I became Catholic in 2023 when I began RCIA and was Confirmed in the Catholic Church on the Easter Vigil of 2024. I want it to be known that I started this site and wrote my book when I was an Evangelical Protestant. I regularly attended an Assembly of God Church, before that I spent 5 years at a Church of Christ Bible College, and before that I spent my whole life attending Baptist and Non-Denominational churches. I’ve been reading the Bible since I could read. Becoming Catholic was a long period of deep study and thoughtful prayer. I want to explain an overview of my reasoning since this transition may seem sudden to some or illogical to others. I became Catholic because after much study I am convinced the Catholic Church is historical, logical, and Biblical.

How many Churches did Jesus start? Just one. So when Jesus said “I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not overtake it,” we should expect to still see that organization today. Surely it should at least be visible a couple hundred years after Jesus ascended. The Catholic Church is one of only a handful of the current Christian sects that have a verifiable descent from the first Christians we call the “Early Church.” As it pertains to the Catholic Church, this continuity is both in organizational structure as well as doctrine.

There is a complete list of Bishops of Rome, going all the way back to Peter. The first three names on the list are in scripture and many of the earliest names can be verified by third party sources. We find a three tiered Church hierarchy of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops as early as Ignatius’s letters (AD105). Just a little bit later, the writings of Irenaeus (AD180-190) include a clear, universal deference to the Bishop of Rome on doctrinal and disciplinary matters. These early writings are widely accepted as authentic among Protestant scholars. Nearly all of this is a matter of settled history.

There is also a Theological continuity with the Earliest recorded Christians outside of the book of Acts. With reference to Ignatius, it’s important to point out just how early he was. He was born in AD50 and lived until AD98-110. This means that he was a contemporary of the Apostle John and is widely believed to have learned from the Apostle. So it should be significant when Ignatius’ letters explicitly teach many Catholic doctrines. In addition to the threefold Church hierarchy, he expresses a Catholic view of the Eucharist (the earliest use of the term), describing Christians who have taken Vows of Celibacy, and warns never to separate from the Church. This is just one. There are whole books in support of this point, one of the best is Joe Heschmeyer’s “The Early Church was the Catholic Church.”

With all this in mind it is worth mentioning the Reformation movement from the AD1500’s. Many of what the average Evangelical Protestants believe about this event, is almost completely false. Common language Bible translation was in fact encouraged. Martin Luther never nailed 95 theses to a door. Indulgences were cheap, easy to acquire, and don’t get you into heaven. The Catholics did not add books to the Bible. No Christian writer had ever taught “Faith alone” until Luther and Calvin. It is also worth mentioning Martin Luther’s repeated use of scatalogical analogies or John Calvin’s burning his friend at the stake. It is well worth learning about Luther and Calvin and the other reformers; their lives and what they actually taught. Much of their teachings could be considered too Catholic by modern Evangelical standards. For instance, Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli all believe Mary was a perpetual virgin. Lutheran taught Baptism saves you and there is a real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. A more thorough treatment of this is in, “Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History” by Rodney Stark, this book will dispel much of the common lies and misconceptions repeated amongst modern Evangelical Protestant circles.

Seeing there is one Church Jesus started, and the Reformation was not as advertised the question becomes, “Where do I go to Church and Why?” Should one join whatever denomination is closest to what their current beliefs and church-hop as they learn more and their beliefs develop? If one can still “be saved” attending just any old Church why does going to Church matter? If it doesn’t matter where you go at all, why couldn’t you go to a Mormon church? That’s a slow road to universalism. On the other hand, if one genuinely believes that the true Church is lost and must be reconstructed from the New Testament apart from the Catholic, Orthodox, or even Reformers; should they start their own Church? Does that mean only the 15 people meeting in someone’s living room are the True Church? Could it be true that only this one small group of people believe the real Truth and everyone else is a heretic? Even if they disagree with the entire history of Christianity? Neither answer is satisfying. One road leads to Universalism, the other to starting a cult. There is a third option of course, start with the history of the Church that Jesus founded. Find out what happened after Acts. The New Testament Church is there, waiting for you. I believe the Catholic Church is the most logical choice for a discerning Evangelical Protestant.

One might say “We have the Bible, we don’t need a Church! God preserved His Word and that’s all we need!” That’s a nice Bible, where’d it come from? Why are there only 66 books? As mentioned above, there is a common myth that Catholics added books to the Bible. This is entirely false, the Biblical canon had largely been settled for more than a thousand years at that point. Starting with the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint (300BC), and up to the New Testament listed at the Synods of Rome(AD382) and Hippo(AD393). This canon is so common that Luther, Calving, Zwingli, and even later King James all include the full 73 books in their Bibles. Now yes, it was separated in an appendix but it was included. It’s not until AD1825 that the British and Foreign Bible Society stopped including the Apocrypha. The Catholic Canon is the original Bible and was the common, accepted canon of the time and the movement of the Reformation was to abandon a pre-established standard. Further reading on this can be found in, “The Bible is a Catholic Book” by Jimmy Akin.

Lastly, it is commonly accepted that “Catholics don’t follow the Bible,” this too is false. Every Catholic teaching or practice does not contradict Scripture. Catholics do not worship Mary, pray to statues, or believe that works get them into heaven. These are all completely false. No Catholic believes any of those things, yet it is often repeated. An Evangelical or Protestant may not agree with the Catholic teachings or handling of scripture, but it can not be said in good faith that Catholics are unbiblical or ignorant. There is not sufficient space to treat this fully here, just know that, “what Catholics really believe” is often just lies Protestants keep repeating to each other. A thorough treatment of this can be found in, “The Case for Catholicism” by Trent Horn.

In closing I’m begging you, read the Early Church Fathers. Modern Evangelicals and Protestants read plenty of books that aren’t the Bible, looking for insight; “Purpose Driven Life” has sold millions of copies, “Wild at Heart” affected a generation of Christian men, and “Mere Christianity” continues to be a definitive Protestant work. If these works get this kind of attention, why not the Early Church Fathers too? These men talked with an Apostle, grew up using Greek to write their grocery lists, and were born and raised in the same culture the Bible was written in. Why wouldn’t such men merit just as much respect as C. S. Lewis?

As you continue to follow my work, please remember I was an evangelical, and am now Catholic. I feel my old work still has value and I will continue to build up the kingdom and show blue-collar men, their work matters and leadership needs to remember that. I will still focus on teaching and sharing original language, history, and theology. I am also adding to that: providing a defense for the Catholic faith, because there are so many lies and falsehoods taught and repeated among well meaning but sadly ignorant evangelicals and protestants. Lord help me in this work. St. Joseph, pray for us.