Saturday, January 7th was a busy day in NT-NL Synod, ELCA. In previous posts I have shared about the losses of a strong lay leader in Mederick Rodgers and Pastor Yvonne Kiebler. We grieve their loss while also always knowing we do not grieve as those without hope.
Saturday ended with an ordination. A hopeful occasion as the Rev. Darlene Hopkins was ordained into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. It was a powerful occasion as we ordained her at her home congregation Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Worth.
Darlene is the fifth candidate to be ordained for Word and Sacrament ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from Trinity-FW in 6 years. This coming spring, God willing, there will be a sixth.
In so doing Darlene continues a tradition of raising up leaders in the 80 years of this congregation that will, in 2023, number 20 pastors. A witness of service and sacrificial giving of a congregation of its best leaders for the sake of the church. She also represents a legacy of lay service in her parents. The altar and baptismal font in the worship space of Trinity were crafted by her father, The Spitzenberger family were founding members of the ELC congregation in Fort Worth in 1942.
We give thanks for the past as we look to the future. Darlene and her husband John will be relocating in stages to Lubbock, TX where she has been called to serve Shepherd King Lutheran Church-ELCA. We are grateful for our calling and mission to serve #InMissionTogether #NTNL