On Sabbath, 30th September, Camp Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted a high Sabbath, featuring the ordination and commissioning of five pastors. The church welcomed individuals from across the North England Conference (NEC) to witness this momentous occasion.
Leaders and pastors from both the British Union Conference and the NEC took part in this spiritual service. Dr Steve Currow, Principal of Newbold College, commenced the service with an opening prayer. Pastor Juljan Kastrati, NEC Ministerial Association Secretary, commented, "It was a sacred service that also felt intimate and relatable. There was warmth, positivity, and solidarity at Camp Hill that was felt throughout the entirety of the service."
Pastor Eglan Brooks, the President of the BUC, delivered the homily, while Pastor Sam Ouadjo, the BUC Ministerial Secretary, consecrated the ordinands through prayer. Each pastor was welcomed into ministry alongside their spouse and was charged to be faithful to their calling by Pastor George Kumi, the President of the NEC.
Regarding the ceremony, Pastor Kumi said, "We witnessed a spirit-filled atmosphere in the church as the ‘five wise ministers’ were ordained and commissioned into the ministry of our Lord. God has entrusted the precious treasure of the proclamation of God to the charge of earthen vessels, easily broken and marred. Yet, He has good reasons for His choice—that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Maranatha!"
The ordinands were Pastors George Hamilton, Joe Philpott, Alexandru Gutu, Gina Miller, and Shasha Gabriel Mugari. Their mentors provided a brief background on each candidate's journey to ministry.
Dr Beatrice Kastrati, the Ministerial Spouse Sponsor, addressed the ministers' spouses and encouraged them in the exciting journey ahead. Supported by Yvonne Chambers, they presented various gifts to the spouses. The service concluded with a response from the newly ordained Pastor George Hamilton, on behalf of the five ordinands.
- To view more images from the service, click here
