Posted on 02/02/2011 10:04:55 AM PST by Alex Murphy
What would a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic need to do in order to join the Orthodox Presbyterian Church?
Allow me to answer you question with a brief autobiographical anecdote. I was born, baptized, raised, confirmed, and educated in the Roman Catholic system. In fact, it was while I was at a Roman Catholic college (of all places) that I was converted by the grace of God. After realizing how different the teachings of the RCC are from Scripture, I joined with a Baptist church. And that church required that I be rebaptized as an adult. So, I went through that process and became a member. Several years later I came to understand the doctrine of the Bible as it was taught in Reformed churches like the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC). Joining them was quite easy. I went before the session (a group of men who are officers in the church) where they interviewed me to make sure I had a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The following Sunday they put me before the congregation where I publicly professed my faith in Jesus Christ in the form of several membership vows. And that was it. I was a member!
So, being baptized and confirmed in the RCC is no big obstacle if you want to become a member of the OPC. As long as you have come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, and you trust not in any of your works. When asked the question "What must I do to be saved?", the response of Paul and Silas was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31), and that is still true today. What is important is to put your full trust in Jesus. If you have done that, if you have repented of your sin and trust in Jesus alone, you are welcomed into the fellowship of the OPC. There is no need to be re-baptized and there is no need to renounce your confirmation.
At this point I would strongly encourage you to seek out the pastor of a local OPC, and he can guide you through the details of the steps toward membership in the OPC. If you need assistance finding an OPC in your area, you can check out our Directory of Churches. May God bless you and may you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 5:18). If we can be of further assistance, just let us know!
BTW, Sheets Byrd got quite the send-off: a full week of festivities, including a big funeral at the Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, VA.
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopal, Reformed (in some cases) ... these are all proper nouns. Protestant is not a proper noun, hence it is not capitalized.
Replace their brain with a cauliflower and turn in their soul at the OPC church door.
Police your own, Mr. Yam.
Nice tagline. Borders on blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
There are possibilities other than bored or “entertained”.
Interesting. Both our deacon (ELCA) and priest (Baptist) are former Protestants. The deacon in the church next nearest to us is also a former Protestant.
Yes. Catholics leave the Church for self interest and self indulgence, and people join the Church for the theology.
No, she told me herself... she left due to boredom. So sad.
Merriam-Webster says otherwise.
Is it about the people, or is it about Jesus? How many 'Christian' religions consists of the god whose image that one sees in the mirror? How many 'Christian' religions keep their god on the hall stand and rub his head for luck when they walk by?
Nice tagline. Borders on blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Yeah, both me and my buddy St. Augustine are border blasphemers, you bet. Have they electrified your county yet?
I am not policing anyone and I reject your collectivist "your own".
You, as an individual, are saying things that I fine objectionable so I have politely asked you (one person) to reconsider doing so.
Don't forget the churches that shut down if Christmas Day falls on a Sunday.
And just when you were starting to get things right at least some of the time...
Only Roman Catholics choose their religion for theological reason?
ROFL!!!!
You don't have a right not to be offended. Your coreligionists say lots of things I find offensive and objectionable. Many of these things are outright objective falsehoods. With that background, I have little sympathy for your sensibilities.
You misunderstood me (and perhaps I misunderstood you).
Your acquaintance was bored by the sermons and stopped attending for that reason. Got it.
I understood your post to imply that therefore this person sought to be "entertained", and that boring sermons are acceptable or even inevitable.
My intended point is that sermons can and should be exciting, compelling, uplifting, engrossing, challenging, all sorts of things that are neither "boring" nor merely "entertaining".
It is "The Greatest Story Ever Told", after all. It also has the advantage of being the Truth.
The Truth can and should be told in such a way that people are grateful to hear it.
You are just digging yourself in further and further.
Since when is it sufficient for Christians to cite the shortcomings of others as justification for their persistence in behavior that they otherwise cannot defend?
I appreciate your thoughts. In my opinion it isn’t so important that. Sermon be exciting but rather be food for thought. I’d rather be challenged than entertained. I’d rather the priest be an example on how to love Jesus more and to teach us to be better Christians. P.s. I’m typing on my iPod so sorry for grammar errors.
God bless! :)
Thank you. May God bless you and yours.
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