I do find it odd that this gal has become so hostile towards Catholicism if she joined the C&MA. It doesn’t sound like them at all. Whatever she’s gotten herself into, it’s just too bad she feels she has to abandon all she was taught and think of herself as superior to others. I do pray this phase of her conversion experience doesn’t last long–for her sake as well as those of her friends.
I believe I can answer this, or at least present a theory.
My husband and I were enthusiastic members of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church for ten years when we lived in North Carolina.
It was a wonderful church. Had we not moved away from North Carolina, we would probably still be members.
It is the only “good” church that my younger daughter has any memories of (she was four when we left). Every other church, without exception (including Catholic churches) have acted badly and betrayed us and/or her.
What characterizes the C&MA is missionary zeal. Although the stats may have changed, at the time we were members, the C&MA had the HIGHEST percentage per membership of missionaries working in the field of ANY Protestant denomination, including such missionary powerhouses as the Southern Baptists and the Assemblies of God.
I’m sure that even if the stats have changed, the C&MA still has a fantastic percentage per membership of working missionaries.
Even more amazing, at the time we were members of the C&MA church, many of the churches in the denomination dedicated amazing percentages of their church budgets to foreign missions. Our church worked hard to donate at least 50% of their budget to foreign missions! Many other C&MA churches did the same–50% of the budget was given to foreign missions. C&MA churches were (and possibly still are) known for members taking off their jewelry and putting it into the offering plate in response to calls for more funds for foreign missions.
To give you a frame of reference most Protestant churches give around 3% (or less) to foreign missions.
So the accomplishment of the C&MA churches is impressive.
In fact, most C&MA churches here in the U.S. are fairly small. We attended a church that grew in a few years from 200 to around 500, and that was considered large. But many of the churches are in the 100-200 member range.
But overseas (outside of the U.S.) many of the C&MA churches are megachurches.
The reason for this missionary zeal is because C&MAers are filled with a desire to fulfil the Great Commission. They are “evangelicals” extraordinaire!
It’s really really FUN to be part of a C&MA church, because there’s an actual purpose in attending other than just “being spiritual.” For those of us who enjoy “working” and who have trouble just “sitting around and praying and worshipping,” the C&MA is a breath of fresh air! In other words, lots of Marthas! I’m this type of person–I have a million ideas and in the C&MA church, I was not only allowed, but ENCOURAGED to DO those ideas, to make them happen!
So it’s a great place for worker bees! I think the more contemplative types would feel kind of lost in the C&MA, because everyone is dashing about doing stuff, while they just sit.
But DON’T get the very mistaken idea that the C&MA doesn’t pray! WRONG! They have an entire manual filled with the names, addresses, and probably emails of EVERY missionary, pastor, evangelist, office staff member, etc. in the C&MA, and there is a SCHEDULE of prayer so that a person can spend an hour or so a day praying through this manual for all these workers! It’s really cool. I’ve never seen anything like it in any other Protestant church.
I hope I’ve given you all a “flavor” of what it’s like to be C&MA.
But back to the “anti-Catholic” question. Our dear C&MA pastor and his family (wife and four children) were missionaries to Viet Nam throughout the duration of the war from 1956 through 1972. They lived the war daily. All four of the children were born in Viet Nam under the most primitive of circumstances. The family got out, along with the last remaining Americans, in 1972 only two weeks before the Fall of Saigon.
During their time in Viet Nam, the C&MA worked well with all other missionary organizations–except the Catholics. The Catholics refused to cooperate with them during the building of the leprosarium, and in any other Christian effort. In fact, the Catholics made it difficult for the C&MA missionaries to work.
Our pastor had nothing good to say about the Catholics in Viet Nam. He was normally the most loving man, but not when it came to his experiences in Viet Nam with Catholic priests.
And THAT’S why there may be anti-Catholicism in assorted C&MA churches. IF there are people, especially ex-missionaries, in the church who had bad experiences with Catholics overseas, they have no good memories or experiences with Catholics, and so they are prejudiced against them. It’s hard to argue against someone who had to look a Catholic priest in the face and be told, “We don’t want to help you with the lepers” or whatever.
Apologetics is always trumped by hatefulness. It doesn’t matter what the “facts” are, or what “the truth” is if there’s no love, or at least, no perceived love. I realize that the Catholic priests had to be true to their beliefs, but it didn’t sound like the Catholics in Viet Nam had any idea of “Christian brotherhood.” This was all before Vatican II. Oh well–we don’t know the Catholic side of the story, so perhaps the hatefulness was on the side of the C&MA.
But you’ll meet other C&MA pastors and missionaries who have good things to say about Catholics!
At any rate, I hope this explanation makes sense.
