From Catholic To Lutheran?

[Franny50]

I was raised as a catholic and stayed away from church for a number of years as I do not agree with a number of its teachings.I was wondering what the process would be to join a Lutheran congregation,and what denomination would be appropriate?Would I have to be rebaptized,or reconfirmed?

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I can say with assurance that you do not need to be re-baptized.

What beliefs in the Catholic Church do you take issue with? Knowing that will help determine which synod you'd want to seek membership in.

Generally, if you're looking at one of the conservative, Confessional Lutheran churches, you'll have to take a Bible Information Class, which will go over basic Lutheran teachings and doctrines. The length of these classes depends on the church and the pastor giving them, etc.

God's blessings on your church search.

 

[Bryne]

Hi...and welcome.

I was confirmed LCMS in 2004. In order to join, I had to attend an adult information class that was 12 weeks long and be confirmed. You don't have to be rebaptized as long as your original baptism was a Trinitarian baptism (which, as a Catholic, yours would be).

 

[alexnbethmom]

I was raised as a catholic and stayed away from church for a number of years as I do not agree with a number of its teachings.I was wondering what the process would be to join a Lutheran congregation,and what denomination would be appropriate?Would I have to be rebaptized,or reconfirmed?

there's a number of us on here who were RCC at one point....

if you are looking for a Confessional Lutheran congregation, you would want to go to LCMS or WELS.....after you go to a church and decide if this is where you truly want to be, you would go through their adult education classes, and after completion you would basically be reconfirmed in the Lutheran faith - you would not need to be rebaptized though....(were you baptized RCC? then you would not need to be rebaptized)

welcome!

 

[Franny50]

Hi.Thank You everyone for your input.I am a baptized and confirmed"cradle catholic",in the Roman Catholic Church.Not quite sure where I would fit in.I am also dealing with this whole "guilt thing",as I was brought up to believe that my former church was the only true church,but I disagree,and would summarize my beliefs as the following

1)I do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope when it comes to doctrinal issues.
2)Although I am prolife;I would make exceptions in case of a mothers poor health
3)I believe that all life styles should be respected and support gay rights
4)I do not agree that women should be excluded from becoming priests
5)Do not agree on the churches stance on birth control.

Those are my basic beliefs.I joined a catholic forum awhile back but was called a heretic and a "protestant plant",so I realized I can never go back to such an authoritarian church!

 

[Bryne]

Both WELS and LCMS do not ordain female pastors. LCMS does ordain female deaconesses, though. Not sure about WELS.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

We have deaconesses, although not many (if any at all currently).

When you say you are for gay rights, what does that entail?

 

[Franny50]

I support civil rights for gays;civil union,partner benefits,social security benefits etc.Not sure if I agree with gay marriage,but I do not hear my former church advocating for any rights when they in fact stand up for the poor and the sick.
I was also wondering if any of the Lutheran Churches practice confession?

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Most Lutheran churches practice confession, bot publicly as part of the liturgy and privately.

You may find that your stance on the civil portions of gay rights is not standard amongst conservative Lutheran churches, though...

 

[Bryne]

Yes. We do corporate confession and absolution as part of the Divine Service. My church does private confession on request...I think this is how most LCMS congregations handle private confession...though I have heard of some where there is a scheduled time each week for people to come in for private confession.

With us, it is confession and absolution...but no penance.

 

[Bryne]

My personal views on gay rights are that they shouldn't be discriminated against for housing, jobs, etc. I have mixed feelings about civil unions. I am against gay marriage. I am not sure how this would compare against other LCMS Lutherans.

 

[Luther073082]

Hi.Thank You everyone for your input.I am a baptized and confirmed"cradle catholic",in the Roman Catholic Church.Not quite sure where I would fit in.I am also dealing with this whole "guilt thing",as I was brought up to believe that my former church was the only true church,but I disagree,and would summarize my beliefs as the following

1)I do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope when it comes to doctrinal issues.
2)Although I am prolife;I would make exceptions in case of a mothers poor health
3)I believe that all life styles should be respected and support gay rights
4)I do not agree that women should be excluded from becoming priests
5)Do not agree on the churches stance on birth control.

Those are my basic beliefs.I joined a catholic forum awhile back but was called a heretic and a "protestant plant",so I realized I can never go back to such an authoritarian church!

Based on #3 and #4 you would probably be most comfortable in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) which is not a confessional Lutheran church and a church that most of us in this forum have some major disagreements with.

