Recently I was wading through a pile of things that were stuffed in the cabinets in my office and I came across the cassette tape of my ordination service which took place on my daughter’s first birthday, February 3, 1991, at the Community Grace Brethren Church located in West Milton, OH. I actually use to have a video of this special service but we accidentally taped Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer over it one Christmas when Joy was little. That still makes me mad to think about it! As a result, I was excited to pop in the tape I found and listen to it. WOW! I had really forgotten all that took place that night. Here were the highlights:
Duane Deal, who was the Music Director at the church, led the congregational singing of The Lily of the Valley, which was my favorite hymn as a child, and All Hail the Power of Jesus Name, which was my favorite hymn at the time of my ordination.
My dad, Charles Distler, Jr. gave a very moving testimony.
A close friend of mine and Laura, Dayna Garrett, sang the songs Ordinary People and Make My Life a Living Sacrifice.
Rev Forrest Jackson, who was the chairman on my ordination examination committee, gave a report of my examination.
Rev Steve Peters, the Senior Pastor at the church and my mentor who groomed me in ministry, gave a charge to the congregation.
My grandpa, the Rev. Charles Distler Sr., who is now with the Lord, gave the charge to the candidate, me…his grandson.
A group of men then laid their hands on Laura and me and prayed for us. These men included the ones I have mentioned…Charles Distler, Jr.; Charles Distler, Sr.; Forrest Jackson and Steve Peters. Along with them, other men included Bill Brown, who was a man on my youth staff that ran our Junior High ministry; Darrell Patrick, a board member of the church whose family I lived with while I interned at the church my last two summers in college; Ed Kuhns, who was the Vice Moderator of the church; and Jack Day, my father-in-law, who closed the service with the benediction.
Below is the note that Laura and I put in the program for that evening:
“Both of our fathers will be participating in the laying on of hands symbolizing our parent’s acknowledgement and support of the call of God on the lives of us, their children! We would like to offer a special thank you to each of our family members who sacrificed so much in order to travel many miles to share in this special day today. We love each of you! Happy birthday to our precious little gift from the Lord, little Joy Laura, who is a year old today!”
Duane Deal, who was the Music Director at the church, led the congregational singing of The Lily of the Valley, which was my favorite hymn as a child, and All Hail the Power of Jesus Name, which was my favorite hymn at the time of my ordination.
My dad, Charles Distler, Jr. gave a very moving testimony.
A close friend of mine and Laura, Dayna Garrett, sang the songs Ordinary People and Make My Life a Living Sacrifice.
Rev Forrest Jackson, who was the chairman on my ordination examination committee, gave a report of my examination.
Rev Steve Peters, the Senior Pastor at the church and my mentor who groomed me in ministry, gave a charge to the congregation.
My grandpa, the Rev. Charles Distler Sr., who is now with the Lord, gave the charge to the candidate, me…his grandson.
A group of men then laid their hands on Laura and me and prayed for us. These men included the ones I have mentioned…Charles Distler, Jr.; Charles Distler, Sr.; Forrest Jackson and Steve Peters. Along with them, other men included Bill Brown, who was a man on my youth staff that ran our Junior High ministry; Darrell Patrick, a board member of the church whose family I lived with while I interned at the church my last two summers in college; Ed Kuhns, who was the Vice Moderator of the church; and Jack Day, my father-in-law, who closed the service with the benediction.
Below is the note that Laura and I put in the program for that evening:
“Both of our fathers will be participating in the laying on of hands symbolizing our parent’s acknowledgement and support of the call of God on the lives of us, their children! We would like to offer a special thank you to each of our family members who sacrificed so much in order to travel many miles to share in this special day today. We love each of you! Happy birthday to our precious little gift from the Lord, little Joy Laura, who is a year old today!”
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