Ask a FORMER Baptist Pastor

[RBK]

As another said, quoting a Priest, in the other ASK A BAPTIST PASTOR thread … ‘God loves the [Southern] Baptists, enough that many find their way to the Catholic Church’.

They are not your enemy, — help them see the Eucharist is literal, that Mary is not to be feared, and to learn some Early Church History.

Never tell them the Altar Call and Sinner’s Prayer don’t have merit … they have experienced otherwise. People will not reject their supernatural experiences … at least not the ones that brought them Grace.

And don’t ‘make sport of them’ and close their threads EARLY. That is not classy, and they know it is unfair … and reinforces the negative stereotypes about Catholicism they know of. Win them over with the better proofs. Win them over with apologetics ‘fairly’ conducted, and pray for your Christian brethren … or at least ask Christ to help you do so. Do it the way FCEMG, Pax, G-4, and Mikeledes do it. They are wise ones, with the experience.

Well said! As a recent convert who spent lots of time in Baptist/fundamental churches, I couldn’t agree more. I continue to offer my heart and life to Jesus Christ every morning before my feet hit the ground. This is because I found great spiritual benefit in “recommitting my life to Christ” every so often at the altar.

It was because of the influence of sincere Christians in these churches that I learned to love the Word of God and to put it into daily practice. I don’t like to see personal attacks or the accusations that certain protestants don’t have a very deep relationship with Christ, both of which I saw on the “Ask a Baptist Pastor” thread. We are in no position to judge anyone’s relationship with Christ. May God forgive me if I have done that!

It is because I have the desire to obey Christ’s command to “Love my neighbor as myself” that I want my non-Catholic brothers and sisters to have the fullness of the faith that I now have. Sometimes, because I am a sinner, I engage in apologetics without as much charity as I should. St. Peter’s command to always be prepared to give an answer but with gentleness and respect, is difficult when what you hold most dear is being attacked and vilified. But I pray for the grace to respond in a manner pleasing to God.

I have found the “pearl of great price” in Christ’s Church. Today I will attend a Eucharistic Congress with tens of thousands of Catholic Christians who are coming to worship Jesus Christ. Some days…the joy is just overwhelming

 

[poetryforjesus]

But I never saw anybody who didn’t have anything they really, really needed from God, who stuck with the program. Those ones mostly all dropped out.

This is so sad. It proves the point that the gospel is for the poor. Only those who are poor search for God and they find Him.

Why are those so well blessed by God do not search for Him harder?

We can see how important our free will is, then. If we don’t seek God, we will not find Him. If we don’t knock, the door will not be opened for us.

 

[Brian_Culliton]

A simple reading of Early Church history reveals this. Nobody questioned it until the sixteenth century.

You made this claim before and I told then that it wasn’t true. I provided the evidence and you did what you always do, you disappeared. So the only thing I can conclude from this statement is that you are lying. It’s interesting that you want to accuse others of believing lies while you yourself propagate a lie.

 

[mercygate]

Communion in Baptist Churches is simply a meaningless ceremony. I couldn’t wait to abandon it. My study of the Eucharist began with my study of the Covenants in Scripture. When I discovered Jesus used the actual Greek word Eucharisto, it rocked my world. I wasn’t QUITE ready in those days for the Catholic view, but I could no longer accept the Baptist ‘symbolic’ view any longer. It led me to the Episcopal Church, which for a Baptist was very eye-opening, but it wasn’t enough.
When the Eucharist is removed from a Christian’s life, they are forever trying to find something to replace it with. My heart was restless until I could recieve the Body and Blood of Christ.
You can read my whole journey in my blog below:

I find it hard that you refer to the Lord’s Supper in a Baptist church as a “meaningless ceremony.” I know Baptists who take this “covenant” very seriously and even understand something about “real” presence – since Jesus says “This IS my body.” They don’t understand it as we do, but it is precious to them asa they believe they are following the Lord’s commandment.

 

[mercygate]

Keep in mind, to even toy with the idea of Catholic doctrine being correct is equivalent to questioning your Christian faith. It’s an internal struggle that the person seldom talks about out loud. To do so, means people will question your Christianity.
Do you know how many of my former ‘friends’ today consider me an apostate headed for Hell? They are simply unable to process the information.
Why? Well, I have my own ideas on that, but I will not say it on a public forum.

Just remind 'em, Justa, that “once saved, always saved.” No way you could be on your way to Hell!

