Hundreds of Protestant Pastors converting the Catholic Church

[chestertonrules]

Read some of their stories here:

Catholic Conversion Stories | The Coming Home Network


Though it’s not widely known, Protestant clergy and laity from across the denominational spectrum are coming home to the Catholic Church. The journey home, though overflowing with endless joys and blessings, can also be traumatic. It often results in the loss of friends

and family, as well as the loss of career and financial support. It usually requires a rethinking of one’s doctrinal and moral convictions, as well as one’s vocation as a child of God.
Nevertheless, clergy and laity by the hundreds are entering the Catholic Church with great joy. They come with great enthusiasm and commitment to follow Jesus Christ wherever He leads, even if this means coming out of their previously comfortable and familiar spiritual surroundings into the Catholic Church. Many of them come with great gifts for ministry, including years of training and experience, along with information and ideas for authentic Church renewal.
Sometimes the most difficult part of the journey occurs after they have come home. They may feel unwelcome in their local parish and disoriented by the hierarchical structure of the diocese. They may find themselves overwhelmed by the great diversity of religious groups and spiritualities. They may become particularly disconcerted when they discover the large number of Catholics who seem to know little about their faith.
Even as they find their way through all of these challenges into authentic Catholic life and worship, they may still yearn for some of what they have left behind. Having resigned from their pastoral ministries, clergy converts especially struggle now with how to continue using their gifts for ministry while also supporting their families.

 

[crossnote]

No wonder ...just part of the great apostasy. As they re-sacrifice Christ on Rome's altar I hope they remember the thousands of martyrs Rome is responsible for...their blood be on them.

 

[Ritter]

Evangelicalism left a vacuum. The wonderful thing about the Catholic Church is this: it seeks to make disciples in a way. Their intellectual and cultural contributions to society are every bit as important as the Protestant contributions, but they have kept these alive. Do these ultimately save? No. But people hunger for them. They hunger to have their minds renewed as well as their emotions engaged.

Modern evangelicals seem to hunger for an experience. They are naive enough to believe that concerts and hell houses are adequate means of conveying the gospel in all its glory. Gone are the days of Cambridge and Geneva.

The travesty of the modern day Church is that sincere believers struggle to find a real church. A real community of believers that seeks to edify, educate, and evangelize. We are a people without roots.

I understand the temptation of dashing to Catholicism. I almost did. The apostasy and sins of omission within your mainline Protestant and Evangelical churches are overwhelming. Moving to the Catholic church though is not a move Home. It is a move in the direction of theological confusion and possible heresy depending what branch of the RC you join.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

 

[crossnote]

Rome is full of intermediators and for the one who has fully despaired of faith in Christ alone She offers Herself as the ultimate or final mediator.

 

[chestertonrules]

Evangelicalism left a vacuum. The wonderful thing about the Catholic Church is this: it seeks to make disciples in a way. Their intellectual and cultural contributions to society are every bit as important as the Protestant contributions, but they have kept these alive. Do these ultimately save? No. But people hunger for them. They hunger to have their minds renewed as well as their emotions engaged.

Modern evangelicals seem to hunger for an experience. They are naive enough to believe that concerts and hell houses are adequate means of conveying the gospel in all its glory. Gone are the days of Cambridge and Geneva.

The travesty of the modern day Church is that sincere believers struggle to find a real church. A real community of believers that seeks to edify, educate, and evangelize. We are a people without roots.

I understand the temptation of dashing to Catholicism. I almost did. The apostasy and sins of omission within your mainline Protestant and Evangelical churches are overwhelming. Moving to the Catholic church though is not a move Home. It is a move in the direction of theological confusion and possible heresy depending what branch of the RC you join.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I have to disagree with your point, however, with regard to theological clarity. I find that Christianity only truly made sense after I joined the Catholic Church and continued studying Christian history.

 

[chestertonrules]

Rome is full of intermediators and for the one who has fully despaired of faith in Christ alone She offers Herself as the ultimate or final mediator.

Do you believe that Christ started a Church?

Do you believe Jesus when he said that when we listen to those he sent we are listening to him, and when we reject those he sent we are rejecting him?

 

[chestertonrules]

No wonder ...just part of the great apostasy. As they re-sacrifice Christ on Rome's altar I hope they remember the thousands of martyrs Rome is responsible for...their blood be on them.

Christ is not re-sacrificed. His once and for all sacrifice is ever present, and in mass it is re-presented.

 

[Ritter]

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I have to disagree with your point, however, with regard to theological clarity. I find that Christianity only truly made sense after I joined the Catholic Church and continued studying Christian history.

I figured that would be our point of contention. I look forward to discussing these issues with you further. Chesterton happens to be the man who made me consider a switch to Catholicism. He and a very dear friend who is now looking to join an order of monks.

 

[chestertonrules]

I figured that would be our point of contention. I look forward to discussing these issues with you further. Chesterton happens to be the man who made me consider a switch to Catholicism. He and a very dear friend who is now looking to join an order of monks.

Chesterton has impacted many lives. I love reading him.

