I am so thankful to be a part of church that takes seriously the call to send people out to make a difference in the world. I am excited to see how the Lord continues to work through Mike and Dawn Wheeler as the continue the work of a church plant in Edwardsville! Let's continue to pray for them in all that they do!
I began thinking also about the fact that I am thankful to be a part of a church that strives to encourage those who are called to ministry. Thank you, Shawnee Church of the Nazarene for investing in those who feel called to vocational ministry. Thank you for being Christ in your contexts each week. It is a joy to serve alongside you all.
Pastor Chuck and I have had some time to just sit and talk over these past weeks and I have enjoyed our conversations. One of the conversations was about who supported him in his call to ministry, how he supports mom in her call to ministry, and how he supports me in my call to ministry. It was a wonderful conversation. If you would like to read it in full follow the link below:
Our Co-Pastoring Journey
Emboldening One Another
I just finished reading Tara Beth Leach’s book, “Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry.” I find it timely that I just finished this wonderful book and so many are taking time to support women in ministry on social media. If you have not had the opportunity to read this book, please do. Men, Women, Pastors, Church Leaders, Seminary Leaders, Laypersons, Students… the list goes on. This is an important and relevant work thanks to a precious sister in Christ, Tara Beth.There are so many quotes from her book that spark my imagination. One quote come to mind specifically:
“Men who take risks do it while fully aware that something significant is at stake—something much more significant than ridicule or fear. Men who take risks do it because they realize that the church is at stake, and until women are no longer sidelined, the church will continue to be hampered. Men who embolden women by taking risks recognize that the church has been limping along for far too long, and it’s high time the status quo changes.” pg. 159
Over the last few days it has been our brothers in Christ who have taken to social media proclaiming the giftedness of women in ministry. In the introduction to Leach’s book Scot McKnightwrites, “…avoid justice, emphasize giftedness” (pg. 1). Our brothers in Christ have been doing just that by listing the names of women who obviously bear the gifts and graces of those who are called to ministry.
This got me thinking about a man near and dear to my heart who has supported many women in ministry including my mother and myself. This man is my Dad and Co-Pastor… and I recently asked my Dad these three questions:
- Who emboldened you in ministry?
- How, from your perspective, have you emboldened Mom in ministry?
- How, from your perspective, have you emboldened me in ministry?
- Who Emboldened you in ministry?
He also said, “You have to be called to be a pastor and not because that is what your family does.”
My Dad said that if I was called then I needed to preach. So, one Sunday night, when I was 16 years old, I preached my first sermon.
My Dad helped me through the local ministers license process and the district ministers license process.
I went off to Olivet Nazarene College to study ministry. It was there during my sophomore year in chapel that the Lord spoke to me. I felt called to a deeper walk and commitment. It was as if the Lord was saying, “this call has to be about you being called, Chuck, and not your family.” It was then that my call became my own and not my family’s.
2. How have you, from your perspective, emboldened Mom in ministry?
Tara Beth Leach wrote about my parents in her book and I want to affirm what she wrote… they are head over heels in love with one another. They also have always approached ministry together. She wrote:
“Her answer was simple but profound. ‘It’s been a journey of give-and-take. Sometimes I have to take the backseat in our ministry journey, and other times he takes the backseat, but we always do it together…’ Chuck and Carla Sunberg so beautifully portray a marriage emboldened by the Spirit to do the work of the Kingdom.” pg. 113
They really do everything in prayer together and that mentality transmitted to my sister and myself. As we grew up on the mission field in Russia we were convinced that we were missionaries too. My sister and I were always told by our parents that God didn’t just call Chuck and Carla to be missionaries… God called all of us at that time in life: Chuck, Carla, Christy, and Cara.
Here is Dad’s response to question number 2:
I didn’t see her as a minister initially because she had graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene College with a Nursing Degree and she was leading the Compassionate Ministries on the field. She never mentioned a call to ministry early in our marriage. Later she said she never had seen a female minister growing up and never thought it was a possibility.
She began taking a class in Health Care Administration for a Master’s Degree. She got an “A” in class… What else is new?
She was starting the next class in the program and she said, “I’m not really sure I want to do this.”
That was the first time she had said anything to me about wanting to do something other than nursing. She even said that it just wasn’t who she was anymore.
