Evangelical searching

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beardedpilgrim

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Currently I am a member of a protestant denomination, the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. More and more I have started to feel that there is much missing from my church and from protestantism in general. It is important to me that I serve and worship God as authentically and as true as I am able to. About a year ago I began to research Christian history to try and determine which, if any, is the true church that Jesus established. Unsure of my results, I gave up my research after a little while, even though my leanings were pulling me toward Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Recently my research and passion have begun anew, due in large part to a very good friend of mine who happens to be Catholic. He has been a tremendous help and encouragement to me. I have attended Mass with him once, and want to go with him more often. More and more I am beginning to feel like Catholicism is the one true faith. I am feeling more and more drawn to the Catholic church, but am unsure how to proceed.

I am nervous about sharing this with my wife, as I do not think she will be receptive. She really loves our church and the people there and although she is not anti-Catholic, she does seem to think that the Catholic church is more man-based than God-based.

I want to be true to God, but I also don’t want to tear my family apart. I want my wife and our two children to all worship together and worship fully and truly. I would really appreciate your prayers and also any advice anyone has regarding this, especially if anyone out there has gone through this same thing.

Thank you so much, God bless you all!
 
beardedpilgrim said:
Currently I am a member of a protestant denomination, the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. More and more I have started to feel that there is much missing from my church and from protestantism in general. It is important to me that I serve and worship God as authentically and as true as I am able to. About a year ago I began to research Christian history to try and determine which, if any, is the true church that Jesus established. Unsure of my results, I gave up my research after a little while, even though my leanings were pulling me toward Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Recently my research and passion have begun anew, due in large part to a very good friend of mine who happens to be Catholic. He has been a tremendous help and encouragement to me. I have attended Mass with him once, and want to go with him more often. More and more I am beginning to feel like Catholicism is the one true faith. I am feeling more and more drawn to the Catholic church, but am unsure how to proceed.

I am nervous about sharing this with my wife, as I do not think she will be receptive. She really loves our church and the people there and although she is not anti-Catholic, she does seem to think that the Catholic church is more man-based than God-based.

I want to be true to God, but I also don’t want to tear my family apart. I want my wife and our two children to all worship together and worship fully and truly. I would really appreciate your prayers and also any advice anyone has regarding this, especially if anyone out there has gone through this same thing.

Thank you so much, God bless you all!
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Eventually we have to go where our conscience leads-what we know to be true-and not let others influence us. But that’s easier said that done, at least for us. God will provide a way, however, if we let Him, so I’d keep up the courage in seeking truth and ask Him to help open the way for resolving the situation you’re faced with.
 
beardedpilgrim said:
Currently I am a member of a protestant denomination, the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. More and more I have started to feel that there is much missing from my church and from protestantism in general. It is important to me that I serve and worship God as authentically and as true as I am able to. About a year ago I began to research Christian history to try and determine which, if any, is the true church that Jesus established. Unsure of my results, I gave up my research after a little while, even though my leanings were pulling me toward Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Recently my research and passion have begun anew, due in large part to a very good friend of mine who happens to be Catholic. He has been a tremendous help and encouragement to me. I have attended Mass with him once, and want to go with him more often. More and more I am beginning to feel like Catholicism is the one true faith. I am feeling more and more drawn to the Catholic church, but am unsure how to proceed.

I am nervous about sharing this with my wife, as I do not think she will be receptive. She really loves our church and the people there and although she is not anti-Catholic, she does seem to think that the Catholic church is more man-based than God-based.

I want to be true to God, but I also don’t want to tear my family apart. I want my wife and our two children to all worship together and worship fully and truly. I would really appreciate your prayers and also any advice anyone has regarding this, especially if anyone out there has gone through this same thing.

Thank you so much, God bless you all!
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I would say…PRAY…continue to do so…continue attending the Mass, the if there is an adoration chapel, spend a few minutes in meditation there.

Be open to the Holy Spirit to guide you.

This site may be of help to you…chnetwork.org/

And talk to a priest where your friend goes…he surely will be able to give you directions.

God bless…👍
 
I think you have to be up front with your wife. Tell her of your doubts she may be more receptive than you think. But even if she isn’t she must realize that you have to be true to yourself and your conscience. There is a lot of untruth out there in the protestant world about the Catholic Church. A lot of it sounds good - on the surface. But dig down one layer and things start to fall apart rapidly. The bottom line for me was the realization that the true church of Christ had a presence in every century for the last 2,000 years and only one church can provide the evidence of its existence in every century. You need to find a good RCIA class in order to learn more about the church. Bring your wife with you. RCIA [Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults] is a course for those who want to understand the church. There is no commitment to join the church required. But the RCIA course will clear away the untruths perpetuated by protestantism so that even if you and/or your wife decide not to join you will have a new understanding of the Catholic Church. And last but certainly not least, you need to pray about this and seek the aid of the Holy Spirit.
 
