You are called!

This week I heard our own District Superintendent, Rev. Brian Brown, remind our Leadership Council that all of us are called.  We all work for Jesus and Jesus Christ has laid claim to our lives.  Rev. Brown was reminded us of our call to ministry, whether clergy or not.  We were gathered to help Pastor Danny wrestle with his call to ministry.   On Tuesday night, May 13th, the Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee, along with the Charge Conference, confirmed Pastor Danny’s request to become a Candidate for vocation of Local Licensed Ministry in The United Methodist Church.  It was refreshing to hear the movement of God in Danny’s life and how Shiloh has become part of Danny’s call to ministry!  As Danny and others have discovered, the steps toward credentialed ministry are numerous and it’s a process that takes time.  For the next several years of Danny’s life, he will be in the process of being and becoming a Licensed Minister.  For those of us unfamiliar to the process, you might be asking yourself, "What does that mean?"  It means that although Danny functions as a pastor on staff here at Shiloh, he is working through the education and formational requirements.  He has been and will continue to meet with our District Board of Ordained Ministry.  This summer Danny will attend Local Licensing School, and when he has completed the steps and is affirmed by the District will become appointed as a Local Licensed Pastor at Shiloh.  You also may be asking the question, “What will change?”  For Danny, a lot, for you not much.  The biggest change you will experience is that being a Local Licensed Pastor gifts Danny with the opportunity to administer the sacraments (Holy Baptism and Communion) within the context of the local church.  It doesn’t mean that the Senior Pastor will stop administering the sacraments, but it means that there will be more than one person on staff able to administer the sacraments at Shiloh.  This will give Pastor Danny the opportunity to explore new gifts in ministry and deepen his practice of church leadership.       

On Wednesday, Pastor Dave and I gathered with hundreds of clergy throughout our Annual Conference for Clergy Session.  Once again the topic at hand, call to ministry.  This time focused on those persons coming into ministry and those persons going out.  As I listened to several clergy give witness to the presence of God and the call of God in their lives, Rev. Brown’s words rang true.  We are all called to ministry!  This is truth!  This is truth for you!  Whether ministry comes in the form of your professional career or ministry becomes a vocational opportunity, we are all called to ministry!  You are called!  If you’ve been wrestling with a call to ministry, please see one of the pastors at Shiloh, so that we can help you prayerfully discern that call!  

I challenge you to continue to pray for Pastor Danny and all the pastors on staff at Shiloh as we continue to wrestle with God’s call on our lives.  

Blessings, 

Pastor Rachel