Looking For A True Church To Call Home

6/21/11 | Me

[NoGrayZone]

Okay, here's the deal in a long story short. I was raised Lutheran, moved out to Long Island and continued to be raised in St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Aunt Jeannie (my name sake) has been a member since. I decided years ago I wanted back, so I went.

I did not feel Him there, thought it was me. I kept looking around the congregation, thinking it was me. After a while, I realized it wasn't (a couple of things happened after that confirmed it wasn't me).

Anywho, the icing on the cake was my Aunt Jeannie stopped going as well. After almost 30 years she felt the change as well. I looked up our church and saw they were apart of the "accept homosexuals as Pastors" crowd. That was 1 of the things that confirmed it was not me.

But my Aunt Jeannie leaving was the icing on the cake.

Here's our delima. Both of us are July babies. She is the 2nd, I am the 18th. We decided on 7/17 we would find a church to attend (we both want one to belong to and believe in), then go have brunch to discuss.

She is much more open minded than I am, but I promised her I would be open minded, if just for an hour, on that day.

I said to her, during our conversation "how do we know if the "Pastor" is a homo or not. She believes He is with us no matter where we are. I agree....to a point. I don't believe a homosexual can be one of His Shepard's leading His herd if that is so.

There have been so many "demoninations" coming out for homosexual "Shepard's" I have NO idea where to begin.

I have called a few churches and left messages for the Pastor to call back so I can interview Him (no lady Pastors for me).

Any advise to where we can look? Anyone know anything about Presbyterians?

[madison10]

Fine....I confess!!! Me and my bff's cheated on our Confirmation tests! There, I said it! Now with that out in the open, I have learned much more reading my Bible on my own (thanks to the Jehovah Witness's)....yes, the JH's!!

I did Bible studies with them and they taught me how to read the Bible. For that I will ever be grateful.

Don't be silly.I was only saying that some people are in a church because they like the liturgy and practices, NOT because there is some test they need to pass to get to heaven, or to be a Christian. If a person likes the liturgy they should go to a church that also has it.

Baptists would miss having submersion baptisms if a church did not have them, would they not?

[NoGrayZone]

Thank you Charles. New Hyde Park is a bit away from us; however, if we want Him we will crawl through broken glass for Him.

I will call the Pastor now. Thanks again!

[Lee N. Field]

I tend to “sway” from evangelical because that is what my former Lutheran Church states it is....which it IS NOT!

"Evangelical" has meant different things at different times and places. Not so far back in our history, it was synonymous with "protestant". Post WWII, it became the name for an ecumenical movement among conservative low church protestants, who didn't want to be seen as grumpy fundamentalists.

See Darryl Hart's Deconstructing Evangelicalism for more on what it's meant over time, and why it's not that useful a category now.

[mdmathis6]

“If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.”

If you are Christian, you would know God has known all who would call on his name, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth from all Christian sects, from all eras, from the founding of Creation itself!

[Lee N. Field]

Nationally the Southern Baptists are the second largest church in America.

Those that are on the rolls, or those that show up regularly on a Sunday?

[RegulatorCountry]

She said she wanted to avoid homosexual clergy.

[Persevero]

I love your last question, I am a Presbyterian!

So I know a few things about us. . .

I’ll recommend you visit www.opc.org, it should satisfy your interest pretty well, and it has a directory for you to see if there is a local church to try.

Also the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America), the RPCNA (Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America) and the RCUS (Reformed Church of the U.S.) are sister denominations that are good Bible believing churches.

A list of sister denominations are available at opc.org, actually, so you can find good referrals there.

We are blessed in the U.S., there are many many Bible believing churches. I am sure you will find a good one. I think you did the right thing in that your denomination has obviously left Scripture.

Any particular questions feel free to pm me.

[Salvation]

The homosexual clergy is more prevalent in other denominations than in the Catholic Church.

ALL Protestant denominations

147 Baptist Ministers

251 "Bible" Church Ministers (fundamentalist/evangelical)

140 Anglican/Episcopalian Ministers

38 Lutheran Ministers

46 Methodist Ministers

19 Presbyterian Ministers

197 various Church Ministers

[Rum Tum Tugger]

Ten years ago I decided it was time to leave the United Methodist Communist Party.

I spent a year looking and studying other churches.

I finally concluded that if one is going to be a Christian, the only real choice is the Roman Catholic Church (with the Eastern/Greek Orthodox a close second).

There is no other Christian church with a theology/dogma that is as intellectually sound.

I spent most of my life as a protestant. When I actually took the time to learn what the Catholic Church was really all about, I realized that everything I had been told by my protestant brethren about the Catholic Church was pure BS.

[Lee N. Field]

I wouldn’t recommend the Moonies, or the Scientologists, but, for completeness sake, don’t they deserve a mention here?

No.

The Nicene Creed's a good first filter for stuff like that.

[catroina54]

I’m sorry, I don’t want to step on any toes, but the Catholic religion just doesn’t cut it.

