Under the Watchful Eye of the Entire Church

This week, we will be reading Psalm 34 and Psalm 42. Below you'll find videos from Travis and Cyndi, walking through Psalm 34, giving thoughtful looks into the Psalm they chose. You'll also find a video from me, saying very LITTLE about Psalm 42 because I know that Hunter will be preaching on this Psalm on Sunday, so I don't want to give away any spoilers about his sermon, but I'll say that after I talked with Hunter about this Psalm, I feel like I understand it better than ever!

This Sunday, I'm happy to announce that we will be ordaining Hunter into pastoral ministry. We have already entrusted many pastoral responsibilities to Hunter over the years, under supervision and with training, and we have seen him prove his teachability, integrity, character and of course pastoral abilities.

"But, pastor," you say, "what even is ordination?"

Ordination as a concept is a bit fuzzy in the modern western church for reasons that will be obvious when I define it. Ordination is a consecration, or a setting apart, of a person as a member of "clergy," a person who has authority to perform religious duties like leading church services and performing weddings and funerals. In our church context, we don't recognize huge distinctions between "laity" and "clergy," so the fuzziness come there.

Nevertheless, we all recognize that some people seem called primarily to ministry OUTSIDE the church, and some seem called primarily to ministry TO the church. Even though Hunter earns the majority of his income in the market place, he appears to be called into church-equipping ministry.

In order to be ordained, he went through a significant process where we vetted his theology, pastoral qualities, and character. We had him answer theological and pastoral questions. We asked probing questions to some of his close friends, and we even asked the church to give us feedback on what people have observed about his character, which is why I titled this email "under the watchful eye of the entire church." I went through this process at three different churches, and trust me when I say, it has a tendency to make a person feel pretty vulnerable. Nevertheless, it is a good practice because it helps Elders and other leaders see the true colors of a person, and it helps the person gain greater insites into themselves. (But three times is just redundant!)

At Wellspring, all of the pastors have been ordained as well as the Elders. Hunter is not being installed as an Elder, but his ordination is making official what he has been proving himself to be for years: a pastor. In the eyes of the government, ordination comes with a few tax implications as well as the authority to sign marriage licenses. That's a small thing, but it's better than having to find some other ordained minister to sign a marriage license after officiating a wedding, which Hunter has had to do before.

I'm looking forward to ordaining Hunter on Sunday, and hearing the finished product of his Psalm 42 sermon.

Much love,

Dustin

Upcoming Events

VBS Acting Auditions
May 31, 2:00 PM

We’re gearing up for an amazing Vacation Bible School, and we want YOU to be part of the fun! If you love acting, singing, dancing, or just bringing joy to others, come audition for our VBS Main Stage drama team.

For more information and to register please click HERE.