 

[Brian_Culliton]

Many times the people passing on the lie do not know or mean to do so, they are just too lazy to check out the truth of it. So, I suppose some of it is anger at one’s self for lazy research.

I’ll say! So can we attribute lazy research to the lie you are propagating, that infant baptism was not questioned until the sixteenth century?

 

[JustaServant]

Just remind 'em, Justa, that “once saved, always saved.” No way you could be on your way to Hell!

No they would say I was never saved in the first place.

 

[choy]

For me it was a re-version.
It really happened in two stages. When I was in fundamentalism, the more I studied the Bible (I mean, that is what fundamentalists are supposed to do) the less of a fundamentalist I became. Because what they were saying did not line up with what the Word of God was saying.
When I was with more Reformed-minded Baptists, my study of the 'reformers; (again, encouraged by the adherants) the less of a Protestant I became. I often like to say I came back to the Church through the ‘back door’ or the Reformation.
This led me to an in-depth study of the early Church, the Sacraments…and rest is in my blog.
It’s a slow process, it can take years. I know it did for me.
That’s why experienced apologists on CAF will post for the LURKERS, not necessarily to the poster in question. Because at one time I was one of those ‘lurkers’.
And believe me, anyone could see ReformedMIssionary was just fishing for converts (he said as much on his blog).

i guess its true about what they say, to know history is to become Catholic

but what of those who doesn’t have the same zeal for knowledge of the past? they’re comfortable as part of the congregation, following what their pastor says?

 

[Faith1960]

Keep in mind, to even toy with the idea of Catholic doctrine being correct is equivalent to questioning your Christian faith. It’s an internal struggle that the person seldom talks about out loud. To do so, means people will question your Christianity.
Do you know how many of my former ‘friends’ today consider me an apostate headed for Hell? They are simply unable to process the information.
Why? Well, I have my own ideas on that, but I will not say it on a public forum.

My husband was raised Baptist but doesn’t attend church at all now, unless he goes to Mass with me, (though he isn’t Catholic, either.) His parents are still Baptist. I sometimes wonder what his parents think of me being Catholic --if they think I’m going to Hell. Do most Baptists think that about Catholics?

 

[Ignatius]

JustaServant:

Keep in mind, to even toy with the idea of Catholic doctrine being correct is equivalent to questioning your Christian faith. It’s an internal struggle that the person seldom talks about out loud. To do so, means people will question your Christianity.

The adversary is a very clever one, isn’t he? Makes it so that many won’t even consider the Truth.

 

[theoldman]

I don’t think “Ask a former Baptist Pastor” is the right name for this thread. Let rename it to "Let’s bash the Baptist"
That being said I must tell that since I left the Catholic Church and became Baptist I have grown spiritually one hundred precent. I have seen an expression of love between Baptists that I never saw between the Catholics in the church that I went to.
Yes, being a Baptist has been really great, I have learned so much more about God and become so close to Him. In the Catholic Church it was the same thing Sunday after Sunday for over forty years. Never learning anything and leaving with that empty feeling.
Now I feel fulfilled and ready to serve God,Just Great, Praise the Lord

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

To Justaservant…I just read your blog and I can so identify with it…although I was Assembly fo God and then conservative Baptist. When I read “I truly fell in love with the Catholic Church.
Some are born into the Catholic Church and thus have no “choice”. There was a beauty in this. I was born Catholic, never really had a choice. Now as an adult Christian, I was making the CHOICE to be Catholic.
The more I read and prayed, the more I was drawn like a magnet to it.
When the resistance ceases, you are drawn to it.” I had tears in my eyes as this is EXACTLY how I feel!

God Bless!

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

I don’t think “Ask a former Baptist Pastor” is the right name for this thread. Let rename it to "Let’s bash the Baptist"
That being said I must tell that since I left the Catholic Church and became Baptist I have grown spiritually one hundred precent. I have seen an expression of love between Baptists that I never saw between the Catholics in the church that I went to.
Yes, being a Baptist has been really great, I have learned so much more about God and become so close to Him. In the Catholic Church it was the same thing Sunday after Sunday for over forty years. Never learning anything and leaving with that empty feeling.
Now I feel fulfilled and ready to serve God,Just Great, Praise the Lord

I’m sorry you feel that way…but this is his story and he used to be a former Baptist pastor. I understand your experience is different…right now. I can tell you I feel the same way you do but in reverse. Never saw as much love as I do in the Catholic Church. I have learned more about God and have drawn closer to Him…in the Catholic Church. I felt it was all more geared to the alter call but then what…? If it’s any consolation…I felt the same way in the A of G churches. If you read JustaServants blog you would also see where he commends some of the people he has met in the Baptist church who were exceptional. “sincere Christians who desperately want to serve God and the Kingdom.” See #22.

