” Two roads diverged in a wood, and Ió
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
ó “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
By Gerrie W. Blackwelder
For The Salisbury Post
According to literature’s most recognized metaphor, we all take paths to find our way in the world.
But for pastors, the path is often filled with twists and turns that call out for exploration. The Rev. Jennifer Ginn, who has accepted just such a call to minister at Cross and Crown Lutheran in Matthews, will leave St. John’s Lutheran Church on Sunday and seek a new direction.
Ginn has served St. John’s for more than eight years and is known for an open heart and an open invitation to become involved in church life.
Ginn will be remembered as one who helped people get in touch with their baptismal identity and encouraged congregants to use the various gifts that God gave them to connect with others.
According to one congregant, “She always took the time to listen and connect with members of the congregation.”
An innovator, Ginn initiated small groups on campus to stimulate the Christian conversation. The Barnabas Connection, a favorite of Ginn’s, is an art outreach to stimulate learning and open expression among at-risk children. Sessions run during the school year as well as during the summer months and participants span the ages of 6-16. The program has been successful in reaching out to children to provide an avenue of conversation about art, but more importantly opening the door to Christ’s presence.
Another of Ginn’s small group program that has had much success is a British program developed by Nicky Gumbel of The Church of England. Each session bonded participants through a shared meal and sealed a deepening relationship through developing questions about the faith.
Other innovations Ginn brought to the congregation include the bi-weekly reading group, weekly prayer group, Finding Your Spiritual GPS, which is a leadership program to build church strength, and the Story Tellers, a presentation group who brought the words of the gospel to life.
Active member Julie Carr will remember Ginn as “a gentle, loving and wise spiritual leader. She gave of her time and talents selflessly over the last 8 years.”
Carr, who most often attends the Center Celebration service, a contemporary worship service that puts God at the center of congregant’s lives, believes that Ginn will be long remembered “for the way she delivered the Gospel through story telling. That is truly a gift from God!”
Ginn often memorized the weekly gospel passages and recited them from the sanctuary before sermons.
Good friend Camille Butner feels that Ginn’s “contributions to St. John’s were her gifts of pastoral care for her congregation, her ability to preach and bring the scripture to life.”
“I will remember Jennifer as an amazing godly person. She is by far the most humble person I have ever met and I have had the privilege of seeing Jesus in her caring and preaching ministry many times. She will be greatly missed.”
Ginn is thankful for the privilege of sharing the mystery of Holy Communion with St. John’s congregants. Tears often accompany the experience of breaking the bread of life, she said, and it is a faith act. Rich memories from her first pastoral call also include the precious moments of closeness with families at their bedsides in nursing homes and hospitals. Families drawn close by illness or death put unusual trust in a pastor and Ginn will always respect and cherish those moments of closeness.
Another memory that will not soon fade for Ginn is the warmth shared by congregants as they leave a sermon and whisper, “that one was for me; it was one I needed to hear.”
Ginn feels that if the sermon touches a listener, “it is God working in me, not my own power.”
She also carries to her new church the memory of St. John’s members having an “a-ha” moment of discovery that excites learners who have a break through in understanding.
Though Ginn hopes to be remembered “as a pastor who encouraged conversation and questions on issues of faith and as a good preacher,” Butner will hold memories of Ginn close for “her ability to encourage and accept each of us in our Jesus walk.”
Gerrie Blackwelder is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church.