There is a lie out there about the Catholic Church being man-based rather than God-based. It is a lie created to keep people away from the Church. Yet, the more you read the Bible and the writings of the people who knew the Apostles, you find that the Church is just following what was established by Jesus and the Apostles. So, my recommendation to you (other than the excellent advice about praying) is to study the Scriptures, the Catechism, and the writings of the early Church fathers. For me, it was the history “angle” that really opened my eyes to the truth of the Church. Later, as I learned the Scriptures, the deal was sealed, so to speak. Consider this: all the archeological digs of ancient churches reveal one common element. There is something they ALL had that is definitely not present in most protestant churches. All of the ancient churches had alters. That is because all of those worshippers were receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus said His flesh is true food and His blood true drink. He said unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood we have no life in us. When many disciples walked away from Him because this teaching was too difficult for them (John 6:66), Jesus DID NOT call them back and tell them He was just talking symbolically. That is because He wasn’t. This is what the ancient Church believed. In fact, this was believed up until the 1500’s. Before that, no one thought of the Eucharist as a symbol. Frightening, isn’t it?

Other readings that really helped me:

Four Witnesses by Rod Bennett-- about four early Church fathers whose writings reveal that ancient worship was Catholic in nature.

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre: Wow, just wow. Old Testament revealed in the New.

Lamb of God by Scott Hahn: Stuffed full of Scripture that you may have never thought of in this light.

After reading these books, I guarantee that you and hopefully your wife will see that there is nothing man-based in the Church. I’m not saying you will automatically become Catholic, that is part of your journey with God, but at least you will be able to appreciate where the Church is coming from in how we worship.

May God bless You.
 
As an Anglican I thouroughly enjoyed Scott Hahns The Lamb’s Supper. I plan to get The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist soon
 
You might want to get a copy of the Catholic Answer Bible. It directs the reader to specific scriptural references for the Church teaches. In responding to the OP, I opened the Bible to the question, “Why does the Church have so many rules?’” The “obligations” we have as Catholics are often seen as man made. Yet, if we read scripture, we find the Lord telling us in Jn 14:15 “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” Even in our human relationships, following “rules” demonstrates the genuineness of our love. A personal relationship with Lord is essential . Our obedience is the clearest indicator of our love for God.

The objections I most often hear center on the hierarchy of the Church. My thoughts went initially to the hierarchy of gifts that St. Paul gives us. Acts 2:41 tells us the first Christians “devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles, and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” Catholic Tradition refers to the teachings that Christ gave to the apostles. These teachings have been entrusted to the magisterium, or teaching authority of the Church, and protected by the Holy Spirit so that even two millennium later what we learn as Catholics is the same as the first Christians received. The magisterium is comprised of the bishops in union with the Pope. Finally we have the Bible, the Word of God written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
…sacred tradition, sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God’s wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and each in its own way under the influence of the Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls[Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation].

Recently I heard the conversion story of a former Baptist. Rather than simply hearing preaching on the Word of God, on the importance of the Bible to Faith, the Word of God is proclaimed during every Mass.
 
Typically people considering converting to Catholicism begin classes on the Catholic faith (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults or RCIA classes) at their local Catholic church in the fall and receive the sacraments of initiation the following spring at Easter. Contact the parish office at your local Catholic church for further info. As a Catholic you would be obliged to attend a Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday and other holy days of obligation. However, you would be free to continue to attend church services with your wife and children at your old church, provided you refrain from ministering in that church and refrain from receiving their pseudo-sacraments, such as their communion.
 
beardedpilgrim said:
…I am nervous about sharing this with my wife, as I do not think she will be receptive…

…I want to be true to God, but I also don’t want to tear my family apart. I want my wife and our two children to all worship together and worship fully and truly.
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Pray. Then pray some more.

I believe that you already know where God is leading you. How great would it be if one day your wife and children are thanking you for taking that first step and eventually leading them into the Church as well?
 
Welcome to the forums! Number one would be to go and spend time with our Lord at adoration. Ask your friend when the local parish offers it. Then, go and ask our Lord to reveal His true presence to you. Have patience, as the Lord has been patient with you. You might be amazed sooner, or you might be amazed later, but you will be amazed.

Seattle writer Mark Shea made your exact journey. You would likely benefit from two of his books:

By What Authority?

This is My Body

And, a standby that is an excellent resource:

Catholicism for Dummies
 
Church history was also an important influence in my conversion to Catholicism (Easter 2012). Keep reading and studying.

