Pentecostal Converts

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Are there any former - Pentecostals in this group who have converted to Catholicism? If so, can you briefly share your journey and the reasons you converted? What even caused you to look at the Catholic Church in the first place?

I was baptized Catholic, but my family was non-practicing. I was basically “spiritually raised” by Pentecostal friends and have been so for over 20 years… For the last couple of years, I’ve studied Catholic doctrine (initially out of curiosity), but I’ve been surprised at my own misconceptions. I do believe that I am at a spiritual crossroads, but it is still alarming for me. For anyone who has read Scott Hahn’s books, I’m at the “nightmare” stage.

Your stories and insights would be appreciated.

CSJ
 
I was baptized Catholic, but my family was non-practicing. I was basically “spiritually raised” by Pentecostal friends and have been so for over 20 years… For the last couple of years, I’ve studied Catholic doctrine (initially out of curiosity), but I’ve been surprised at my own misconceptions.
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CSJ, are you sure we’re not twins??😉

You’ll notice my file days “Catholic wannabe”. There’s only a couple of things keeping me from converting, mostly a few legalities. Other than that, I am totally in love with the Catholic Church:love:
 
You might want to look into the conversion story of Alex Jones; he was a Pentecostal minister who converted (with some of his church’s members). There’s a video about him available somewhere.

Jeremy
 
Della said:
You can read my conversion story: Up from Pentecostalism in the September 1995 edition of This Rock Magazine. 🙂
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I just finished reading your conversion story. What an amazing testament of the Holy Spirit and Our Blessed Mother working quietly in your heart. Thank you for sharing.

Did your husband also convert? I know he attended Mass with you during the summer but did he attend RCIA with you?
 
mozart-250 said:
Gosh the “Assembly of God” church described in this article is totally foreign to the one I go to.

I must have a heretic Assembly of God pastor or something like that…
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Of course, depending on where you are your experience is going to be quite different in the sect. That and the era you were involved. As I understand it they’ve “loosened up” quite a bit over the years. But when I was a part of it, where I was a part of it, it was very restrictive and manipulative. Just my experience, not everyone’s, I know. 😉
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SORROWS:
I just finished reading your conversion story. What an amazing testament of the Holy Spirit and Our Blessed Mother working quietly in your heart. Thank you for sharing.

Did your husband also convert? I know he attended Mass with you during the summer but did he attend RCIA with you?
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I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Yes, it was purely by grace that I became a Catholic–the last thing on earth I ever thought I’d become!

My dh was a cradle Catholic who had left the Church for a time due to some circumstances in his life. He sponsored me when I was received and is now a Knight of Columbus and a Lay Carmelite (as am I).
 
Hi. I’m new to the forum and to Catholicism but, being an ex-Pentecostal, I thought I would reply (actually, I come by way of the Baptist Church.)
As a child (until my high-teens) I was raised in an Assembly of God Church. I was “saved” and Baptised via that Church before joining the Baptist Church where I spent my young-adult life. Unfortunately, both Churches left me empty. As a Pentecostal you probably know what I mean when I say the members “run hot & cold!” On Sunday, they’re all “pumped-up” for the Lord but, by the weekend they’re “discouraged/down in the dumps!” I tired very quickly of that routine! It was hard to understand and/or appreciate-I wanted something genuine and rock-steady. I found that in the Catholic Church. I also discovered why the Pentecostals (and, the like) ran “hot and cold” while the Catholics were always on such an even keel. It was because, the Catholic Church is the Universal Church-it has a rich-history going back to the Apostles. Also, the rituals help keep you focused-eventually, helping you mature in the Lord. Whereas, the Pentecostals tend to depend on their emotions to motivate them (usually by way of a dynamic Preacher) in lieu, of the Scripture/Traditions (via a sound educational system) practiced by Catholics. Another huge-reason I left the Protestant sect was because, of those darn television-evangelist! They are a disgrace to religion and God (as far as I’m concerned.) It just amazes me how people can be fooled by such charlatans.I don’t say that to be mean but, simply as an observation. I get so-much more information/inspiration from watching EWTN, Father John Corapi and Bishop Sheen (there’s a world of difference and you can appreciate it immediately!) At least that’s my take on it and why I made the conversion (and, never looked back!) God Bless.
Here’s some links you can use
fathercorapi.com/
ewtn.com/
bishopsheen.com/

👍
 
Della said:
You can read my conversion story: Up from Pentecostalism in the September 1995 edition of This Rock Magazine. 🙂
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Thank you for this link to your amazing story! For the first time I am beginning to understand a Pentecostal friend’s perspective. Her experience and fears sound so similar. Until reading this, everything she said sounded so strange. You have been a translator. Thank you!
 
