Ordination?

As mentioned in my post on my Emmaus Walk below, I am feeling it is time to start the process of being ordained. At Emmaus I felt that as God is setting me aside for full time ministry as a missionary, that I actually go through the process of officially getting set aside for fulltime ministry, that is, ordination.

This first was put on my heart in my early years of college, but at the time I was happy to do it, to give credence to my work, being a women, and planning on church planting. I know that that is not a good enough reason, and I know also that I was not up to the process time-wise yet, as in NSW you don't start exploring the ordination option until your 3 rd or 4th year of College (down here the process starts much earlier). By then, I knew I was headed south anyway.

It seems God was placing the idea on my heart at that time, even though I wasn't ready. Actually, to remember back even further, I remember considering the idea when I was in high school, and also enquired officially back about 10 years ago when I was at Uni studying teaching – but at that time they told me no women were ordained/became ministers in the Baptist Church in NSW.

Anyway, times have changed and I have changed. I had resolved that if God wanted me ordained then I would probably go for it after we got back from the mission field, but now it seems God has other plans.

To get to the point, I was wondering if you would pray with me over this next week about whether I should pursue this option now.

I rang the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) last Friday, to enquire about the process and info. I am aware that if I did it now, next year would be a "discernment year" where a team from church would go through a regular group interview process with me through out the year, and then a couple of more formal years of process. However, I have also found out that the applications for ordination process starting next year closed 31 Aug. I will also need to do some extra study, which I was planning on anyway.

I got a call back from the BUV on Wednesday, and the next interviews are in May 2008, to start the process in 2009. I asked if it was possible to get an interview this year, so I can do the Discernment year in 2008. They are going to see if that is possible and get back to me.

So, if you can pray for me, (1) please seek guidance as to whether I should go for it, starting next year, (2) please pray that if it is the right timing, that the doors will open before me to start 2008, and (3) I will be protected from spiritual attack at this time, as I have lots of college work to do (essay, 2 email responses, exam).

Please let me know any thoughts (positive or negative) that have come about during this time of prayer. Thanks and God Bless, :) Jen