Ex-Catholic looking for help becoming protestant

Rebemk80 · Nov 18, 2019

Hi, I left the Catholic church about a year ago. I left because of bad experiences, mean and ignorant priests, no solutions to my questions or problems, and a never ending feeling of evil around me. I have a lot of backstory as to why I left but I'm not going to explain everything here right now. Maybe some other time. Anyway, after I stopped going to mass I was looking into the ideas and ways of evangelists and lutherans. I've been sticking to my bibles and i've been trying to find the best version to read. I own a king james, an english standard, and a Good News bible (catholic). I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy of the Halleluyah Scriptures (sorry if i spelled that wrong) and I'm curious to know what you guys recommend I should read.

On to the church part- I'm having trouble figuring out what kind of church I should go to or if any at all. I'm a bit afraid because all i've ever known is Catholicism. I really want to do things right and become born again. For now all i've been doing is reading the word and finding people on youtube to listen to. I've been watching alot of Living Waters with Ray Comfort and other youtube channels like Derek Prince, Fred Tarsitano, Alan Horvath, etc. I used to watch videos from the priest from my (old) diocese "Ascension Presents" with Father Mike Schmitz but I stopped because obviously I don't want to be RC anymore (roman catholic) I don't know if I want to label myself as a certain type of christian or just call myself a christian. I want to surround myself with people who are christian and want to help and guide other to christ the right way and find supporters. I have no idea where to go and i'm young so i have time to figure this all out, but I'd rather start now than later because I could get into a car crash and die tomorrow for all i know. I really want to stay away from evil and stay away from sin. The Catholic church is full of stuff like that. (sorry catholics)

Any advice or recommendations is appreciated!

d taylor · Nov 18, 2019

You do not need a church to be born again.

You just need to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah from Old Testament prophecies and trust in The Messiah (Jesus) for His gift of His eternal life.

Believe that and you are born again and become a permanent child of God.

But if you are looking for a church i would suggest a free grace church.

Is is a church tracker you can look up one that may be around you.

Free Grace Church and Bible Study Tracker | Grace Evangelical Society

Grace Evangelical Society | P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202

Albion · Nov 18, 2019

Hello, Rebemk80! That's a tricky question or shall I say a potentially complicated question, but I would suggest a few things now. For one, study the differences between the denominations and do not go off blindly trying out some friend's church or the one closest to your home or something like that. Ultimately, you may be well advised to visit several different churches/denominations as you are getting closer to knowing what you are seeking. But in the meantime, study up. A directory like the Handbook of Denominations in the United States is a good and to-the-point reference that most libraries have, for example.

If, as I suspect, you feel like the Catholic Church was right in some ways but not in other ones, you probably would not feel comfortable, belief-wise or worship style-wise jumping off to, say, a Baptist church. If that is generally correct to say, an Episcopal or Anglican church or a Lutheran church would be the most like the Catholic church in general terms and in feel but nevertheless reformed.

If you have more specific information to offer us, please do. That could help narrow things down better. And if you are limited to only X number of churches where you live, such that it is unrealistic to talk about the "perfect" church for you because it doesn't have a congregation/parish anywhere near you, that is worth bringing to the discussion now also.

David Kent · Nov 18, 2019

My experience is with Baptist Churches and Evangelical Churches. I have found that those I have met have all ben welcoming and friendly. My wife and I tried a Lutheran church when we were visiting France and nobody spoke to us Needless to say we didn't go again.

musicalpilgrim · Nov 18, 2019

John 3:16
This is a wonderful verse to start,
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that all that believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life
Welcome to the forum in Jesus name it is a great place to be for fellowship with other Christians.
There is a thread for introducing new people to the forum, and equally good is the prayer wall. There are so many people who can help...

my on line home is the Pentecostal forum.

charsan · Nov 18, 2019

First this is absolutely not true Catholics are Christians, as well as Orthodox and any of the Ancient Christian faiths. Anyone who taught you this taught you absolute lies, does the Catholic Church have problems, many as do other Churches but evil is not one of them. In any Church there will be problems that people find and you may have had a bad experience but that does not make a Church evil just the people that treated you that way.

--------------------

I was once Catholic and I ended up leaving because I did not care for the direction the Catholic Church was heading but I wanted to stay liturgical none of that evangelical nonsense. I couldn't go to the Episcopal Church and there were no Orthodox nearby so I prayed and searched and found my new Church home which is The Charismatic Episcopal Church International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.

We are:

A Church fully sacramental/liturgical: At the center of worship is the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion) which we believe is the real presence of Christ. We celebrate the living historic forms of the liturgies of the church and the seven Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion), Confession, Healing, Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony.

A Church fully evangelical:

We are a church holding to a high view of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, believing them to contain all things necessary for salvation; nothing can be taught as necessary for salvation that is not contained therein. We are committed to the preaching of the Gospel to fulfill the great commission. We believe that we are saved by grace alone and justified by faith in Christ who is calling us to a personal relationship with Him.

A church fully charismatic:

We are a church open to the continued working of the Holy Spirit. We believe that through the baptism of the Holy Spirit all believers are empowered to participate in the fullness of ministry. The baptism of the Holy Spirit releases in the believer both the fruit and gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Consensus government:

We are a church governed by bishops in apostolic succession who are humbly submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to each other. At all levels of government, we are a house of prayer, desiring to hear the voice of God. Decisions are made in council upon coming to a consensus. The church is administered by the orders of bishops, priests, deacons, and laity. All baptized Christians are ministers of the church.

