United Methodist w/ Catholic Question

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well I am sure OP has lost whatever interest she might have had in joining intelligent, relevant discussions on this forum limited to one topic, as she has figured out that is well nigh impossible, since most forumites have ADHD. She has probably also been effectively turned off even considering RCIA as an informational process, which is one of its valuable purposes, by the misinformation she has encountered here. good work, guys. If OP would like to discuss employement in a Catholic diocese in a pastoral position or RCIA with someone who actually has some first hand knowledge, she is welcome to PM me.
 
nlmsnyder said:
Hi,

I am a mid-life, female, mechanical engineer in my second year of seminary for a Master’s of Divinty in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. Due to seminary issues, the UM church may not accept my seminary for ordination in their church which means I would be researching other denominations to see where I fit theologically and doctrinally. I should know more in about a month.

Meanwhile, I work with Catholics that are returning to the faith and we share a lot of commonality as far as our desiring deeper intimacy with Christ, a life filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and exhibiting the fruits of that life, and the need to reach out to help others in a world full of hurting people.

I have always found beauty in worship services of both Catholic and Orthodox churches, along with other Protestant churches. I don’t have any ecumenical prejudices that I am aware of. God is many places - not just in my church and not just in any other.

I started seminary knowing I was called to seminary but not to what field. The degree I am pursuing can lead, in the Protestant world, to parish ministry, chaplaincy or pastoral counseling.

As simply a curiosity at this point, is there anywhere in the Catholic church where I could be in His service full-time using the degree I am currently pursuing? Ordination is out but that’s not limiting for me. Not being able to help others in His name and for His glory would be limiting for me.

Blessings to all and may we all seek greater understanding of our Lord’s heart.

Nancy
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Have you seen Mother Theresa’s Story (movie)?
Very inspiring it will give you the courage to go on to whatever God leads you too. Warning it will not be easy.

Don’t be afraid start going to confession now and find a compassionet priest, he will consul you and help you find spiritual direction just step out in faith and don’t worry about the denomination name. Dessert
 
Thoughtful said:
Are you suggesting that a sincere Methodist does not know Christ, does not know the Gospel of Christ, and has never heard of the Catholic Church?
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No, not at all. Quite the contrary. I mentioned Methodist “tongue and cheek” because it’s mentioned on the Thread title.

I take this part of the CCC to mean they may not know Christ or his Gospel in the Catholic context. I firmly believe just as it says, that if a non-catholic is sincerely seeking God, then salvation for them is possible.
 
Subrosa said:
Hi Thoughful -

I think the operative phrase in the passage is this one: but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation.

I could sit and argue that the Methodist does not know the Church of God and in turn cannot know the whole truth of Christ, even though that person would argue stringently against my statement.

But the reality is that people who seek God with sincerity are open to God’s grace.
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You got it!! 👍
 
BlestOne said:
I am sorry that on your first thread here certain people have severely tried to derail your topic. There never seems to be a shortage of people who have an agenda. .
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I’m sure you are referring to me, at least partially. I apologize for my part in maybe derailing the topic as you say. I have no agendas (I don’t think). However, there is a great misconception IMO about who may obtain salvation outside the Church, and felt it important enough and necessary to rebutt what that 1 person said. Again, my apologies.
 
dessert said:
Have you seen Mother Theresa’s Story (movie)?
Very inspiring it will give you the courage to go on to whatever God leads you too. Warning it will not be easy.
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That’s an excellent suggestion. 🙂
Don’t be afraid start going to confession now and find a compassionet priest, he will consul you and help you find spiritual direction just step out in faith and don’t worry about the denomination name. Dessert
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She can’t receive any Sacraments in the Catholic Church until after the presentation to the Bishop in the Call to Full Communion, at the end of RCIA Catechesis, and that’s IF she is proceeding on to become a Catholic.

Non-Catholics who haven’t gone through that process can’t receive Catholic Sacraments - that includes both Confession and Holy Communion, as well as the others - except in an emergency where there is danger of death, and the person requests it, knowing the meaning behind it.
 
mikew262 said:
I’m sure you are referring to me, at least partially. I apologize for my part in maybe derailing the topic as you say. I have no agendas (I don’t think). However, there is a great misconception IMO about who may obtain salvation outside the Church, and felt it important enough and necessary to rebutt what that 1 person said. Again, my apologies.
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Actually… I wasn’t going to say but I was referring to Brian H. Everyone who responded to him just got sucked in trying to present correct info to Nancy, so no I wasn’t referring to you. You were doing exactly as you said… making sure not to allow the dissemination of wrong information, which was the only right thing to do. The funny thing is… It is the ones that are trying to correct misinformation that always accept the blame and make the apologies, when it isn’t them at all! People that purposely spread misinformation really get my goat!!!
 
mikew262 said:
No, not at all. Quite the contrary. I mentioned Methodist “tongue and cheek” because it’s mentioned on the Thread title.
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I am really glad you don’t think that. 👍
mikew262 said:
I take this part of the CCC to mean they may not know Christ or his Gospel in the Catholic context. I firmly believe just as it says, that if a non-catholic is sincerely seeking God, then salvation for them is possible.
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My apologies Mike, I missed the “in the Catholic context” in the original.

Maybe it’s the English teacher in me, but I thought the second part of that sentence **"…who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart…" **was referring to the first part of the sentence "**Those **who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church…"

Any whoooo…to the OP…my suggestion… PM puzzleannie
 
jmcrae said:
That’s an excellent suggestion. 🙂

She can’t receive any Sacraments in the Catholic Church until after the presentation to the Bishop in the Call to Full Communion, at the end of RCIA Catechesis, and that’s IF she is proceeding on to become a Catholic.

