Grace Celtic Christian Church
Grace Celtic Christian Church
Biblical Christianity in the Ancient Celtic Tradition
"Rejoice in the Lord Always: Again I Say, Rejoice"
Philippians 4:4
Grace Celtic Church is located in Ventura County CA. Father Joe Schooler, O.C. Carm., is the pastor, has a master's degree in Christian Studies, and has ministered in various capacities for decades. He is the Abbot of the online community of Celtic Carmelites (www.celticcarmelites.org) and has a deep affection for the purity, simplicity, and joy of ancient Celtic Christianity.
We are actively looking for Christians in and around Camarillo, CA to help form the core congregation for our community. Whether you are a disenchanted Roman Catholic or a Reformed Christian or anywhere in between, we need you to help grow a loving Church family built on the authority of the Blessed Trinity.
The ministry of Grace Celtic Church is one of outreach to the elderly, home-bound, and those without a church they feel comfortable attending. Fr. Joe Schooler comes to you with the message of salvation and Christ's great love for you. Whether you are hospitalized, home-bound, or know of someone incarcerated or in hospice, Fr. Joe will be happy to meet you or your loved one where they are. Currently, Grace Celtic Church is located in Camarillo, CA (it is a church without walls, so if you would like to visit, we can meet at a local coffee shop!), therefore the ministry is physically confined to Ventura County.
At Grace Celtic Church our mission is to bridge the gap between Roman Catholicism and the various Evangelical denominations. We are a "both/and" community. We celebrate the richness and spirituality of our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, and we hold firm to the preaching and teaching of Scripture in a welcoming community environment. We humbly submit to the authority of Holy Scripture above the doctrines of men. Biblically, we do not compromise the inerrant Word of God.
While there is debate over what and how many Sacraments were instituted in the Sacred Scriptures, we find compelling evidence to hold to the Seven Sacraments associated with the Catholic Church - with variations. For example, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is taught by Rome to absolve a person of venial and mortal sins. We believe the Bible is clear that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new Creation" (2Cor. 5:17) and that "nothing can separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38). We see Reconciliation as just that - a time to confess our weaknesses and guilt over wrongdoing, and hear the words of the Lord that we are forgiven. It's one thing to believe in our hearts that we are secure in Christ, yet it's highly relational to receive affirmation that in spite of ourselves we belong to Jesus - we are his, and nothing will keep us from him once we dedicate ourselves to Jesus as Lord and Master.
In the spirit of the ancient Celtic Christians, our services are held more often than not in the beauty of nature. We celebrate the seven sacraments because they are found in scripture and we carry on the tradition of the first followers of Jesus Christ.
In the spirit of "both/and" we believe with the Roman Catholic Church that the Sacraments are instruments of grace, but unlike the Roman Catholic Church, we believe that once the Holy Spirit brings you into a personal relationship with the Jesus, salvation is assured. We do not believe in purgatory because it isn't in the Bible and Jesus was clear many times that He was the One, true offering for our sins, and we cannot ever earn our salvation.
Ours is a love relationship with the Holy Trinity where there is no room for fear. The more we know and love God, the more our hearts will lovingly seek to please Him out of love, out of appreciation of His grace, and out of a beautiful understanding of God as our loving Father, Jesus as our Redeemer, teacher, and Brother, and the Holy Spirit as our ever-present soul-mate and inspiration for our loving God and creation.
We hope to see you again! Check back later for new updates to our website. There's much more to come!
Why us?
Why us?
Why us? Good question! Up until the seventh century, the Celtic Christians believed the Bible and developed their Christianity with limited influence from the politically charged and ever-expanding power of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe and beyond.
A feisty bunch, the Celtic Christians held to what is known as the "Johanine" view of the gospels - basically they held to the emphasis on the love of God for both man and creation. The Roman Church was influenced greatly by St. Augustine of Hippo and others who espoused the theology of original sin, the total depravity of man and the wretchedness of man and creation due to the fall of Adam and Eve.
Ideally, elements of both theologies could have been merged but Rome was too powerful and eventually brought the Celtic Christians to the brink of annihilation.
While there is truth in both theologies, the "both/and" seems to us to be the most representative of the message of Christianity - especially after Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and set those of us who place our love and trust in Him alone free.