Posted on 09/13/2015 2:58:53 PM PDT by NYer
Mon. Sep. 14 at 8:00 PM ET
Tue. Sep. 15 at 1:00 AM ET
Fri. Sep. 18 at 1:00 PM ET
BIRGITTA AND ULF EKMAN
Former Charismatic and Non-Denominational converts Birgitta and Ulf Ekman share their faith journey with Host Marcus Grodi.
FROM FIRST THINGS
The founder of one of Sweden’s largest Protestant congregations is converting to Catholicism. This past Sunday Ulf Ekman announced to the Word of Life church he founded that he and his wife would swim the Tiber. Major news even in secular Sweden, the Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest daily, printed a statement by Ekman detailing his conversion and the reasons behind it. Ekman and his wife Birgitta explained what they saw in the Roman Catholic Church:
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.
Ekman explained that his conversion was a personal matter and that he had not attempted to bring Word of Life into union with the Catholic Church because “that would be unreasonable.”
In addition to the main church of over three thousand members in Uppsala, Ekman built a network of churches extending into Eastern Europe. Anders Gerdmar, president of the theological seminary connected to Word of Life, tells me that there will be a congress for pastors next week at Ephesus in Turkey in which they will discuss Ekman’s announcement and how the network of churches can move forward without their founder. They are helped by the fact that Ekman had already facilitated a transition to a new group of leaders after stepping down as president last year.
Originally ordained in the Swedish Lutheran Church, in the early 1980s Ekman embraced a version of the prosperity gospel propagated by Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland. In 1981 he attended Rhema Bible Training Center, home of the Word of Faith prosperity Pentecostalism in the United States. Ekman’s early preaching focused on the healing of the body and the advancement of the kingdom as central to prosperity rather than financial blessings. At times, he also engaged in anti-Catholic rhetoric for which he has since apologized.
As Ekman’s congregation in Uppsala grew, much of the leadership came from former Swedish Lutheran priests. This resulted in a movement that combined a strong sacramentalism with a charismatic ethos. Indeed, the heart of the Word of Life church resides in an effort to place these two streams within a focus on mission and evangelism. The Eucharist is performed two or three times a week in the context of a liturgy.
Friendships in the broader Catholic charistmatic community, especially with Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., Preacher to the Papal Household, led Ekman to re-think his understanding of the church as a visible embodiment of the Kingdom of God, which in turn led him to ask where the most faithful expression of that visible body was. It was ecclesiology and a concern for Christian unity that led Ekman to cross the Tiber.
Ekman’s conversion shows how global Pentecostalism has become a conduit by which Christians move between traditions. It functions within Christianity much like evangelicalism does within conservative Protestantism in the United States. It is an umbrella movement in which most members maintain a dual identity with one foot firmly planted in their ecclesial or theological tradition and another foot firmly planted in the soil of charismatic spirituality. This is the case for Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and many forms of Protestantism. Some like Ekman convert to Catholicism while others move in the opposite direction.
The dual identity of charismatics makes traditionalists nervous, because it can introduce change into liturgical forms of Christianity on the one hand and introduce liturgy into non-liturgical forms of Christianity on the other hand. In converting to Catholicism, Ekman felt that he did not have to relinquish his charismatic commitments and thus it was not a loss for him in the same way that many Evangelicals can move from Baptist to Methodist without perceiving it as a loss. Aletheia, a group critical of Ekman, pointed out that they had been tracking his move to Catholicism since at least 2007.
Charismatics do not all end up converts, of course. Their dual charismatic identity has aided classical Pentecostals, Catholics, Orthodox, and various Protestants in discovering a common language in Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit in the life of the Christian. This has resulted in an ecumenical exchange of gifts that has allowed charismatics of all stripes to remain within their own ecclesial traditions while benefiting from the riches of others. It has served as a form of renewal within ecclesial traditions rather than calling for persons to come out of their own traditions.
Ekman’s conversion shows how these exchanges tend to tie individuals to historic Christianity. One can also see this at work in Peter Halldorf’s attempt to fuse classical Pentecostalism with Orthodox spirituality in Sweden. Halldorf remains firmly committed to the Swedish Pentecostal Movement (distinct from and predating Ekman’s Word of Life movement) and yet has tried to push it toward sacramentalism and the broad stream of historic Christianity. While Ekman and Peter Halldorf diverge on the question of conversion to Rome, they both see the connections in spirituality and have utilized those connections to promote ecumenism.
