A Joyful Announcement From Steve Thomas
Over the past 18 months, Steve Thomas has been working on something very special. In addition to serving as our Senior Warden on the Vestry, Steve has been in the process of discernment. We take a moment here to share Steve’s journey of discernment to ordained ministry, his current progress in answering that call, and the role of our parish going forward in supporting him on that path as his Sponsoring Parish.
In 2021, Steve attended The Path Conference at the Trinity Center and began to seriously consider a call to ministry that had been growing over several years. Steve is currently discerning a call to ordained ministry. The Episcopal Church has a very structured process to help facilitate this very personal and deeply spiritual time in a person’s life. Steve’s discernment process began formally last Fall (2021) with regular meetings with our Rector, the Rev. C. Phillip Craig, Jr. With Phillip’s blessing, in the Spring of 2022, a Parish Discernment Committee was formed. Several individuals from our church family were brought together to help Steve answer questions such as, “is this truly God’s call for you and your life?” through a series of intentional conversations.
Steve’s own experience and faith has led him through the discernment process, along with the support of the many special folks who have been involved. With the recommendation of the Parish Discernment Committee, Steve’s nomination was put before our St. James Vestry at the May 2022 meeting. Our Vestry formally and unanimously endorsed Steve to be considered as a Postulant for Holy Orders. This past Fall (2022), the Diocesan Commission on Ministry spent time with Steve at an overnight at Trinity Center in consideration of his call to become ordained. They recommended him to the Bishop to be recognized as a Postulant of the Diocese.
We are very excited to be able to share that earlier this month, Steve was officially recognized as a Postulant for Holy Orders of the Episcopal Church. Steve will be working closely with the Bishop in the next weeks to determine what his formation process will look like as he continues this path of discernment. We are honored to be a part of his journey.
Steve encourages any who might be feeling a “tug” from God to consider ways to serve more as either a lay or ordained Leader in the church to attend The Path Conference offered each Fall by our Diocese. Make time to listen to the voice of God.