Gary Genser, senior pastor of the Vienna church, opened the program. "It was clearly one of the most spiritually-moving ordination/commissioning services I've ever attended," Genser said. "The depth of the sermon, the holiness and conviction of the prayers, the sincerity and beauty of the music and the testimony of the other presenters, really touched the congregation – the joy and affirmation of Pastor Dean's ministry was clearly visible."
As the Youth/Associate pastor of the Vienna Church, Jennifer was honored to be the latest woman within the Potomac Conference to be ordained/commissioned to serve as a pastor within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "It was such an honor to see the support from my family, friends and the conference – it was a wonderful reminder of who we serve."
Bill Miller, president of the Potomac Conference, had the privilege of giving the ordination/commissioning homily. Drawing on the lessons of Luke 4, Miller encouraged Jennifer to always remember that God chooses those He needs to preach the Word, and as such, it's critical that she spend quality time with God as one of His chosen. "As I reflect on the program, I was touched by the outpouring of support the Vienna Church showered on Jennifer. Being called to serve is very humbling, and also very rewarding. We know that Jennifer will touch many lives throughout her ministry, and we're proud to have her serving here in the Potomac Conference."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, all the ordained ministers who were in the congregation were invited to come up and lay hands on Jennifer and her husband, Kevin. When asked what she would want people to remember from this event, Jennifer responded, "Just because pastors are called and publicly recognized, people shouldn't minimize their individual roles within evangelism. Jesus is calling every one of us to be his witnesses, and we need to live in that calling every day."
Story by Dan Jensen; Photos by David Hittle
.
No comments:
Post a Comment