LittleDeb said:
Thank you for this link to your amazing story! For the first time I am beginning to understand a Pentecostal friend’s perspective. Her experience and fears sound so similar. Until reading this, everything she said sounded so strange. You have been a translator. Thank you!
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This is good to hear. If I’ve helped you understand your friend and her position, that’s all that matters. It’s like two different universes, isn’t it? Both are Christians and probably appreciate many of the same things, such as a firm faith in Christ and assurance of God’s promises and that God is in control, etc. But, Pentecostals (and other on the Evangelical side of Christianity) are so far from the liturgical roots of Christianity that they are adrift on a sea of their own. I truly believe only their staunch belief in Christ as the God-man keeps them within orthodox faith. And there are many who have strayed even from that rock-bed into odd notions of who Christ is and what it means to be a Christian.

Anyway, understanding what your friend believes and the atmosphere in which she lives will help you relate to her and be a steppingstone to her understanding you and what the Church teaches. And that can’t be anything but good. Yes?
 
CSJ said:
For anyone who has read Scott Hahn’s books, I’m at the “nightmare” stage.

Your stories and insights would be appreciated.

CSJ
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Ah well just read Ratzinger’s “Called to Communion”, “God is Near Us” and “Many Religions One Covenent” and the rest will really be history. I read these when I asked myself the question “why am I a Catholic?”
 
Rimmer said:
Hi. I’m new to the forum and to Catholicism but, being an ex-Pentecostal, I thought I would reply (actually, I come by way of the Baptist Church.)
As a child (until my high-teens) I was raised in an Assembly of God Church. I was “saved” and Baptised via that Church before joining the Baptist Church where I spent my young-adult life. Unfortunately, both Churches left me empty. :
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Wow, Rimmer, this is almost identical to my early Christian history! My father was Assembly of God, my mother was Independant Baptist. I had a very confusing upbringing! We went to Assemblies and Pentecostal churches for most of my early years. When I was 11 my parents sent me to a Baptist school where I stayed through my high school education, and I remained a Baptist until my early 20’s. But there was always a tension, who was really right doctrinally and what made them right?

I spent the next 15 or so years trying all kinds of churches, trying to figure out who had it down, you know? I was so frustrated. Then you get into the non-denoms, some of whom don’t even touch deeper points of doctrine, they just love Jesus! Well, that’s ok for while, but when it’s time for growth, you have to move on, so these churches were never satisfying for an old timer like me!

Eventually, I came to the end of the road, I gave up on church. I told the Lord if I couldn’t find the church that taught the absolute truth, because I knew there was an absolute truth, then I wasn’t waisting my time with confusion any more. That’s all the Lord needed from me. Letting go and letting God!

He led me to EWTN (after I had had enough of the other station 😉 ) and after a couple of years of intense struggle on my part, I started seriously studying Christianity beginning with the Reformers. Then after being frustrated with their fighting amongst themselves (sounded way too familiar), I went back to the Early Church writings and that’s all she wrote. I was heartbroken to find that I was going to have to make a decision that would “ruin” my life. And what I mean is that it would cost me dearly. But I had promised the Lord when I started that studying route, that if He would show me the truth, I would follow it wherever it led, and now I had to keep my end of the bargain.

So, I was received into the Church this past Easter! I love the Catholic faith!😃 All my reservations and such just melted away, the Lord has given me much grace and peace! And it did cost me quite a lot, momentarily. I believe that whatever discomforts I have to endure now for the sake of Christ and the fullness of truth in Him, will all work out for the good.

CSJ -

God bless you in your journey. Know that you are not alone in going down this road, and it is survivable!😃 And you will know such peace and joy, like you have never known before if you stay the course! My prayers are with you today!
 
CSJ said:
Are there any former - Pentecostals in this group who have converted to Catholicism? If so, can you briefly share your journey and the reasons you converted? What even caused you to look at the Catholic Church in the first place?

I was baptized Catholic, but my family was non-practicing. I was basically “spiritually raised” by Pentecostal friends and have been so for over 20 years… For the last couple of years, I’ve studied Catholic doctrine (initially out of curiosity), but I’ve been surprised at my own misconceptions. I do believe that I am at a spiritual crossroads, but it is still alarming for me. For anyone who has read Scott Hahn’s books, I’m at the “nightmare” stage.

Your stories and insights would be appreciated.

CSJ
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Hi CSJ,

I was a baptized Catholic with non-practicing family also. When God first grabbed ahold of my heart it was in a Nazarene Church. From there I went to an Assembly of God Church, then Evangelical.

I knew nothing about Catholic teachings but finally got a catechism because everyone would ask and/or tell me what Catholics believed. Everything people brought up was to show how Catholics weren’t “really even Christian”.

When I started to actually study what the Catholic Church taught instead of what non-Catholics said they taught, I was much surprised as you are. I found a very biblical Church.

I still love to “find it in the Bible”. Catholic teachings are very much in harmony with ALL of Scripture.

