I never had a burning bush or holy ghost experience but knew I had been called to preach at an early age. I have been a Christian, since childhood, dedicated to carrying forth the mission to serve my fellow human beings and bring them the Good News message of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Somewhere between the ages of 4 and 5 my grandfather decided I should learn to read. My learner was The King James Bible. The prophet Isaiah was his favorite and remains my “go to” text these many years later. My memory is of chapters 5 and 6. The first sentence read and memorized, by me, was Isaiah 6:3; “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” I think it was a great comfort to learn, at such a young age, that God was holy, God was powerful, and God was in control of the earth which was full of his goodness. Later, when the demons and distress crossed my life path, I have always returned to the comfort of the Isaiah text.
My call came in snippets with the first being baptism at age 9. Some said I was too young and maybe baptism should be put off until I reached my teens. Grandfather agreed with me and stood by as I easily answered the questions put to me as a Christian. “Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God and your savior and Lord? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and do you repent of your sin(s)?” Words about faithfulness and commitment to church followed, but I heard and saw dancing seraphim surrounding a great throne. On the throne was the king of mercy and compassion and my commitment to that great king as I entered the waters. The king was holy. The king was Jesus Christ.
After baptism I regularly attended church with my family and attended Bible studies sometimes. But never joined any church service projects, choir or even participated in church pageants. I grew up in New York City and lived around the corner from the City University of New York. Several blocks away was Bernard College for Women and within walking distance was the entrance to the mighty grounds of Columbia University. Education was my pursuit and history my joy! I was open to all knowledge. I married a Muslim man in the Baptist church of my childhood, abandon education for the financial security offered by the corporate world for the next 30 years and had a family. I had discovered the Brethren by a simple search for a babysitter. I found at the Brooklyn First Church of the Brethren both childcare and spiritual care. Brooklyn First was different from my Southern Baptist heritage, but not as alien as I had imagined. God was there and the whole earth was still full of His glory. I saw that glory in Brethren commitment to peace and service. I became a deacon at Brooklyn First and returned to the pursuit of knowledge. This time it was not literature, history or behavior science, but theology.
Life has not been easy or simple and all my life journey did not just fall into place. Death and illness slowed the walk at intervals. Each became portions of the needed knowledge to push on towards what God had planned for my life. In 2001, 11 days into my retirement from the corporate world, came the terror attacks at the World Trade Center. The smoke and fires raged, in sight, until spring and in my head for years afterwards. Children's Disaster Service at “ground zero” was my second ministry after becoming a deacon. I was nominated twice to the board of On Earth Peace where I was able to carry forth my commitment to justice and peace. Both On Earth Peace and Children's Disaster, are action ministries known by their good works within these ministries. My formal education came through the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center. The opportunity to formalize and gain the theological requirements of becoming a minister were realized in the affordable fees offered at SVMC. Students have access to experienced and knowledgeable instructors and educators in the field of theology at SVMC in addition to realizing and answering the call to ministry. Thanks be to God I answered my call!
Doris Theresa Abdullah -- Fall 2020
