Change, History, and Hope

It's been a while since I started and wrote in my blog "A Young Seminarian's View." I can't believe it has been three and a half years since Seminary. Now I'm a full fledged Ordained Elder, a part of "the system," a part of "the connection," for good and for bad. So I transition from a Young Seminarian's View to a Young Pastor's view. One day I'll have to change the title again, but for now, here I am.

So who am I now? I'm Jennifer Burns: follower of Jesus Christ and servant to God, wife of John Burns (extraordinary massage therapist, servant, husband, and father), mother of Micah Glen Burns (almost two months old! Strong, expressive, and healthy), Pastor of Howard UMC Findlay, OH (relational, historic, welcoming, diverse economically, struggling financially, older with some younger families, outreach & small group oriented). I'm other things as well: daughter, sister, aunt, avid reader, sporadic gardener, globally minded with a heart for the poor, the disenfranchised, the faces and perspectives missing from our congregations.

How did I end up here? Particularly as a pastor in West Ohio? I grew up in the church and I've always loved God and had a relationship with him. Over time, I've learned and grown and wrestled with questions of faith, love, theology. When I was 16, after a year of wrestling with "what am I going to do with my life" and "could I be called to be a pastor?" God spoke to me and said "This is You." It's a much longer and more amazing story, but I'll save that for another time. I went to Ohio Wesleyan for college (BA in Psychology), and Wesley Theological Seminary in DC (Yes, I proudly call myself a Master of Divinity...LOL). I was appointed back in my home state at HUMC and have been here ever since.

What does Community mean for me? A couple years ago, I decided that we needed a young clergy network only to discover that one was already underway! I merged my husband and my efforts with theirs and Refresh was born. We as clergy families have unique needs and life experiences. I have already seen fruit from this network as comfort, support, community, and hope have been born out of connection. I am blessed and eager to be part of helping these fruit grow and expand, touching more young leaders (pastors & families) in the church. Here's to a year of deeper connections as we get to know each other better.

How about you? Who are you now? How did you end up there? What does community mean to you?