Who knows…maybe some day you will be writting a blog about your conversion back to the Catholic church… If you had asked me just a year ago if I would have come home to Catholism I would have told you–NO WAY! And yet here I am…Back Home!

God Bless!

 

[JustaServant]

I don’t think “Ask a former Mormon Pastor” is the right name for this thread. Let rename it to "Let’s bash the Mormon"
That being said I must tell that since I left the Catholic Church and became Mormon I have grown spiritually one hundred precent. I have seen an expression of love between Mormons that I never saw between the Catholics in the church that I went to.
Yes, being a Mormon been really great, I have learned so much more about God and become so close to Him. In the Catholic Church it was the same thing Sunday after Sunday for over forty years. Never learning anything and leaving with that empty feeling.
Now I feel fulfilled and ready to serve God,Just Great, Praise the Lord

Fixed it for you, just to illustrate how silly it is to rely on the ‘how I feel’ brand of theology.
It’s about truth, not how I feel.

 

[JustaServant]

My husband was raised Baptist but doesn’t attend church at all now, unless he goes to Mass with me, (though he isn’t Catholic, either.) His parents are still Baptist. I sometimes wonder what his parents think of me being Catholic --if they think I’m going to Hell. Do most Baptists think that about Catholics?

Depends on what sort of Baptist.
Keep in mind there is a world of difference between the Baptist in the pew and the Baptist preacher in the pulpit. You’d be surprised how many rank and file Baptists don’t necessarily buy into what is being proclaimed from the pulpit.

 

[estesbob]

I don’t think “Ask a former Baptist Pastor” is the right name for this thread. Let rename it to "Let’s bash the Baptist"
That being said I must tell that since I left the Catholic Church and became Baptist I have grown spiritually one hundred precent. I have seen an expression of love between Baptists that I never saw between the Catholics in the church that I went to.
Yes, being a Baptist has been really great, I have learned so much more about God and become so close to Him. In the Catholic Church it was the same thing Sunday after Sunday for over forty years. Never learning anything and leaving with that empty feeling.
Now I feel fulfilled and ready to serve God,Just Great, Praise the Lord

I am curious. You left the Chruch and are very happy in a Baptist Denomination. Are you here to convince us of what a great move you made or convince yourself?

 

[Faith1960]

I’m sorry you feel that way…but this is his story and he used to be a former Baptist pastor. I understand your experience is different…right now. I can tell you I feel the same way you do but in reverse. Never saw as much love as I do in the Catholic Church. I have learned more about God and have drawn closer to Him…in the Catholic Church. I felt it was all more geared to the alter call but then what…? If it’s any consolation…I felt the same way in the A of G churches. If you read JustaServants blog you would also see where he commends some of the people he has met in the Baptist church who were exceptional. “sincere Christians who desperately want to serve God and the Kingdom.” See #22.

Who knows…maybe some day you will be writting a blog about your conversion back to the Catholic church… If you had asked me just a year ago if I would have come home to Catholism I would have told you–NO WAY! And yet here I am…Back Home!

God Bless!

Annabelle Marie, I was a cradle Catholic who left the Church for many, many years. I used to say that I got nothing from Mass but I finally began feeling a strong tug back to the Catholic Church; the feeling to return was so strong. Now I get very much out of Mass and receiving the Sacraments. I’m not sure what the difference is now.

 

[Faith1960]

Depends on what sort of Baptist.
Keep in mind there is a world of difference between the Baptist in the pew and the Baptist preacher in the pulpit. You’d be surprised how many rank and file Baptists don’t necessarily buy into what is being proclaimed from the pulpit.

They belong to the First Baptist church.

 

[theoldman]

I am curious. You left the Chruch and are very happy in a Baptist Denomination. Are you here to convince us of what a great move you made or convince yourself?

It was God that did the convincing !

 

[theoldman]

Fixed it for you, just to illustrate how silly it is to rely on the ‘how I feel’ brand of theology.
It’s about truth, not how I feel.

It wasn’t feelings that lead me out of the Catholic Church. It was the Holy Spirit and the truth, It was studying the Bible and reading the ECF’s. It was finding out the for forty plus years the Catholic Church was teaching me lies. And that was almost thirty five years ago