Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code SHELISE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/shelise Fresh off the heels of “Shiny Happy People: Teenage Holy War” we sit with April Ajoy. She wouldn’t have called herself a Christian Nation*list when she performed her original song “America Say Jesus” on the Jim Bakker show, or when she participated in Jesus Marches across America. April just considered herself a good Christian: faithful, and determined to make America a Christian nation once again. But as her view of the world widened, and she was faced with loss, grief and confronting beliefs, she began to take a closer look at the ideology she fiercely defended and preached herself. A successful content creator and podcast host, April shares stories from her past and how she flipped a 180 in her thinking and way of life. Find April: Book: Star-Spangled Jesus https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546006680 IG: https://www.instagram.com/aprilajoy/ Podcast: The Tim and April Show https://www.instagram.com/timandaprilshow/ We want to meet you in real life! Come adventure with us on our 2nd C2C VACATION! Click here to go to the official booking page: https://trovatrip.com/trip/north-america/mexico/mexico-with-shelise-sola-oct-2025 Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! https://www.youtube.com/@CultstoConsciousnessClips Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! https://cults-to-consciousness-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness https://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann https://www.instagram.com/sheliseann/ Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.rosales_ TikTok @cults.to.consciousness https://www.tiktok.com/@cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon https://twitter.com/cultstocon Chapter Marks 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:21 April's experience being involved with a documentary and as an author 00:06:44 Growing up in the Pentecostal ministry 00:14:51 The effects of her dad's ministry on her chiIdhood 00:20:07 CW: SA, The effects of purity culture and repercussions of SA 00:27:27 More about the h*rmful effects of purity culture & how April threw herself back into it 00:32:57 April shares her stance on the bible and its teachings 00:36:26 How her father's death caused April to start questioning her beliefs 00:40:24 The Pentecostal’s stance on mental health 00:45:18 April's experiences as a teen & wanting to be persecuted 00:55:59 April's brother comes out to her 01:00:40 Queer affirming teachings in the bible 01:07:31 How April's brother led her to deconstruct 01:11:27 April and her partner's coming to terms with gender dysphoria 01:16:47 April and her partner navigating gender roles in their marriage 01:22:48 April's book & final thoughts 01:26:43 Linda, listen **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**