Changing Parish vs changing Denomination

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Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
 
Luvs2Learn said:
Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
Click to expand...
Welcome to CAF.
Good question, and one I am dealing with currently. It is not an easy situation. I’ll let you know when my decision is made.
Finally, I recommend adding a choice D) Tirelessly work and pray for corporate unity.
Jon
 
Luvs2Learn said:
Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
Click to expand...
E) Pray and study. Talk with clergy of present church and with clergy of church I “felt” called to attend or join.

Nothing of this nature should be done on a feeling. Emotions are fleeting, like a match that quickly goes out. My conversion to Anglicanism from the Baptist faith group took 16 months. I studied, talked and PRAYED for months. Attended an Anglican Church for 4 months prior to attending Confirmation Classes.

Like Jon, I pray for corporate unity.

Mark
 
Luvs2Learn said:
Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
Click to expand...
I’m not sure of your question. Changing parish is very different than changing denomination.

If the Catholic Church was Burger King, changing parish would be finding another BK store in the area rather than the usual BK you visit. Same menu, but different environment.

Changing denomination is very different and would be like giving up your loyalty to BurgerKing and start going instead to KFC. Different menu.

The “menu” symbolizes doctrine. Also, the Catholic Church is not a denomination, so that is not the proper word to use.

As far as whether you should covert to Catholicism, stay in Protestantism, or “secretly convert,” the answer is none of those.
Regardless of what you are converting to, even the Catholic Church, you should never “jump ship” from your old affiliation before careful study and prayer. After proper study and prayer, then you should make your decision to convert to Catholicism.

If you believe the Catholic Church offers the Fullness of Truth (which is what all of us Catholics do believe), then friends, activities, etc, must be let go of if they are preventing you from reaching a greater good.
 
your right Catholic Dude, but because I posted this in (Non-Catholic) forum, I needed to word it to suit the audience. Remember, non-catholics view Catholic church as another denomination.
 
Hi, difficult as it can be, if we believe that the Holy Spirit is inspiring us, e.g. to join the Catholic Church, we can’t ignore Him. I understand it’s a possible major change, but if God asks, we should do! And if He asks, He’ll give the graces as needed and when needed.

Warm regards, Trishie 🙂
 
My journey involved beginning with ‘C’ (remaining at current church - CofE - though secretly longing to convert), then accepting that I couldn’t hold back any longer moved up to ‘A’.

My wife, children and I were heavily involved in the Anglican parish, now only my wife and children are. Having joined the Catholic Church in Easter 08, I am trying to come to terms with having split my family over this.
 
EDKidd said:
My journey involved beginning with ‘C’ (remaining at current church - CofE - though secretly longing to convert), then accepting that I couldn’t hold back any longer moved up to ‘A’.

My wife, children and I were heavily involved in the Anglican parish, now only my wife and children are. Having joined the Catholic Church in Easter 08, I am trying to come to terms with having split my family over this.
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The effects on family are a big issue for me as well. A change in communion would be easier if it effected no one else. The fact is, it does. One more reason I continue to pray for corporate reconciliation.

Jon
 
EDKidd said:
My journey involved beginning with ‘C’ (remaining at current church - CofE - though secretly longing to convert), then accepting that I couldn’t hold back any longer moved up to ‘A’.

My wife, children and I were heavily involved in the Anglican parish, now only my wife and children are. Having joined the Catholic Church in Easter 08, I am trying to come to terms with having split my family over this.
Click to expand...
Hi Ed,

Your story as it is right now, is very sad for me to read. One thing that I enjoy greatly is that my husband, children and myself all share one faith and one Church home together. Besides Sunday Mass, attending Sunday School with my husband has greatly enriched our marriage. We would not have that shared experience if we went to two different Churches. My family is very involved in our local Church like your family. I would truly have an empty feeling if my husband was not with us at Mass and all the other activities that help enrich the growth of our Christian family.

Do you ever question that you are giving your children mixed signals about their Church since you left the Anglican Church by yourself? How does your wife and children feel now that their Dad is not active in their Church?

God Bless!
 
If you still have the question, then you don’t yet have the answer. When it is time to leave, you will know. That may not make it easy, but it will make it necessary.

My DH and I were side by side in the same pew in the Episcopal Church for nearly 30 years and very active. One day he wasn’t there; he went back home to Rome. Two years later, I followed. But our kids were grown and out of the house; makes a difference.

I have not once looked back in regret. I miss much of what we had together in our Episcopal parish but we kept all of our church friends. Since many Episcopalians get a case of “Roman fever” every few years, they understood . . . .

Godspeed, my friend.
 