At the same time we were starting to develop the extension program for theological education on the field. Some of our Nazarene pastors were going to attend Nazarene Theological Seminary in hopes that they would then be able to teach education classes.
I asked Carla “What do you want to do?”
She said, “I would like to be involved in theological education for district learning. I want to go to seminary with the students.”
I said, “For what?”
She responded, “I want to do the theological studies with the students.”
One year later we were traveling around the United States on furlough in a minivan. I said something that just came to mind and it was stupid at the time, but the Lord used it in Carla’s life. I said, “you know, if you were a boy in the family you would be the pastor in your family.”
Carla didn’t respond in that moment but later she said that the Lord asked, “and why aren’t you the pastor in your family?”
It had become obvious to me all along the gifts and graces that Carla has for ministry.
I knew that we supported women in ministry as Nazarenes, but I didn’t really see it.
I never ever felt threatened by Carla and her call to ministry. Once I heard her say that she was called it connected all the dots. There was not ever a time that I felt she was “treading on my territory.” It just seemed natural that she should pursue her calling just like I did.
I watched her blossom overnight in this calling and it was cool. It was really easy to encourage her because she is called to do this! She has more facets of what is means to be a spiritual leader than I do. We are different, but I could see that she is pretty amazing and that God was going to use her. It is pretty fun to watch. Why get in the way of that?
3. How have you, from your perspective, emboldened me in ministry?
Between you and your sister I didn’t expect you to be called into ministry. You would be bouncing a soccer ball around or creating something new out of paper in your room. When we would go on Daddy-Daughter dates you would want to go to Gorky Park and play the shooting games for prizes.
I wasn’t thinking about it or expecting one of you to go into ministry.
I remember a conversation you and I had when you were 14 or 15 years old. You said something like, “Dad, you don’t have any boys—who is going to carry on the family business?”
I responded, “I don’t know… maybe you?”
You said, “Uh, maybe…” and ran out of the room.
That was the first time ever that you said anything close to being called to ministry.
It wasn’t until you were in college and were majoring in History and Political Science and said you wanted to add a Religion Major that we talked about it again. I asked you, “why do you want to do that?”
You responded that you were thinking about going to the seminary and that maybe you wanted to be a pastor. Why wouldn’t I support that?
The final part of this post is me answering the question:
“How has, from my perspective, Dad emboldened me in ministry?”
Both my parents have always encouraged my sister and me to serve the Lord faithfully in whatever way we feel led. In my ordination interview I was grilled on whether or not I felt pressured to be in ministry by my family and the answer is, “no.”
Sure, at 14 or 15 I teased my dad about being in the “family business,” but that was not the culture of our family. My parents always said that we are called to serve the Lord faithfully no matter what in whatever vocation we are called to.
My Dad’s account is very much what I remember. I also remember calling my Dad, who was my pastor at the time, to ask about a local minister’s license. I remember being presented my first license by both of my parents. It was such a special memory.
I remember endless theological conversations around the dinner table growing up, nurturing Christy and I to actively engage with and love Scripture.
My Dad continues to embolden me in serving together as Co-Pastors. We talk about the intentionality of some of the things I lead at church. I lead staff meetings and board meetings and send out weekly emails to the congregation. Not because Dad could not do those things, but as he says, “I’m old… it’s your turn now.”
He has always modeled making room for others and especially doing so for his “3 girls” (wife and 2 daughters- as he likes to call us).
When asked about Co-Pastoring with me my dad said, “when I thought about the possibility of Co-Pastoring with you I thought it would be really cool. I thought it would be another way to support another one of the women in my family. It would be a good thing to do based on the fact that we would minister together. I also thought that it could be something that we could model for the church in others places. Not necessarily Dad and Daughters (we are not the only ones!) but the idea of intergenerational co-pastoring.”
Tara Beth Leach culminates the book with a picture of the body of Christ serving together, making room for one another, and emboldening one another. Ministry isn’t a competition. It is a life faithfully given in service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is an honor. I hope to be able to take the blessing of how I have been emboldened and in turn embolden others.
“Together—arm in arm—we are an emboldened church, just as we are designed to be.” Pg. 190
I can't thank you enough, Shawnee Church of the Nazarene, for how you love, give, and serve. May we continue to seek the Lord's leading in our lives and as a community of Christ-followers. May we be found faithful and may we make a difference in this world.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Cara
Contact:
Shawnee Church of the Nazarene
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