Tom Tilley grew up in a strict Pentecostal church. This is how he left the religious community that was his whole life

Tom Tilley as a boy, being baptised by his father in a corrugated-iron tank in Mudgee. (Supplied)

Growing up in the country, Tom Tilley spent his childhood running wild in the outdoors, attending camps with church friends every holiday, and enjoying the security of a close-knit congregation.

The only shadow during this sunny time was the pressure to speak in tongues — a sign of the Holy Spirit that was a prerequisite for baptism in his church and securing a spot in heaven.