“Honored to Be Invited”

by AVIS GARRETT-BAPTIST,
Overland Park, Kansas, USA

Being baptized and growing up as a Baptist and being baptized again and becoming a Methodist, I believed I had found my home. I was always active in church while pursuing higher education and building my practice as an art therapist.

After six years as a widow, I fell in love with a man—and his church. We married 10 years ago, and on July 10 I felt honored to be invited into Community of Christ membership.

During my 10 years of attendance before joining, I met wonderful, loving, God-filled people. I discovered a family of believers who are progressive and avoid the stifling dynamics associated with fear and guilt. Learning, growing, and a shared feeling of belonging drive them.

I have read many books and attended many classes, and they make me eager to learn more about the history of the church. Through my teachings, I hope to share my love for the church and God with others.

Walking the Disciple’s Path

by GINNY JOHNSON,
Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Loyal Frederick hoisted the final roll of wire fence onto his truck while he and his wife, Joan, talked with a priesthood member. The man had just said: “We’ve really enjoyed having you two attend church recently. Have you ever thought about being baptized and joining the church?”

Their answer was immediate. “Yes. We really enjoy the fellowship here. But we were baptized some years ago. Would we have to be rebaptized? ”

Loyal, a long-distance truck driver, had moved often to follow his work, and they seldom had gone to any church. Now retired, they often attended the Inland Congregation in Interlochen, Michigan, with their son’s family.

Loyal and Joan began classes to learn more about Community of Christ, followed by a joy-filled confirmation service, with their earlier baptisms being accepted as the day they gave themselves to the Lord.

“The priesthood member who invited us to join became very ill and hospitalized,” Joan said, “but he talked with the pastor to be sure we were going to be confirmed. He was thinking about us and not himself. And I knew then it was time for me to commit myself to Jesus again.

“Before I had only connected with Jesus in prayer when I was at my wit’s end. But now I realized I was receiving from him and not giving back. I’m striving now to get closer to God and be a better Christian.”

Joan and Loyal serve in any way they can, and they faithfully attend church events. They are walking the path of disciples for Christ.

“We met some good people there who made us feel like part of the family,” Loyal said. “We are grateful that they accepted us into their fellowship.”

New Members

Among the first people to join the church by confirmation based on the new membership policy were these three young adults from Tegucigalpa in Honduras. All three—Noel Padilla (left) Anival Cruz Gomes (center), and Edith dePadilla—had been active in the church for many years but had resisted being rebaptized. They were confirmed members of Community of Christ on January 23, 2011.

“I Wanted to Be a Part of Something…Beautiful”

by RHONDA DELORME,
Athabasca, Alberta, Canada

On July 16, 2011, I was confirmed a member of Community of Christ upon my baptism, which I received in October 1991.

After years in my original church, I discovered I no longer could submit to religious dogma that appeared to alienate groups and individuals. I longed for my church to accept people regarding their unique situations, circumstances, and experiences. I longed for a practice in respecting and accepting diversity.

About two years ago I began occasionally attending Community of Christ services with my friend, Barb. We shared many discussions regarding religion and spirituality. I was very interested in her approach to life and church. Last summer my stepdaughter and I attended church camp with Barb. There was plenty of music and fun, and I had the chance to immerse myself in literature, discussion, and reflection.

I decided to become a member simply because I wanted to be a part of something I see as beautiful and the way that Christ would have it.

I remember my sincere desire to become a disciple of Jesus when I was baptized almost 20 years ago. It is with the same sincerity that I researched, prayed about, and decided to become a member of Community of Christ. I am grateful for the sacred moment of baptism that would guide my decisions and experiences, including the ones that created the path that led me to Community of Christ.

My grandfather was an integral part of that baptism. He helped me to learn of its importance and then performed the ordinance. I am grateful to carry the experience and validity of my previous baptism into my confirmation with Community of Christ.

My confirmation was beautiful, peaceful, and empowering as Barb performed the ordinance with a male priesthood holder alongside her. The chance to include both genders reflects the balance and equality I like to see represented in church responsibilities.

Although my grandpa is no longer with me, I believe my involvement in Community of Christ would please him.

Since my confirmation I have experienced repeat confirmations from the Spirit that it was an excellent decision for me. I’m grateful for faith and hope that have confirmed to me that Community of Christ is a supportive place where I can align my values and share my testimony of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Holy Spirit Seen in Actions, Love, Generosity

BY DREW DeJARNETTE,
Berryville, Arkansas, USA

About 6½ years ago I walked into the Berryville Congregation. I went because it was the church of the woman I was to marry. At that time, I never imagined I would join Community of Christ.

