A former Jehovah’s Witness has opened up about how she had to start her life again after falling in love with someone outside her community. Madison Wilford was born into the religious community but decided to leave it all behind when she turned 18. The now 22-year-old from Broughton, Wales, had developed feelings for Josh, 21, who she met while working at TK Maxx.
After a year of secretly dating, her family found text messages between the pair on her phone. Madison was soon exiled from the community. “I wasn’t allowed to be with anyone from outside of the religion,” Madison said. “If I wanted to be with Josh, I had to walk away from everything.
“I had to leave my home and start life again, and that’s what I chose to do. No one has spoken to me since. It was very hard at first. After growing up in the community, I didn’t know anything about the world or how to make friends or even speak to people normally outside of it.”
After their relationship was out in the open, Madison moved in with Josh’s grandparents until the pair were able to save enough money to rent a place of their own. Madison said: “Mine and Josh’s relationship was hard for his family at first because they’d heard a lot of bad things about Jehovah’s Witnesses but eventually his nan, grandad and mum welcomed me in.”
Sharing her experience of being a Jehovah’s Witness, Madison says being a part of the community took a toll on her mental health. She spent 50 hours per month knocking on doors and handing out leaflets, and says that people would use a hose pipe to chase her away. According to Religion Media Centre, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that we are living in the last days before Armageddon.
They and are known for their door-to-door evangelising and their refusal of blood transfusions. Madison said: “It was instilled in us that Armageddon would come. From an early age, I felt like I had to be perfect and that was really hard. Because I grew up in the religion, this belief felt normal but now I’m away, I realise that it’s not.
“I went preaching at least twice a week. As soon as I could walk and speak, I had to be the one to knock on the door and leave leaflets. It was very scary, especially as nine times out of 10 people would obviously not like you knocking. We had lots of crazy experiences like people trying to squirt us with a hosepipe to get us off their driveway.
“I hated doing it as I was always very shy and speaking to random strangers about something you know they won’t be interested in is daunting.
Everything changed when Madison met Josh. The pair hit it off straight away and started sneaking off on dates during their one-hour lunch break. Madison said: “I wasn’t supposed to have a job but I managed to convince my parents so I could make some money. We could only spend time together on our lunch breaks but Josh was really understanding. He considered joining the community for me but I couldn’t let him lose his family.
“I knew he was a good person and he was worth leaving everything behind. I also couldn’t cope in the religion anymore. It was so strict. I tried to tell my family that I was the same person but I had to leave because of love. They said it was my decision but I would be cut off from their world.
“We were close, so I still have hope that they’ll speak to me again some day but I don’t think it will happen.” Madison and Josh eventually moved from North Wales to Chester together, where they rent a house and both work at Waitrose. She is also having therapy to help her deal with her past.
Despite losing her family and community, Madison now feels “free”. She added: “I know that I made the right decision. “Everything is going really well between us. The religion can be dangerous and I’m having therapy to help me deal with what I’ve been through.
“Thankfully, I’m getting a lot better at making friends and learning a lot about the world outside of the community. I feel free now.”