Just a curiousity thing

[Colabomb]

This is just my curiosity speaking...

How many of you are Cradle Anglians?

How many are converts?

I personally am a convert myself.

May the God of Mercies Bless you Richly in the Peace of the Christ!

[TomUK]

Myself, i'm crade anglican - was born into an Anglican family who baptised me into the faith, attended confirmation classes after 13th bday and was confirmed a few months before my 14th bday.

If you are willing Colabomb, i would love to hear your story.

[Orthodox Andrew]

My Dad converted from the Baptist Church to the Anglican Church when he was young. So count a vote for him.:P

[PaladinValer]

I'm a convert :)

[benedictine]

I'm a convert. Baptist to Anglican, that's a big change. ---Pax Deo.

[BAChristian]

I'm a convert. Baptist to Anglican, that's a big change. ---Pax Deo.
That's a very big change. :)

[jhollas]

Erm... strangely enough, neither.
My Dad's Salvation Army, my Mum's Catholic. They decided to let me choose if and when I wanted to be Baptised, etc. Went to C of E schools, so had an Anglican faith. Then from the age of about 7 to 16, I was a complete atheist because of things that had happened in my life.
This year, I've just been Baptised and Confirmed!
So... what does that make me?
:D

[TomUK]

Well i suppose to some extent we're all converts- it's all very good going to church etc, but there has to be a point where you consciously accept what you hear, which is something that only an older person is able of doing.

That doesn't answer your question at all though- perhaps we could call you a cronvert. :)

[chalice_thunder]

I was baptized at 3 months (June 26th, 1960)
and Confirmed at age 15 (May 9th, 1985)

Yep - I'm a cradle Episcopalian.

[benedictine]

That's a very big change. :)
My Mom and I were both Baptized Methodist. Then we went to a Baptist Church for several years. Then we started attending an Episcopal church. ---Pax DEo.

[prodromos]

Was cradle Anglican, now Orthodox :)

[The Lord is my banner]

I can't really give a straight answer to the OP, so haven't voted.

I was Christened in an Anglican church as an infant, but hardly went to church except for big occasions. Confirmed too as a teen, but only because I was coerced!

I began searching for God after my daughter was born; went to an Anglican church for a few months and couldn't find Him, then eventually found Jesus through the outreach of a nearby Evangelical church and was baptised.

I attended there a couple of years or so until I moved house, which narrowed my choice. Now I'm back at an Anglican church, and feel that this particular place is definitely where I'm meant to be at the moment.

Yet I still don't know if I am an Anglican or not! Just a Christian really, and God will put me where He wants me regardless of denomination I suppose.

God bless, Susana

[pmcleanj]

Yet I still don't know if I am an Anglican or not! Just a Christian really, and God will put me where He wants me regardless of denomination I suppose.

We Anglicans don't have a lot of formalized dogma and binding statements, but what we do have is the Liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer, with its rubrics and prefaces. And if we look in the liturgy we see over and over that we believe there is One Church, which is Catholic and Apostolic, and which comprises "the whole company of all Christian People". Nowhere in our liturgy do we see any distinction between "The Church" and "particular churches" or an other kind of Christian grouping that we half-acknowledge and half don't. In our liturgy we call the Church "A living Temple", "The Body and the Bride of Christ", the "Family of God". All of those things are singular -- and Catholic (in the sense of universal, which is the only sense for which I use the word).

And we say in our liturgy that the way one becomes part of the Church is through baptism. So by my reckoning, at least half the "converts" in the poll are just members of the Church who finally realized that we can provide them a better coffee hour ( not to mention Holy Scripture, the historic Creeds, the Sacraments and the Apostolic Succession).

As a practical matter, we can all see that there are other liturgies, other practices, other administrative structures. In that sense, there are Anglican denominations. That's a practical and administrative reality. But at the level of our faith and doctrine, to be Anglican *is* to be "Just a Christian, really". So when a baptized persons says "how do I join the Anglican Church" I tell them, you already belong. You just didn't know it until now.

