Aspirations

Since moving to Texas, Jenny and I have joined St. Mark's Episcopal Church and will be confirmed in the broader Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion in just a few weeks. It is a really exciting time for us. After a spending at least some part of our young lives in the Church of Christ, the Methodist Church, the Southern Baptist Church, the Evangelical Free Church, the Presbyterian Church, and a non-denominational church plant, we have found a place in Christendom where we feel at home and where we feel the Holy Spirit has led and called us.

As many of you also know, I have long sensed a calling to vocational ministry in the church and I am now, in fact, pursuing ordination (or holy orders) as a priest in the Episcopal Church. The process looks something like this:

Step 1: Aspirant - Aspirancy begins with conversations between the aspirant and their priest about the aspirant's sense of calling. When these conversations reach the point that the aspirant and his or her priest feel the aspirant is ready for a next step, the priest presents the aspirant to the Bishop.

Step 2: Postulant - The canonical authority for inviting an aspirant to a postulancy lies with the Bishop. The postulancy involves background checks, physical and psychological evaluations, training, spiritual formation, and seminary.

Step 3: Candidate - The term candidate reflects the church's expectation that by this stage of the ordination process the postulant is able to integrate their academic studies, spiritual development, and field experience and are prepared to offer themselves as candidates for ordination.

Step 4: Deacon - After seminary and candidacy, I will (Lord willing) be ordained as a transitional deacon.

Step 5: Priest - After a period of time serving the church as a deacon, I will (Lord willing) be ordained as a priest.

As you can see, this is quite a lengthy process and Jenny and I would appreciate your prayers as we move through my discernment process.

Also, if any of you are in the Beaumont area on November 9 we would love to have you at our confimation. It is a big step for us, and a big day.

In the mean time, Jenny and I are still planning to be very connected to Nepal and PRC's ministry there. More on that later.