The institutions of the Christian religion were designed for many reasons. It was quite serious in the 1st Century. The essence of Jesus’ teachings, plus his life, death and resurrection were the foundational focus. First getting the events written down on record while the memories were fresh to pass along for the next generations, hopefully forever, as far into the future as that would be, given that most people believed it to be relatively short since God’s wrath and Jesus’ return were imminent; 2,000 years later, we’re still waiting.

The bible was written on the fly, in the real time of its ancient authors, even the epistles (letters) and third party accounts written years later were not that far off from the time that Jesus actually lived. They were all completed within 100 years or so, a relatively short time in the history of man. It would be in the fourth century that the writings would be collected into what we know of today as the New Testament. The authors and the followers didn’t have thoughts of building a religion, they were faithfully building God’s world on Earth, not an institution. It developed into an institution over the few hundred years after Jesus’ death as the world settled down and the Roman Empire eventually gave in to the movement, adopting it as their own, not only ending persecution of Christians, but giving it political clout and backing; as an institution it would be woven into the development of humanity by official means.

This is basic church history, but it’s not commonly known, as the churches don’t teach any of this. It’s fascinating that the church doesn’t teach its own development, at least not to the public, it does teach it to the clergy. There are many reasons why this could be. It’s not that they’re hiding anything, not so at all. Regardless, it’s all available now, but not then. The first published bibles were the Gutenberg Bible long after in 1455. The church focused on the teachings as the main purpose, which makes a lot of sense, but disregarding church history is a missed opportunity and overall makes for a deficient education. The mystery of the church was important for spiritual development, but the church history cements it in reality, making it stronger in ways that are overlooked. It was a genuine struggle, yet most people think it fell out of the sky, which only furthers doubt and leaves it fantasy, not historically rooted. It is as if the church is either embarrassed by its own history, or more likely, determined that the very human history would sully the mysteries by its ordinariness.

As a Pastor, my ministry is about independent faith outside the confines of coercion and misaligned worship; but I must amend what may be confusing contradictions. As I’ve stated in the past, I am a Catholic, yet, I am a pastor. Consider me an independent broker of sorts for God. It’s my job to corral anyone who might be interested in learning more about God, Christian faith and offer ways to achieve the end result of a successful relationship with God. That is my job. It is also my job to instruct on deeper levels for those interested, plus pass along vital information when I need to. I am a conduit for God.

Being independent does not mean that one cannot or should not seek religion. In fact, it is vital that people do. It gives you foundational knowledge from true experts. It also gives you a genuine home with others who are like minded. My issue with religion is that it’s dated and doesn’t address the development of civilization and human development as well. We are not the same as we were 2,000 years ago. Not only because we have technology and the sciences, but because humans have actually evolved. We’re smarter and more capable. In that context, the foundations of the Old and New Testaments are still relevant today, that is, they are the foundation of understanding God and faith. It’s the teaching methods that need updating, not the information. Today we can distinguish fact from fiction, myth from reality, poetry from historical record, but the essence is the same and eternal. It will be so 1 million years from now. God revealed Himself, the prophets gave us wisdom to understand. 

The truth is, you only need the bible to get all the information needed for a journey to God, if you can successfully understand it. The wisdom is right there for anyone to read over and over. Religion comes in because it is the school and sanctuary to aide God’s people. The Jews have their temples; we have our churches; not all of them are equal with fallible humans in charge. Some are exciting, some are scholarly, some are boring; this can’t be helped, but it’s another reason why religion is so hard to control. Consistency may be the trickiest to manage. Regardless, many people have labored on getting the information correct, tested, scrutinized and sanctified; it’s pretty polished today.

As an independent Pastor, I believe in independence because it is my nature to be an individual and not part of a group. It’s a personal thing. In my personal journey, I realized I was stronger on my own. My faith was manifested by my own conclusions, not by following the Christian herd. However, as I matured I backtracked and realized that my foundation was formed from 2,000 years of development. I learned it is not only okay to question and debate, it’s part of the process of development. Each question eventually gets an answer and so on. This builds a personal foundation of faith, which is the goal for all religions.

Religion is vital. Your personal journey is vital too. They must coexist. Use religion as your rightful home and learning institution. Likewise, declare your independence as is your right as a human of Earth and one of God’s children, regardless of religion. I differ on specifics with the church and I am not alone; but we are still brothers and sisters, all of us. Embrace religion, the Bible and your own curiosity and scrutiny; make it what it was always supposed to be; make The Way your way.

My ministry is for individuals seeking a personal journey to God, not an institutionalized one. There is no one way to God, despite what anyone says, including the big religions. The Way is spelled out in the New Testament, but it needs to be incorporated into the fabric of contemporary life. Self-learning is not for all. Institutions with rules is not for all. Pick what works for you and don’t be complacent. Faith requires continual participation.

Gods discovery is not an accidental occurrence. Finding God is only the beginning. Religion is only the start of the journey. I can take you farther, if you’re willing, if I’m willing. It does get harder, but amazing things always come to those brave enough for the full journey.

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©2026 Pastor Robert Perez