Don’t waste time transferring your membership.
A serial pastor asks a convicted child abuser, who is also a convicted perjurer in the matter of his child abuse, if he had permission to abuse the child. The perjurer says, “Yes, the parents and I agreed to a secret courtship.” The serial pastor nods his head: “That’s what I thought.”
Just go. Don’t look back. Knock the dust off your feet.
Maybe think of it like you were reeeeeeally confused and joined a Mormon church…well, actually, they’ve been trying to *look* evangelical for a while now so that’s not quite as odd as it would have been in the past. Anyway, you wouldn’t think you were stuck waiting for a membership transfer. I would hope. You shouldn’t. So go.
It doesn’t have to be to the church above. If I moved to the area I doubt it would be the first place I looked (though it looks a million times better than Dougtopia). You don’t need all the answers before you leave. There’s more than enough reason to go. You don’t need to keep seeing God and the kingdom distorted through the insanely warped lens of Doug and Dougamania. It’s better they through rocks as you leave than to stay and keep getting poisoned. Pity your own soul and fly into the arms of Christ and people who know Him and reflect His character. Even if you’d be shaking like a leaf at the sight of a church for fear of being burned again and need to take a breather. Still go. Maybe just meet with even one believer you can trust to listen and care if that’s available. Go. The journey of freedom is better than the familiar prison. Choose growing pains over those awful chains. Not trying to be cute. I care. I wasn’t joined with a cult long but long enough to learn a few things. Get out in the air. You don’t have to suffocate.
I understand your point that Real Life may not be the only option. But I absolutely would not recommend anyone leave Dougstown and go to a church in Jim Wilson’s sphere of influence to try to heal. That would include E Free, and any of the splinter churches started by the men who were at CEF in the 80s.
It’s sad to think that a person would as a practical matter have to ask the leadership of a potential new church “What do you think of Doug Wilson?” or any such thing. But that’s no reason to stay. That’s a reason to go.