The church I’d been attending was Sabbatarian, which viewed any group that did not keep Saturday as non-Christian. The consequence was that I believed Community of Christ members did not have the Holy Spirit. Over the years, my experience changed that view.

Though my views differed from those of the members, they still accepted me and valued my opinion. I saw the love and generosity that flowed effortlessly from the church as a whole and from individual members.

I was not convinced of the presence of the Holy Spirit by strong words or articulate argument, but through the words enacted through their lives. However, joining Community of Christ still was not an option until recently.

I was baptized in the faith I grew up in by my grandfather. I still have full confidence in this baptism, and I considered a new baptism an annulment of the first. I had no intention of ever being rebaptized and did not even consider joining Community of Christ until after the policy changed to accept previously baptized disciples through confirmation. Even after this new policy, it took me eight months to decide.

The exclusivity of my family’s faith has caused many heated discussions about this matter. In the end, I decided God was leading me toward confirmation into Community of Christ. I still am unsure of where God is leading me, but I know Community of Christ will be an integral part of my life.

Becoming Family, Feeling the Call

by JEANNINE WARD,
West Des Moines, Iowa, USA

In the spring of 2011, Northwest Des Moines Congregation in Iowa experienced the joy of welcoming six new members, including three who joined through confirmation.

Helen and her mother, Oretha, previously were baptized into the Church of Christ. They left Liberia because of the civil war. Oretha Tarwo was baptized in a river in Ivory Coast in 2000. Helen Menyon was baptized in a river at a refugee camp in Ghana in 2005.

After studying Sharing in Community of Christ, Oretha announced she wanted the congregation to become her family in January 2011. She found encouragement from Jan, a priest in our congregation.

Helen has been connected to the congregation more than four years. She came with her father from Africa in February 2007. Her father was baptized and confirmed in 2010. Helen’s confirmation experience was one of joy and love.
Joel Higgins also joined through confirmation. He was baptized as a teenager.

Through the invitation of a friend and a couple in the congregation, he attended Sunday school and services for six months. He was eager to join Community of Christ and was confirmed on Palm Sunday. Joel said he decided to be confirmed because he felt God’s call.

Great News Brings Peace, Happiness

José Guevara (center) and Freddy Maltes (left) rejoiced with President Steve Veazey.

by JOSÉ GUEVARA,
Diriomo, Granada, Nicaragua

I’ve been fully participating in Community of Christ in Nicaragua for 3½ years now. After 25 years in other denominations I was frustrated. It seemed nobody understood my way of being until I met Freddy Maltes, an elder in Community of Christ.

He invited me to share with this faith community. I liked the love and friendship I had not experienced in other places. But what especially caught my attention were the doctrine, policies, priesthood, study materials, and the fact that it was an international church.

But I didn’t agree with one thing. It was that I would have to be rebaptized to become a full member. There even came a time where I stayed away for about two months because of this.

But I couldn’t resist the voice of the Holy Spirit that was calling me to work in Community of Christ. I returned and was met with great news. The church had approved a new policy on becoming a member through confirmation.

This brought peace and happiness to my heart. The day of my confirmation was a day of much joy for me and my brothers and sisters in Diriomo.

No Longer Sitting on the Sidelines

by RUSSELL OGAWA
Pearl City, Hawaii, USA

In my early teens, weekends meant biking, fishing, football, and any other activity you could think of doing with friends. One day, my mom said she wanted me to start attending the Methodist church across the street from our home.

Wow, I thought, this would take a chunk out of my fun-filled weekends. However, I started attending Sunday school and church services regularly. I enjoyed it. I remember intently listening to the sermons and taking the lessons seriously.

Pastor Kim took an interest in developing the youth program there. We enjoyed many fun activities, service participation, and youth camps. On April 11, 1976, when I was 14, I was baptized in the church.

This was a big deal for me because it was a commitment I made on my own to follow the Christian faith. Through high school and college, my Christian faith helped me overcome many difficult situations.

Later in life I met my wife-to-be, Noreen. She was a member of the Hilo Congregation in Community of Christ. In 1990, we were married at the Makiki Congregation. Several years later, we began attending the Waipahu Congregation.

I remember being asked several times at the annual reunion if I would like to be baptized. But I did not pursue it, even after our daughter was baptized at age 8. I often felt like an athlete “sitting on the sidelines” during church services or activities. Although it felt uncomfortable, I did not feel the need to be baptized again because my original baptismal commitment remained personally special to me.

In 2010, I heard Community of Christ would be considering other baptisms. I was hopeful the policy would be approved. In November 2010, President Stephen M. Veazey, released a letter outlining policies about baptism, confirmation, and church membership. I was excited and began researching the policies and forms online at home and on my lunch breaks.