My moment came when I realized that Christ Himself tells us that we must eat His body and drink His blood. The Real Presence that many of His followers left Him because of. When I reached this point, I knew I could choose to continue to follow Him and go home to the Catholic Church, or I could turn my back on Him and reject the truth of the teaching of the REal Presence of Christ.

At my born again experience, my faith in Christ went hand in hand with my faith in His Holy Word. I just found the inconsistencies in what was literal and what wasn’t literal to be hypocritical. It seemed as if we were supposed to take scripture literally, unless we were told otherwise. And that was more biblical than the Catholic Church that tells us from the get go that not everything in scripture is meant to be literal?

What brought me to the Catholic Church? Scripture. Specifically John 6. And later this belief was confirmed through things like the fact that figuratively, to eat one’s body meant one would do harm to another. So to say that scripture was figurative would mean that one must harm Christ or one has no life in one. Nice tract here, very short if you wish to read it. Christ in the Eucharist found at CA Library.

Church Militant was a deacon in an Assembly of God Church for many years. You may wish to PM him as I believe he is one of the most knowledgable former Pentecostals as well as knowledgable Catholics I know, if he does not “see” this thread. I know he always welcomes private messaging, as do most here from inquiring people like you:)

As for books, Scott Hahn’s The Lamb’s Supper is simply an awesome book.

May God bless you and lead you to all truth.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
 
CSJ,

Yes, our paths do seem to parallel each other. However, I believe we share yet-the same story as so many others do from our roots. By enduring the frustration, “our types” tend to search for the truth with an “all or nothing” attitude. One way or another, we’re going to find our way to God! So, by default, we do exactly what the Bible instructs us to do-we search the Word! How can we end up anywhere else but, the Catholic Church-the Universal Church? Funny how, when we listen to God, He does just what He says He will do, huh? You’d think we’d grasp that concept early on. My only regret, is the years lost wandering because, the Catholic Faith fits me like a glove! God bless. 😉
 
🙂 I just read your conversion story Della it was very good and made me cry a little because I also have gone through some of the same experiences. I was in and out of different pent churches and they were way too emotional. I friend of mine fell bacwards and broke her neck, She is still having much medical problems today. I never heard the our father prayed or any other set prayer.It was always very noisy. The first one we went to my husband and I did sstart to speak in tongues but that was before they even prayed for us to receive so we probably would have anyways and the language needs to be interpreted anyways. All the ones we went to have disbanded over and over again. The independant ministers weerefree to do whatever not responsible to anyone. One minister critized women all the time satiracally and blaming women all the time and it left a bad spirit over everyone. The communion of course was only once a month. Getting back to the Eucharistt has been wonderfull.I try to go to daily mass and it is done much more reverently. My father/confessor is very traditional
and so I have beengetting fed all the time. It was hard at first I was so full of anxiety I felt like jumping out of the pews but Ilerelearned it all and now I like to make the sign of the cross. Get this I work at a retail place and my former pentminister comes in and he was a catholic till he was 10 years old and then to make a long story short he went to jail for taking a womens money. He was trying to get me to come back and I told him I am cathholic and he runs the other way like fast. I need to be carefull about being sucked into it agin because it was all hype and left me dry. Now my God is worthy of my praise and it is done in a quiet way as Jesus did in the garden and mother Mary is my mother and I love my mother again. I am thankfull for the catholic church still being there for me and I have an uncle who prayed for me the rosary every day of my life. And it worked I will never never ever ever leave again. Thank you for your story and may God bless you 👍
Dessert,return from

JESUS IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
God Bless our Holy Father and all our Priests
 
Jeanette_L said:
Wow, Rimmer, this is almost identical to my early Christian history! My father was Assembly of God, my mother was Independant Baptist. I had a very confusing upbringing! We went to Assemblies and Pentecostal churches for most of my early years. When I was 11 my parents sent me to a Baptist school where I stayed through my high school education, and I remained a Baptist until my early 20’s. But there was always a tension, who was really right doctrinally and what made them right?

I spent the next 15 or so years trying all kinds of churches, trying to figure out who had it down, you know? I was so frustrated. Then you get into the non-denoms, some of whom don’t even touch deeper points of doctrine, they just love Jesus! Well, that’s ok for while, but when it’s time for growth, you have to move on, so these churches were never satisfying for an old timer like me!

Eventually, I came to the end of the road, I gave up on church. I told the Lord if I couldn’t find the church that taught the absolute truth, because I knew there was an absolute truth, then I wasn’t waisting my time with confusion any more. That’s all the Lord needed from me. Letting go and letting God!