But I agree with tomuea -- we're all converts: we're born separated from the Body and need to be grafted in to the living Vine.

[Naomi4Christ]

We don't really use the cradle term for life-long Anglicans. It's more of a RC term, I think.

Anyway, I became Anglican when I moved to England and went to my local church. I grew up in Scotland and went to my local church, which was Presbyterian.

[longhair75]

I was a cradle Roman Catholic. A few years ago, Sunflower and I left the Church of Rome and wandered a bit. We found our new Church home in the Episcopal Church.

[karen freeinchristman]

This is just my curiosity speaking...

How many of you are Cradle Anglians?

How many are converts?

I personally am a convert myself.

May the God of Mercies Bless you Richly in the Peace of the Christ!
I'm a convert.
I grew up Presbyterian, like Naomi (but in the US, not Scotland! :) ).
After moving to the UK, we didn't really attend church much for a few years, then God distinctly called me to attend the local C of E church. How did he call? The bells, of course! :)

[Camden202]

I am a cradle Anglican, having been born into a strong Anglican Family. My families Christening gown came out with the family in 1865 and has been continually used ever since.

My family have two serving Ministers in the Anglican Communion and one retiree.

I can still recall the times when we were the "Church of England in Australia".... then in the mid 80's we became the "Anglican Church of Australia"...

God Bless.

[higgs2]

We don't really use the cradle term for life-long Anglicans. It's more of a RC term, I think.



You know, I was thinking the same thing. And joining an Anglican church is not usually thought of as "converting". at least in my neckof the woods.

You "go" to a church. If you are methodist and start attending a presbyterian church and even become a member, it's not "converting". To me, converting is more changing faiths than denominations.

Anyhow, I grew up Methodist/Presby/congregational (we moved a lot and picked the church we liked best in each area).

But now I am a faithful Episcopalian and can't imagine going to a different denomination.

[Naomi4Christ]

You "go" to a church. If you are methodist and start attending a presbyterian church and even become a member, it's not "converting". To me, converting is more changing faiths than denominations.

This captures it very well :)

[karen freeinchristman]

Perhaps. But over time, I can honestly say that I have been truly converted to Anglicanism after learning more about it and about other denom's.

[Mary of Bethany]

I'm a convert. Baptist to Anglican, that's a big change. ---Pax Deo.

That's what I did, too - and yes, it was a big change. :) My husband and younger son are still Anglican, so count them as converts.

Mary

[higgs2]

Perhaps. But over time, I can honestly say that I have been truly converted to Anglicanism after learning more about it and about other denom's.

I can understand that. I feel the same way :)

[Naomi4Christ]

I can understand that. I feel the same way :)
I feel very fortunate to live close to an great Anglican church. I feel fairly strongly that church should be local, so I'm pleased that my local church is an Anglican one, and that I don't have to deal with any dodgy theology or lack of attention to mission & evangelism.

[norbie]

Converted from R.C. to Anglican, reason my wife was Prespeterian so we both wanted a 'new Church' for both of us, together.
But the main thing is, I am a cradle Christian.

[Naomi4Christ]

Converted from R.C. to Anglican, reason my wife was Prespeterian so we both wanted a 'new Church' for both of us, together.
But the main thing is, I am a cradle Christian.
Same here, Norbie :)

[Secundulus]

I was baptised into the Episcopal Church soon after I was born in 1959. After I was about five or so my family became inactive in the Church.

I knew I was Christian and believed in God, but really didn't know anything beyond that.

Until 1988 I went to Church occasionally, a couple of times a year.

Around 1988 because of my ignorance about Christianity, I fell in with the Mormons. I stayed with them about two years until what they were teaching me became too incredulous. I never really believed the Book of Mormon, but when they told me I was going to be a God I quit. Even with what little Christian knowledge I had, I knew that sounded wrong.

After that I began to actually read the Bible and for a few years became a fundamentalist. I went to General Protestant services in a Military Chapel. Later, I toyed with the idea of becoming a Roman Catholic and went to their adult classes for a few months. But for some reason that never really seemed right. Then I joined a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Panama.

