Educational Background Non Denom Pastors

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One of our Deacons is a really good homilist but he hasn’t been preaching lately.

We have Our Lady of Perpetual Help Devotions and Benediction weekly and there’s a brief homily during that, also done by a Deacon. Now those homilies are often interesting. Maybe because they’re brief and I can pay attention.
 
This is absolutely true, Joel Osteen, who has a huge televangelist ministry and radio broadcasting platform has no education in ministry / Scripture / philosophy / theology or languages. He attend Oral Roberts University and studied communications. He did not graduate, but simply took over his dad’s ministry. His actual, real qualification is simply that he is the son of an equally famous preacher father, John Osteen.

Many mainline Protestant ministers (Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist) have similar training to priests, but evangelical/Bible type churches (Baptist, Pentecostal, Non-denominational) have much less.
As a Catholic boy who grew up in Utah I was petrified of a well-published event where a Catholic priest was going to debate a high-ranking Mormon minister. It was televised and, even though the Mormon (apostle-level) minister was highly educated the priest wiped the floor with him. It wasn’t even close. Scriptural questions were illustrated with the priest’s knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, and none of that by the Mormon.

Logic and philosophy questions were similar. Afterwards the Mormons declined to have public debates with Catholics going forward. They were embarrassed and ashamed of how little their brightest looked compared to a normal, run-of-the-mill priest.
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Deacon Christopher
 
Sabine said:
Their bands, screens, & fog machines cannot compare
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They typically have better music, better preaching and put on a better show . . . but they don’t have the Sacred Mysteries.

> And with No Jesus it’s hard to Know Jesus!

Deacon Christopher
 
guanophore said:
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Wannano:
I quite often see Catholics telling a poster they should try another Catholic parish.
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Indeed, the difference being that the doctrine and liturgy is the same all over the world. In the non-denom realm, there are variances across the board. Sometimes these are minor, sometimes not. I have heard them called “doctrinal distinctives” also, which I think is the same as heterodoxy?
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You have had experience I understand in both NC and CC world’s. I have worked with numerous
Priests and have come to the conclusion that many are actually bored repeating the same liturgies. What do you think of that possibility?
 
I listen to Call to Communion quite a bit. There was one episode where Dr. Anders spoke about how many protestant pastors were trained very specifically to deliver good sermons; as that is a key portion of their service. Comparatively most Catholic Priests were given more education in different aspects of being a pastor (sacramental theology, dealing with a food pantry, etc.).

It was just a different focus because, in his words, the key point of a protestant service is to get information to you about the Bible; so they had to be very good at that.

The key point of the Catholic Mass is to consecrate and share the Eucharist.
 
Sabine said:
OP, we have the Holy Eucharist. Their bands, screens, & fog machines cannot compare to the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Our Lord. I love you and will pray for you.
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Some non-denominational or evangelical churches have electronic music and screens, others not so much.

In any event, its 2018, and you can “sample” the worship services of any type you like without leaving the comfort of your own home on your computer. If you want to see Snake Handlers, no need to drive through the winding roads of Appalachia looking for a small chapel among the stills. Someone else already went to Deliverance-ville and taped it for your edification and to sate your curiosity.
 
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Yes the same thing.

You often hear the phrase share in Sacred Mysteries - it means to be in communion with the Church who dispenses the Mysterion (Sacraments) which are gifts from Christ.

Not only do they not have the Eucharist, they also don’t have the other Mysteries (Penance, Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing).
 
Diaconia said:
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Sabine:
Their bands, screens, & fog machines cannot compare
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They typically have better music, better preaching and put on a better show . . . but they don’t have the Sacred Mysteries.

> And with No Jesus it’s hard to Know Jesus!

Deacon Christopher
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And with No Jesus it’s hard to Know Jesus! How true, and that is why we invite Him into our presence at the beginning of our services, into the auditorium and into the lives of each worshipper. How wonderful it is to bask in His presence.
 
I have said to my husband that I would miss Confession. Speaking to a priest (usually behind the screen) is more tangeable than confessing to God directly. I get feedback.
 
I think I saw a video of snake handling a few years ago. Weren’t the people also jumping around like they were having a hootenanny?
 
Hope1960 said:
I think I saw a video of snake handling a few years ago. Weren’t the people also jumping around like they were having a hootenanny?
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That’s about right. There is a pretty wide gulf between Snake Handlers and staid Presbyterians or monks singing in gregorian chant for that matter.
 
Our mass is about 1 hour 15 min, and I frequently struggle with being there. However, it is only an hour so the rest of the week I find things to help me grow my faith. The rest of the week we’re kind of on our own, huh? We can find Catholic based stuff. For a protestant minister, even if he has 2 doctorates, what’s the point if he doesn’t acknowledge Jesus in the blessed sacrament? That would be a lot of study to miss out on something so absolutely fundamental to the Christian life. God bless and keep you close.
 
And, in addition to the immediate feedback, you are doing PRECISELY what our Lord Jesus commanded in John 20:23.
He gave His apostles authority to forgive or to retain sins. The only way the apostles (and their descendants, the bishops [whose cooperators are the presbyters or priests]) would know to retain or forgive the sin is if IT WERE AUDIBLY CONFESSED to them.
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Blessed are you, Hope, who avail yourself of this life-giving freedom from sin,
Deacon Christopher
 
Lol - thought it said “frog machine” at first glance.

Probably can get one of those at Pharoah’s store in Egypt . . . try Plagues Aisle #2.

If it won’t turn off, call Moses . . .
 
PennyinCanada said:
Our mass is about 1 hour 15 min, and I frequently struggle with being there. However, it is only an hour so the rest of the week I find things to help me grow my faith. The rest of the week we’re kind of on our own, huh? We can find Catholic based stuff. For a protestant minister, even if he has 2 doctorates, what’s the point if he doesn’t acknowledge Jesus in the blessed sacrament? That would be a lot of study to miss out on something so absolutely fundamental to the Christian life. God bless and keep you close.
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Yes, they don’t have the Eucharist, no Confession, no Adoration, no Tabernacle, no candles…nothing really excep this Group Thing they meet for weekly.
I don’t think one can even go into their church to pray. I think it’s closed because the one time I went to church there, we couldn’t even go in until they opened the doors. Wonder why?
 
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