My journey in ministry began when I was a child. Looking back over my life, I can see where God used so many people and life experiences to prepare me. That doesn’t mean life was a breeze or easy, though, there were many tears and trying times. I certainly had periods of time in which I went the opposite direction of God’s leading, too.
At the age of five, God blessed me with the ability to play the piano. My dad had surrendered to the ministry and was burdened over the future need of having a pianist. At that time, it was a common need. He had been praying for this need to be fulfilled, of course I didn’t know this. God answered his prayer by blessing me with this gift. I don’t know that my parents put the two together for quite some time. I continued to play on our little chord organ for two years until they finally knew I had to have formal lessons.
When I was seven years old, I accepted Christ as my Savior during Vacation Bible School. By then, my dad had a pastorate at a local church. I found him while the other kids were playing and enjoying their snacks. He led me through praying and asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and for him to be my Savior that night. I was baptized by my dad shortly thereafter.
My dad was called to another church a couple years later, and we moved to South Carolina for about three years. While we were there, one particular service we had a missionary couple come and share the service with our congregation. I was about 10 years old at this time. There was a tug on my heart so strong. Being so young, it was a little difficult to discern exactly what God was asking of me. But I knew he was telling me there was something more I needed to do for him. I surrendered to whatever that was, and at that time I believed it was to be a missionary.
Besides playing the piano, I had a passion to sing but I didn’t believe I was very good at singing. There was only one person I shared this desire with besides God. A wonderful lady at this church became a second grandmother to my sister and myself. I shared this desire with her and I know she helped me pray about it. Soon, but slowly, my voice began developing.
We left South Carolina and moved back to North Carolina in the summer of 1979 where my dad pastored a church there for the next 21 years. During that time, God used several people to grow me spiritually, theologically, and emotionally. I had continued my piano lessons while in South Carolina, but stopped when we moved back to North Carolina. God blessed me with self-initiative, so I continued to grow and learn on my own. My mom and my best friend were incredibly helpful in developing my voice, and later on a couple others.
I still kept to the thought that God had called me to be a missionary. Anything missions in our church, I was right there, promoting and participating. At the age of 17, one dear lady in our church invested heavily in me and had me teaching the three-year-olds. This began my love of teaching and spiritual formation. During high school, I had plans to be a veterinarian. God had other plans. Even though I was accepted into my college of choice, he began shutting doors with my class choices my senior year. Right before graduation, it became clear he was steering me away from the medical field and into the business field.
That summer was packed! I was working two jobs, married in July, began college in August and became the youth leader at our church. I was already teaching the littles, playing the piano and helping with the girls’ missions group on Wednesday nights. I needed to give one of my jobs up to make time for college. College was an accelerated study course, basically 8:00 am to 3:00 pm every day. I went to work almost every day after class until 11:00 pm. My husband worked two jobs, one of them was 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. Weekends were our only time together, which were usually fairly busy, too.
We survived that first crazy year! I graduated college and then my husband went back to college, finishing his degree at our local community college. Four children, a couple houses and quite a few ministry positions later, God used all of it to prepare me for the bigger picture. So much life, which I may comment on later during some of my posts. During this time, though, God was still pulling on my heart for ministry. Through the years I had times of revelation from the Holy Spirit that I was to be a pastor. This was hard for me to accept because I always believe I was to be a missionary. You know, in another country. I wouldn’t fully understand his calling on my life until around 2007! But I kept walking into and following each position he led me to.
Unfortunately, this marriage ended after 23 years. There had been many years of infidelity and God finally gave me peace to walk away. I won’t get into the details. I don’t believe that should be shared, nor can anyone understand how difficult that is when you’ve been with someone for 26 years, grown up in their family and created the bonds we did then just walk away. These experiences have been very difficult to work through for myself and my children, but they have also allowed me to be compassionate and have insight for others in similar circumstances.
This was the summer of 2008, and I had just accepted the position of Co-Director of Children’s Ministries. God brought a wonderful man into our family unexpectedly shortly after my divorce. He has been so patient and helped all of us heal on our own time. We have been married now for 16 years. Right before we met, I had started taking classes through a program in The Wesleyan Church towards ordination. In the fall of 2010, God released me from the position at the church and we moved to a different church. I continued my studies, we moved to a home closer to my husband’s mother who needed care, and I accepted a Student Pastor’s position there. I finished my courses and was ordained in 2015. We are still at this church, but I resigned from that position in May 2017.
There are many health issues that arose, so I haven’t been able to be in full-time ministry since then. Currently, I am involved in helping wherever I can in our church. I am also the Children’s Ministry Director at a local family campground association and serve on the board there. The camp truly is a ministry to me.
I have worn many ministry hats. What I have learned, is wherever I am and whomever God has for me to minister to, discipleship and mentoring is my focus. All of us are in the business of spiritual formation whether you understand that is what you are doing or not. You are forming those around you positively, growing spiritually closer to God, or negatively, moving spiritually away from God.
I pray you find inspiration and are blessed in some way through these writings.
Blessings,
Stephanie
