And So It Began

Licensed Evangelist...me? Holy smokes. How in the world did this happen? Perhaps little history would be helpful.

Way back in 2006 at our Diocesan Convention when Bishop Kirk Smith was expressing some of his hopes and dreams for the future, he mentioned, almost as an afterthought, the idea of someday actually having licensed evangelists in the Diocese of Arizona. My friend sitting beside me wrote on a piece of paper words that continue to change my life - "That's you!" All I could do was laugh. Evangelists in the Episcopal Church? Can you spell oxymoron?

Several weeks after convention, I found myself sitting in Bishop Smith's office. I felt like I had just traveled through time hanging onto a comet. After an innocent call to the Bishop's administrator to inquire about the Licensed Evangelist Program, just to find out if it might be something I would be interested in and a return call telling me when the Bishop would see me (NO, I didn't want to actually SEE the Bishop, I just wanted information....you know, a website link, a flyer or something like that. Not a face-to-face meeting with the Bishop...)

This first meeting was an amazing experience. To begin with, there was no formal Licensed Evangelist Program....well, at least not yet. We talked about what it might be, what would it look like, why would anyone want to do it and what would be the benefit. It was mind-boggling...exciting and very frightening. All I kept thinking was am I the right person to be doing this? Will I disappoint the Bishop? Evangelist? My stomach was hurting....

I immediately went home and googled "Episcopal Evangelists." Don't bother....I knew then I was in over my head. I emailed the national church to find out what other dioceses might have already instituted such a program. I was told politely that I should discuss this issue with my own bishop. I tried to tell them that's how this whole thing started! Help!!

A few months later the Bishop and I met again. By this time I realized that this was going to be a journey into uncharted territory. I was not in control, not that I'm a complete control freak, well, maybe just a little....but I felt totally unprepared, unworthy, unqualified, un-___ (you can fill in the blank). I realized that anything I would do would be God working through me because I was not qualified and never would be. I'll let God do what God does the best, and that is use the most unlikely people in the world in the most unlikely ways.

Bishop Smith told me that day that he had made the decision to license me as the first evangelist of the Diocese of AZ. That he would do this on his next visit to St. Anthony on the Desert scheduled for January 20, 2008. In the back of my head, I kept hearing my best friend say those wise words that she always says when I've gotten myself into yet another a pickle.....breathe, remember to breathe.

The event did actually take place, ironically on the Feast of St. Antony of Egypt, our patron saint who disappeared into the desert for a while to get a grip on things. I was thinking that maybe that would have been the wiser thing for me to do, too....

The "What's next?" question has been answered in so many ways since that day. God has been putting people in my life with thoughts and ideas, plans and dreams for the good of his kingdom. So here I am on this marvelous journey, with guides and partners, not knowing what tomorrow has in store, not needing to know. I hope you will join me....be part of this divine discovery.