Hear the stories of Evangelical and Non-Denominational Christians who, in their walk with Jesus Christ, were led to become Catholic.
“I was preparing a message on unity. As I studied, I couldn’t help but question why there were so many Christian denominations in the world… As I studied, I started reading more about the Protestant Reformation and began understanding more as to why this happened. But then I asked why has it not stopped happening: why do we continue to add new churches all the time and could this really be what God wanted?”
– Doug Doughan
A FEW GREAT VIDEOS
Kathryn Whitaker 56:04
Kathryn Whitaker was baptized in a Methodist church as an infant in Texas, but after her pastor left, her family skipped around churches looking for a fit, including time spent with the Nazarenes and Disciples of Christ. Visiting Baptist churches in college, Kathryn heard her first real anti-Catholicism from the pulpit; it shocked her and made her want to learn more about Catholicism, and what she discovered surprised her. Watch Kathryn’s episode.
Dr. Jason Reed 9:58
Dr. Jason Reed’s desire to follow Christ led him to pursue academic study in theology and philosophy. He went on teach those disciplines at an Evangelical seminary, in hopes of helping to form pastors to help them share their Christian faith. Over time, he became increasingly frustrated at the lack of agreement among Protestant Christians on major theological issues. That led him to ask: what is the historic expression of the Christian faith, and how did it become so splintered? Watch Jason’s video.
Katie Jacobson 55:30
Katie Jacobson grew up with experience in Baptist and Lutheran churches, and when she met people from even more denominations in Bible college, it really made her wonder about the divisions she seemed to see everywhere in Christianity. A visit to Theology on Tap opened up a million questions about Catholicism for her, and started her on a journey to undo years of myths and misunderstandings about the Church. Watch Katie’s episode.
A FEW GREAT WRITTEN STORIES
I Discover Catholicism
Keith Little
“One of my early memories as a Christian was when Calvinism crept into our youth group conversations. It began innocently enough — someone had read something somewhere — but quickly became a full-blown scandal, with Bible passages being hotly debated over Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s on a Friday night. In retrospect, I’m grateful for how we spent our time — debating theology rather than getting drunk like so many of our high school peers — but the debate nearly tore the youth group apart.” Read Keith’s story.
Once Upon a Rosary
Ann Barber
“Since 2004, I had pastored My Father’s House, an Evangelical church in Ellenton, and later Parrish, Florida… I had never given Catholicism even a passing thought… Like most evangelicals, I believed Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. But I also believed Mary had at least seven other children with Joseph after Jesus was born (Matthew 13:55–56). I felt the title ‘Mother of God’ bordered on blasphemy.” Read Anne’s story.
The Word of Life Led Us to the Bread of Life
Ulf Ekman
“I was the senior pastor of a non-denominational Charismatic church in Sweden. We started this church in 1983, and it had grown locally over the years to include a large network of new churches in many nations, especially in the former Soviet Union. To stand in the pulpit in our 4,000 seat church building and announce to our dear congregation that we now, after 30 years as their pastors, had come to the conclusion that we would become Catholics, was not easy.” Read Ulf’s story.
More Inspiration for the Journey
Explore the full archive of stories of evangelical Christians who joined the Catholic Church.
Recommended Books & Other Resources
Journeys Home
edited by Marcus Grodi
In this book, 30 converts to the Catholic faith tell their stories. These journeys provide tremendous insight, encouragement, and inspiration for those who are thinking about making the same journey and for Catholics born in the faith as well.
Mind, Heart, and Soul: Intellectuals and the Path to Rome
by Robert P. George and R. J. Snell
In a series of fascinating interviews, a cradle Catholic (Robert P. George) and an adult convert (R. J. Snell), offer the stories of sixteen converts, each a public intellectual or leading voice in their respective fields, and each making a significant contribution to the life of the Church. While some of the converts are well-known, their stories are not. Here they speak for themselves, providing the reasons that prompted these accomplished men and women to embrace the ancient faith.
Return To Rome
by Francis J. Beckwith
In May 2007, Beckwith, the president of the Evangelical Theology Society (ETS), stepped down as president of the society and resigned his membership. Eight days earlier, he had been publicly received back into the Catholic Church of his childhood. Here is his story.