At the heart of the people called Methodist - Ordination 2008

The atmosphere of worship is electric in the hall today. Thousands of Methodists have gathered to celebrate and set asside about 40 ministers who have completed on average 5-7 years of training for the Methodist ministry. Personally it is a joy to be a Presbyter for Rev Ronnie van Eck and Prof Jan Reynders, they have been close friends and a great inspiration to me. Both are older men with years of experience and training. Ronnie is a past school Principal and Jan is a Professor of Physics. Yet in spite of their success in their secular carreers they submitted themselves to the rigour and scrutiny of formation and training for the Methodist ministry. I had the joy of teaching them, and most of the 40 persons who are being ordained today.

I give thanks today that women and men still offer their lives in service of our Lord in the Church. Of course there are many who take the equally bold step of offering their lives to serve Christ in the marketplace and home. There can be no greater joy than intentionaly and passionately serving Jesus in achieving His will.

On a closing note, I love being in a radically multicultural setting with incredible vernacular worship! This is the joy of being a Christian in Africa!
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Comments

[Anonymous]

Hi Dion,

we have only just left conference on our way back to KZN - hopefully the roads are open. It is amazing how quicky you generate material on this blog. Conference this year was very special.

Travel safely back to the Cape.

Was that your daughter reading and lighting candles?

[Steve Hayes]

I wonder if that was the Jan Reynders I knew, who was involved in the SCA when it was broken up by apartheid more than 40 years ago? And whose son is a member of St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Brixton)

[digitaldion (Dion Forster)]

Thanks for the comments.

Anonymous... going back to KZN... Could that be my 'Captain' Neville!? No, it wasn't Courtney lighting the candles - that was a special touch in the service though, wasn't it? I enjoyed Bishop Hope's address so much! Whispers and thunder...

Steve, it may well be the same Jan. I can check with him and let you know. He is a wonderful guy!

[Steven Jones]

Small world - when I was doing articles some years back, Prof Jan Reynders was one of our firm's clients and I completed his personal tax return for about 3 years. Now he is an ordained minister in the MCSA, and I am a candidate about to start Phase One. Isn't it amazing how God works?

[Steve Hayes]

Dion,

It is the same Jan -- spoke to his son at our parish party on Wednesday night and he said he was at the ordination.