Megachurch pastor stuns congregation by announcing he’s converting to Catholicism

The Deacon's Bench ^ | March 10, 2014 | Deacon Greg Kandra

[NYer]

Details:

During his Sunday morning service, Ulf Ekman announced the he and his wife, Birgitta, are converting to Roman Catholicism.

Ekman is the founder of Word of Life, a megachurch in Uppsala, Sweden. News reports and blogs coming out of the nation reveal congregation was “partially stunned” after hearing what was packaged as a “special announcement.” The theme was “follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”

“For Birgitta and me, this has been a slow process where we have gone from discovering new things, to appreciating what we have discovered, to approach and even learn from our fellow Christians,” Ekman says on his ministry website.

“We have seen a great love for Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma. We have experienced the richness of sacramental life. We have seen the logic in having a solid structure for priesthood, that keeps the faith of the church and passes it on from one generation to the next. We have met an ethical and moral strength and consistency that dare to face up to the general opinion, and a kindness towards the poor and the weak. And, last but not least, we have come in contact with representatives for millions of charismatic Catholics and we have seen their living faith.”

According to the Alethia blog and think tank, Ekman’s conversion is a news story that affects a relatively large part of Swedish Christianity. Word of Life has about 3,000 members and a staff of 12 pastors. The church’s school has about 1,000 students. Ekman also launched Scandinavia’s largest Bible school, constructed Scandinavia’s largest free church building, and rolled out a media program with TV on all continents, recorded teaching that has been spread around the world, books in 60 languages, and a strong engagement for Israel.

“We have as many know, followed Ekman’s steps towards Roman Catholicism since 2007, at times under a lot of ridicule from both members and leadership of the congregation, but also from others within the Christian Community in Sweden,” writes Andreas Glandberger, who operates the think tank. “Based on Ulf Ekman’s various articles, sermons, statements, and even type of organizations he decided to support financially, a painstaking puzzle has been laid in which the last piece of the puzzle now is in place.”

Glandberger went on to say that “shock, anger, sadness, despair and confusion” among the reactions to the news. Others, he writes, were relieved that Ekman’s long love affair with the Catholic Church finally was consummated openly, which is also a help in theological discussions.

Continue reading.

[verga]

I’ll take back the weeping but I stand by my gnashing of teeth comment.

Now you will be accused of projecting. It isn't true, but it makes them feel better.

[Elsie]

Nah...

Thinking a dead person hears my prayers and then helps JESUS to answer them is what REALLY makes us feel good!

[verga]

I pity you.

[Chode]

thx, i needed that...

[Elsie]

You channeling Mr T now?

[Elsie]

Mr. Chode does NOT pity the lazy...

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences.”

C.S Lewis

[Arthur McGowan]

You can look it up. Or you can pretend that Catholic priests are worse than anyone else.

[verga]

Is it possible for you to go an week, a day, or maybe just a single thread with out making your usual inane, uncharitable, and un Christian comments? Seriously can you make comments that actually add to the conversation?

[for-q-clinton]

Huh? you are ignoring what the elders in the church did to hide such a horrible act. Plus priesthood has traditionally been a great place for gay men to hide their sexual deviant behavior. That’s a fact, but today they don’t need to hide as much in the west because gayness is being embraced.

[Arthur McGowan]

We weren’t talking about the bishops; we were talking about priests.

Among priests, about 4% in the last sixty years are credibly accused of abuse. That’s a lower percentage than Protestant ministers and government school teachers.

Among the Catholic bishops of the past sixty years, about 66% of them engaged in cover-ups of abusive priests. Their record is horrible. It appears that Rome has rather systematically been appointing the WORST priests as bishops.

[Arthur McGowan]

I see you are denying life after death again.

[Arthur McGowan]

You still haven’t explained why my mother, who prayed for me her whole life, would have no desire to do so once she is in heaven. You have never explained why God would deny to people in Heaven the happiness of praying for those they love. Why, once they are in Heaven, do people STOP LOVING those they have loved on earth?

[for-q-clinton]

That’s what you were trying to focus on but go back and read what I wrote...clearly I was talking about those that covered it up.

[verga]

That’s a lower percentage than Protestant ministers and government school teachers.

And the highest percentage is from family members, generally parents or step parents.

[Elsie]

Is it possible for you to go an week, a day, or maybe just a single thread with out making your usual inane, uncharitable, and un Christian comments? Seriously can you make comments that actually add to the conversation?

I pity you.

[Elsie]

I see you are denying life after death again.

I see you denying that any 'good' people will come out of the grave at the last trump.

1 Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable ...

[Elsie]

You still haven’t explained why my mother, who prayed for me her whole life, would have no desire to do so once she is in heaven.

Why should I?

She ain't in Heaven yet!

[Elsie]

You have never explained why God would deny to people in Heaven the happiness of praying for those they love.

Why should I?

It's YOUR strawman.

[Elsie]

Why, once they are in Heaven, do people STOP LOVING those they have loved on earth?

How would I know?

It's YOUR strawman.

[Elsie]

That’s what you were trying to focus on but go back and read what I wrote...clearly I was talking about those that covered it up.

Good luck!!