The global pentecostal movement may lead to a resurgent Christianity in Europe if the sacramental and the charismatic can be held together. Under the current pastor Joakim Lundquist, the Word of Life church in Uppsala continues to see growth in its efforts at evangelism and mission. The charismatic and sacramental dimensions move the notion of mission beyond initial conversion to a life-long process of discipleship that aims for the transformation of the whole person (the Catholic charismatic movement has reinforced the same ethos within Catholicism).
News of Ekman’s conversion comes at an interesting moment of convergence. Pope Francis has been stressing the notion of the church as the people of God, and thus has begun to call for further implementation of the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church from Vatican II. The Holy Father has also utilized the relational networks that are the informal structure of the global pentecostal-charismatic movement to extend a hand of friendship to forms of Christianity that might otherwise remain in isolation. None of this changes the structures of the Catholic Church, but it does begin to accentuate different parts of those structures. Ekman represents the other side of the equation insofar as there are those within church networks who are pushing toward a more robust sacramentalism and even a stronger ecclesial structure.
Ekman’s conversion and Pope Francis’ extended hand of friendship do not mean that visible unity is on the horizon, but it does promise greater cooperation in mission and global witness. The prayer for such cooperation is one that no Christian should hesitate to utter, and it begins with repentance over past rhetoric that has traded on caricatures and one-dimensional portraits. I can think of no better time for repentance than the current season of Lent.
Catholic ping for Monday night.
Yeah like the Sinsinawa Dominican nuns who make up their own liturgy and the homo ‘priests for death’ who make some liberal Catholic priests look absolutely Victorian.
You do realize they were anything but Catholiic long before they ‘formally left’!
Try again with real conversions instead of sham laity.
AMDG
“Try again with real conversions instead of sham laity.”
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
- Jesus Christ
Wow, that post has set a new record for length.
And I have one nearly as long.
WOW...I think that was the longest....very interesting....post that I have ever seen!!!!!
Thanks for listing so many stories of people swimming the Tiber to get to Rome. There are quite a few.
However, I have to in turn point out that as they were swimming the "Tiber to Rome"...
THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST WALKED ON THE BACKS OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF SOUTH AMERICANS SWIMMING THE OTHER WAY!
By Country...
Why do they leave??
And finally, a summary worth considering...
Your post has taken over this thread making it hard for others to read the thread.
All of the instances you posted are also at the link you posted.
Go ahead and repost the link with a few examples.
The large over 70 “screens” post will be removed.
“There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” Mark Twain
Sorry, there is only one official Catholic agency for statistics and that is
CARA.
CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN THE APOSTOLATE
Placing Social Science Research at the Service of the Catholic Church Since 1964
http://cara.georgetown.edu/frequently-requested-church-statistics/
Frequently Requested Church Statistics
CARA gets many inquiries from Church agencies and the media about the numbers for vocations, seminary enrollments, priests and vowed religious, parishes, Mass attendance, schools and the Catholic population. Below are some comparative statistics from 1965. Generally, these data reflect the situation at the beginning of the calendar year listed. The sources for this information include The Official Catholic Directory (OCD), the Vatican’s Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (ASE), and other CARA research and databases. All data are cross checked as much as possible. For the U.S, the numbers reported here include only figures for those 195 dioceses or eparchies who belong to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. Entries reading “—” have no data available at this time and “na” is not applicable. Following the U.S. and World data tables below CARA provides link to CARA research about other Frequently Asked Questions. For more information about CARA research and statistics, including our national and parish surveys, demographic studies, trend analyses and projections, and focus groups visit CARA Services. For more information about CARA’s beginings read the following Review of Religious Research article from 1967 by Francis X. Gannon entitled, “Bridging the Research Gap: CARA, Response to Vatican II.” Follow up-to-the-minute updates about CARA research here:
United States Data Over Time
World Data Over Time
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything else is just Protestant wishful thinking
AMDG
“There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” Mark Twain
Sorry, there is only one official Catholic agency for statistics and that is
CARA.
CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH IN THE APOSTOLATE
Placing Social Science Research at the Service of the Catholic Church Since 1964
http://cara.georgetown.edu/frequently-requested-church-statistics/
Frequently Requested Church Statistics
CARA gets many inquiries from Church agencies and the media about the numbers for vocations, seminary enrollments, priests and vowed religious, parishes, Mass attendance, schools and the Catholic population. Below are some comparative statistics from 1965. Generally, these data reflect the situation at the beginning of the calendar year listed. The sources for this information include The Official Catholic Directory (OCD), the Vatican’s Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (ASE), and other CARA research and databases. All data are cross checked as much as possible. For the U.S, the numbers reported here include only figures for those 195 dioceses or eparchies who belong to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. Entries reading “—” have no data available at this time and “na” is not applicable. Following the U.S. and World data tables below CARA provides link to CARA research about other Frequently Asked Questions. For more information about CARA research and statistics, including our national and parish surveys, demographic studies, trend analyses and projections, and focus groups visit CARA Services. For more information about CARA’s beginings read the following Review of Religious Research article from 1967 by Francis X. Gannon entitled, “Bridging the Research Gap: CARA, Response to Vatican II.” Follow up-to-the-minute updates about CARA research here:
United States Data Over Time
World Data Over Time
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything else is just Protestant wishful thinking
AMDG
Should us Catholics pre-clear everything with you like the Protestants do?
Conversion Stories: Episodes of the Journey Home
http://chnetwork.org/converts/journey-home-episodes/
Only this year to date
2015/08/31 Fr. Jerry Brown: Former Episcopal Priest – The Journey Home
Tags: Anglican/Episcopal, conversion, current Catholic clergy, former protestant pastor, men, presbyterian
2015/08/24 Pamela Sullivan: Former Assemblies of God – The Journey Home
Tags: Assemblies of God, Baptist, conversion, Mormon/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pentecostal, Women
2015/08/17 Dr. Scott Sullivan: Former Evangelical – The Journey Home
Tags: agnostic, conversion, Evangelical, men, philosophy, secularism
2015/08/10 Julie & Kevin Wynn: Former Seventh-day Adventists – The Journey Home
Tags: conversion, men, Seventh-Day Adventist, Women
2015/08/03 Matthew Christoff: A Former Pluralist and Relativist – The Journey Home
Tags: conversion, men, Pluralism, Pluralist, Relativism, Relativist, secularism
2015/07/27 Michael Lofton: A Former Baptist & Presbyterian – The Journey Home
Tags: Baptist, conversion, Early Church Fathers, Jewish, presbyterian
2015/07/20 Dr. Ryan Topping: A Former Mennonite – The Journey Home
Tags: conversion, men, mennonite
2015/07/13 Fr. Leo Patalinghug: A Revert to the Faith – The Journey Home
Tags: conversion, Eucharist, men, priesthood, revert
2015/06/29 Jack Bryant: Revert – The Journey Home
Tags: annulment, conversion, healing, men, revert, secularism, suffering
2015/06/22 Dr. Jared Ortiz: Revert from the World – The Journey Home
Tags: men, revert, secularism
2015/06/15 Daniel Ali: Muslim Convert to Catholic Christianity – The Journey Home
Tags: conversion, Iraq, Islam, men, Muslim
2015/06/08 John Sherman: Former Methodist & Non-denominational – The Journey Home
Tags: agnostic, conversion, men, Methodist, non-denominational
2015/06/01 Dr. Holly Ordway: Former Episcopalian
Tags: Anglican/Episcopal, atheist, C.S Lewis, conversion, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, secularism, Women
2015/05/18 Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle: Life-long Catholic
Tags: John Hardon, Life-long Catholic, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Women
2015/05/11 Marty Doucette: Former Evangelical Orthodox Church
Tags: conversion, Early Church Fathers, Eastern Orthodox, Eucharist, Evangelical, Ignatius of Antioch, men, Orthodox
2015/05/04 Fr. Shane Tharp: Formerly Unchurched
Tags: conversion, current Catholic clergy, men, non-churched, secularism, unchurch
2015/04/27 Tom Grossman: Former Non-denominational Charismatic
Tags: charismatic, conversion, men, non-denominational, prayer
2015/04/20 Jamie & Jack McAleer – A Former Lutheran and a Revert from the World
Tags: conversion, couples, lutheran, men, revert, secularism, Women
