Jmj

I just read this happy news from "The Coming Home Network" (http://www.chnetwork.org/) ...

---------------------- QUOTE --------------------
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH SWITCHES TO CATHOLICISM

A Pentecostal pastor and his congregation have joined the Catholic Church in what is believed to be the first move of its kind. Alex Jones and the 64 members of his Maranatha Christian Church in Detroit have given up their Pentecostal affiliation to become lay members of St. Suzanne Catholic Church, reported "The Seattle Times." [Sorry, folks. It's Alex Jones, not Ruiz. JFG]

The switch dates back to 1998, when Jones was asked to teach a class about ancient Christianity at his then 200-member church, "I discovered that the center of the early church was a passionate love of Christ and a sacrificial desire to help the poor," he said. "These people weren't asking: What can God do for me? They were asking: How can we completely give ourselves to God? That touched me deeply."

He introduced a Eucharist at Maranatha. Some members were upset at the changes, and numbers dropped to the 64 who began Catholic studies with Jones last year. He is now preparing for ordination as a Catholic deacon, which would allow him to preach at Mass. ...

Jones said: "I discovered the word 'tradition.' All my life, I'd been taught that was a bad word..." ...
-------------------------- UNQUOTE ---------------

God bless you (and our new Catholic family members).
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 31, 2001

Answers

Clarification:
When the article above refers to the conversion as "what is believed to be the first move of its kind," it means Pentecostal-to-Catholic.
Since 1990, I have heard of several other partial or complete congregational conversions, including pastor, from various Protestant denominations to Catholicism. The Holy Spirit is truly at work as we approach the solemn feast of Pentecost.

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 31, 2001.

Of course at the same time there are many, many Catholics who are leaving the Catholic Church and joining the Pentecostals and other Christian churches. Let's be honest about this. All the traffic is not flowing in one direction.

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

You are right, Roy Lambert. But the Catholic Church hasn't left Christ and His holy Apostles. You can traffic in converts till hell freezes over, but the only Church founded by Christ and sent to all nations is HIS Church, the Catholic Church. If some choose to leave her and become ''Bible Christians'' and ''Born again Christians'', they leave his sheepfold, and become as lost sheep. Why would you convert OUT of the True Church, unless it were to satisfy the false teachers of the world? All those self-ordained ministers, and their ''eternal security'' (no strings attached) that no Apostle ever preached? They have peddled an escape clause in their ''commitment'' to Christ, which gives their flock a license to sin right to the final moment of their lives, without necessarily losing their salvation? A salvation which Jesus Christ had to bleed and suffer for on His cross? There is security for the repentant sinner-- within the sanctuary of God. The holy Catholic Church. Mitzi is coming in, and her life will be filled with God's grace and love, from now on. I hope you find the way back as well, Roy.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 31, 2001.

There are millions of Christians who would say you are talking a lot of bulldust. Don't be so sure Mitzi has committed herself to Cathocism either.

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

That was meant to read Catholicsm. There's an interesting thread on LUSENET's The Christian Church entitled 'Are Catholics Christian'.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0055bl

Very intersting reading.

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

Having a bad day with 'typos'. Catholicism.

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

Jmj

Roy, I would be happy to read your posts if you could keep them logical, reasonable, and honorable. In response to my story about the "mass conversion," you mentioned that some Catholics are leaving their Church. And you added:
"Let's be honest about this. All the traffic is not flowing in one direction."

By writing this, you have implied that I was DIShonest. Nonsense. I did not deny that some Catholics are "falling away," and, in starting this thread, I was in no way obliged to mention that fact. Therefore, I WAS "honest," as you required.

Please post on this forum when you have something of genuine value to say, not when your only motivation is to attack and ridicule.

God bless you.
John

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 31, 2001.

I'm giving you a benefit of the doubt, Roy. I expected a serious reply, but you haven't got the guns. No safe place for you to hide. ''Millions'' of Christians?

Before Martin Luther ever was, the Catholic Church had already brought many millions of souls to Christ, Roy. Your own ancestors, very likely. If you find safety in numbers, you already lost this argument. More Catholic Christians were martyred in the days of the Caesars than all the Bible Christians alive today. As for Mitzi; she seemed unsatisfied being a Baptist. Her aim is to return to Jesus Christ's True Church. Is that a reason for you to feel bad? And now an entire Pentecostal congregation realizes the Catholic Church is the True Church founded by Christ, and rejoins Him. You want to rain on their parade, I guess?

Roy, my advice is, think of your own soul. Don't buy what the world is selling as salvation. You have a God-given right to the True Faith; nobody can stop you if you wish to come back.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 31, 2001.

Mr Gecik,

I didn't mean to suggest that you were being dishonest. Also my motivation is not to attack and discredit. Sorry you saw it that way.

Regards

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

Eugene,

The Jehovah Witnesses and the Church of Latter Day Saints also claim they are 'the one true church' as well.

I don't wish to start debating with you, this is a Catholic forum after all.

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

Very wise of you, Roy. A roll of sausage has little hope of surviving a debate with the meat-grinder. As I said once already: let's give it a rest and be friends.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), June 01, 2001.

Roll of sausage,

I concur with being friends :-).

-- Roy Lambert (sako@hotmail.com),), June 01, 2001.

Show me anywhere that in this world, an innocent.

-- Robert (tlacaetlel@hatmail.com), June 04, 2001.

Jmj

A week ago, watching "The Journey Home," EWTN's hour-long, live interview show (hosted by Marcus Grodi), I had the privilege to see Mr. Alex Jones (former pastor of the Pentecostal Church I mentioned above).
He was terrific! I wish that all non-Catholics who visit here had had the chance to see that program (and/or to contact Mr. Jones via e-mail).
If you can get EWTN on your TV, please watch another live interview tonight (8:00 Eastern) with a former Pentecostal, Mary Beth Kremski. If you can't get EWTN on TV, you can listen to (or view) the program live, via the Internet (streaming RealAudio/Video), by going to http://www.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.htm

God bless you.
John

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), July 16, 2001.

Jmj

I hope that some of you had the chance to see, or listen to, the show I mentioned yesterday.
Mary Beth Kremski was simply wonderful.
She was particularly interesting to me because she was a "cradle Catholic" who went on a search for "truth" while in high school, got married, and eventually joined the Assemblies of God as a young adult, becoming an anti-Catholic.
She is grateful to Jesus for leading her back home to the Catholic Church that he founded.
How amiable, articulate, and well-informed Mary Beth is! I wonder if she has time to carry on e-mail or Internet forum conversations with folks who don't share her beliefs?
God bless you.
John

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), July 17, 2001.