Christian Spies, Cry Nights, & Church Camp with Jey & Clint of @howgaythouart - Ep. 75
Aug 4, 2023
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Jey and Clint from How Gay Thou Art share hilarious stories about church camp, discussing cry nights, emotional manipulation, Michael W Smith, and Christian comedians. They also talk about their experiences with Christian education, summer camps like 'Christian Spy Camp,' and restrictions on music.
Church camp experiences often involve emotional manipulation and intense activities like cry nights.
There is pressure within evangelicalism to turn personal experiences, even traumatic ones, into positive narratives.
Youth pastors at church camp may incorporate elements of secular culture, blurring the lines between church and secular experiences.
Intense emotional experiences at church camp, like cry nights, can be overwhelming and confusing, leading to difficulties in understanding personal boundaries and triggers.
Deep dives
Church camp experiences and trauma discussed
In this podcast episode, the hosts dive deep into the topic of church camp, exploring the personal experiences and trauma that can emerge from this environment. The hosts share their own backgrounds, including attending Christian schools and their involvement in church communities. They talk about the intention behind starting their comedy podcast, How Gay Thou Art, which aims to discuss evangelicalism in a lighthearted and informative way. The conversation delves into topics such as testimonies, purity culture, and the pressure to turn personal stories into positive narratives. Overall, this episode provides insight into the complex dynamics and experiences surrounding church camps and the lasting impact they can have.
Church camp memories and influences
The hosts share their memories and influences from church camps. They discuss the connections between their church and school communities, the prevalence of testimonies, and the pressure to turn personal experiences into positive narratives. They touch on the surreal and intense nature of Christian media, including books, music, and TV shows that often emphasize a spy or adventure theme. The hosts reflect on the lasting impact of these experiences and how they illuminate the cultural and religious dynamics of the time.
The shift in church camp culture
The hosts discuss a shift they observed in church camp culture when a new pastor arrived, bringing a more energetic and trendy approach to the camp experience. They describe the introduction of guest pastors, elaborate worship setups, and emotionally intense activities like cry nights. The hosts highlight the emotional manipulation and overstimulation that often occurred during these events. They reflect on the contrasting atmospheres between the childhood-oriented activities and the more intense and emotionally charged elements of church camp.
The pressure to create positive narratives and testimonies
The hosts delve into the pressure they felt to create positive narratives and testimonies about their experiences, both at church camp and in their personal lives. They discuss the cultural expectations within evangelicalism that encourage turning hardships into inspirational stories. They reflect on the internal conflicts they experienced in trying to balance their own trauma with the desire to present a positive image. The hosts recognize how these expectations can prevent individuals from fully expressing their pain and healing authentically.
Youth pastor brings secular culture to church camp
The podcast episode discusses how a youth pastor at church camp introduced elements of secular culture to the camp experience. The pastor revamped the entire camp and incorporated elements such as house parties, black light parties, and intense emotional experiences during worship sessions. The camp became more like a college party and created a confusing environment for the young attendees, blurring the lines between church and secular culture.
Cry nights and sensory overstimulation at church camp
The podcast episode explores the intense emotional experiences at church camp, specifically the cry nights where campers would sob hysterically at the altar every night. The speaker, who had sensory issues, found these experiences overwhelming and only later in adulthood learned to recognize their triggers for overstimulation. They reflect on how these intense emotional experiences were attributed to the presence of the Holy Spirit, leading to confusion and difficulties in understanding their own boundaries and triggers.
Bizarre experiences and accidental nudity at church camp
The podcast episode shares amusing and strange experiences at church camp, including a counselor hunt activity where counselors hid in the woods and campers had to find them. Some counselors would playfully make it difficult by lying on the ground or climbing on the roof. However, one particularly memorable incident involved encountering two individuals engaging in sexual activity in canoes by the lake. The bewildered campers accidentally stumbled upon this unexpected nudity, leading to moments of shock and amusement.
Content Warning: brief mention of SA, religious trauma, purity culture, & a school shooting
This week we have the hilarious Jey (they/them) and Clint (he/him) of @howgaythouart to talk all things church camp. We cover everything from cry nights and emotional manipulation to Michael W Smith and Christian comedians.
If you want to support Jey & Clint, and check out what they’re doing over at How Gay Thou Art, you can follow them @howgaythouart. How Gay Thou Art is a comedy podcast about growing up queer, Christian, and hella confused! The podcast is available on all streaming platforms and you can find more info at howgaythouart.com .
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