Ep.66 BTS Ruben Nakano: I Dechurched After a Baptism Class

In this BTS episode, Ruben shares how signing up for a baptism class led him to an unexpected realization: he wasn’t actually a Christian.

Ruben grew up going to church in Brazil and knew all the right habits and language. But when church leaders asked him simple questions about Jesus and how his faith showed up in everyday life, he realized he had never truly surrendered control to Christ. Instead of pretending, he chose to step away from church altogether.

In this conversation, Ruben talks about dechurching during COVID, moving to Chicago for grad school at Northwestern, and how a random flyer and a welcoming community slowly drew him back. He reflects on the difference between inherited faith and personal faith, and what changed when following Jesus stopped being a habit and became a real commitment.