Dear brothers and sisters, I am delighted to be part of this forum with all of you. My name is Ryan, and I am currently serving the Lord Jesus in New Orleans, Louisiana. I have the privilege of teaching music full-time, and in the past, I was ordained as a Reformed Baptist minister. However, I have now found my home in the Reformed Episcopal Church. Thank you for welcoming me into this community, and I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions and sharing our faith journeys together. Previously, I served as a pastor in a Second London congregation, but unfortunately, natural disaster struck, leading to the dissolution of the church and the loss of my pastorate. Currently, there are several loosely affiliated Second London churches in my vicinity, but none of them truly embrace a fully reformed and open confession. As I've pondered my spiritual journey, I've come to realize that my heart lies in communities that practice communion every Sunday, incorporate liturgies with confession and absolution, prioritize biblical preaching, and include some form of psalmody (though not exclusively). These aspects are essential for me.You could call them reformed Catholicity. Furthermore, I've observed that the accountability within some of the present Second London churches is lacking, which has raised concerns for me. However, the bishopric in my current tradition provides an important safeguard against clerical abuse and malpractice, which offers a sense of security and integrity. Coincidentally, God has blessed me with an opportunity to educate in South Louisiana, where Catholicism is the predominant religion. In this context, I find it easier to engage with Roman Catholics and introduce them to a reformed Catholicity, given the shared elements of the patristics, liturgy, and real presence (though not transubstantiation), which can be more readily embraced by those seeking to become believers. Through thoughtful reflection, I have concluded that evangelical and reformed Catholicism aligns better with my mission to make disciples in the community where I am planted. I believe that confessional churches should be bold and transparent about their beliefs, not shying away from offense to immature believers merely because they have taken a clear stance. Mealy-mouthed confessionalism does not resonate with me; instead, I prefer churches that unashamedly embrace their confessional identity and conviction. Hopefully that is all you have to hear about me, now on to getting to know you! Pax
Welcome aboard, and best wishes in your endeavors, especially the interactions with RCs. I find most of them to generally be so entrenched in the mindset of RC superiority, they look at all other Christian denominations as "lesser" and vastly inferior. (After all, no other church can confect the Sacrament the way they can!) This week I was communicating with one RC who categorized Anglicans as a part of the "Protestant religion," which he regarded as "a reprobate religion" (as if Protestants aren't even in the Christian religion). In an effort to snap him out of his smugness, I finally pointed out that neither Protestants nor Anglicans actively worship a man-made wafer as their god, and the similarity to the man-made golden calf that the high priest Aaron declared to be the Israelites' god, and it seemed to make him stop and think a bit.
Welcome. If you show any inclination to resume the pastorate, the REC will no doubt recommend you enroll at Cranmer House.