The Blessings of a Call

By The Rev. Dr. William (Chip) D. Aldridge, Jr.

As the admissions director at Wesley, I have the honor of witnessing the very amazing things that are daily, irrefutable evidence of the Holy Spirit moving people to do more for Christ in the world. Every time I open the mail, answer the phone, read an email or a fax, I am privy to inspiring stories of how God is calling people to serve for the rest of their lives. A young man emails me and says God is calling him to be an ordained pastor. A successful lawyer calls me up and says the Holy Spirit has been whispering to her for years to go into the ministry. A mother with teenagers writes me a letter that says she and her family are willing to make the time and financial sacrifices necessary for her to be able to serve God's church.

These people are coming from Sunday schools, Emmaus Walks, Disciple Bible studies, youth groups, choirs and praise bands. Often they've been leading a program, course, worship or a group in their church.

Every person who applies to Wesley writes a personal statement in which they outline the formative elements in their background, with particular focus on what they believe to be the most significant people and events that have shaped their identity as a person. It's an amazing litany of the people who have mentored and inspired them. Sunday School teachers, worship leaders, pastors and laity all make a difference.

It's energizing for a congregation to have a member go into ministry. It's a multiplying factor where a congregation increases what it is able to accomplish week by week when its members send forth someone into the ministry. And it is a gift to God's church for a congregation to raise up someone who will go to graduate school for three to four years to become servants.

An individual is in your church right now feeling God urging his or her heart. Church members have the ability to affirm that whisper by saying "I know you have great gifts God can use in the church that will further the Reign of God." My prayer is that you would encourage the people in your congregation to explore their call to ministry. There's a strong likelihood that the words you tell those people will bear fruits for God's glory for generations to come.

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The Benefits of the Culture of the Call

We posed the question "What are the benefits to a congregation for fostering the culture of the call" to some church leaders. Here are their responses:

By consciously talking about the call to leadership, this effort helps identify and develop effective leadership within the life of the congregation. And by talking about the call, we help direct the church towards the true source of its own vitality.
 - The Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary

Fostering the culture of the call gets the church thinking about the future. All too easily we slip into habit of looking to the past or living only in the present. You become stagnant. Having people who are future minded and knowing that God is always leading means we're more open to hearing what God's asking us to do as a church.
- The Rev. Tim Craig, senior pastor of Dranesville United Methodist Church

Biblically understood, the "call" is the work of God within the community of faith. The presence of God's calling power reaffirms that God's purpose and power are still a dynamic force within that community. God is neither silent nor absent but visibly present vis-a-vis the "call." The congregation that remains open and responsive to the will and work of the Eternal secures a vibrant and vital ministry for generations yet to come. Think of the wonder of it all - the God who called in Eden, the God who called Abraham is the same God who calls us.
- The Rev. Dr. Beecher Hicks, senior servant of Metropolitan Baptist Church

Having people in your congregation open to a call of ordained ministry enables us all to identify which ministry God has called us. When congregants embrace their fullest identity as an ordained pastor, it enables the rest of us to identify what God is calling us to with our time and talents. It's a visible sign of how much God is at work in all of our lives and in our particular congregation.
- The Rev. Donna Claycomb, senior pastor of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church

A church that fosters a culture of the call to ministry has embraced a sense of mission. A culture of the call is a communal call to be a part of God's mission in the world. I can tell which churches are healthy by which ones are inspiring people to give their lives to serving Christ - and that includes through vocation.
- The Rev. Dr. Scott Kisker, the James Cecil Logan assistant professor of evangelism and Wesley studies at Wesley Theological Seminary

Fostering a culture of the call helps Christians understand God's purpose for their lives. Once people begin to sense that what they're doing is a part of God's call, they are more willing to support the church's mission and more willing to get the necessary training to do their ministries more effectively. Everyone understanding that God calls all of makes a tremendous difference in the life of the church.
- The Rev. Dr. Dennis Perry, senior pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church

If you would like to find out how you can foster a culture of the call in your church, please contact Mauri Bishop at Wesley at (202) 885-8526.

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Upcoming Events

Uprooted, an Exhibit by Lucy Janjigian - Now through October 5

The Dadian Gallery of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary presents Lucy Janjigian: Uprooted. This exhibition of paintings drawn from stories the artist heard in childhood about the Armenian genocide is running through October 5. For more information, call (202) 885-8630.

