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The Reformed Pastor Who Gave It All Up for the Catholic Church, Part 1 of 3 — Aaron Gunsaulus
Episode Summary
Former Christian Reformed pastor Aaron Gunsaulus of Newton, Iowa, joins Joe Stopulos to begin his Catholic conversion story in the first episode of a three-part series. Aaron describes his Lutheran upbringing, his college conversion experience, and the path that led him from Baptist ministry and Reformed theology to fifteen years as a pastor. This episode ends just as 2019, his best year in ministry, gives way to 2020, the year that changed everything for him.
Episode Notes
Some conversion stories ask everything of a man: his job, his income, his flock, and the life he built. In Part 1 of this three-part series, Joe Stopulos sits down with Aaron Gunsaulus, a former Christian Reformed pastor from Newton, Iowa, who gave it all up after discovering the truth of the Catholic Church. Two of Joe’s past guests, Jim Verwoert and Keith Nester, both told him he had to get Aaron on the show.
Highlights from this episode:
- The music connection: How Aaron met Jim Verwoert and Keith Nester through a Christian band in Newton, which also included Pella native Dave Keuning, now the guitarist for The Killers.
- A Lutheran upbringing: Aaron grew up in a mainline Lutheran family, went through three years of catechism and confirmation, and admits he never owned the faith for himself.
- A college conversion: At Iowa State, Aaron had a conversion experience, dropped out, returned to Newton, and began walking deliberately with Christ under the mentorship of his friend Kyle.
- Called to pastor: Mentors saw a gift for Scripture in Aaron. While serving at a Baptist church near UNI, he was introduced to Reformed soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and was eventually drawn into the historic Reformed tradition of Luther and Calvin.
- Open to life and homeschooling: Aaron and his wife Cami chose to leave their family size in God’s hands and homeschool. They now have six children.
- Fifteen years as a pastor: After serving as interim pastor of a Christian Reformed church in Newton, Aaron was asked to stay on as its pastor. He later earned his MDiv mostly remotely and was ordained.
- Best year, worst year: In 2019, despite a church fire that forced the congregation out of its building, Aaron finished seminary, was ordained, and saw the church grow. Then came 2020: COVID and a contentious election year sent things off the rails.
A challenge for every man: Aaron’s love of the Bible is a lesson for all of us. Are you starting each day with even five or ten minutes in Scripture?
Don’t miss Part 2 next week, when Aaron explains what happened in 2020 and how it set him on the road to Rome.
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