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Greetings friends,

Next week, I will be ordained as an Elder in The United Methodist Church during the Ordination Service at First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi. The service will be held on Friday, June 19, at 6:30 PM.

Ordination is one of the significant milestones in the life of a pastor and in the life of the church. It marks the church's recognition of a call to Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service, and it comes after years of discernment, education, ministry, interviews, paperwork, prayer, and more paperwork.

In the United Methodist Church, Elders preach and teach the faith, celebrate baptism and communion, provide pastoral leadership, and help equip the church for ministry in the world.

While ordination is happening to an individual, it is never really an individual event. This journey has been shaped by mentors, colleagues, family, friends, and congregations who have prayed, encouraged, challenged, and supported me along the way. Leander UMC is a huge part of that story, and I am deeply grateful.

This is not the sort of event that comes around every year in the life of a local church. You have been an important part of my formation as a pastor, and I hope you'll see this ordination not simply as my celebration, but as one of ours. Your prayers, encouragement, partnership, and faithfulness have all played a role in bringing me to this moment.

If you would like to attend the service in person, you are warmly invited. The service will take place at First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi. The drive is only about four hours each way, which means you'll have plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of ordination, listen to a few Common Space podcasts, and question your life choices somewhere around Refugio.

For those who prefer a shorter commute, the service will also be livestreamed online:

https://riotexas.org/ac26-livestream

Whether you attend in person, watch online, or simply keep the service in your prayers, thank you for being part of this journey. I am honored to serve alongside you as we continue the work of making disciples, growing in faith, and participating in God's transformation of the world.

Shalom,

Pastor Ryan