Installation of Dr. Sathi Clarke as Chair in World Christianity - October 16

Please join the Wesley community on October 16 at 11 a.m. for the installation of Dr. Sathianathan Clarke as the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair in World Christianity. Bishop Kim will preach during this chapel service in Oxnam Chapel. Following the installation service, Dr. Clarke will give the lecture Postcolonial Christian Mission: God, Gandhi and the Gospel from 2:30 - 4 p.m. For more information, call (202) 885-8630.

Dr. Sathi Clarke to Give Interfaith Lecture - October 19
On October 19 from noon - 1:30 p.m., Dr. Sathianathan Clarke will give the lecture The Gospel of Peace in a World of Competing Religious Fundamentalism in the Cannon House Office Building. RSVP required. Call (202) 885-8630 by October 12 to reserve a space.

Wesley Days  -  Wednesday, October 24
Do you know someone exploring a call to ministry? On Wednesday, October 24, from 5 to 9 p.m., individuals interested in the seminary can tour our campus and learn more about our master-level degree programs. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Office of Admissions at (202) 885-8659.

Weekly Chapel Services
We warmly invite you to attend and worship with us in Oxnam Memorial Chapel on every Tuesday during the academic year at 11 a.m. or every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. Upcoming services include:

- Tuesday, October 23, 11 a.m.:  Service of Word and Table with an emphasis on global poverty with the Rev. Dr. Shaun Casey preaching. 
 - Wednesday, October 24, 6:15 p.m.: "Tea Made on the Cross," an original one-woman performance by Wesley student Darja Kawasumi about her encounter with Christianity through the Japanese tea ceremony.
- Tuesday, October 30, 11 a.m.:  All Saints service with the Rev. Dr. Lucy Hogan preaching.
- Wednesday, October 31, 6:15 p.m.:  Vesper service planned and led by Dr. Denise Hopkins' Psalms class.
- Tuesday, November 6, 11 a.m.: Creation care worship service with Beth Norcross and Plumbline, Wesley's social justice student organization.
- Wednesday, November 7, 6:15 p.m.: "Body of Christ" depicted through art, dance and drama.

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Grad News and Notes

For and About Wesley Alums

Please send information you'd like to share with other Wesley alumni to Graduates@wesleyseminary.edu.

Rebecca, M.Div. '98, Garth, M.Div. '97, and big brother Daniel Duke-Barton welcomed twins Samuel and Susannah into the world on July 18. She weighed 7.3 lbs and he weighed 6.2 lbs. All are home and doing well. Friends may contact the Duke-Barton family revgarth@alltel.net.

The Rev. Patricia Kay Whipple Olson, M.Div. '89 passed away on August 14. She is survived by her husband Oscar and by three children, Michael, Kirsten and Kathy and their families. Rev. Olson was ordained an elder in 1991. She served E. Culpeper, Springfield and in the Alexandria District of the United Methodist Church before retiring in 1999. Memorial donations may be sent to Messiah UMC in Rev. Olson's name. Cards of condolence may be sent to: Mr. Oscar Olson and Family, 7408 Spring Village Dr #301, Springfield, VA 22150.

The Revs. Chris, M.Div. '07, and Katie, M.Div. '07, Bishop (at Middletown UMC and Wolfsville Charge, respectively,) celebrate the birth of their daughter, Eden Elizabeth, on September 13. She weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz. Mother, dad and daughter are doing well.

The Rev. Steven M. Knutsen, COS '04, has been newly appointed to Bangall and Pleasant Valley United Methodist Churches and resides in Pleasant Valley, NY. You can reach him at pastorsteveknutsen@in4web.com.

Congratulations to Jack Ewald, son of the Rev. Vicky Starnes, M.Div. '90, whose film, "The Merge," was one of three that received top honors in the General Board of Discipleship's first online film festival for youth this summer. The short film may be seen at http://m1e.net/c?72145182-ybeIgh9lLhw0.%402734394-GrO55.CbKKdJM.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Calvin D. Hawkins, M.Div. '74, as judge of the Lake County Superior Court in September. Hawkins, a private attorney in Gary and the first black Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee in the State of Indiana, specializes in civil and church litigation, bankruptcy law, probate and family law.

The Rev. Norman L. Marden, M.Div. '52, passed away on July 16 in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife Alda, two daughters, two stepdaughters and two sons and their families.