Information Sessions About Ann-Marie’s Ordination Process (On-Site & Zoom)

In May of 2021 the Pilgrim Association Committee on Ministry approved an alternative path to ordination for    Pastor Ann-Marie Illsley, our associate pastor. The Pilgrim Association told us that they would approve Pastor Ann-Marie for ordination in her current position with our church, but only after we had undergone a congregational process that ended with a congregational vote on whether or not to officially call Pastor Ann-Marie as our part time associate pastor. If the vote were to be affirmative – which according to our by-laws requires a 2/3 vote of those gathered – they would approve her to be ordained and we would begin plans with the association to hold an ordination service. If the vote were to result in our not calling Ann-Marie she would still be allowed to stay in her position, but she would not be ordained until she receives a call from another congregation.

The Board of Christian Education voted unanimously at their June meeting to ask council to proceed toward such a congregational vote, and in turn council unanimously agreed to bring the question of Pastor Ann-Marie’s call to a congregational vote. The date for this congregational meeting to discuss and vote on Pastor Ann-Marie’s call is not yet set, because we wanted to allow time for a process of conversation and information sharing to take place among our Beloved Community.

To that end, we’d like to let everyone know of a series of information sessions we’ve planned that will include our moderator (Sue Koza), the chair of our Christian Education Board (Michelle Young-Ferguson), Pastor Jeff, and Ann-Marie. Please make note of the dates below and please plan to attend as many of these sessions as you’d like. No signup will be required. The meetings will be held in person, but we will also have a Zoom option for those who wish to participate virtually.