A Very Important (and Joyful) Announcement!

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

–The Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman

22 June 2015

 

Beloved friends,

Two years ago, I felt a slice of awe and an even larger slice of gratitude as I stepped into the pulpit once filled by The Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman. I was overwhelmed with emotion and also affirmed of my call to serve justice with every ounce of my being. Dr. Thurman has been a profound influence on my path to ordained ministry. His leadership in the civil rights movement, his mentorship of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his prolific writings on ethical and cultural criticism informed and transformed me into the religious leader I am now called to be. Most inspiring was his creation of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. It was there, in 1944, so much of what he believed came to fruition. The church was the first in the country to proclaim and realize the goal “to create a religious fellowship that transcended artificial barriers of race, nation, culture, gender, and social distinctions.”

And so it is with deep humility and gratitude beyond measure I share with you that on August 30, 2015, I will be ordained by The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. They have invited me to take my ministry into the world on their behalf and with their blessing. Having been so deeply influenced by Dr. Thurman and then had the enormous good fortune to study under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake and serve the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples during my field study, I offered an enthusiastic ‘YES!’ My experience of this historic church community is that it consistently embodies the values I hold dear. Love and social justice are beacons on their path toward creating a more just and sustainable world.

Friends, this is such an honor and I am hopeful the many others who have been formative and supportive on my path to ordination will be able to join me in this celebration. (More details to follow).

With an abundance of love, gratitude, and joy,

Suzi

Suzi Spangenberg, MASC, M.Div

Berkeley, CA