Pure joy is hard to come by too often these days, but Saturday, June 6 was such a day.
That was the occasion for the ordination of Kim Levert – Kimberly Brinckmeyer Levert – to the office of minister of the Word and Sacrament. It has been a long, long journey for Kim. I have been a part of most of it.
I first met Kim when I came on to the Committee for the Preparation for Ministry back in 2000. She had just become an inquirer under our presbytery’s care and was early in her studies at Columbia Theological Seminary.
We got better acquainted the following year when she spent the summer as seminary intern at my church, Lewes. She chose us, not so much we her, because she wanted to live “at home” that summer in Rehoboth Beach, where she was a long-time member of Westminster Church. And so it was.
Kim sailed through the rest of seminary, passed her ordination exams without significant difficulty and was certified ready to receive a call to the ministry. And there she stuck for several understandable reasons. She continued to live in the Atlanta area, however, where her son was in high school. And eventually, she went to work for Columbia seminary.
When I took this job a year and a half ago, I visited CPM one fine day when the committee was discussing the various inquirers and candidates under care. Kim’s name came up, and so I wondered for the first time why she couldn’t be ordained to the ministry in the very job she performed at the seminary? I vowed to look into it.
That inquiry, again for a variety of reasons, didn’t go quickly. A few months later, the CPM chair was reporting to Presbytery Council on its work providing us, among other things, with a list of candidates and inquirers. Three former CPM chairs were sitting there, and when the other two spotted Kim’s name, jaws dropped. “Is she still under care?”
So a year ago in April, when I was in Atlanta on presbytery business, Kim and I had dinner, and I inquired of her hopes and desires. Then my job, and the next element of my part of all this, was to press with my counterpart in Greater Atlanta Presbytery the notion that she could and should be ordained into her position as director of international programs at the seminary. He (Ed Albright) agreed. And then it took quite a few more months for that to happen.
The great day, a day of considerable celebration at Westminster and for the Brinckmeyers, came on Saturday June 6. Ordination is a joy because it marks the end of one phase of a life and the beginning of another. It is a joy and a celebration for family and friends for a considerable accomplishment. It is a joy and celebration for the ordinand because it brings a vision of opportunity for good.
So let us say a little prayer of thanksgiving for all finally going well. And of intercession for Kim as she begins a new phase of her life as minister of the Word and Sacrament.
- Reid Beveridge
Deepest Condolences
Dear Friends,
I am so sorry to tell you that Jennifer Cervantes went to be with the Lord last night. Her family was with her. Please keep them in prayer, especially Hugo and the children (Sarah and Jacob), along with our church family. Thanks so much for all the prayers. God bless!
CLP CliP
For Port Deposit Presbyterian Church, June 28 was a day of celebration and joy as we released Pastor Barry Gray (and wife, Karin) to a three month sabbatical and saw Elder Richard Watters set in as Commissioned Lay Pastor until Pastor Gray returns in October. We were blessed that Moderator George Hall represented the Presbytery for the commissioning.
As Pastor Gray said in his sermon, “Rich Watters is one of the human gifts that the Lord has set into this congregation. He’s only been with us for about 3 years, but he and Sharon have made their mark in a very special way; and I am very pleased that God has called him to this place of ministry. You may not know this, but Rich is a very able scholar. He has a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Evangel College, an M. Div. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and an M.A. from S.W. Missouri State University. He was a pastor in the Assemblies of God and has served us well as youth pastor here.
I don’t know all the reasons why God has prepared and called Rich to be here at this crucial time in the life of our church and neither does he, but I have learned in my own experience that sometimes God has plans for us that take us completely by surprise. Personally, I don’t think that becoming a Commissioned Lay Pastor is the final stage in your calling, Rich, but we’ll wait to see how God works this out.”
Rich was very touched by the service, especially the presentation of a stole from Presbytery. He is a very welcome addition to the CLPs that have completed their training.
The service adjourned to a delicious covered dish dinner and a good time was had by all. I will admit that many of us had mixed feelings about saying goodbye to Barry and Karin until October but we will be in fine hands with Rich Watters as our Commissioned Lay Pastor.
Until next week,
- Carole
Photo (above center from L-R): Brook Wolfe, Edgar Tennis, Peggy Ford, Carole Miles, Sharon Watters,
Karin Wallace Gray, Richard Watters, Suzette Jackson, Barry Gray, Hugo Cervantes, George Hall (not pictured); The gentleman in the pew is Clif Brubaker.
