Call to Ministry

My story is much like many others who have answered the call to ministry into the diaconate. It came after serving my community, my church, my God in a variety of ways and still experiencing that gnawing sensation that I still was not "letting my life speak". One day an unchurched co-worker noted that I should be in ministry within the church after observing where my heart was. That seemed to be the spark that I needed to begin seriously discerning my call. Seminary classes and the diaconal ministry process further defined this call. As the United Methodist Church reclaimed the role of the deacon as a permanent order of ordained ministry in tandem with my growing self-understanding, it made sense to make the transition to deacon. God and I have not finished the journey. New times and places continue to lead me into new venues of ministry. That is an exciting part of the role of a deacon. The world is truly our parish.