The Point: Spring 2018

you have to fit into the idea that you
have to be perfect and beat yourself up
a lot. It had me asking who I was.”
Myers especially felt this pressure through
the seemingly innocent comments of
congregational members, such as “I
hope my kids turn out like you.”
Regardless, her parents continually
communicated to her that she did not
need to fit any mold of perfection.
While Myers struggled with the
preconceived notions of the congregation,
her parents were an example of living like
Christ, revealing the importance of not
judging others like she had been judged.
“I saw my parents. [They] were saying
how to be Christian, but actually acting
it out,” Myers said. “We are all made in
the image of God. I’m beautiful for what’s
inside … I’m focusing on my inward self,
so I can be more helpful on the outside.”
While Myers focuses on her parents’
example, another P.K. shares her experience
with her church. Assistant Professor
of Public Relations, Dr. Carolyn Kim,
grew up as a pastor’s kid in a border
town between Arizona and Mexico.
She appreciates the community that
surrounded her and the love it cultivated.
“Honestly, I feel I was so lucky in
many regards. Being a P.K. gave me the
opportunity to have a lot of deep and
rich relationships with people of multiple
generations throughout the church,”
Kim said. “I was able to see firsthand
what kind of service is needed to really
keep a church going. I also felt like so
many people supported and loved our
family. I think this is a really healthy
thing for kids to see in church life.”
While seeing the loving support
of the congregation, Kim also
experienced the issue of unrealistic
expectations and stereotyping.
“There is a lot of pressure to be perfect and
to be able to always have the right answer,
do the right thing and definitely never
struggle, at least not publicly,” Kim said.
Similarly, junior biological sciences major
Hazel Cea’s father was a youth pastor
before becoming a full-time minister
after she became an adult. The pressures
of perfection caused her to struggle with
self-esteem and her personal faith.
“I learned to overcriticize myself. With a
lot of the personal conflicts that happened
during my time in church with my parents,
I do have a lot [of ] self-esteem issues
and anxiety when it comes to meeting
new people,” Cea said. “Along with that,
I think that my personal relationship
with God struggled because I felt the
burnout my parents went through
before I could experience my own. After
watching my parents struggle with their
ministry, I think, for a long time, I felt like
ministry would always be a struggle.”
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