my pastor prayed over me I felt such peace and joy and comfort and was so glad I did it. Since then I've had several people come and tell me how excited they are for me and about the people they knew who had it and how successful they were. It was a tough thing to do but I know I was walking in obedience and was blessed because of it. Think of all the prayer warriors I now have.

Hello Sheila, Like you at first when all this began my first thought was ,"Oh great, how can this be we are recovery and inner healing ministers." I at that point began to pray and seek the Lord about the process and the medical aspect. It was confuseing for me at first to think that we share principles and wisdom with our folks on healing, deliverance and how to be set free but yet....what about this. God began to show me things in the word about healing over again. One day I felt like He said if you believe that mud and spit can heal then why don't you have faith for this. Then he brought to mind that Luke being a doctor and being chosen was His was of saying once again....I use the Doctors. I recieved many confirmations after that and still do till this day. He is faithful and He is true. I am one to never worry about what people think of my personal things like this but this time I see this as a window for others that suffer physically like me that have already tried everything else to recieve the healing of the Lord. Let us not forget He is here for us to help us with our struggles and eating issues(which have already been nailed to the cross). We did not develope these issues, pain and physical ailments overnight. We are on a journey with our Lord and this is a personal decision as is your salvation and relationship with the Lord. Telling people, rather you share it or not, is a personal decision. I have spent the last 7 years in a ministry sharing my past and I know how it has changed peoples lives. I know God will use this too. Even though I feel this way, I also would recommend several trustworthy and sincere intercessors for you and your family during the surgery. It never hurts to have the brothers and sister in the Lord lifting you up. ~God Bless

Hello again everyone! What a variety of responses this question raised. Thank you all for responding. I am now almost 3 months post-op. I've lost about 50lbs so far. Anyway, as soon as I got a date we decided to start telling people about the surgery. I told my church family about it about a week before the surgery. I don't believe it is something to be ashamed of by being secretive or deceptive. I believe God has enabled the doctors to do this surgery as a tool for us to be healthier. I am so glad that I was open to my church family. Yes, there have been some sideways looks here and there but for the most part they have all been supportive and very encouraging. A few other people in the church are considering it as well. If some of the people in the church think ill of me for having it and are harboring bad thoughts then that is between them and the Lord. All I can do is give God the glory for giving me the chance at being healthy again. It is because of His mercy and grace that I am on my way to being am much healthier person. I pray that God blesses each and every one on this board with health and close personal relationship with Him. Thank you so much for your encouraging words and sharing your stories.