Coming Out & Going Public

One of the terms Hub (pastor at Milestones) uses when people cross the line of faith is to encourage them to go public with their decision. One way they can do that is through baptism.
Well I have already been baptized twice, and desperately wanted to be a third time while I was in Ecuador a few years back. The waters proved to be too deep, too fast and way too cold for that to come to pass. I probably would have been swept down stream and could at this point still be MIA.

I have known for a few weeks now that I was about to experience a milestone in my personal life, as Milestones Church experiences one of its own. On Sunday, May 23rd, I will be one of twenty-something people being ordained as the first group of deacons in our church.

A little history... Milestones (formerly known as Spartanburg Community Church) has existed for thirteen years and from the beginning has been lead by a group of Elders. That is one of the most refreshing things I have encountered in our time there. No committees, no voting.... no issues! The Elders are the leaders and decision making group. This soon to be ordained group are simply servants to the families that are assigned to us. We won't have to worry about policies, procedures, hiring, firing or anything of the sort. I think there are nine women, we are so excited to be serving the single moms and single women in our congregation.

I loved it when Hub preached about the qualifications and talked about how the elders had reached this decision, and shared about this brave step of having women deacons. We will not be known as deaconesses, because that is not a term you see in scripture. He also gave the example of Phoebe from Romans 16:1. She was cited as being a servant of the church.

I have been sort of quiet about telling people about this next step. Mostly because I did not want to seem like I was bragging. Partly because I know that some churches have such strong opinions about deacons in general. Some don't allow divorced men, others do. Some churches already have women deacons, some have women pastors.

One night at one of Sarah's ballgames, Gretchen just out of the blue said "have I told you the subject of my next paper?" She had not, and when she said it was on Women Deacons... I almost passed out. I then asked her if I had shared anything about women deacons lately. I had not. As I shared with her all that I shared above, she concurred that what our Elders had concluded was right in line with her research on the subject.
Isn't that just like Jesus to give sweet confirmation in a time and place to be least expected?

So, on the eve of my ordination, I have decided that I too would go public. I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to know and serve the six women and their families that have been assigned to me.

Please be in prayer for me and my counterparts as we gather tomorrow evening for a milestone at Milestones!

P.S. . . . I could not resist the song! Hope it doesn't offend~