Presentation of Stoles Liturgy
July 31, 2023
In the Global Methodist Church, elders and sometimes deacons are presented with stoles during ordination. On a following Sunday, the local church may present the preacher with more stoles for the other seasons of the church year.
Below is a liturgy I wrote to be used for such an occasion for a church member to present stoles to the pastor on behalf of the church. This is not an official Global Methodist liturgy. You are free to use and adapt this as you see fit. Attribution is appreciated.
Since my church had multiple services I was given different stoles in each service. All stoles may be presented at one service.
Appropriate prayers are encouraged to be prayed following the presentation.
Liturgy for Stoles
Hello, my name is ________ . Today it is my joy to present to Pastor ______ this (or these) stole(s) in recognition of his/her ordination by Bishop _______ recently at ________ (location of ordination).
Ordination is “the action by which the church sets apart those who have been so elected to a particular order of ministry for the good of the whole church.”1
Pastor _______ is now an ordained elder/deacon as of ______ (date of ordination).
To be read for presentation to deacon:
- “Deacons are to witness to the Word in their words and actions, and to embody and lead the community’s service in the world for the sake of enacting God’s compassion and justice. Within and beyond a local church, deacons may, among other ministries, lead in worship, preach and teach, conduct marriages, bury the dead, care for the sick and needy, and interpret the needs of the world to the church.”1
To be read for presentation to elder:
- “Those called to the ministry of elder bear authority and responsibility to proclaim God’s Word fearlessly, to teach God’s people faithfully, to administer the sacraments, and to order the life of the church so that it may be both faithful and fruitful”1
Pastors wear vestments called stoles to signify they are part of the ordained clergy.
Pastor ______ was presented a red stole at his/her ordination. It is my joy to present to him/her this/these ________ stole(s) on behalf of the church to celebrate his/her ordination.
- The white stole is worn during high holy days such as Easter, Christmas, weddings, and funerals.
- The green stole is worn during a season of church life between Pentecost and Advent. During this time the church focuses on Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry.
- The purple stole is worn during the seasons of Advent and Lent. These seasons are key in reminding us of the importance of understanding who Christ is through his incarnation and His journey to the cross.
Pastor _______ , thank you for responding to God’s call. May the Lord bless your new season of ordained ministry.
Sources
1 Quotes are from page 51 of the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplines of the Global Methodist Church.
Thanks to Rev. Jack Varnell for looking over an early draft.
Resources
For a printable pdf click here.
For a word document of this liturgy click here.
More From David
Scripture and the Life of Ministry
March 27, 2023
There is a crisis in pastoral confidence in ministry. The Barna Group has documented this in one of their latest studies. It has shown a steep decline in the confidence of ministers in the confidence in their calling and satisfaction in ministry.
Most preachers do not need to see this graph to know this is happening. Almost every pastor I know has played the “what would I be doing if I wasn’t in ministry” game over the past few years.
So what should we do if we find ourselves in this situation?
An Answer for Me
This is not a silver bullet prescription for everyone but rather a personal testimony of one practice that works for me. Here is what I do, I try to realign with scripture in my life and ministry.
Recently on the Firebrand Podcast Dr. Joy Moore said something that has always resonated with me. In describing her advice to students learning to be pastors she says, “Let the text do the heavy lifting.”
The moments I am most whole in my ministry is when the text is doing the heavy lifting. The time when I have the most clarity is when I feel God is at work not myself.
I really appreciated recently reading Mike Bird’s book Seven Things I Wish Christian Knew About the Bible. There some great things in here.
Kindle told me I made 130 highlights. Mike Bird talks about scripture and the role it should play in our life:
“Knowledge of God begins with knowledge of Scripture; so the more you know of Scripture, the more you know of God. This knowledge is necessary if we are to have a relationship with God, to be in covenant with him, to be his children, to know his Son, Jesus Christ, and to experience the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. A lack of knowledge is not just ignorance; it is alienation from God, estrangement from God’s love, and separation from God’s offer of reconciliation.”1
Bird does make sure to clarify:
“I think it is important to stress that knowledge about God is not enough; it is knowledge of God in tandem with faith in God that matters.”2
For me, this goes back to looking at my life and asking some questions.
The first two questions are about my spiritual rhythms and come from John Wesley’s questions for spiritual formation:
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Did I give it time to speak to me today?3
The other has to do with my thoughts (and theology) about scripture. Does my life really look like I believe “the Old and New Testaments are the primary rule and authority for faith, morals, and service, against which all other authorities must be measured”?
The times in the life of my ministry where I am the most fresh are when I am putting into practice and thinking about these disciplines.
Conclusion
Do I think these will automatically make the declining trends turn around in the opposite direction? I am not sure. However, for me, this is always a good place to start by checking in with my thoughts and rhythms.
As Isaiah 40:8 (NRSV) reminds us, “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.”
Sources
1Bird, Michael F. Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible. Zondervan, 2021. page 150
2Bird, Michael F. Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible. Zondervan, 2021. page 153
3Goshorn, Ted. Prayer Changes US. South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Press, 2022. page 115
More
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ChatGPT on the Challenges Facing the Global Methodist Church
March 23, 2023
I asked ChatGPT to write me an article on the challenges facing the Global Methodist Church.
What is Chat GPT?
Here is what a CBS News Article Said:
“ChatGPT is designed to understand and generate human-like text. It’s been trained on a massive amount of data, including books and websites. A person can ask it questions, seek advice, or simply have a casual conversation with it. Right now, Chat GPT—short for generative pre-trained transformer—is exploding in popularity because anyone can use it. Also, it can answer almost any question. For example, a person could use it to write press releases, legal briefs, or to complete homework assignments.”
So here were a couple of Chat GPT responses I put together:
The Essay
The Global Methodist Church (GMC) is a newly formed denomination that split from the United Methodist Church in 2021. As with any new organization, the GMC faces several challenges:
- Establishing a new identity: The GMC will need to differentiate itself from the United Methodist Church and establish a clear identity and vision for the future.
- Building a strong organizational structure: The GMC will need to create a strong organizational structure that can effectively govern the denomination and support its ministries and missions.
- Attracting and retaining members: The GMC will need to attract new members and retain existing ones, which may be challenging in a religious landscape that is becoming increasingly diverse and competitive.
- Managing finances: The GMC will need to manage its finances effectively to support its ministries and missions and ensure the sustainability of the denomination.
- Building relationships with other denominations: The GMC will need to establish relationships with other denominations and determine how to work collaboratively with them on issues of common concern.
- Addressing diversity: The GMC has a diverse membership, with differing theological beliefs and cultural backgrounds, and must find ways to respect and integrate these differences while maintaining a clear identity and sense of unity.
- Addressing social issues: The GMC must address social issues in a way that is faithful to its beliefs while also being responsive to the needs and concerns of its members and the broader community.
- Adapting to changing contexts: The GMC must be flexible and adaptable to changing social, cultural, and political contexts while staying true to its theological beliefs and identity.
Overall, the GMC faces significant challenges as it seeks to establish itself as a viable and effective denomination in the global religious landscape. However, with careful planning, strong leadership, and a commitment to its mission and vision, the GMC has the potential to thrive and make a positive impact on the world.
Conclusion
What do you think? Does Chat GPT have an accurate view on the challenges facing the Global Methodist Church? I see it said the GMC started in 2021 when in reality it was founded in 2022. Anything else you find interesting?
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David Donnan 