The North Carolina Conference ended our time of worshipful work with the Ordering of Ministry service. The Annual Conference, special guests, friends, mentors, and family members surrounded those to be ordained, commissioned, or licensed for pastoral and lay ministry. The Conference is grateful to the Lord for each person’s gifts and commitment to serve.
The Conference was excited to welcome retired Bishop Hope Morgan Ward to join us for worship. She invited the body to give generously to an offering for Professors in Methodism, an endowed fund supporting theological education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, along with salary support for teaching positions in Methodist history, theology, and polity across 30+ United Methodist-affiliated theological schools worldwide.
In the sermon, Bishop Shelton focused on the story in the Gospel of John where Jesus asks a Samaritan woman to give him a drink. The Bishop reminded us that this is a beautiful story about a woman going to the well in the middle of the day to draw water because she was tired of “The Look.”
She continued, “You know the look. “The look” that says ‘we know your past. You don’t belong here.’ “The look” that says ‘your family’s problems make you a problem.’ “The Look” that says ‘your skin color disqualifies you for entrance’ or ‘your identity is confusing to me so you can’t be part.’ “The Look” that says ‘you don’t speak my language.’ ‘I can’t even understand you.’ or ‘you’re not smart enough’ or ‘you are not enough’ or ‘you don’t belong.’ or ‘you are not welcome.’”
Bishop Shelton appealed to the certified lay ministers, licensed local pastors, provisional deacons, provisional elders, and ordinands to read scripture in context, for it gives a window into what we cannot fully understand from our perspective.
The Bishop acknowledged Jesus’ presence during the service and asked everyone, “how will you create a culture of welcome, and graceful hospitality, and compassion for people who get “the look”?
Bishop Shelton wrapped up her sermon in tears as she shared about a time when the Holy Spirit convicted her to “stop playing church and start being church.”
She continued, “Sisters and brothers, this is a significant, historic day in our life as church where we say that God sees, loves, and calls everyone, especially those who show up at the well in the middle of the day to avoid the look. Church, are we willing to join Jesus?”
The service ended with Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton and Bishop Hope Morgan Ward praying for each candidate for ministry and ordaining the elders and deacons by the laying on of hands.
Certified Lay Ministers
Vicki Ambrose
Patricia Dickens
Janet Groberski
Deborah Horton
Julie Melson
Darren Poe
Larry Vacek
License for Pastoral Ministry
Catherine Clyburn
Katie Distefano
David Edington
Schylar Ferguson
Layne Harpine
Daeho Kang
Samantha Kiley
Joseph Dawson Lane
Gregory Major
Avanti Mitchell
Marsena Mungin
Michael Sciascia
Jonathan Sobel
Commissioning as Deacon
Zachary Tucker Moser
Commissioning as Elder
Thomas Adam Benson
Rebecca Marie Bradley
Grayson Hicks Dye
Matthew Ray Hayes
Rhonda Lei Grant Jordan
Eunsoo Kang
Kimberly Dawn Lail
Tyler Houston Moore
Heidi Elizabeth Reddy
Anna Christine Thornburg
Ordination as Deacon
Kimberley Rexrode Houff
Joy Kathleen Van Staalduinen
Ordination as Elder
Charles Crew Daly
Kristen Lynn Hanna
Julia Crone Hayes
Johnny Henry Llerena Zegarra
Amanda Lee Rigby
William Edward Sabiston