My Journey Home To The Catholic Church – Why I Am Converting To Catholicism

bryankemper.com ^ | March 30, 2011 | Bryan Kemper

[GonzoII]

Dear friends,

I know this may come as a shock to many of you; I am in shock in a way my self. I have spent the past 23 years living my life for Christ always wanting to serve Him and know His truth.

I have been a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for almost 10 years as I was so inspired by the liturgy and reverence I found there. I have also been in a constant journey for God’s truth, studying His Word as well as church history. After many, many years of resisting a calling that I tried to suppress I have finally felt the peace of God with my decision to join the Catholic Church.

I know that many of you will be confused, even concerned for me. I know that you will have many questions and even be tempted to try and dissuade me from this decision. While I will most certainly talk to you about what God is doing here, I will not be entering into any debates about this right now.

I want to let you know this is not made lightly; I fought against this for years. There are several things that led me to search and finally choose to go back to the Church. I will share a few things in brief here and would love to sit down in person some time with you if you want to peacefully discuss them in more detail.

Church authority: There are simply thousands and thousands of denominations and every time someone disagrees with another teaching of their church they simply start a new one. The Catholic Church has had it’s teaching since the beginning of the Church in the scriptures. There is no way God can be happy with thousands of denominations or so-called non-denominational churches. It seems that when people disagree on doctrine it often results in another break off church. The fact is that current Christian teaching can differ so much between two churches that it really constitutes different religions and different Gods. There must be one established truth that God gave us, one that has remained from the time of Christ.

Pro-life and Contraception: There is only one church that has been consistent from the time of Christ to today on the teaching of pro—life and contraception. Before 1930 there was never a single Christian church in history to accept any form of contraception and today there is only one that absolutely has kept this Christian teaching and truth.

Communion or the Eucharist: I have always believed that communion was more that just a symbol and in looking back at early church teaching it is crystal clear that this was taught from day one. St Ignatius of Antioch a student of John the Apostle taught on this and clarified it well.

These are just a few of the things that drew me back into the Catholic Church; however there is so much more. I was baptized Catholic as a child so the process is not as complicated for me. I will be starting RCIA classes and working towards confirmation.

I am asking my friends to pray for my family’s journey and me as I truly seek to be closer to Christ. My relationship with Christ is the most important thing in my life and I hope my friends will stand by me, as I grow closer to Him.

As for the work of Stand True; it will remain focused on educating, activating and equipping young to stand up for life and Christ. We have always been an organization that reaches out to and works with all Christians and we will remain true to that.

For Christ I stand, Bryan Kemper

bryankemper@standtrue.com

http://www.bryankemper.com

http://www.facebook.com/iambryankemper

http://www.twitter.com/bryankemper

[GonzoII]

"studying His Word as well as church history. "

"And this one thing is certain…the Christianity of history is not Protestantism. If there ever were a safe truth, it is this. And Protestantism has ever felt it so… This is shown in the determination…of dispensing with historical Christianity altogether, and of forming a Christianity from the Bible alone: men never would have put [historical Christianity] aside, unless they had despaired of it… To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant."

--Cardinal John Henry Newman

[Judith Anne]

Welcome home, Bryan Kemper!

[nralife]

I just wish it was EASIER to join the Roman Catholic church. Meaning, it takes a long time. I suppose there are valid reasons for process, but still.

[Berlin_Freeper]

My wife was put on fast track because she was pregnant.

[GOP Poet]

Welcome home. Prayers sent his way :-).

[LetMarch]

And which Church saves? Is it Catholic? Is it Protestant?

NO! No church saves! Jesus Saves! The church is the Body of Christ, which made of those Jesus has saved!

The word Christian is in th Bible only three times. First it is in Acts 11:26c: “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Then in Acts 26:28: “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persaudest me to be a Christian.”

And last: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Peter 4:16)

Remember; Jesus said:”Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3b-4)

In Luke 13:3: Jesus said: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Also Jesus said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven.” (John 3:3b-8)

And let me close with: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

[MacMattico]

That sort of sounds like me. I sat in confirmation class in sixth grade and had a teacher that said if you are not ready to give yourself 100% to God and the church, you shouldn’t be here. So I didn’t return. I was not ready to make that decision. And because class started at 8:00 am on a Saturday. Seriously. I thought if sleeping in is more important than being confirmed, I’m really not ready to be confirmed.

