Rev. Sarah Garza and Rev. Sarah Boyette are Commissioned at 2021 Annual Conference
Jul 22, 2021 |
One of the highlights of Annual Conference every year is the Service of Ordination and Commissioning. This year, the worship service was particularly meaningful because two of our clergy staff were commissioned for ministry. On June 21 at First United Methodist Church in Waco, Texas, Rev. Sarah Garza and Rev. Sarah Boyette became provisional members of the Central Texas Conference.
Each of these women have received a divine call to serve as a deacon and we here at FUMC Hurst have witnessed the amazing gifts and graces both bring to ministry. Rev. Sarah Boyette expresses her ministry this way: “My role in ministry is first to be a listener, observer, connector and teacher. I listen and watch for where the margins lie, and which voices are missing from conversations. I ask questions and listen to people share their stories of faith and struggles. My observations help me connect those on the margins with the church. I am especially passionate about ministry with senior adults. It is an act of justice to affirm their place in the Body of Christ.”
Rev. Sarah Garza talks about her ministry, saying, “I understand my own gifts for ministry to include the ability to listen to others with openness and compassion, to speak hope and love in the midst of hurt and grief, and to have a heart of seeking God and things that break God’s heart. These gifts help me to take steps toward standing in the space between the church and the world, and to help each see the other more clearly.”
As Provisional Deacons, our two new “Reverends” begin a provisional period in which they will continue to gain experience in ministry in preparation to be ordained deacons in the United Methodist Church. We are so pleased to have these two amazing women on our staff and look forward to seeing the ways they grow and develop as ministers and as faithful followers of Christ.
Congratulations!
To learn more about the Order of Deacons:
Rev. Barbara Dunlap’s blog post “Word, Service, Compassion and Justice”
Read "Word, Service, Compassion & Justice