Never underestimate the power of an encouraging word. For me, it was life-transforming. I was raised in the Spring Creek Church of the Brethren in the Atlantic Northeast District where my faith was deeply nurtured. During my senior year in high school, my pastor, Jack Breidenstine, wrote me a letter encouraging me to prayerfully consider pastoral ministry, sharing the gifts he saw in me for such a call.

I took it seriously, but after a few weeks, knowing I was already heading to Penn State for something else, “the ministry” became a nice idea but not one I considered reality for me. Pastor? Too boring. What fun is that? And yet, the letter never left my side. I tucked it into my Bible and it stayed with me throughout my journey.

College came and went. I did well, but found myself at a loss for direction when I was finished. I worked for two years as a Psychiatric Assistant at Philhaven Hospital serving the inpatient children and adolescents. That was when God really began to break my heart for the hurting and wake up His Spirit within me.

But I was not done yet. Still restless, I ran—all the way to the desert in Tempe, AZ where I lived for a year doing nothing very productive. It wasn’t long until how I felt inside matched the landscape surrounding me. So finally, sitting on my tiny little porch staring at the desert sky, I spoke out to God in a straightforward, “Here I am, Lord” kind of way and said, “Okay God. I don’t know where I’m going. What do You want?”

You know, we read of the Great Cloud of Witnesses in scripture and how they encountered God’s call, hearing His voice. Well, I did that day. Not a booming thunderclap from the sky, but a clear Word inside me which simply said, “Pastor.” Pastor. I chuckled. No, actually, I laughed. Isaiah said, “Here I am, Lord; send me”. I said, “Here I am, Lord, why me?” 

But there was no doubt. Seven years after Pastor Jack handed me his letter, I pulled it out from my Bible once again. I called him up. Once again, there was the encouraging word. And so, after a month of discernment, I packed up and drove back to Hershey. From there it was on to Bethany Theological Seminary which really became the place where God refined me through study and community.

I was blessed to have Fred Bernhard, pastor of Oakland Church of the Brethren at the time, as my mentor, who knew exactly how to challenge me and when to offer grace as I grew. Of course, God kept calling, and this time it was back to my home, Spring Creek, to serve as pastor. Finally, as I found myself serving the Hempfield congregation, perfectly happy and feeling good and where I wanted to retire, God couldn’t stay quiet. It took me a year of intense conversations with God, but I finally knew He was calling me to serve my home district, ANE, as its next District Executive. And I am deeply grateful for it all, that I finally said, “Here I am, Lord; send me.”

I now sit on the Board of SVMC and work with ministers as they grow deeper in their journey through their education, and know how important and fulfilling this training is. So if you are wondering, or hearing any inkling of God’s call, please listen and follow!