Fast forward 25 years and I’m back where I started, I hope a little bit smarter. I searched, I learned. My husband used to tell me that I was the biggest defender of the Catholic church and could recite the doctrine and history of the church better than anyone he knew, so what was I afraid of? I have faith, I believed, but I was just a text book of Catholicism while my husband felt and lived his faith. It’s the only way I can describe it. I am still on that journey but think I am getting closer.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Wouldn’t you hate to wake up one day and think you just made a big mistake? The longer it takes, the more you can learn beforehand so you really really have a better idea what it’s about.

The Church isn’t eager for one more “number”, Jesus wants your entire love and that comes with learning and reflection.

It’s almost conceited and cocky isn’t it - this Church that seems in no hurry to have you - but it’s so humble and so “free will” and so “wanting you fully aware of what you are getting into”, what it knows to be, the greatest thing, the fullness of the faith on earth, His Church.

[antceecee]

bookmark

[GonzoII]

"I was just a text book of Catholicism while my husband felt and lived his faith"

Try adding 15 minutes of prayer to that everyday..regardless of feelings. ;0)

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

As you seem to be saying you’re not leaving a denomination for another, you’re growing into the fullness of the faith in Jesus Christ. The faith is there, now the understanding will deepen yet further.

I tell my boys - you could and would and should love Jesus totally if you knew Him in black and white, many colors, or all shades of all colors - you could/would/should love Him in 2 million pixels or 5 million pixels or 20 million just the same, but OH the fullness, if you can see Him in the fullness - in the Catholic Church!

Now whether you love Him enough to be ever accused of being a Christian - Catholic or otherwise - that of course is another subject entirely!

[Cronos]

I just wish it was EASIER to join the Roman Catholic church. Meaning, it takes a long time. I suppose there are valid reasons for process, but still.

I apologize but I disagree with you -- by making it difficult, we get real gems joining the Church. The folks who come to the Church as adults not only enrich their communities but the grace that comes with them permeates the entire Church

I only wish my confirmation and that of my fellow cradle Catholics was as strict. I don't know half as much as my fellow Catholics who were not cradle Catholics and each time I read them, I learn more and I praise God more.

[Biggirl]

Congrats and WELCOME HOME!

[Biggirl]

Be it 1 year or 25 years, it is a process, a journy, a time to discern.

[don-o]

I expect Bryan Kemper is well aware of the technique of stringing together several Bible verses and claiming to have proved a point.

My experience is that many converts to the Catholic (and Orthodox) church are very skilled at that. However, at some point, if we are to be honest, we have to deal with the verses we do not want to quote.

We have to deal with those verses plus the patent confusion of multiplied "Bible only" denominations, all making similar claims on the truth.

It all begins with honesty and humility and a willingness to admit that I may be wrong in my presuppositions.

[Biggirl]

I think also to another reason given for the strictness in getting into the Roman Catholic Church is from a historic perspective, and it is from the period of Church history that is the faith and practice of the early church.

[Twinkie]

I’m sorry; but I come from Huguenot ancestry. That is MY history. The Catholic Church’s priests KILLED people who did not agree with them. - I also do not like (an understatement) the Catholic Church’s history of allowing pedophile priests to prey on young boys in its ranks; then just shuffling the nasty, spoiled priests around to some other parish to prey on the youth there. Hypocrisy - the leaven that Christ warned against.

Too much water has gone under the bridge in the past 2,000 years.

[Cronos]

ok, cool, 400 years ago, the French kings attacked your ancestors. You would have ancestry from both sides of that ideological divide. So some of your ancestors killed the other.

That's sad and we should pray for all

However, this is the here and now about a man who came from the OPC to the Church. Your post has no relevance to this man's story.

[Cronos]

And focusing on the here and now, this is what the article says, in case you didn't read it

Pro-life and Contraception: There is only one church that has been consistent from the time of Christ to today on the teaching of pro—life and contraception. Before 1930 there was never a single Christian church in history to accept any form of contraception and today there is only one that absolutely has kept this Christian teaching and truth.

....

I am asking my friends to pray for my family’s journey and me as I truly seek to be closer to Christ. My relationship with Christ is the most important thing in my life and I hope my friends will stand by me, as I grow closer to Him.

Note --> I am asking my friends to pray for my family’s journey and me as I truly seek to be closer to Christ. My relationship with Christ is the most important thing in my life and I hope my friends will stand by me, as I grow closer to Him. -- this is one man's personal journey. He has not criticized where he came from, hardly even mentioned them besides saying he was inspired there.

[GonzoII]

"Too much water has gone under the bridge in the past 2,000 years."

If you were a 2000 year old bridge you would indeed have a lot of water passed under you but that wouldn't change the fact of your being 2000 years old.