Please Help...Question About A Job Interview Tomorrow

[TheChosenOne]

Hey everyone, I have a dilemma. I recently applied for a job that is a great opportunity for me. The office will be close to where I am moving, the pay is really good and I am very qualified for it. So what’s the problem? Well I have an interview there tomorrow, so while I was reading more on the organization I found out it is a faith based organization. It is says it is a christian organization, but is “Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and recognized by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).” Under what it means to be an employee it also says “I may be involved in prayer, devotions and other activities associated with nurturing the spirit at various times and in a variety of locations.”

Is this something I should just stay away from, or is it not a big deal? I honestly can’t tell, and I don’t want to do anything that is going to go against my Catholic beliefs. Obviously I don’t mind it being faith based, and really I think that is great. But the affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod makes me a bit nervous. Any help will be greatly appreciated, as I do have this interview tomorrow. Thanks in advance.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I guess it would depend on the exact nature of your duties.

For example, I used to work at a crisis pregnancy center that was faith-based, operated by an interdenominational board of directors. We were encouraged to pray for and with our clients as appropriate, and the staff often prayed together. I frequently prayed with other Christians (not necessarily Catholic), and it never conflicted with my Catholic faith. (In fact, it gave me an opportunity to answer questions some of my co-workers had about Catholicism.)

Another example: I have a friend who is an activities director at a nursing home. One of the things she does as part of her job is to lead prayer services for residents. Residents come from all different faith backgrounds. There are ways to pray communally with others that are still consistent with our Catholic faith.

There is a lot we share in common with non-Catholic Christians. We do what we can to build on that, and privately pray that they will be open to the fullness of truth.

You do have to make sure that you are well grounded in your own faith and that you are not likely to be vulnerable to any possible attempts to evangelize you away from Catholicism.

 

[brigid12]

Hey everyone, I have a dilemma. I recently applied for a job that is a great opportunity for me. The office will be close to where I am moving, the pay is really good and I am very qualified for it. So what’s the problem? Well I have an interview there tomorrow, so while I was reading more on the organization I found out it is a faith based organization. It is says it is a christian organization, but is “Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and recognized by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).” Under what it means to be an employee it also says “I may be involved in prayer, devotions and other activities associated with nurturing the spirit at various times and in a variety of locations.”

Is this something I should just stay away from, or is it not a big deal? I honestly can’t tell, and I don’t want to do anything that is going to go against my Catholic beliefs. Obviously I don’t mind it being faith based, and really I think that is great. But the affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod makes me a bit nervous. Any help will be greatly appreciated, as I do have this interview tomorrow. Thanks in advance.

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Not only is the ELCA one of the numerous mainline protestant churches (so not likely to be severely anti-Catholic) but the Lutherans are one of the mainline protestant churches that is closer to Catholic in theology than some others. Not to say there aren’t major differences, but the people in the ELCA are not going to be bothered by you being a Catholic (if there are some Missouri synod members working there, then that might cause a little - not big - problem). I used to teach Sunday School at an ELCA church when I was still a protestant and it’s one of the more liberal Lutheran branches. When they ask you in the interview about if you’ve any questions, just voice your (minimal) concerns as one of your questions. I would guess you’ll be put at ease. It definitely won’t be a problem such as idol worship or anything. At most, a quiet disagreement.

Actually, sounds to me even that much better since you’ll be working in a place with many spiritual similarities. Just trust yourself.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Thank you both for your replies. I went to the interview and as it turns out it wasn’t a big deal at all. I was a bit nervous in the waiting room because they had a bunch of Lutheran magazines on the table, but at a point in the interview when they asked if I had any questions I just came clean. I said I wasn’t Lutheran, and the interviewers assured me that it didn’t matter, that actually nobody in the office is (supposedly it is still big for a lot of people out in the mid-west though). I guess the organization was founded by Lutheran church leaders and the affiliation between the church and the organization has always been there. They told me that some of their clients are soothed and comforted by the fact that it is faith-based. I actually thought it was nice seeing the cross on different posters around the office and little things like that.

So I will wait and see what happens, but thank you again for your support, after I read your posts I felt a lot less anxiety!

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Glad to hear it went well. I hope you get the job (if that’s what God wants for you).