Hope this helps

topher694 · Nov 18, 2019

Do you mind sharing what part of MN you are in? Or sending it in a PM? I have a lot of church connections there.

Basil the Great · Nov 18, 2019

As usual, Albion gave some good advice. I suggest trying a few different churches and doing your research might be helpful as well. If all you have known is the Catholic Church, you might want to consider the Orthodox Church or maybe not? It is the closest to the Catholic Church, though there are some differences. You still have the same seven sacraments, including confession. Individual confession is rare in most Protestant churches and never mandatory.

I wish you well and God bless.

A_Thinker · Nov 18, 2019

I sort of agree with the idea of visiting at least a few churches to see how you fit with them and how they fit with you.

You can google churches in your area ... and see photos of the events and people there. That can give you some idea of what's available for you. You are sort of in an enviable position ... that of finding a church uniquely suited to you ...

Rebemk80 · Nov 18, 2019

I'm from northern MN (a couple hours away from st.paul/minneapolis) The priest who does the videos i mentioned i believe is from/does his stuff in Duluth but he comes to my town alot and does mass and whatnot cuz he's from here

LoricaLady · Nov 18, 2019

I used to be Catholic. I will say that I think people can be Catholic and be saved, but that doesn't mean the RCC agrees with the Bible.

One day in a secular bookstore I felt led to buy a little book called Conversation With Catholics. Now before I read that book I had been getting into the Bible, getting familiar with it in ways that did not come from Masses. After I finished the book I knew I could never go to another Mass. I had a choice to make, the Bible or Catholicism. It was easy to choose the Bible.

So, my recommendation is to get the book, which is cheap on Amazon, used.

If anyone wants to debate this, sorry this is not a debate forum.

rockytopva · Nov 18, 2019

I cannot recommend any certain denomination. So many preachers come out of the cemetery (oops! I meant seminary) arrogant, not having been taught that the ego of man is not the unction of God.

Kris Jordan · Nov 18, 2019

Hi Rememk80,

I grew up Catholic until I became born-again at the age of 20 when my boyfriend (now husband) began sharing Jesus with me. My life was radically changed when I moved from a religion to a relationship with the living God. Big difference between the two.

Regarding Bible Versions: I really encourage you to begin reading from a NKJV or NASB, since they are more literal, word-for-word translations. Reading your bible, (focusing on the New Testament for now), will really help grow you in your faith and understanding of Jesus and what it means to live out your faith.

Regarding Which Church to Attend: No matter what Christian church you decide on, always go back to the Bible to see if what they are teaching you is biblical.

Regarding Becoming Born-Again: If you haven’t trusted Jesus for your forgiveness and salvation, you can do that right now. Here’s how:

Step One: Recognize You are a Sinner

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10)

Step Two: Understand Your Sin’s Consequences

For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9).

Step Three: Believe Jesus Died for Your Sins

For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8b)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)
And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (1 Peter 2:24)

Step Four: Receive Jesus into Your Heart

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13)

Sample Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know my sin has separated me from having a relationship with You. I believe You died for me on the cross and shed Your blood so that I could be forgiven. Please forgive me for my sins and come into my heart to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to live for You all the days of my life. Teach me what it means to follow You and honor You every day. I choose to follow You from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Sam Davis · Nov 18, 2019

Hi I recommend that you try the LCMS. If you go to YouTube and search for the 10 minute bible hour there is a video where the host visits an LCMS Church. I will try to post that video here. I believe there are actually several parts. You can also check out the LCMS website here: LCMS.org there is a church locator on their site. I think you would be at home in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The Liturgy and worship style you would find to be somewhat familiar. Despite what someone else here said about Lutherans I think you will find members of the LCMS to be very friendly and welcoming.

God Bless!

eleos1954 · Nov 18, 2019

well ... have you studied in depth the Lords Word for yourself? If so, through your study have you come to any core beliefs? If so ... you should seek out the church that support those beliefs.

Most churches have a website and state their beliefs and what they teach (doctrine)

Regardless where one attends organized church ... one needs to verify ALL teachings with the word of God.

Acts 17:11
Berean Study Bible
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

Sam Davis · Nov 18, 2019

If you have been baptized and received the Holy Spirit you are born again.

Lutherans consider Catholic baptism to be a valid baptism.

Sam Davis · Nov 18, 2019

Also here are some LCMS Lutheran messages you can listen to:

Past Shows

Sermons | Zion Lutheran Church, School & Daycare

LoricaLady · Nov 18, 2019

P.S. There are no denominations in the Bible. There are no "Churches" in the Bible. The word Church is Greek and a translation from Ekklesia. Ekklesia means a gathering of believers at any time and any place. The real "Church" is the body of believers.

The apostles and early believers never heard of a big building with a cross on top where people went to worship on Sundays. They met in Synagogues and in others' homes at any time, but particularly on the Sabbaths, as first century historians reveal.

If you look to denominations for the truth, you will never find it in full. Look to the Bible. You have a brain of your own. There is all kind of research you can do. Most of all you can pray and ask for Holy Spirit guidance.

Sam Davis · Nov 18, 2019

The Lutheran Church in France is very different from the LCMS here in America. There are vast differences between most Lutheran denominations.

HTacianas · Nov 18, 2019

Return to your Catholic Church. If you are seeking perfection among any group of people you are not going to find it.

timothyu · Nov 18, 2019

Are you looking for a religion or a way of life? I think you will find Jesus lived and taught the latter.

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