Former Protestant Pastor tells how he got over his objections to Mary

Summary

Former Protestant pastor Keith Nester explains how he moved beyond common Protestant objections to Catholic teachings about Mary. He describes three developments that changed his perspective.

Rethinking “Where is that in the Bible?”

Nester realized that not every Christian teaching is stated explicitly in Scripture. He points to the Trinity and the question of which books belong in the Bible as examples of matters that require more than the Bible alone to establish. This led him to consider the Church’s role in preserving and teaching the faith, rather than requiring a specific verse for every doctrine.

Studying early Christian teaching and biblical interpretation

Reading the Church Fathers and tracing Marian beliefs through Christian history showed Nester that these teachings were not simply late inventions. He was especially struck by interpretations that connect Mary in Luke’s Gospel with the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. This made him question whether some Protestant objections were as clearly grounded in Scripture as he had assumed.

Experiencing Mary’s spiritual role

While preparing an Advent sermon about the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Nester found himself responding emotionally to the story. He began to understand Mary not only as a subject of doctrine but also as a spiritual mother to Christians.

He interprets Jesus’ words to Mary and John at the cross as giving Mary to believers as a mother. Accepting this did not lead him toward worshipping Mary; he says it deepened his love for Jesus, because he came to see Mary as leading people to her son.

Nester also describes growing more willing to accept the Catholic Church’s authority and its revealed doctrines as a whole, rather than choosing which dogmas to believe. He notes that Catholics call Mary “Blessed” because Luke’s Gospel says that all generations will call her blessed.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: Keith Nester, a former Protestant pastor explaining his personal journey toward Catholic beliefs about Mary.
• Biblical passages and sources referenced:
  • Luke’s Gospel, including the Annunciation and Luke 1:48
  • John 19:26, where Jesus speaks to Mary and John from the cross
  • The books of Samuel, in connection with the Ark of the Covenant
  • The Church Fathers and early Christian teaching about Mary
  • The Catholic Church’s teaching authority and the transmission of the faith through the apostles and their successors