I wish, however, that I had went about my conversion in a more patient and understanding way since my wife has no interest in the Church. I wish I would have read and took to heart the stories in the book ‘When Only One Converts’ at the beginning of my conversion process. Changing faith traditions can be very disruptive to a marriage.

Another book I would recommend that nicely presents the Catholic vision of what Christ’s Church is meant to be is ‘The Spirit of Catholicism’ by Karl Adam.

And of course keep attending Mass when you can. Christ’s presence in the Liturgy is at the heart of Catholicism.
 
One more book recommendation:

‘How to Go from Being a Good Evangelical to a Committed Catholic in Ninety-Five Difficult Steps’
 
beardedpilgrim said:
Currently I am a member of a protestant denomination, the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. More and more I have started to feel that there is much missing from my church and from protestantism in general. It is important to me that I serve and worship God as authentically and as true as I am able to. About a year ago I began to research Christian history to try and determine which, if any, is the true church that Jesus established. Unsure of my results, I gave up my research after a little while, even though my leanings were pulling me toward Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Recently my research and passion have begun anew, due in large part to a very good friend of mine who happens to be Catholic. He has been a tremendous help and encouragement to me. I have attended Mass with him once, and want to go with him more often. More and more I am beginning to feel like Catholicism is the one true faith. I am feeling more and more drawn to the Catholic church, but am unsure how to proceed.

I am nervous about sharing this with my wife, as I do not think she will be receptive. She really loves our church and the people there and although she is not anti-Catholic, she does seem to think that the Catholic church is more man-based than God-based.

I want to be true to God, but I also don’t want to tear my family apart. I want my wife and our two children to all worship together and worship fully and truly. I would really appreciate your prayers and also any advice anyone has regarding this, especially if anyone out there has gone through this same thing.

Thank you so much, God bless you all!
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beardedpilgrim in Christ,

Welcome to CAF and please know that I will pray for you and your family in this journey.

God bless.
 
Dear beardedpilgrim,

God bless you:highprayer::signofcross: and welcome to these forums in your faith journey and inquiry.
Briefly, may I suggest you go to the website of Dr. Scott Hahn, a former ordained, presbyterian minister who by chance, walked into a Catholic Mass one day and discovered that everything he was seeing exactly matched the very scriptures he had been studying all along. He and his wife Kimberly are great authors, and both converted to Catholicism from protestantism. He converted first, and Kimberly had many questions. Your wife would appreciate her struggle to understand his yearning for the Church Christ Founded!

Here is the link::compcoff:
scotthahn.com/

Also, many of his videos/discussions are readily available on his website and on YouTube.

Further, I want to recommend all of his books, most readily available to be checked out at local libraries. Here are two of my favorites:

The Lamb’s Supper, The Mass as Heaven on Earth,

and (if I have the exact title right, it’s)

Rome Sweet Home.

His wife Kimberly’s books are also popular, and both you and your wife might like those as well.

Many blessings, and please do come back to the forums. I converted from the Episcopal Church in '04, and would have converted decades earlier had I had access to these kinds of marvelous books. And I hope you will stop by a nearby Catholic parish to inquire into RCIA, and attend Mass to observe and pray. :gopray:

Here is a link that discusses the Divine Continuity of The Catholic Church, versus the hundreds of denominations we see today. It is very compelling to see the origin of denominations begun by humans, and then to see the Church founded by Christ. Here is the link: youtube.com/watch?v=VN5f-EWPTP4

In Christ’s great Love,
Kathryn Ann
 
There are 2 resources that I know of.
  1. The Coming Home network. chnetwork.org
  2. Catholics Come Home catholicscomehome.org/
There is a popular “Why I Love God and Hate Religion” video on YouTube.com (but there are also rebuttals to that “Why I Love God AND Religion”)
I think it is relevant to your search because you may run into people who profess this view and primarily aim it at Catholicism.

Here is Fr. Barron’s commentary on it. youtube.com/watch?v=TLta2b9zQ64&feature=related
 
nevadairenaeus said:
Church history was also an important influence in my conversion to Catholicism (Easter 2012). Keep reading and studying.

I wish, however, that I had went about my conversion in a more patient and understanding way since my wife has no interest in the Church. I wish I would have read and took to heart the stories in the book ‘When Only One Converts’ at the beginning of my conversion process. Changing faith traditions can be very disruptive to a marriage.
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Same here. I have had to put a hold on my conversion to save my marriage. I wish I had brought my wife with me all along the way rather than “breaking the news” to her. It feels like a shameful secret sometimes, but it’s not; it’s life for everyone, even if they don’t know it yet.
 
To the OP:

I would suggest that you take what you’ve written here, think out more thoroughly and flesh out how you feel, what you’re going through, what your family means to you and what your wife means to you, and then I would have a calm discussion with her about everything.

