Here is a public letter I addressed to our community after being so public in ministry and then converting to the Catholic faith:
On Saturday April 19, 2014, I entered full-communion with the Catholic Church. This was after my wife and I had been involved in ministry at Mexia First Assembly for about five years serving with the youth there, after I was half-way done with my M.Div at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and after my wife and I had put on interdenominational youth prayer meetings for the town of Mexia.
During this process, I prayed that the least amount of people would be confused, angered, or saddened. I want people to grow closer to Jesus and obey God's word. Confusion doesn't usually help that. After sitting down with Pastor Hallmark, we decided together that it would be beneficial to stakeholders that I explain some of the most prominent questions parents, students, and community members may have for the sake of peace of those concerned.
First, I want to say that the hardest thing about becoming Catholic was feeling like I was letting down those that I love most and who love me most. I was concerned about my wife's heart, my kids, church youth, my pastor, my mother, all my ministry friends and those at Mexia First Assembly I have had the privilege to get to know and love.
Most of the time when someone leaves a church to attend another, it is due to some grievance or dissatisfaction with their previous church. I want it to be clear that me becoming Catholic is not because of any falling out that Bryan and I had. He has done a wonderful job of teaching, preaching and serving. I have never had a pastor that opened up and trusted Heidi and I with so much opportunity to grow, serve and minister. We have been truly blessed. I am not Catholic because MFA or its pastors did anything wrong. Honestly, out of all the Protestant churches in Mexia. I vouch for MFA. It is an amazing faith family, and I encourage you to attend.
My main reason in seeking to become Catholic was an investigation into the Eucharist that many call Communion or the Lord's Supper. During a year of leading the congregation of MFA in the Lord's Supper every Sunday, I did much study on Scripture and Tradition of the Eucharist. Going back to read the early church fathers greatly challenged my Protestant foundation. I began to feel that the Catholic expression of faith was the closest to the early church. Of course, the early church didn't have all the bells and whistles of modern Catholicism, but the main important tenets of the Catholic church were present. These tenets were not church corruptions from pagan Rome.
So I reiterate, Pastor Hallmark and MFA have done nothing wrong. If anything, they created an enriching culture where I could explored Scripture,worship, the Lord's Supper, faith, history, and hands-on ministry, in a climate that I feel the Holy Spirit worked much on me in and lead me to this decision. If you need a place to know the love of Jesus, have the Scripture explained and applied to your life, a place to feel accepted and encouraged, go to MFA. I would still be fully a part of MFA had I not felt the Holy Spirit call me to connect to the ancient Catholic Church.
It has truly been a blessing to be a part of Mexia First Assembly. Even though I still attend with my wife and kids after attending mass, I know my roles in ministry there must lessen. There were many times that I felt that I simply could not share what was happening in my heart because it had to do with Catholic theology and history, and I did not want to be encouraging Catholic theology while under the roof of First Assembly.
This decision, though it has at times challenged our levels of mercy and patience, has not broken the love and friendship I feel with and for Pastor Bryan Hallmark. Although we see differently on important points of theology, I respect him deeply. He remains a great friend in ministry and to my family and I. Bryan and his family, Cindy, Nate, Josh and Gracie have been like family to us in this journey these past years. We have served together, laughed together, cried together and had some good times of eating together too.
At MFA I have seen many loving, devout, hospitable, and good people who love the Lord. I have enjoyed learning about the Lord together and seeking to grow our prayer lives as well. It is a great faith community.
My wife Heidi continues to pursue credentials through the Assemblies of God, and I support her. It was a little over a year that she felt called to full-time ministry. She continues to teach and lead and Mexia First Assembly. She does not feel called to become Catholic. I don't understand how God will use our two distinct personalities and talents, but I'll let him direct that. In the meantime, Heidi and I will work on loving and honoring each other. We'll be having our 15 year anniversary next month.
She is taking Bible, theology and ministry courses online and at SAGU and Global University to prepare her for ministry. She is a gifted speaker, teacher, and woman of God. I don't know of someone more compassionate and ready to run to someone that is hurting and share the love of God with them.
I am not going to force my wife and children to attend the Catholic Church if they do not feel led to. I do hope to raise my kids to understand the historical and Biblical reasons Catholics believe what they believe so that when people spread misinformation about Catholics, they will be able to stand against it. I want them to know Scripture, to have prayer lives and a relationship with Jesus. I will let them discern where they want to attend church. Growing up is not easy, and I want to love and support them.
For the peace of mind of those with a strong theological stance at MFA, it makes sense for me to step down from teaching roles. My heart is busting with ideas of Scripture and church history, but it's not my place to teach from a leadership position those things that are contrary to what the Assemblies of God and most protestant churches teach. Those with questions can ask me personally.
Just to clarify some key Catholic objections though. Catholics do not worship Mary, saints or statues. We never have taught that one can work their way into heaven. That is a heresy. Catholics teach that salvation is only by the grace of God and by the work of Jesus' death and resurrection only. This grace comes to us through the Sacraments. They believe that faith alone is not enough. It must be faith expressing itself in love. True faith and good works are impossible to separate.
My reasons for becoming Catholic include sincerely asking God to help me understand the Catholic Church, seeing a faithfulness to the life of the early church, finding that I love Catholic theology, seeing that without a true apostolic interpreter of Scripture, churches continue to divide and continue to move moral boundaries, and seeing the Catholic faith being taught in the New Testament.
I never imagined I would be Catholic. Although it has been a troubling journey at times, I am glad to be Catholic and to feel such a strong connection to the early church.
If you have questions about my reasons for becoming Catholic, or want to discuss theology and church history, please respectfully message me on Facebook or email me.
