One Year in Ministry
Three weeks ago marked the completion of my first year in full-time ministry. Two years ago, I had no idea where I wanted to end up. I was teetering between academia and ministry, though deep down I desired a life of ministry. I feared ministry, however, because it was unknown to me (I had been in academia for 7 years and had not yet had a chance to put my learning to practice in the full-time world). But more than that, I feared ministry because I feared being inauthentic.
I longed to do ministry in a place where I was free to speak my convictions and not have to censor the message in order not to offend. I longed to do ministry in a place where I could continue to explore my own faith, never assuming that I had everything figured out. I longed to do ministry in a place where my wife and daughter would be considered full-members of the kingdom of God, with all the rights and privileges thereof. As I interviewed with churches, I was constantly reminded that such a church did not exist. If I were to choose the life of full-time ministry, it seemed I would have to lose a piece of myself in the process.
Then I met Plymouth Park. A friend of mine had just completed a one-year interim ministry with Plymouth Park, and he talked the church into inviting me in to preach. As I learned more about this church, I learned this might be a good fit for me. They had made some important moves towards gender equality. They allowed their ministers freedom in the pulpit. They were a grace-filled church that desired growth and life. After three months of conversation between Marti and I and Plymouth Park, I became their new pastor.
Since I’ve been at Plymouth Park, I’ve preached some things that would have gotten me disfellowshipped at other churches. I’ve voiced opinions that not everyone in the congregation agreed with, but everyone was gracious, listening and trying to learn from my views. At Plymouth Park I have found the freedom to be authentic in my ministry that I did not believe existed in church ministry. Here we have also found a church family that is gracious, loving, and accepting to all, willing to compromise and stick together.
That is not to say there haven’t been challenges this past year, and I know there will be difficulties on our road ahead as we seek to ministry in a community like Irving, but I could not have asked for a better place to begin my ministry, nor could I have planned a better first year in ministry than the one I have just completed.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
First on the newest incarnation of this blog!
Seriously, I know exactly what you are saying. Churches that will actually be stretched and pushed are rare. We must be grateful for the ones that exist.