“While his Protestant views had previously led to critiques of the Catholic Church, the pastor said that, after studying the faith, he realized that many of those criticisms simply weren’t valid. The release emphasized that the conversion was the result of “a personal journey.”

A non-denominational megachurch pastor reportedly stunned his congregation this weekend when he announced that he and his wife are converting to Catholicism.

Ulf Ekman, pastor and founder of Word of Life Church in Uppsala, Sweden, told parishioners Sunday during his sermon that he and his wife, Birgitta, have experienced a theological change-of-heart, Charisma News reported.

On Ekman’s ministry website a statement titled, “Pastor Ulf Ekman to Be Accepted Into the Catholic Church” provides details on the preacher’s conversion, stating that “a process of many years of prayer and reflection” preceded the decision to embrace the Catholic faith.

“For Birgitta and me, this has been a slow process were we have gone from discovering new things, to appreciating what we have discovered, to approach and even learn from our fellow Christians,” Ekman is quoted in the release. “We have seen a great love for Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma.”

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