The LCMS and WELS do not allow women to be pastors and hold that homosexuality is a sin like Roman Catholics do.

As far as I know none of the Lutheran churchs have an offical stance against birth control. However it should be noted that in the LCMS and probably also in the WELS there are a lot of people who do belive that birth control should be considered a sin. However I know the LCMS has yet to take a formal stance against it, and I believe the WELS is in the same boat.

Please note though that the ELCA is not terribly unified on doctrine. So while the ELCA does not condemn homosexuality as sin, there are still plenty of people in the ELCA who belive it is.

Alternatly you could consider the Episcopal church or you could also consider some of the Old Catholic churchs as well as those would fit with your beliefs fairly well.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

In terms of birth control, the WELS basically takes the stance that it is the motives that matter. Why is someone taking birth control? What kind of birth control are they taking? Birth control in and of itself is not necessarily sinful but the motives behind taking it can be, as well as the mode of birth control. The "morning after" pill, for example, would more than likely be considered sinful, since its primary aim is to stop (not prevent) an egg from fertilizing.

 

[Luther073082]

In terms of birth control, the WELS basically takes the stance that it is the motives that matter. Why is someone taking birth control? What kind of birth control are they taking? Birth control in and of itself is not necessarily sinful but the motives behind taking it can be, as well as the mode of birth control. The "morning after" pill, for example, would more than likely be considered sinful, since its primary aim is to stop (not prevent) an egg from fertilizing.

???

I think you mean that the Morning after pill is considered sinful because its primary aim is to prevent an already fertilized egg from implanting where as most other forms of birth control is to prevent fertilization period. And I belive the LCMS would hold the same views on the morning after pill.

 

[Bryne]

If LCMS and WELS are too conservative for you, and ELCA is too liberal, you might want to consider some of the moderate Lutheran churches that broke away from ELCA.

For example: LCMC :: Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ :: Lutheran Congregation Association

 

[PreachersWife2004]

???

I think you mean that the Morning after pill is considered sinful because its primary aim is to prevent an already fertilized egg from implanting where as most other forms of birth control is to prevent fertilization period. And I belive the LCMS would hold the same views on the morning after pill.

yep, you're right. I worded that poorly. *I* knew what I mean...

 

[Luther073082]

If LCMS and WELS are too conservative for you, and ELCA is too liberal, you might want to consider some of the moderate Lutheran churches that broke away from ELCA.

For example: LCMC :: Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ :: Lutheran Congregation Association

I think the LCMC would be too conservative for her. She doesn't belive that Homosexuality is a sin, and the LCMC broke away over that very issue and they hold that homosexuality is a sin. She sounds like an ELCAer or an Old Catholic.

Also I want to point out that I am only telling you where your beliefs would fit in. I strongly disagree with some of your beliefs and therefore I disagree with the churchs I have mentioned to you as being places where you would fit in.

 

[Bryne]

I don't recall reading that she didn't think homosexuality wasn't a sin...only that she supported civil rights for homosexuals.

I support certain civil rights for for homosexuals, but I still believe it is a sin.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I don't recall reading that she didn't think homosexuality wasn't a sin...only that she supported civil rights for homosexuals.

I support certain civil rights for for homosexuals, but I still believe it is a sin.

true, she said she believed that all lifestyles should be respected.

She also believes in female ordination, which means any confessional Lutheran church is out of the question, actually. She'd have to go ELCA.

 

[Luther073082]

I don't recall reading that she didn't think homosexuality wasn't a sin...only that she supported civil rights for homosexuals.

I support certain civil rights for for homosexuals, but I still believe it is a sin.

I interpreted the "respect all lifestyles" to mean that she does not consider homosexuality a sin.

However if she only means that she belives that homosexuals deserve civil rights like all of us. . . No Lutheran church that I know of has advocated stripping them of civil rights.

Besides Civil rights by their very nature fall into the realm of politics and the secular governance. For the most part Lutheran churchs as a whole avoid commenting on secular politics and governance as much as possible. For the most part we only say that we affirm the authority of the government and belive all Christians should obey the secular authorities in so far as they are not commanded to sin.

She also believes in female ordination, which means any confessional Lutheran church is out of the question, actually. She'd have to go ELCA.

Well if she belived that homosexuality was a sin then the LCMC (Lutheran Churchs in Mission for Christ) or the NALC (North American Lutheran Church) which are both church bodies that broke off of the ELCA over the homosexuality issue would fit her better. Both of those ordain women but hold homosexuality to be a sin.