Finally, in 1997 I moved where I am now and rejoined the Anglican Church in the Continuum using the 1928 prayer book I remembered from my earliest days. Since then, I experienced what might be described as The Dark Night of the Soul in 1994 and did everything I could to become a Pagan and then a Gnostic. Fortunately, God brought me to my senses and left me with no doubt as to his truth in Christ.

Since then I returned to my Anglican Church and am back to being a lay reader and have recently begun theological studies in the hopes of becoming a postulant next year.

How's that for an adventure in religion? :D

[karen freeinchristman]

How's that for an adventure in religion? :DPretty good story there! :o

[Diane_Windsor]

Neither~I just like to vote in polls




































:P

[Macx]

Convert from Bhuddism . . .

Yes, Secundulus, a very good story and we're not too different. I started in some . . . well, I am not sure what sort exactly - low church, protestant, like independant or congregational type Christian church. Left the faith and wandered very, very far. Dark night of the soul is almost too rosy an image. Converted to authentic Christianity and found High Church Anglicanism resonated with my affection for Christ the King, my love for the Christus Rex over the Crucifix, God as overpoweringly Holy rather than God as buddy . . . resonated me right up to 7/10ths the way to ordination.

[AngCath]

"convert"
originally Lutheran (LCMS)

[RadixLecti]

I'm a cradle Episcopalian. Baptised and Confirmed in ECUSA.

This is a really interesting poll Colabomb. It would be even more interesting to see what percentage of Americans in STR are Cradle Anglicans since Anglicanism is far less prevelent here. A few months ago I made a crack about God playing lacrosse and nobody seemed to get the joke (though I could be mistaken). That was when it occured to me that most of STR had chosen Anglicanism later in life.

[karen freeinchristman]

I'm a cradle Episcopalian. Baptised and Confirmed in ECUSA.

This is a really interesting poll Colabomb. It would be even more interesting to see what percentage of Americans in STR are Cradle Anglicans since Anglicanism is far less prevelent here. A few months ago I made a crack about God playing lacrosse and nobody seemed to get the joke (though I could be mistaken). That was when it occured to me that most of STR had chosen Anglicanism later in life.
Might be because many (including me) don't know anything about lacrosse?

[adam752]

Convert...baptized in a Baptist church at 6. Then found my way to the Episcopal Church at 17 and was confirmed at 18.

-adam

[RadixLecti]

Might be because many (including me) don't know anything about lacrosse?
It's a stereotype of cradle Episcopalians. (and lacrosse isn't played much outside North America anyway) I'm just using that as an example. What I meant was at one time there was a very specific sub culture (in the USA) that went hand-in-hand with being Episcopalian. It was a much more homogeneous group. People sent their kids to certain schools, played certain sports, dressed a certain way, pursued certain kinds of professions etc. It doesn't have anything to do with Christian faith, it's more of a quirk of US History/Culture. Anyway, I think that Anglicanism is one of the truest forms of Christianity, so I'm glad that it's not limited to one particular group.

[Colabomb]

Haha, someone asked me for my story back on page one and I never gave it.

I'm one of those Journey in religion types.

I grew up in various fundementalist type churches, and was myself very influenced by (shudders) Jack chick and the like. I was anti-Catholic, anti ecumenism etc. I spent several years there.

My father all of his life has been fighting between pulls towards Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. He found Christ in the Catholic Church after years of pretending to be an atheist (he admits now it was never a real belief but rather youthful rebellion, he would say prayers at night "just in case") and was later brought into fundementalism through much of the fundy misinformation you see floating around. Due to his struggle between the two, he started to become dissatisfied with the fundementalism I grew up in, and started pulling us away to more broad evangelicalism, vineyard etc.

He found himself attending mass more and more and was pulled even more to the catholic side of things. He overtime became the sort of UberCatholic you see on Obob, Catechist, taught RCIA and CCD etc. I of course chaffed against this and tried to convert him back to the "real faith". During this time in Rome, he met at work an eastern orthodox bishop who showed him a side of Church Tradition he had never seen before. It started at mere Curiosity of his "Eastern Brothers", and over time it grew and he was eventually convinced to explore Orthodoxy.

