Brett's Pastoral Installation and Licensing Service

Today Brett was installed as pastor of Hope Mennonite Church in Wichita. The pastoral installation and licensing was part of their worship service and what a wonderful service it was! This is a musically gifted church and the choir today really touched our hearts. Including the director, they were 20-people strong. Their rich, full acapella voices filled the sanctuary as they sang two special numbers. Representatives from the church, conference and Brett, as well as the congregation, participated in The Litany of Installation of Pastor.

He also received a Certificate of License Towards Ordination as a pastor in the Western District Conference of the Mennonite Church USA. He is licensed to perform all pastoral duties, except ordain another pastor, for two years and will then be eligible for ordination.



This precious family was warmly welcomed!

Rich and me with the Conference Pastor. We are definitely very proud, as we recognize the call God put on Brett's heart. Since Brett was young, we felt he would be in church ministry and so it has been a real joy to see how God has been working in his life these last four years and shaping him for this ministry. This last year it has been an especially amazing process. We have observed how God moved Brett from his position at Bethel College and placed him in a position of total dependence on God. Brett has demonstrated complete peace and reliance on our God. The Conference Pastor said today that there were many people interested in this pastorate and the search committee read through many files, but it was Brett that God called to minister. How awesome is that! May God be praised!

There were people from Bethel College and from their church here in Newton that attended today in support of Brett, Esther, and their girls. Norm and Vickie, from their church here in town, have been very dear to them. Brett and Esther were very touched they were there!

They were given several gifts; books for the girls, a gift basket, and wall plaques. This basket is symbolic of the church. It contained a church cookbook, Taste of Home IV, in recognition of Hope's 25th anniversary this year, a lovely "Hope" plaque for home or office, peppernuts in recognition of the church's annual craft fair (for non-local readers, peppernuts are a holiday anise-flavored crunchy cookie steeped in Mennonite tradition), coffee from 10 Thousand Villages here in Newton and a coffee mug in recognition of Brett's love of coffee.

Brett and Esther in his new office. This week he's been getting settled. They look forward to meeting "their flock" and getting immersed in their new church life.

Hope has a lovely facility, just didn't get any photos.

It was a great day. We came back to our house for an old-fashioned Sunday pot roast dinner. There was much to celebrate! Brett's Big Day, Esther's birthday and our anniversary.

Brett, I give you these verses...

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:14-15