Does having a personal relationship with Jesus also mean you should have a private relationship with him? I don't think so.
Do you say, “I have a private relationship with Christ”, when asked about faith? Do you feel like you have been told what to think? This can happen inside the family, a circle of friends or more likely a Church that is not Christ focused, but Church focused. It is more important to learn how think, not what to think when it comes to our faith.
We are taught in the Bible to share our faith with others in order to bring others to Christ, and at the same time, we are also taught not to judge others.
And, we have a personal relationship with God. We have The Father(God), The Son(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit(Inside of us) that is working directly through us to do God's work. None of this is private, but everything is very personal for us.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 ESV
We are challenged by people who are Christians, who say they are Christians and Satan, who appears as a false God working in any channel he can find(including Christians). So how do you know what is from God, and what is from another source?
The real challenge is finding those that are going to help you understand how to think using God's word, rather than telling you what to think(man's word). If you are seeking answers, you are working through God's word.
Church influence on your personal relationship with Jesus
Does your Church challenge you to have a personal relationship with Jesus? To seek what he wants? Or are they telling you how to live, what to do, and when to do it?
Is your Church congregation made up of a group of broken people who are seeking God? Or are you made up of a congregation of people who are judging others?
We are all sinners, which is why God gave his only son for us. He knows it is impossible for man not to sin, so he gave his only son for our sins.
Know that those who recognize and know they are sinners are before those who believe that they are free from sin, for they are committing a far greater sin than you. Only Christ is without sin.