Swedish Mega-Church Pastor Ulf Eckman, Swims the Tiber

Then:

                                                                 Now:

 Ulf Eckman, founder of one of Sweden's largest non-denominational charismatic churches came into full union with the Catholic Church this March 2014. His theology was influenced heavily by the "Word/faith prosperity" movement. At different points in his career he was outwardly anti-Catholic making negative statements against the faith.  Why did he convert?

"We have seen a great love for Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma. We have experienced the richness of sacramental life. We have seen the logic in having a solid structure for priesthood that keeps the faith of the church and passes it on from one generation to the next. We have met an ethical and moral strength and consistency that dare to face up to the general opinion, and a kindness towards the poor and the weak. And, last but not least, we have come in contact with representatives for millions of charismatic Catholics and we have seen their living faith."

"I discovered how little I really knew about [Catholics], their spirituality and their beliefs. Unconsciously I carried many prejudices and bad attitudes and have been quick to judge them without really knowing what they actually believed. It has been good to discover and to repent from nonchalant and shallow opinions, based not on their own sources but on their opponents, and to discover a very rich heritage, a strong theological foundation and a deep love for Jesus Christ among them."

As I have said multiple times on this blog, most of us carried severe prejudices against Catholicism without ever truly knowing what the Church taught. Here, a pastor of a very large Protestant church admits that he did that very thing. May God bless Ulf Eckman and bless his family for the willingness to follow Truth wherever it leads, even at the cost of a career.