In Christ,
Enrique Saul Crosby
On Saturday April 19, 2014, I entered full-communion with the Catholic Church. This was after my wife and I had been involved in ministry at Mexia First Assembly for about five years serving with the youth there, after I was half-way done with my M.Div at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and after my wife and I had put on interdenominational youth prayer meetings for the town of Mexia.
During this process, I prayed that the least amount of people would be confused, angered, or saddened. I want people to grow closer to Jesus and obey God's word. Confusion doesn't usually help that. After sitting down with Pastor Hallmark, we decided together that it would be beneficial to stakeholders that I explain some of the most prominent questions parents, students, and community members may have for the sake of peace of those concerned.
First, I want to say that the hardest thing about becoming Catholic was feeling like I was letting down those that I love most and who love me most. I was concerned about my wife's heart, my kids, church youth, my pastor, my mother, all my ministry friends and those at Mexia First Assembly I have had the privilege to get to know and love.
Most of the time when someone leaves a church to attend another, it is due to some grievance or dissatisfaction with their previous church. I want it to be clear that me becoming Catholic is not because of any falling out that Bryan and I had. He has done a wonderful job of teaching, preaching and serving. I have never had a pastor that opened up and trusted Heidi and I with so much opportunity to grow, serve and minister. We have been truly blessed. I am not Catholic because MFA or its pastors did anything wrong. Honestly, out of all the Protestant churches in Mexia. I vouch for MFA. It is an amazing faith family, and I encourage you to attend.
My main reason in seeking to become Catholic was an investigation into the Eucharist that many call Communion or the Lord's Supper. During a year of leading the congregation of MFA in the Lord's Supper every Sunday, I did much study on Scripture and Tradition of the Eucharist. Going back to read the early church fathers greatly challenged my Protestant foundation. I began to feel that the Catholic expression of faith was the closest to the early church. Of course, the early church didn't have all the bells and whistles of modern Catholicism, but the main important tenets of the Catholic church were present. These tenets were not church corruptions from pagan Rome.
So I reiterate, Pastor Hallmark and MFA have done nothing wrong. If anything, they created an enriching culture where I could explored Scripture,worship, the Lord's Supper, faith, history, and hands-on ministry, in a climate that I feel the Holy Spirit worked much on me in and lead me to this decision. If you need a place to know the love of Jesus, have the Scripture explained and applied to your life, a place to feel accepted and encouraged, go to MFA. I would still be fully a part of MFA had I not felt the Holy Spirit call me to connect to the ancient Catholic Church.
It has truly been a blessing to be a part of Mexia First Assembly. Even though I still attend with my wife and kids after attending mass, I know my roles in ministry there must lessen. There were many times that I felt that I simply could not share what was happening in my heart because it had to do with Catholic theology and history, and I did not want to be encouraging Catholic theology while under the roof of First Assembly.
This decision, though it has at times challenged our levels of mercy and patience, has not broken the love and friendship I feel with and for Pastor Bryan Hallmark. Although we see differently on important points of theology, I respect him deeply. He remains a great friend in ministry and to my family and I. Bryan and his family, Cindy, Nate, Josh and Gracie have been like family to us in this journey these past years. We have served together, laughed together, cried together and had some good times of eating together too.
At MFA I have seen many loving, devout, hospitable, and good people who love the Lord. I have enjoyed learning about the Lord together and seeking to grow our prayer lives as well. It is a great faith community.
My wife Heidi continues to pursue credentials through the Assemblies of God, and I support her. It was a little over a year that she felt called to full-time ministry. She continues to teach and lead and Mexia First Assembly. She does not feel called to become Catholic. I don't understand how God will use our two distinct personalities and talents, but I'll let him direct that. In the meantime, Heidi and I will work on loving and honoring each other. We'll be having our 15 year anniversary next month.
She is taking Bible, theology and ministry courses online and at SAGU and Global University to prepare her for ministry. She is a gifted speaker, teacher, and woman of God. I don't know of someone more compassionate and ready to run to someone that is hurting and share the love of God with them.
I am not going to force my wife and children to attend the Catholic Church if they do not feel led to. I do hope to raise my kids to understand the historical and Biblical reasons Catholics believe what they believe so that when people spread misinformation about Catholics, they will be able to stand against it. I want them to know Scripture, to have prayer lives and a relationship with Jesus. I will let them discern where they want to attend church. Growing up is not easy, and I want to love and support them.
For the peace of mind of those with a strong theological stance at MFA, it makes sense for me to step down from teaching roles. My heart is busting with ideas of Scripture and church history, but it's not my place to teach from a leadership position those things that are contrary to what the Assemblies of God and most protestant churches teach. Those with questions can ask me personally.
Just to clarify some key Catholic objections though. Catholics do not worship Mary, saints or statues. We never have taught that one can work their way into heaven. That is a heresy. Catholics teach that salvation is only by the grace of God and by the work of Jesus' death and resurrection only. This grace comes to us through the Sacraments. They believe that faith alone is not enough. It must be faith expressing itself in love. True faith and good works are impossible to separate.
My reasons for becoming Catholic include sincerely asking God to help me understand the Catholic Church, seeing a faithfulness to the life of the early church, finding that I love Catholic theology, seeing that without a true apostolic interpreter of Scripture, churches continue to divide and continue to move moral boundaries, and seeing the Catholic faith being taught in the New Testament.
I never imagined I would be Catholic. Although it has been a troubling journey at times, I am glad to be Catholic and to feel such a strong connection to the early church.
If you have questions about my reasons for becoming Catholic, or want to discuss theology and church history, please respectfully message me on Facebook or email me.
In Christ,
Enrique Saul Crosby
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