Non-Catholics who haven’t gone through that process can’t receive Catholic Sacraments - that includes both Confession and Holy Communion, as well as the others - except in an emergency where there is danger of death, and the person requests it, knowing the meaning behind it.
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Oh yeah, sorry I forgot about all that, there is a lot more to it. I definitely need to order more books. Dessert
 
Hi,

First, thank you BlestOne and puzzleannie for your heartfelt concern that I might be put off by some of the ‘ramblings’. In all honesty, I had a Catholic I work with read over some of this and he came to the same opinion as I did…some people have too much time on their hands. 🙂 But there are those who ride the fence in any denomination. And for those who have struggled to share the truth, I am extremely grateful!

Second - sadie2723 - I have no idea whether I will get involved in the Catholic church down the road or not but I sincerely thank you for your offer to help should I make that decision.

Third - I am going to follow up on the suggested readings, movies and research as so many have kindly recommended.

I am grateful to all who have replied in this forum and the wonderful information that has been shared.

Have an awesome day!

Nancy
 
Thank the Lord Nancy, I thought we lost you!!! Yes… there are many with way too much time, I venture to guess that all this snow in the midwest and east has made it worse!😉
 
Nancy,

Our Catholic parish has a wonderful woman of God, a Sister (Nun), who is fantastic in pastoral counseling, she does the parish RICA, counsels grieving families, visits the hospitals, nursing homes, etc., volunteered on the local board of the battered women’s shelter, she even helped out a family who had triplets by coming into their home and helping take care of the babies. She is a wonderful spiritual person of God. I think that might be your nitch. Maybe someone knows such a Sister in your area you could make contact with. May God be with you in your ministry.🙂
 
nlmsnyder said:
Hi,

I am a mid-life, female, mechanical engineer in my second year of seminary for a Master’s of Divinty in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. Due to seminary issues, the UM church may not accept my seminary for ordination in their church which means I would be researching other denominations to see where I fit theologically and doctrinally. I should know more in about a month.

Meanwhile, I work with Catholics that are returning to the faith and we share a lot of commonality as far as our desiring deeper intimacy with Christ, a life filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and exhibiting the fruits of that life, and the need to reach out to help others in a world full of hurting people.

I have always found beauty in worship services of both Catholic and Orthodox churches, along with other Protestant churches. I don’t have any ecumenical prejudices that I am aware of. God is many places - not just in my church and not just in any other.

I started seminary knowing I was called to seminary but not to what field. The degree I am pursuing can lead, in the Protestant world, to parish ministry, chaplaincy or pastoral counseling.

As simply a curiosity at this point, is there anywhere in the Catholic church where I could be in His service full-time using the degree I am currently pursuing? Ordination is out but that’s not limiting for me. Not being able to help others in His name and for His glory would be limiting for me.

Blessings to all and may we all seek greater understanding of our Lord’s heart.

Nancy
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Interesting! I also attended a seminary from the UM church, got a degree in Pastoral counseling, then returned to the Catholic Church. You can serve as a parish counselor, but it is unlikely that any parish would allow that unless you became a Catholic. Otherwise, the pastors would be reserved to send people for counseling to you, in the possibility that they would get protestant spiritual direction. I would suggest you attend the RCIA at your local parish to help you make that decision. You can also go on for your licensure in counseling and work at a Christian Counseling center. I am sure that God will fulfill the calling in which he has carefully prepared you.
 
Contarini said:
But unless the Pope has changed things (I haven’t seen what you are talking about), RCIA in its full form is not supposed to apply to Christians seeking full communion with the Catholic Church (it is supposed to be adapted for that purpose, and great latitude is left as to how this is done). I would presume that the call for a fuller program applies only to catechumens, but I’m open to evidence to the contrary.
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I think you are right. Trinitarian baptisms are accepted, and persons who have studied and practiced their faith progress much quicker. However, in the early church, catechesis took three years!
Contarini said:
My own experience in RCIA was that the unbaptized resented being treated in any way differently from the baptized, and this is probably one reason why baptized and catechized Christians are made to go through the full program, while the program itself is abbreviated from what it is supposed to be (for new converts to Christianity).

Of course, in the U.S. a relatively tiny number of converts to Catholicism are unbaptized people with no prior catechesis–the people for whom the program was designed.
Edwin
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Some parishes have two programs, one for those who have been partially initiated that are being “received” and another for those who have had little or no instruction in matters of faith.
 
guanophore said:
Is he not quoting a true statement, though? Catholics do believe this, do they not?
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You can read all about how Catholics interpret these traditional sayings in the Catechism. Caesar rejects the authority of the Catechism, as far as I can tell, but it is an authoritative (maybe not infallible, but certainly official) summary of current Catholic teaching. You may or may not think that the current Catholic interpretation of “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” is convincing, but there is no denying that it is the current view. (Essentially, the official current view is that anyone who is following the light given them to the best of their knowledge and ability is in some sense a member of the Church. So the condemnations only apply to those who know the truth and reject it. In particular, all baptized Christians are members of the Church to some degree–non-Christians come in through “baptism of desire.”)

Edwin
 
Hello and Welcome!

I would like to suggest you go to the following website if you haven’t already, and research this very question: The Coming Home Network

You will find many who have attended Protestant seminaries there and I am sure they will be very helpful.

God bless you on your journey,

Kelly
 
Dear Guanophore and Kell0618,

Thank you for your emails and taking the time to respond!

Blessings,

Nancy
 
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