2015/04/13 Amy Daniels: Former United Methodist Minister
Tags: conversion, former protestant pastor, Methodist, military chaplain, Rosary, united methodist, Women
2015/04/06 Jay Lampart: Revert from Evangelicalism
Tags: conversion, Evangelical, men, revert, sola fide, sola scriptura
2015/03/30 Dr. Jay Richards: Former Presbyterian
Tags: Atonement, C.S Lewis, contraception, development of doctrine, Ignatius of Antioch, J.R.R. Tolkien, John 6, John Calvin, John Henry Newman, Louis Bouyer, The Didache, The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism, thomas aquinas, TULIP
2015/03/23 Janet Schmittgen: Former Polish National Catholic
Tags: Church History, conversion, Eucharist, Polish National Catholic, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Women
2015/03/16 Brandon Barker: Former Southern Baptist/Evangelical
Tags: Authority, Baptist, Clement of Rome, conversion, deuterocanonical books, Early Church Fathers, Evangelical, Ignatius of Antioch, John 6, men, Polycarp, Real Presence, Theology of the Body
2015/03/09 John Collier: Former Episcopalian
Tags: Anglican/Episcopal, Art, Church of Christ, conversion, Disciples of Christ, Early Church Fathers, Evangelical, men, Methodist
2015/03/02 Dr. Wesley Vincent – Former Fundamentalist & Evangelical
Tags: Calvinism, conversion, Evangelical, Free Will, Fundamentalist, holiness, men, Predestination, salvation, sola fide, sola scriptura
2015/02/23 Charlotte Ostermann: A Former Nazarene & Presbyterian
Tags: Authority, bible, Canon of Scripture, Church History, Church of Nazarene, conversion, Free Will, holiness, limited atonement, presbyterian, Women
2015/02/16 April Bright: A Former United Pentecostal
Tags: Authority, conversion, Jesus Only, modalism, modalistic monarchianism, oneness pentecostalism, Pentecostal, The Holy Trinity, trinity, United Pentecostal, Women
2015/02/09 Dr. Ian Murphy: A Former Baptist Minister
Tags: Baptist, conversion, Eucharist, former protestant pastor, Mary, men, Pope, Real Presence, sola scriptura
2015/02/02 Dr. Robin Pierucci: A Jewish Convert
Tags: conversion, Isaiah 53, Jesus, Jewish, Messiah, Old Testament, Women
2015/01/26 Gary Zimak: A Revert From The World
Tags: alcohol, conversion, men, revert, secularism
2015/01/19 Joshua Bowman: A Former Anglican
Tags: agnostic, Anglican/Episcopal, conversion, liberalism, men, secularism
2015/01/12 Cole Matson: A Former Presbyterian
Tags: baptism, C.S Lewis, Calvinism, conversion, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, men, presbyterian, purgatory, Real Presence
2015/01/05 Rick Rosen: A Convert From Judaism
Tags: conversion, Holy Spirit, Jewish, men, Messiah, Messianic Judaism
Sorry lurking,
I don’t believe your “official” source. It is biased.
Every survey I see from every non-church source says the same thing about S. American Catholics. Members are leaving - thousands per day - in every country.
It is so monumental, your denomination elected a pope from Argentina to try to stem the tide.
Best
Thirty three doesn’t compute for a “few.”
After this when posting a link with a list, only post 5-7 to the thread.
Protestants don’t “pre-clear everything” nor are they obligated to.
If you wish to post a long list such as you did earlier, post it as a thread with a few examples and a link to the rest.
A post that takes of over 2/3’s of a thread isn’t constructive to discussion and debate and makes a thread cumbersome for everyone.
If you have doubts in the future about posting feel free to pre-clear it with me.
“And I have one nearly as long.”
Posting comments that cause readers to have to scroll up to 70 times to see the next post is unfair to other posters and counter productive to conversation, discussion and debate.
Plus they also clog up the Religion Forum latest comments page.
Please see my post #16 and be aware that a post by RM to a poster goes for all other posters also.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3336435/posts?page=16#16
Please read #11 also.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3336435/posts?page=11#11
bookmark
Having escaped Catholicism 35 years ago, I can’t even imagine entertaining the thought of going back, now that I have a much better knowledge of what Jesus in His mercy and grace did for me at the cross. There is absolutely nothing I did for my salvation other than repenting and following Him. And that was throught the power of the Holy Spirit. I was a dead man, dead In my sins until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to that fact. I didn’t come to that realization under my own power.
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