Luvs2Learn said:
Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
Click to expand...
Follow the truth. You should want you children to have the truth as well.
 
emeraldcoast said:
Hi Ed,

Your story as it is right now, is very sad for me to read. One thing that I enjoy greatly is that my husband, children and myself all share one faith and one Church home together. Besides Sunday Mass, attending Sunday School with my husband has greatly enriched our marriage. We would not have that shared experience if we went to two different Churches. My family is very involved in our local Church like your family. I would truly have an empty feeling if my husband was not with us at Mass and all the other activities that help enrich the growth of our Christian family.

Do you ever question that you are giving your children mixed signals about their Church since you left the Anglican Church by yourself? How does your wife and children feel now that their Dad is not active in their Church?

God Bless!
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind words.

In answer to your question, yes I do question how my decision effects my children - every day. My 4 year old doesn’t really understand but my 11 year old does. When I first told my family about my desire to convert, my son asked me if this meant I was still a Christian. Moreover, it’s doubley hard for him because of the effect my conversion has had on my Wife who has taken it badly to say the least, especially with regards to communion.

Still I have to be true to my own convictions, however painful they are to others. I have no idea what the future will bring with regards to my family’s acceptance of my conversion but intend to remain as faithful to God as I possibly can.
 
One of the hardest parts of converting, and it seems to be worse for those entering the Catholic Church, is the effect that it may have on the family. SO many non-Catholics are as much culturally {insert denomination here} as they are doctrinally {insert denomination here}. More often then not, only one member hears the call at first, and touch decisions may need to be made.

Not that this is the correct way to understand it, but when the young man was called to follow Jesus, and he responded by saying he had to bury his parents first, Jesus did not say “Well, to hell with you.” No, the door was left open
 
Luvs2Learn said:
Anyone feel free to answer this…
This question came up amongst friends and I wanted to get a broad audience for answers:

If you have a very established relationship with in your parish, ie. lots of friends,you and your children are involved in many activies, ministries ect… and you suddenly realized that you felt called to convert to another denomination IE: The Catholic Church. Would you
A)follow your insticts and convert,
B)Ignore your insticts due to your intwined envolvement with your current Church
C) reamain at your current church a secretly long to convert?
:confused:
Click to expand...
This is exactly the situation I was faced with when I first began to realize that God wanted me to become a Catholic back in 1983. I knew that my heart would never rest until I became Catholic, but at the same time, my whole family and all of my friends were Protestant, my ancestors were co-founders of the church that we were attending, my friends were people I’d shared cribs with in Cradle Roll and we had all gone to Sunday School together (and had skipped Sunday School together, to go exploring in the church building - we knew things about that place that even the caretakers didn’t know) - plus, it was the only facility in town (at the time) that had a Cassavant organ - to an outsider, these things may seem trivial, but for me, it was a lot to give up! :bighanky:

So, I spent about 17 or 18 years alternating between B and C until finally, I did A in 2000/2001 - and, you know, it was not so bad. I made new friends, and while it’s true that I don’t have the same kind of shared history with them, we still have our share of adventure stories to tell - and stand-alone organs are not really all that bad - and I actually find that I don’t care what they keep in the storage area behind the loft, since if I ever need to know, I can ask the kids. 🙂

I would suggest to anyone in a similar situation to take all the time you need - the Catholic Church isn’t going anywhere. 🙂
 
I think that sometimes we see conversion as something that it may not be. Not everyone is Saul on the Road to Damascus. This is the one that so many people claim to have had or look for, yet it is the most rare

For some, it is a series of steps, each one higher and closer…

For others, like Jon I dare say, it is more like climbing a hill. Not much real change in height or distance, yet he is getting closer to something new.

The first one leads to radical changes that may not last. The second can lead to more trouble with the family, as suddenly you are on one level and they are somewhere else. The third is different. The change my be gradual and almost not noticed, until you look back
 
ralphinal said:
I think that sometimes we see conversion as something that it may not be. Not everyone is Saul on the Road to Damascus. This is the one that so many people claim to have had or look for, yet it is the most rare

For some, it is a series of steps, each one higher and closer…

For others, like Jon I dare say, it is more like climbing a hill. Not much real change in height or distance, yet he is getting closer to something new.

The first one leads to radical changes that may not last. The second can lead to more trouble with the family, as suddenly you are on one level and they are somewhere else. The third is different. The change my be gradual and almost not noticed, until you look back
Click to expand...
This is so true. For me it was in micrometers. One day, I looked around and realized that WAS Catholic – in all but affiliation. So I put things right.
 
mercygate said:
This is so true. For me it was in micrometers. One day, I looked around and realized that WAS Catholic – in all but affiliation. So I put things right.
Click to expand...
Too many Christians look for and want the Saul to Paul kind of conversion. When they do not see it, they do not think that they have been converted. Most of us only have that kind of conversion once, and that is at baptism, and even then, it is internal only.
 
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