He led me to EWTN (after I had had enough of the other station 😉 ) and after a couple of years of intense struggle on my part, I started seriously studying Christianity beginning with the Reformers. Then after being frustrated with their fighting amongst themselves (sounded way too familiar), I went back to the Early Church writings and that’s all she wrote. I was heartbroken to find that I was going to have to make a decision that would “ruin” my life. And what I mean is that it would cost me dearly. But I had promised the Lord when I started that studying route, that if He would show me the truth, I would follow it wherever it led, and now I had to keep my end of the bargain.

So, I was received into the Church this past Easter! I love the Catholic faith!😃 All my reservations and such just melted away, the Lord has given me much grace and peace! And it did cost me quite a lot, momentarily. I believe that whatever discomforts I have to endure now for the sake of Christ and the fullness of truth in Him, will all work out for the good.

CSJ -

God bless you in your journey. Know that you are not alone in going down this road, and it is survivable!😃 And you will know such peace and joy, like you have never known before if you stay the course! My prayers are with you today!
Click to expand...
I’m a cradle catholic and I just wanted to let you know how powerful your testimonies are for my spiritual growth. At one point I questioned why I was catholic and began a journey of discovery. I had made the same statement, “Lord, lead me to the truth.” …even it is out of the catholic church. To make a long story short, I’m in love with the catholic church (Christ’s body) as well and part of what helped me was reading conversion stories like yours. Amazing! God Bless you all…
 
dessert said:
🙂 I just read your conversion story Della it was very good and made me cry a little because I also have gone through some of the same experiences. I was in and out of different pent churches and they were way too emotional. I friend of mine fell bacwards and broke her neck, She is still having much medical problems today. I never heard the our father prayed or any other set prayer.It was always very noisy. The first one we went to my husband and I did sstart to speak in tongues but that was before they even prayed for us to receive so we probably would have anyways and the language needs to be interpreted anyways. All the ones we went to have disbanded over and over again. The independant ministers weerefree to do whatever not responsible to anyone. One minister critized women all the time satiracally and blaming women all the time and it left a bad spirit over everyone. The communion of course was only once a month.
Click to expand...
I had similar experiences in the AoG. There are no checks and balances–no hierarchy to go to when a minister says or does outrageous things. The sect reminds me of the wheat cast upon shallow ground. People within it spring up quickly, but there’s no depth to maintain the Christian life. Eventually, one gets tired of trying to make something happen. People wander from church to church trying to recapture what they had when they started. For me it was like spinning wheels in gravel. And if anything went wrong in your life, it had to be because you lacked faith! I am SO relieved to be out of it and in a stable spiritual environment in the Church where I am free to explore my own spirituality within the safety of a system set up by Christ himself.
Getting back to the Eucharistt has been wonderfull.I try to go to daily mass and it is done much more reverently. My father/confessor is very traditional
and so I have beengetting fed all the time. It was hard at first I was so full of anxiety I felt like jumping out of the pews but Ilerelearned it all and now I like to make the sign of the cross. Get this I work at a retail place and my former pentminister comes in and he was a catholic till he was 10 years old and then to make a long story short he went to jail for taking a womens money. He was trying to get me to come back and I told him I am cathholic and he runs the other way like fast. I need to be carefull about being sucked into it agin because it was all hype and left me dry. Now my God is worthy of my praise and it is done in a quiet way as Jesus did in the garden and mother Mary is my mother and I love my mother again. I am thankfull for the catholic church still being there for me and I have an uncle who prayed for me the rosary every day of my life. And it worked I will never never ever ever leave again. Thank you for your story and may God bless you 👍
Dessert,return from
Click to expand...
JESUS IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
God Bless our Holy Father and all our Priests
Click to expand...
The Eucharist came as a wonderful surprise to me! I had never heard of the Real Presence, not even when I was in the ECUSA (it may have been mentioned, but I don’t remember it being emphasized). So, I had been receiving communion just like I had done as an Episcopalian. A voice inside told me to ask if I should be doing so before being confirmed in the Church, so I asked the priest about it. He hesitated a moment (trying to pastoral, I believe 😉 ) and asked me if I believed in the Real Presence. Instantly, I understood what it was and declared, “Yes! I do!” And from then on I never had any doubts about being in the right Church.

While there have been abuses within the Church, as we all know, still there is a hierarchy that is supposed to guard the flock of God. There isn’t that in the AoG. And if one of their ministers does sin egregiously, they don’t try to help him–they just kick him out, like they did Swaggert and Bakker. Some compassion!

I too am here to stay. It’s like being in the arms of your Father and Mother, isn’t it? With God as our Father, Jesus as our elder Brother, the Holy Spirit who enlivens us (truly, not just on the surface but deep in our souls), Mary as our Mother and all the Saints and Holy Souls and all the People of God as our brothers and sister and companions, who could ask for more?
 
🙂 yes thank you for your reply God is good to me with His mercy. I have been on vacation so couldn’t get back to you right away. I do pray the rosary everyday for the lost catholics to return and the pentacostals 👍 :blessyou: desert
 
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