I was still a Fundie, but becoming less and less harsh about it. I eventually grudgingly began to tolerate his catholicism, when he started talking about the Orthodox. He asked me to try and see things objectively and try to put aside my biases. I told him I would do so and did.

We spent years together working things out, points of theology, and over time I too became dissatisfied with fundementalism, the more I learned about the history of the Christian Church. At this point we decided together to give Orthodoxy a shot. He was still in contact with his bishop who became our bishop. There were orthodox churches in the area, but they are all very ethnic and not very accepting of those on the outside.

He is a very ecumenical bishop, and recommended we try a local REC parish due to the frustration that the Greeks don't accept the russians who don't accept the greeks etc. The family was accepted into Ukrainian Orthodoxy, and we started attending the REC church due to the percieved lack of orthodoxy in the area.

Overtime, I began to fall in love with Anglicanism itself, rather than using it as a substitute for Orthodoxy. I thought myself at the time an AngloCatholic. Pretty much at this point in my life if it was catholicy, I accepted it. It was sort of a daze to me.

Over time, I again did soul searching and found that I was not really catholic, and i accepted many things blindly which was not wise. I battled with my fundamentalist and catholic sides and found myself forging an existence right down the middle. I am still there, constantly hashing out my faith in my head as I go.

Dad and I have really shared this journey, and although we end up in slightly different points on the Spectrum (he much more reformed than I), I feel we arrived together.

I skipped a few things in there, like my experience with the UPC cult that weren't really germane to my entrance into Anglicanism. But I think I got forward the general idea.

[karen freeinchristman]

That's really interesting, Cola! Thanks for sharing that with us. :)

[artrx]

I was baptised in a Southern Baptist church, grew up mostly in a Grace Brethren church and after a few years of throwing out "church", not God; had some amazing experiences that brought me into the Episcopal church. I was confirmed in undergrad. I don't feel i "converted" either. God just led me to a place I could call home, and continue to learn from...

[Aymn27]

I was baptised in a Southern Baptist church, grew up mostly in a Grace Brethren church and after a few years of throwing out "church", not God; had some amazing experiences that brought me into the Episcopal church. I was confirmed in undergrad. I don't feel i "converted" either. God just led me to a place I could call home, and continue to learn from...
well..I see you're self-identified as a Democrat - so it is obvious you have MUCH to learn ;) - j/k

Ron Paul for President! '08

[Iosias]

I was baptised as a baby into the Church of England. Then when we moved to Wales we attended a Baptist church. When I became a committed Christian at uni I attended the Plymouth Brethren and left them in 2005 to join a CofE congregation.

[artrx]

well..I see you're self-identified as a Democrat - so it is obvious you have MUCH to learn ;) - j/k

Ron Paul for President! '08

In the churches I've been a part of that learning flows in both directions, politically and socially.That's what i love about the Episcopal church. :wave:

[Aymn27]

In the churches I've been a part of that learning flows in both directions, politically and socially.That's what i love about the Episcopal church. :wave:
I'm really just teasing!! except about Ron Paul - check him out -- you may like him more than you think!

[ebia]

Raised on the fringe of the CofE (family attended at Christmas, Candlemas, Easter & Harvest). Attended sunday school at the local independent evangelical chapel. Started going to the local CofE church regularly as a teenager and got confirmed. Drifted away again during/after university, and called back again a few years later.

[holyshe]

lets just say i was an anglican from conception!!!
was conceived in the vicarage too!! lmso

[RedneckAnglican]

convert...

I grew up in the Lutheran Church...to be honest...in a lot of ways I still am Lutheran...I have aslo been United MEthodist, Presbytarin, Soutern Baptist, and Episcopalian before I came to the Anglican Church...and yes...it was quite a trip...

[No Swansong]

I was baptized at 3 months (June 26th, 1960)
and Confirmed at age 15 (May 9th, 1985)

Yep - I'm a cradle Episcopalian.
chalice my friend is my math off, or yours?