From Tradition to Truth

From devoted Catholic altar boy to Christadelphian believer, my journey began with questions, led me to Scripture, and ended with my entire family finding a new faith.

My name is Bro. Nicholas Odhiambo Orwa. I am from Kenya, the South Nyanza area, and the Ndisi Ecclesia.

From a young age, I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church. My parents instilled in me a deep reverence for the Church, its sacraments, and the authority of the priests. I attended a Catholic High School, participated in religious education classes, and received the sacraments of baptism, first communion in 2015, and confirmation in 2017.

The Church provided a sense of community and stability, and I felt a strong connection to the traditions and rituals. I became an altar boy in 2016 while I was in High School. On Sundays, I helped the catechists run the masses. I prayed often. I believed in the Dominican rosary and recited the “Hail Mary” every night before going to bed. On Friday morning, the Catholic students gathered for teachings of the Catholic Church. We had lessons based on Catholic traditions, such as Mary, Jesus’ mother, still being alive, and the notion that there is power in reciting the rosary.

The Growing Discomfort and Search for Truth

However, as soon as I could read well in grade six, I began reading the Bible on my own. As I began to delve deeper into the Bible and its teachings, I started to question some of the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. I felt a growing disconnect between the Church’s emphasis on its tradition and the seemingly straightforward message of the Bible. I yearned for a more personal relationship with God, one that was not mediated by the Church’s authority, but rather built on a direct connection with His Word. At times, I felt there could be another religious faith more truthful than the one I was in. I had a great friend, Allan, who was also a friend of our home. He was the first to encourage me to look deeper. His ardor towards me was driven by my love for the Word of God. I was very inquisitive regarding the faith and truth, and Allan assured me that I should rely on the Bible. The Scripture is where God speaks to us.

The Turning Point

A pivotal moment came during a time of personal crisis and spiritual searching. I found myself questioning the meaning of my life and the purpose of my faith. I turned to the Bible for guidance, and as I read through the Gospels, I discovered a message of grace, forgiveness, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I realized that the Catholic Church’s teachings on justification, saints, and sacraments seemed to clash with this core message of the Bible.

One day, Allan invited me and my brother to attend a Christadelphian Bible Mission (CBM) Youth camp at a nearby school. We took time to attend the camp, where we had a great debate. The debate was about the Trinity and God’s existence in three persons. At that time, I believed in the Holy Trinity, comprising God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the debate, we were challenged to refer to the Scriptures to see who the Father is, who the Son is, and what the Holy Spirit is. We read several verses that prove there is no Trinity and emphasize that Jesus is the Son of God, and not God. Also, the Holy Spirit is God’s power, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (NKJV):

Or in 1 Timothy 2:5:

Also, in Luke 1:35:

We looked at other passages, such as James 1:13, John 14:28, and 1 Corinthians 11:3.

This debate was very helpful to me, and it felt like it was a call for me to know the truth. At this point, I was perplexed whether to hold my Catholic doctrine or make a final decision.

Transition to the Christadelphians

Inspired by my newfound understanding of the Bible, I began to explore the Christadelphians. I started attending Memorial Services, seeking a community that embraced the Bible as its ultimate authority. I was involved in mid-week meetings where we tackled studies in basic Bible teaching. It wasn’t long before I began to question some of the central doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church.

Some of these included:

Water Immersion Baptism. Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 give the real meaning of baptism. Those who were baptized in the Bible, like Jesus and the Ethiopian eunuch, went down into the water and came up again out of the water. Nowhere in the Bible was anyone baptized by pouring water on their head. Nor are there any examples of babies being baptized, like I was when I was very young.

Making a cross sign before prayers or eating. Nowhere in the Scriptures did any of the first believers do this.

The living Mary. Catholic teachings state that Mary was taken up to heaven, and she never died. They say that she is pleading to Jesus on our behalf. In the Scripture, where is this written? Nowhere!

Priesthood. In Catholicism, the priest acts as a mediator between people and God. If one sins, he or she must kneel before the priest and confess, which is called “Penitential.” I used to believe the Penitential made one pure, but I could not find this in the Bible. In Hebrews 7:11-12, 24-25, the Bible says Jesus is the only Priest we have (Also see 1 Timothy 2:5).

Purgatory. I was very surprised to discover that the Bible does not teach there is an “immortal soul.” Nowhere in Scripture are those two words found together. Many verses state that a soul can be killed, that it can’t be kept alive, and that even animals have souls.

I discovered that God only promises eternal life to the “righteous,” not to the wicked. (Romans 6:23; Romans 2:7; Psalm 37). I realized that there is no immortal soul. Therefore, purgatory does not exist.

Roman Catholics refer to the book of Maccabees (which isn’t part of the canon of Scripture, but found in the Catholic Bible) as evidence of praying for the dead to be cleansed of sin. In 1 Corinthians 3:15, Roman Catholics describe Purgatory as the process of purification. There is no instance in Scripture where the early believers prayed for the cleansing of the sins of the dead. Judas Iscariot died by committing suicide, but we are not told that the believers prayed for his sins to be cleansed. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid the price for all sins, making a further period of cleansing unnecessary. Purgatory is a fantasy of Catholic doctrine.

A year later, I was interviewed for baptism during an Annual General Meeting (AGM Bible School). I accepted the new true doctrine and was baptized together with other youths who had also come from different denominations.

After my baptism, I yearned to share the truth with my parents, who were still holding the Catholic doctrine. I felt my parents could oppose my decision. This was the prayer I recited every time: “Dear Lord, if truly you have called me to know the truth, then please make my parents and others understand it too.” Every night after supper, we would sit and have Bible discussions. My mom loved this and could listen to my answers, ask questions, and understand.

Mom had a desire to join the Christadelphians, despite being a member of the Catholic church choir. She struggled with whether to leave or not. Dad was a secretary in one of the Catholic subcenters. One day, I invited brethren to a mid-week meeting in our home, and it went well. Both my parents were at home, and there was a great discussion about where the Kingdom of God will be, and what happens after one has died. We also spoke about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. One Sunday, Mom decided to accompany me to a memorial service, and not long after, she too became baptized.

It took my dad a lot longer to be convinced. I involved him in Bible discussions every night and during any free time. Even at the farm, I often told him some of the Bible stories I was learning, and he began to appreciate my progress in the Bible. One day, he told me that I had chosen the truth, and then he decided to have fellowship with us. Both my parents are now baptized, and I thank God for this. Not only have my parents joined, but all members of our family have also joined.

Finding a New Home

I eventually found a new home with the Christadelphians, where I felt welcomed and accepted. The community was supportive, and the brothers, sisters, and elders shared a passion for God’s Word. I embraced the Christadelphian faith as a new way of experiencing God’s grace and truth.

The Ongoing Journey

My transition from being a Catholic to a Christadelphian was a significant journey of spiritual growth and transformation. It involved questioning my former beliefs, examining the Bible, exploring new truths, and finding a new home in a community that shared my faith. It is a journey that continues to evolve as I deepen my understanding of God’s Word and my relationship with Him.

Nicholas Odhiambo Orwa,
Ndisi Ecclesia, Kenya