I love to debate and I enjoy challenging and intelligent opinions.

I have the feeling that is what you will be providing!

 

[crossnote]

Do you believe that Christ started a Church?

Do you believe Jesus when he said that when we listen to those he sent we are listening to him, and when we reject those he sent we are rejecting him?

Depends on what you consider by 'church'. Some see it existing in the OT long before Rome.
Yes, I believe he sent the Apostles (sent ones) and I do listen to them in Scripture.

 

[crossnote]

Christ is not re-sacrificed. His once and for all sacrifice is ever present, and in mass it is re-presented.

What do you mean by 're-presented and why is a priest needed to re-present? Usually the function of the priest was for sacrifice.

. According to the New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, vol 2, question 357, "The mass is the sacrifice of the new law in which Christ, through the Ministry of the priest, offers himself to God in an unbloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine. The mass is the sacrifice of Christ offered in a sacramental manner...the reality is the same but the appearances differ." Question 358 asks "What is a sacrifice?" The answer given is "A sacrifice is the offering of a victim by a priest to God alone, and the destruction of it in some way to knowledge that he is the creator of all things." From the Baltimore catechism we can conclude that the mass is the offering of Christ, by a priest.

Taken from The Mass and the sacrifice of Christ | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

 

[crossnote]

Oh yes, when I was in the Confessional Lutheran movement many pastors then were being drawn to Eastern Orthodoxy...again on the basis of a high Sacramental/High and Ancient Church draw.
I just can't see yielding Scripture as the source and authority for the Church.

 

[chestertonrules]

Depends on what you consider by 'church'. Some see it existing in the OT long before Rome.
Yes, I believe he sent the Apostles (sent ones) and I do listen to them in Scripture.

Much of what Jesus and the apostles said is not in scripture. I think it is important to read the writings of those who learned the gospel from the apostles to clarify scripture and to fill in any gaps.

Does that make sense?

 

[chestertonrules]

What do you mean by 're-presented and why is a priest needed to re-present? Usually the function of the priest was for sacrifice.

. According to the New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, vol 2, question 357, "The mass is the sacrifice of the new law in which Christ, through the Ministry of the priest, offers himself to God in an unbloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine. The mass is the sacrifice of Christ offered in a sacramental manner...the reality is the same but the appearances differ." Question 358 asks "What is a sacrifice?" The answer given is "A sacrifice is the offering of a victim by a priest to God alone, and the destruction of it in some way to knowledge that he is the creator of all things." From the Baltimore catechism we can conclude that the mass is the offering of Christ, by a priest.

Taken from The Mass and the sacrifice of Christ | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

The mass is a sacrifice, but Christ is not resacrificed.

FYI:

V. THE SACRAMENTAL SACRIFICE THANKSGIVING, MEMORIAL, PRESENCE
1356 If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of his Passion: "Do this in remembrance of me."[SUP]183[/SUP]
1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present.
1358 We must therefore consider the Eucharist as:
- thanksgiving and praise to the Father;
- the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;
- the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit.


1330 The memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection.
The Holy Sacrifice, because it makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior and includes the Church's offering. The terms holy sacrifice of the Mass, "sacrifice of praise," spiritual sacrifice, pure and holy sacrifice are also used,[SUP]150[/SUP] since it completes and surpasses all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.

 

[jimmydiggs]

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I have to disagree with your point, however, with regard to theological clarity. I find that Christianity only truly made sense after I joined the Catholic Church and continued studying Christian history.

It's easier to see under water when you wear goggles than with just your eyes. That does not exclude the fact that the light has been distorted twice to produce the image.

 

[chestertonrules]

It's easier to see under water when you wear goggles than with just your eyes. That does not exclude the fact that the light has been distorted twice to produce the image.

Anything relevant you would like to contribute?

 

[jimmydiggs]

Anything relevant you would like to contribute?

Figures of speech, sometimes difficult to understand I suppose.

 

[SonInMe]

If true, this migration to the RCC, to me, could suggest a turning from the less conservative to the more conservative.

Though I understand many american catholics are liberal, the RCC tends not to be. Its a traditional church that conducts repetitive ceremonies.

In these times of Liberals Gone Wild, someone finding comfort in the tradition of the RCC I think is understandable....

though the doctrine is very poor.

 

[chestertonrules]

If true, this migration to the RCC, to me, could suggest a turning from the less conservative to the more conservative.

Though I understand many american catholics are liberal, the RCC tends not to be. Its a traditional church that conducts repetitive ceremonies.

In these times of Liberals Gone Wild, someone finding comfort in the tradition of the RCC I think is understandable....

though the doctrine is very poor.

Your post contains some truth. Many Christians are disappointed or even shocked by the liberal positions taken by many of the mainstream protestant denominations with regard to abortion, divorce, homosexual activity, etc.

You seem unfamiliar with Catholic doctrine, however.

Most of the protestant pastors who are converting are converting because they recognize the truth of the Catholic Church.

 

[chestertonrules]

Figures of speech, sometimes difficult to understand I suppose.

Maybe you could explain your point for those of us who aren't so bright.