Ordination Service is Highlight of Monday Evening

The Service of Ordination, Commissioning and Licensing was held Monday evening.  Some 51 persons were licensed as local pastors, 24 entered probationary membership, one was ordained a deacon in associate membership, one was ordained a deacon in full membership, and 17 were ordained elder in full membership.

Bishop Joe E. Pennel Jr. preached on "Nineveh or Tarshish?" He explained that God called Jonah to go to Nineveh -- a sorry place. "It was not a sought-after appointment," the bishop said. "But in God's mind, it needed a prophet." Bishop Pennel said that Jonah wanted to "make his own appointment," and "bought a tecket for the port city of Tarshish," a much more desirable place to be.

"Even now we have clergy who prefer to go to Tarshish," he said. "It represents the ideal appointment. When Tarshish opens up, there is a long line at the ticket line." 

Bishop Pennel told the new class of clergy, "There is a Ninevah in every Tarshish. In every Tarshish there is a Ninevah to be found. Whether you like it or not, you will be expected to go into the places where you are appointed. You will be expected to walk into the city and live with the people, to feel their pain and know their joy. It is impossible to serve people whom you do not know and even more impossible to serve those you do not know."

Bishop Pennel then authorized the candidates for licensed pastor as a group. The probationary members were addressed by the bishop and commissioned them individually, as were the deacons and elders.

The Annual Conference Choir provided music for the evening.

The bishop asked them to "go where you are sent. When you go there, go there and get started and you will never know what might happen. When it’s over, you will never know how much good you can do.   When you go to your appt there’ll be some lay people waiting for you. There’ll be some who put their arms around you and will say in word and deed, 'Let’s do it together.' There will be those who are anxious to have a good pastor. You’ve been trained to be a good pastor. It might not be Tarshish and it might not be Ninevah but it will be a place for you to serve. One of the greatest joys of your ministry will be to see people repent of their sins… to become mature in Christ. Jonah did not want Ninevah to repent, but you will. And you will know that Christ has been faithfully presented."

The bishop invited "someone who has felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit," or those ready to inquire about the call of God to shake his hand and let him offer a word of grace. Several of those ordained this evening had answered this call from the bishop in 1997.