Make sure you are alone, in a quiet place, and haven’t been fighting or anything recently. Be honest with her, she deserves to know what’s going on and deserves to be respected enough to tell her about it.

You deserve for her to respect your wishes, and if she can’t support your right now, she can at least not oppose you. Neither one of you should bring the children into this until you have both become comfortable with the situation.

Welcome Home! As a convert from the Baptist denomination, I can tell you it is a wild and exciting ride! And is completely worth it.
 
zz912 said:
To the OP:

I would suggest that you take what you’ve written here, think out more thoroughly and flesh out how you feel, what you’re going through, what your family means to you and what your wife means to you, and then I would have a calm discussion with her about everything.

Make sure you are alone, in a quiet place, and haven’t been fighting or anything recently. Be honest with her, she deserves to know what’s going on and deserves to be respected enough to tell her about it.

You deserve for her to respect your wishes, and if she can’t support your right now, she can at least not oppose you. Neither one of you should bring the children into this until you have both become comfortable with the situation.

Welcome Home! As a convert from the Baptist denomination, I can tell you it is a wild and exciting ride! And is completely worth it.
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Excellent advice. Our spouses have the right to know our reasoning behind any such profound change in our spiritual lives. Yet, it can be very difficult to express that “call” that is so hard to resist. The Holy Spirit, whether pushing or pulling, is a force to be reckoned with, yet not one that can be easily articulated or examined. Since OP senses that a substantial number of things are lacking in their current denomination, perhaps that is the best place to begin.
 
You are getting great advice in this thread. My two cents is to not leave your wife out of your journey. At my parish, I help non-Catholics get questions answered about Catholicism and I have spoken with many good Evangelcals who eventually become Catholic. One source of strife in this process is when one spouse begins to study Catholicism, at first the person thinks that he/she will quickly prove Catholicism false, so “why bother my wife/husband with what I’m reading?” As the inquirer digs deeper, Catholcisim appears more true. Eventually one spouse is very excited about being Catholic and is sure the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ and that he/she must join. It then creates a disaster when that spouse announces one day to the other spouse and family, “Hey we need to become Catholic because that’s Jesus’ Church.”

As soon as you discover something, tell your wife about it. Say things like, “I just read this very interesting book and it has made me think about some things. Will you read it so we can talk about it?” I hope this works and I’ll pray for your family.
 
Dear Sir,

As a former Protestant evangelical I empathise with your situation. It can feel frightening when one realizes that he is questioning the very ground on which he has stood. No one here will: pressure you to change, ridicule you for searching, or think less of you for staying exactly where you are. I wish I could say that the other camp would be as accepting. I think one reason we fear treading on this unknown ground is that deep down we fear the conseqences. But remember, you are in control here, and you may stop at any time.

All you have done is begin to examine your beliefs. St Paul tells us to do this, to “have a reason for the hope that is within us”. As a Disciple of Christ I’m sure you can quote plenty of scripture. This is about something deeper. It is about critically examining our core beliefs, and that can only be pleasing to Christ, right? The suggesstions to read Dr. Scott Hahn are right on.

I would also invite your attention to EWTN. That stands for Eternal Word Television Network. It was a life line to me as I began to disseminate the history of our faith. In my area it is a part of every cable and DISH network package, though for some reason it is not listed on many guides. You may have to actually call your provider and ask them for the station number for the call letters, I did.

Most of us former Prostestants (yes devout protestants do convert) were stunned when we realized that our education only commenced with the reformation. Nor were we aware that there was a “counter” reformation. That the Catholic Church herself acknowledged that there were abuses that had to be stopped and that the original points that spurred the splitting of the church needed to be examined; that catechetical teaching needed to be improved and that the Priesthood was inconsistantly trained. The very willingness of holy mother church to examine the issues that precipitated the schism, is a surprise to many protestants.

You might be shocked to learn that Martin Luther wanted to remove several chapters of the New Testament (starting with James) that he fought so energetically to “save for the common man”. You might be stunned to learn that Father Luther married a Nun, and frirmly believed in the rosary and held the Virgin Mary in high esteem. I will assert this as a new convert, other life long Catholics will be more diplomatic.

I am not criticising the protestant contribution to Christendom, only pointing out that our education is incomplete. If you can watch, “The Journey Home” moderated by Marcus Grodi (a former Presbyterian Minister) I think your mind will be challenged and your spirit encouraged. Dr. Scott Hahn also teaches on the station and he uses scripture extensively to support his excellent programs.

I know it is scarey to even tread on this material, but truly you haven’t defamed your faith by a decision to be open to more Christian education. Allow yourself the opportunity to learn more and reserve judgement on changing faiths. You haven’t even really studied yet, you don’t have to face telling your wife you are converting yet. Just relax and learn.

blessings,

a sister in Christ
 
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