Religious Denomination Poll

[Andreas E.]

Hi everyone!

I joined this forum only a few days ago and thought I'd put my first post here, telling everyone a little about myself.

I was born and raised in Germany, live in the US now. My parents met in a youth group called "EC' for "Entschiedenes Christentum" lit. "Decided Christendom," which was part of the Lutheran Church in Germany. Then they moved to where they eventually raised my siblings and me, first in a free evangelical church called Ecclesia, where every local church seemed to have a different "flavor" ranging from pentecostal to more traditional, for lack of a better word. Personally, I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in 5th or 6th grade, at a Christian summer camp on Lake Starnberg outside Munich.

In latter years, as my parents saw one child after another not wanting to go to Sunday services any more at the local Ecclesia (mostly as there was no youth program, so it was either kids or adult service), they joined a local Baptist Church. I had "fallen away" or "grown stale" if you will, as - looking backwards - I was not very well founded in the faith and peers, etc. did the rest. During that time I did have a friend who was Catholic and invited me to mass a couple of times. To my parents' credit, they were very open (not to be confused with being shallow Christian, please, as they are very devoted and have a burning love for the Lord) and so had no problem with me checking out other denominations, if I so wished, probably more as a way to get to know your "other brothers." Anyway, I don't remember much of mass, except for a feeling of being out of place, but that was most likely because of the unknown "ritualism" if you want to call it that. However one thing I took away from this experience is a sense of awe, reverence and devotion Catholics have for God.

After I graduated high school, the Lord pulled me back. It was at this time that my parents switched churches as they feared for my sisters falling by the wayside as well. I eventually joined this Baptist church through Baptism at the age of 20. A few years later I met the lady who is now my wife. She was raised in a Conservative Baptist family, where most of her aunts and uncles were Catholic. Unfortunately, from early on, she was taught that Catholics are NOT Christians, but a whole different religion altogether which is unfortunate. We currently attend a Calvary Chapel church. We decided not to join a Baptist church here as I have always primarily been a Christian and secondarily a Baptist. I have been able to find a church home whereever the Holy Bible is taught in its entirety, and as far as denominationalism is concerned have always taken the famous proverb "In esentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity" to heat.

This said, I hope you don't mind me being here. :

Oh, and I checked, Protestant - Protestant, even though I'm not protesting anything...

[avemaria40]

[quote name='Andreas E.' post='978093' date='May 11 2006, 03:31 AM']
This said, I hope you don't mind me being here. :
[/quote]

Don't worry, we don't mind, lol Welcome to phatmass!

[Hilde]

I'm between denominations right now.