Again, sorry, no dis intended but the Catholic Church is out for us.
________________________
Many understand what you’re saying but it all might simply be WHAT you think you know on the Roman Catholic church,and someday
as your time permits you’ll google catholic apologetics or even scott hahn’s conversion.

[NoGrayZone]

"You understand the norms for receiving the Sacrament in the Catholic Church and, nevertheless, choose to ignore it and do as you please."

I DO NOT believe in the Catholic Church as the ONE AND ONLY. I believe in Christ, who died for ALL of our sins. If the Catholic Church DOES NOT believe I am not good enough for "it's" body of Christ, that is NOT my problem but theirs.

Now I will get nasty, on PURPOSE. WTF did these Catholic "churches" do with the pedophile "priests"? They sent them elsewhere just so more children can be molested by them.

Don't get all "Catholic" on me. They protected their own....so the money could continue to keep pouring in. If Jesus were here today the Catholic church would have been treated the same way the Holy Temple was.

[PGR88]

Read first about the early Church Fathers - those who suffered under the persecutions and then those who became the first Church leaders after Christianity was made State religion of Rome by Constantine.

[Persevero]

Actually, Salvation, Protestants pretty much believe that we go back to 33 AD too, and the RCs left around the Council of Trent. We see a line of faithful Bible believers, from AD33 through the Waldensians and early faithful Christians up through and continuing until now.

I also imagine the Greek Orthodox might take up with you on your historical timeline as well. . .

[HereInTheHeartland]

If these guys are close to you; check them out. I just searched for a place in my denomination that was close to the town you mentioned..

I have been in 2 E Free churches. They have stayed true to the Word. Hopefully that will continue.
Our sermons are based only on scripture. No “prosperity gospel” or anything else off track.

It look like they have some good online sermons you could check out.

If you have specific questions about their belief structure; I would suggest putting them in email format.
Maybe email them to the pastor ahead of time and asking for a time to get together and discuss.
I would be shocked if you don't get a response.

http://www.thewayworship.org/
http://www.thewayworship.org/about/what-we-believe/

[NoGrayZone]

I just called and left a message on his vm. Me and Aunt Jeannie need to find a “home” asap!

Thanks again! =)

[conservativesister]

Oh my goodness, I could have written your post in 1982, called the pastors, etc. Even same date of July 7! We found a GREAT Independent Fundamental Church with a fantastic preacher!
We moved from that city and now are in a Southern Baptist Church with the best pastor I could ever imagine. He preaches from the bible and puts it on a level that all in the congregation can understand.

Let God lead the way, it can be as simple as sitting at a stop light on a Sunday morning and hearing “turn left” and finding the church you are supposed to be a part of! I know it happened to me. God Bless.

[RegulatorCountry]

Pray for guidance. Look for likeminded believers. Your church can be a meeting in a house. Follow where He leads. As far as a more formal church setting, take a drive out and about, in the country if it’s nearby. Look for those humble but well-loved, smaller churches that shine, that just say “now that’s a nice little church.” There’s a reason, you’ll find. See who they are and what they profess. Make inquiries, pay a visit one Sunday. It’s make a nice outing for a Godly purpose, even if it’s not ultimately “home.”

I have elderly family members, Primitive Baptists, who make a point of getting out to different churches, to hear and appreciate all the ways one can praise God, the different music, the preaching styles, the emphases on different Biblical passages ... they know which are Bible churches and which are not, they’ve been to most all of them, bearing witness if necessary and enjoying the fine fellowship and unique perspective always. Of course, they’re members of old, small country churches that still have circuit preachers, so they have many Sundays free to do this.

Maybe this will sound a little odd, but a good church has a, what, warm glow about it? I sort of alluded to it above. Good luck, and do remember to pray for guidance, to be led to the right person or people to bring you to your new spiritual fellowship, your church.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Having been there when it happened, I probably know more than you but not nearly everything. I've known for YEARS of the dangers of the National Council of Churches.

After the merger in 1988 the group became extremely liberal. I recall receiving their stupid publication, The Lutheran and it was more than I could stomach. I knew they were a bunch of liberal Democrats advocating things I knew I didn't believe in and one day on a whim I stoppped by a LCMS chuch and went in and asked the pastor if the LCMS belonged to the NCC (a deal breaker for me). He assured me they didn't and I also asked him if they had an official position on abortion

He also assured me their official position was that they were opposed to abortion. The only time I was ever back in an ELCA church was on a special occasion such as funeral, etc. My old home church has since left the ELCA which is very good but they are now LCMC and I believe they will accept women pastors. That is not for me, either.

I completely agree about the name. The name "Lutheran" doesn't mean anything any more. Of course the word "Christian" doesn't mean much, either.

Anytime you see the words, "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" you need to run the other way.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

rejecting the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and praising the JW’s!
isn’t it funny, those that claim to follow “sola scriptura” can’t find their “church” in the NT, and depending on what “church” fits their needs ( how self centered can you get )they wouldn’t be able to find this “church” for anywhere from the 16th to the 20th centuries!
meanwhile, the Catholic Church with the the Body of Christ, sits with empty pews.
talk about there being a falling away from the faith in the end times.....