How twelve years of searching ended up with me on the doorstep of the Roman Catholic Church.

by Karl Kohlhase

I grew up Lutheran but strayed far from God in my teen years. When I was 18
years old I sensed that Christ was calling me to follow Him, and I decided
to turn the whole of my life over to Him. Just out of high school, I started
to pray about what the Lord wanted me to do. Since I had played in several
rock bands throughout high school, I thought maybe I should start a
Christian rock band.

I called an old band mate who was attending an Assembly of God Bible
college. He told me to come to the school, so I could meet other musicians
who might be interested in my idea. When I visited I was excited to find so
many young men and women who were devoted to following Christ, to the Word
of God, and to prayer. I was hooked.

I started attending classes and church services, volunteering at a local
street mission, witnessing on the streets of Minneapolis, etc... I was so
excited about what I was learning about prayer and ministry that I really
let my studies slip. I left the college to pursue more hands-on ministry in
the Assemblies of God.

After a couple of years, I got involved with a Pentecostal church. They had
some terribly heretical doctrines, but I was young, impressionable, and
convinced by their manipulations of the Scriptures. (It sure would have been
nice to have a Pope back then!) They based many of their beliefs on the
premise that the early Church fell into apostasy, and they were reclaiming
the truths of old.

So I started reading the Early Church Fathers to find out if this was
correct. I was astounded at just how Catholic these guys were right from the
start. Here were direct disciples of the Apostles themselves (in the first
century) talking about the Eucharist being the literal flesh and blood of
Christ, about bishops, and the prominence of the Bishop of Rome!

I was blown away. I went and talked with a Catholic priest. As it turned
out, he was less than encouraging. I don't know if he was disgruntled with
the Church or what, but he seemed to say, "Why would you want to go and
become a Catholic?"

So I didn't.

I went back to my familiar Lutheran roots and enrolled in a Lutheran college
to study music. I met my wife-to-be, and she introduced me to the
Evangelical Free Church, which I very much enjoyed. The fellowship was warm
and inviting. Like a family. And the minister was a great teacher/preacher
who obviously knew and loved the Scriptures.

After I had graduated and was married, my wife and I took our two month old
son to Portland, OR where I planned to work on a Master's Degree in Church
Music at a Conservative Baptist seminary.

Strangely enough, it was there in that Baptist seminary that I considered
becoming a Catholic for the second time. We were studying in Matthew in one
of my theology classes. When we came to the passage where Christ says to
Peter, "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church.", my
professor told us he held an unpopular view of this Scripture. It was his
belief that the most plain rendering of the text in the original languages
was that Christ was referring to Peter when He said "upon THIS rock".

Usually Protestants try to say He was talking about the faith or Christ...
anything but Peter!

He further showed Peter's prominent place among the twelve throughout the
gospels and the book of Acts. He quickly dismissed the idea of Apostolic
succession, however.

I was convinced, but not ready. "I'm studying to become a Protestant
minister, for goodness sake," I thought. Maybe this was just a temptation to
get me off track.

Before I finished seminary, I had the opportunity to go back to the
Evangelical Free Church that I considered my "home church" to be their full
time Director of Youth and Music Ministries. I absolutely loved it. The
ministry was flourishing and tremendously fulfilling.

After about three years in that position, the nagging questions began to
surface again as I read the Bible in my private devotions. What does Christ
mean by "unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood"? "This is My body"?
"Unless you are born of WATER and Spirit"? Why did the early church have
bishops? How could Christ give the Apostles the authority to forgive sins?
And so on...

I began to study. I hurled every question I could think of against the
Church. But as I read the Scriptures, the Catechism, the Early Church
Fathers, and some Catholic apologetics, I found that the Church was an
impenetrable fortress. Not only did She have an answer for my every
objection, but an air tight logic.

I did not want to become a Catholic, however. It would mean losing my
beloved ministry. It would mean causing a pile of discord in my family. It
would mean that all the people who once looked up to me as a man of God
would now wag their heads in shame at the mention of my name. "Poor unstable
fellow", they would say.

I told the Lord I couldn't do it without a sign. Any miracle would do. Maybe
Mary could appear. Or Saint Paul could come down from heaven and talk with
me. (Nothing too big.) I kept praying, studying, and hoping for my miracle.

One day a thought came into my mind. "Karl, did you need a sign before you
decided to follow Me when you were 18?"

No. I didn't need a sign back then. And I had walked by faith for 12 years
since then, without seeing His face or hearing His audible voice. The lesson
was clear. I would have to step in faith once again. So I told the Lord that
if He could make me as convinced of the Catholic Church as I was about Jesus
Christ being the resurrected Son of God I would enter the Church.

I hurled my last objections at the Church, found the answers to them, and
entered the one, holy Catholic Church on Pentecost Sunday, 2000.

I quickly set out to find my place of ministry in the Church that Jesus
founded. It has been a difficult and trying process, but I am happy to say
that I think I am figuring out what it is He wants me to do here.

I've recorded a contemporary music CD and have posted it on my web site,
along with some of my hymns and choral works. It is my prayer that it will
bear much fruit for the glory of my Savior.

If you would like to learn more or obtain a copy, you can visit my site at
http://www.k4communications.com/karl/

My prayers go out to all who are searching.... Seek and you shall find!

by Karl Kohlhase

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