I pulled out my baptism certificate and checked that I met all the requirements for Community of Christ confirmation.

Shortly afterward, I shared my interest with Pastor Ron Mobley and Evangelist Redge Roberts. I submitted the required documents to Pastor Ron for review. He said I met the requirements, so I requested a date for confirmation.

On April 17, 2011, I was confirmed into Community of Christ with the Waipahu Congregation. This special day marked a blessing in my life I will never forget.

I am thankful Community of Christ made this policy change. Although I had been committed to Christ, I now am filled with gratitude to have renewed this commitment in the eyes of my family and church family by becoming a confirmed member.

Now He Can Vote

by GREG CLARK
Integrated Communications

Wally Laws has attended Gudgell Park Congregation in Independence, Missouri, since “1996 or ’97.”

A couple of months ago, he finally voted in his first business meeting. Until then he’d never been eligible.

Now he is. It’s because of a policy change made last January. Wally is among the many who have reported entering Community of Christ through confirmation, with the church accepting baptism from another denomination.

Wally, a middle-school science teacher, had been baptized years earlier in a Lutheran church. He didn’t feel right about being rebaptized. But he did feel good about Community of Christ, and Gudgell Park was his church home.

That left him in the awkward position of belonging to the church…and yet not belonging. It’s not that anybody treated him like a nonmember, but he knew there was a difference.

For him, the policy shift to accept outside baptisms and then offer confirmation was the perfect solution. And June 26, 2011, was the perfect time. Everyone in his family was in town. Even the worship theme spoke to him.

“The theme was ‘Welcome All.’ With that theme how can you say no?”

So at 45, he was confirmed, surprising some congregants who had taken it for granted that he already was a member. Others chided, “It’s about time!”

It’s not that he hadn’t been asked. Leaders had offered baptism a couple of times. But it didn’t feel right. “I’ve been baptized once, and it’s the same God,” he said.

He holds great hope for the blessings the policy change will bring.

“I honestly think this could be the single greatest thing we could do with the church. I do believe this will bring more people in, and I think that’s what the church needs.”

He said the decision seemed natural to his three sons and wife, who already was a church member. “Amanda would have loved me either way, but I think she’s happy.”

And though he’d long considered Gudgell Park his church family, he admits things feel differently now.

“There is a closeness now. I have another commonality, another bond with the people in the congregation and the church itself.”
In short, he belongs. And now he can vote.

“Yes, I Am a Member”

by KENDRA FRIEND
Independence, Missouri, USA

Jenn Killpack (left) and Susan Naylor (right) shared in Kendra Friend's confirmation experience.

Although my spouse, Jason, was raised RLDS and a member from age 8, he had long been inactive before we got together. But I was curious about this church, so I accepted a temporary job in Temple School at International Headquarters (IHQ) in 1999.

I felt welcomed and accepted as a nonmember. The more I learned about this faith movement, the more I connected with and wanted to be part of its mission. After a few months I was thrilled to be hired to work in Communications.

At age 11, I had attended church regularly with my best friend’s family. The intense response I had the day of an altar call in 1980 has never left me. I didn’t decide to be baptized; I was bodily called to it. That day wasn’t about joining a church. It was about wanting to follow Jesus—wanting to fully be part of the love he represented.

After coming to IHQ, I started attending Liberty Street Congregation, and World Conferences often brought up the issue of whether or not rebaptism should remain a requirement for church membership. I was keenly interested in these discussions and wondered what I would do if the opportunity was made real to move from being a “friend” to being a member. How would I decide?

Looking back, anticipation of that opportunity had been stirring in me since I first walked into the Temple. But it had been a long time since my baptismal commitment, and I no longer was sure what I believed about Jesus and what I was willing to commit to. Was I really a “Christian”?

The more I learned and grew through my experiences at Community of Christ, the more I realized that I really do fit here. I’m accepted and loved. I have gifts to offer. And I am a Christian. I started participating in Communion again. In 2005, we had our infant daughter blessed.

These sacraments were so powerful to me—recommitting myself through the Lord’s Supper and the incredible love surrounding Layla’s baby blessing. When the baptism, confirmation, and church membership policy came out in November 2010, I did not decide to get confirmed. I just could not contain my smile, and my heart was radiating, “Yes!”

My January 30, 2011, confirmation was yet another Spirit-filled experience that provided “a glimpse of who God is and what God calls us to be” (www.CofChrist.org/sacraments). I am so grateful to everyone who has welcomed me as a full participant in the mission all along. And I love that I now get to officially say, “Yes, I am a member of Community of Christ.”