Photo (top left from L-R): Barry Gray, Karin Wallace Gray, George Hall, Richard Watters, Sharon Watters
The Visitor Remix
Make sure your voice mail is updated. People should not hear the Christmas schedule when it is Easter!
A tip from a reader!!! This reader suggests pastors get a land line or at least a land line number. It’s hard to do pastoral care on a staticky cell phone!
Got a suggestion for the Visitor Remix? Send it in to jtaylor@ncpresbytery.org!
The Ghanaian Presbyterian Fellowship's Summer Fest: You are Invited!
The Ghanaian Presbyterian Fellowship will hold a Summer Fest with authentic Ghanaian food, music and games on Saturday July 11, 2009. The event will also mark a late celebration of Ghana's Republic Day which falls on July 1. The Summer Fest will be held at the Limestone Presbyterian Church at 3201 Limestone Road in Wilmington. The festivities will begin with Ghanaian dishes - wakye, jollof rice, banku served with fetri deshi, kenkey served with pepper and fish, fried ripe plantain served with beans, and ampesi served with agushi stew. The Ghanaian line-up will be supplemented with a cookout featuring selected grilled American fare such as hot dogs and chicken at 3:00PM and end with I Told You So a classic Ghanaian movie at 6:00PM. More info here ...
Hope to see you there!
Part-Time Organist Wanted
The Elkton Presbyterian Church, Elkton, Maryland is seeking a part-time organist to join us in glorifying God through music at our traditional 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship. The ability to play modern praise songs on piano for our 9:00 a.m. praise service would be a plus for additional salary. Elkton Presbyterian is an historic church of 350+ members and a wonderful 22-member choir. Our organ is a 2 manual, 13 rank Austin Pipe Organ built in 1992. This is a 52 week position (vacation negotiable) and requires approximately 10 hours a week for practices and worship service. Responsibilities include but are not limited to playing the organ, accompanying the choir at rehearsals, working closely with our pastor and choir director, ensuring the organ is maintained, arranging for a substitute organist when necessary, and playing for weddings, funerals, and other special occasions (for additional remuneration). Salary is negotiable and dependent on applicant’s qualifications and experience. Send letter of interest, resume, and three references with contact information by mail (209 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921), fax (410-398-4326), or e-mail (elkpreschurch@verizon.net). Phone inquiries to Pastor Laurie Loveless are welcomed (410-398-4636). More information about our church is available on our website (www.elktonpresbyterianchurch.org ).
"Practicing Our Faith"
West Nottingham Presbyterian Church has available five copies of "Practicing Our Faith" by Dorothy C. Bass (A Way of Life for a Searching People). We used these for an adult Sunday School class. If interested in obtaining these copies, please call the church at 410-658-6366, x21. Thank you.
Workshops to Build Choirs and Congregational Singing in Small Churches
Three workshops to address the needs of choirs and congregational singing in small congregations will be held from 10 a.m. –2 p.m., on Saturdays, August 15, August 29 and September. 12 at Pencader Presbyterian Church. The workshops are free and open to anyone who is a member of a small church choir, anyone who would like to be a member of a small church choir, church organists, other musicians, pastors, choir director and anyone interested in music and congregational singing.
Download more information here: Small Church Choirs Wkshops.pdf
How do we “think mission”?
How are we called to serve in our world globally? This is a dialogue that will be happening in PCUSA presbyteries and churches all over our country as part of World Mission Challenge 2009. More than 40 missionaries will be traveling through more than 130 presbyteries September 25thr through October 19th.
New Castle Presbytery will be hosting Rev. Dr. Karla Koll who serves in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Karla will be visiting throughout the presbytery, speaking to groups in many churches about our participation in God’s mission.
Karla was a presenter at the World Mission Advocates Gathering in Louisville in May. Her message was not specifically about her work in Central America. She spoke about mission defining the nature of the church. She talked of why we have a world mission rather than a mission program. To quote Karla:
“Mission is not optional. If we do not allow ourselves to be sent into the world, we cease to be the church of Jesus Christ”
Karla will be available to meet with groups in NCP September 26th through October 1st to talk about what it means to be a missional church. No group is too small or too large. Mission committees, women’s groups, men’s breakfasts, lunch or dinner groups, day or evening meetings are all possible. Her time slots are filling quickly.
To sign up for a visit for your church, please contact Mary Field or Beth Rule.
Mary Field, International Partnering Chairperson
marykfield@comcast.net
Beth Rule, World Mission Advocate
bethnbillrule@comcast.net
410-228-1261
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