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Authors: Mary M Hall-Rayford
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were waiting for the waiter to return with their order, D’Cerner explained the bizarre relationship she had developed with Cal to her pastor.
He listened intently, though inwardly alarmed without interrupting her until she was finished. He then asked her what church Cal attended, who his pastor was and if he held any particular position in the church. After obtaining the personal information he sought, he then asked her what she expected out of the relationship, especially since on the surface of things, Cal did not seem particularly interested in pursuing a lasting relationship. She acknowledged there was a decided lack of interest on Cal’s part, but stated she wanted to remain in position to please God. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, stroking his neatly trimmed graying beard and then suggested she let things progress at their own pace, without rushing or expecting anything. He told that if this were indeed God’s plan it would work. If not, it wouldn’t. His comments were not exactly what she wanted to hear, but not really knowing what she had expected him to say, she let it go.
The remainder of their lunch was spent discussing her impending travel plans and how they could best coordinate her responsibilities at the church. After lunch, they hugged each other good-bye and went their separate ways.
D’Cerner began her afternoon of errands by picking up her dry cleaning, going to the post office to mail bills and picking up some fruit and vegetables for a pasta salad. Before going home, she couldn’t resist stopping at her favorite bakery to buy some chocolate truffles and mini pecan pies. With nothing more on her mind than enjoying dinner and dessert, D’Cerner was blissfully unaware that an unforgettable chapter of her life was about to be written.
****
Pastor Gibson went to the church to finalize the church’s calendar for the balance of the year. Completing this task, he leaned back in his chair and sat in deep thought for awhile. He remembered when D’Cerner had first joined his church. She had visited them for a number of months before deciding to stay. Though soft spoken, she was really outspoken and made it clear to him she was seeking a ministry in which she could be used and not just as a benchwarmer. He smiled as he remembered how serious and defensive she was. He had assured her that if in fact he was led to use her, he would.
He had later regaled his wife with the details of that meeting and she was just as amused as he was. She knew just how much he respected women in ministry. He and his wife had been in ministry for many years and he reminisced with mixed emotions about their relationship and the ministry. D’Cerner proved to be a great asset in the church. She was an informed teacher of the Word, paid great attention to details about everything she did, and was a marvel to watch as she helped to organize new auxiliaries and programs. She assisted teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and evangelism training classes. When his wife had died a few years ago, she was remarkable at stepping in and helping with the administrative side of running the church. From the time D’Cerner joined his congregation, more and more people had not only visited, but also stayed. Their membership had almost doubled since she came five years ago and was now at 700 and growing.
While Bernard Gibson was not necessarily interested in just building a large congregation, he did realize that D’Cerner’s presence had made a real impact on the number of people attending services. He contemplated for a moment about how that could change if she left. Not liking the possible effect of her leaving could have, he looked up the number for Eternal Joy and placed a call to Pastor Covey Thomas.
*****
A few days later, Bernard Gibson met with Cal’s pastor, Covey Thomas. The phone call he made before had resulted in their agreeing to meet to discuss
He listened intently, though inwardly alarmed without interrupting her until she was finished. He then asked her what church Cal attended, who his pastor was and if he held any particular position in the church. After obtaining the personal information he sought, he then asked her what she expected out of the relationship, especially since on the surface of things, Cal did not seem particularly interested in pursuing a lasting relationship. She acknowledged there was a decided lack of interest on Cal’s part, but stated she wanted to remain in position to please God. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, stroking his neatly trimmed graying beard and then suggested she let things progress at their own pace, without rushing or expecting anything. He told that if this were indeed God’s plan it would work. If not, it wouldn’t. His comments were not exactly what she wanted to hear, but not really knowing what she had expected him to say, she let it go.
The remainder of their lunch was spent discussing her impending travel plans and how they could best coordinate her responsibilities at the church. After lunch, they hugged each other good-bye and went their separate ways.
D’Cerner began her afternoon of errands by picking up her dry cleaning, going to the post office to mail bills and picking up some fruit and vegetables for a pasta salad. Before going home, she couldn’t resist stopping at her favorite bakery to buy some chocolate truffles and mini pecan pies. With nothing more on her mind than enjoying dinner and dessert, D’Cerner was blissfully unaware that an unforgettable chapter of her life was about to be written.
****
Pastor Gibson went to the church to finalize the church’s calendar for the balance of the year. Completing this task, he leaned back in his chair and sat in deep thought for awhile. He remembered when D’Cerner had first joined his church. She had visited them for a number of months before deciding to stay. Though soft spoken, she was really outspoken and made it clear to him she was seeking a ministry in which she could be used and not just as a benchwarmer. He smiled as he remembered how serious and defensive she was. He had assured her that if in fact he was led to use her, he would.
He had later regaled his wife with the details of that meeting and she was just as amused as he was. She knew just how much he respected women in ministry. He and his wife had been in ministry for many years and he reminisced with mixed emotions about their relationship and the ministry. D’Cerner proved to be a great asset in the church. She was an informed teacher of the Word, paid great attention to details about everything she did, and was a marvel to watch as she helped to organize new auxiliaries and programs. She assisted teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and evangelism training classes. When his wife had died a few years ago, she was remarkable at stepping in and helping with the administrative side of running the church. From the time D’Cerner joined his congregation, more and more people had not only visited, but also stayed. Their membership had almost doubled since she came five years ago and was now at 700 and growing.
While Bernard Gibson was not necessarily interested in just building a large congregation, he did realize that D’Cerner’s presence had made a real impact on the number of people attending services. He contemplated for a moment about how that could change if she left. Not liking the possible effect of her leaving could have, he looked up the number for Eternal Joy and placed a call to Pastor Covey Thomas.
*****
A few days later, Bernard Gibson met with Cal’s pastor, Covey Thomas. The phone call he made before had resulted in their agreeing to meet to discuss
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