Kansas Wesleyan Church Hired a Children's Pastor With One Child; Now She Is Its Pastor
Calvary Wesleyan Church in Fredonia had about 25 people and a single child when it invested in children's ministry. Sunday attendance now includes about 15 children, and the members unanimously affirmed Amy Booth as pastor.
See where this is ›FREDONIA, Kan. —
Calvary Wesleyan Church in Fredonia, Kan., had about 25 people in its pews and just one child when it hired Amy Booth as its children's pastor. The congregation's members have since voted unanimously to affirm her as their pastor, The Wesleyan Church reported Nov. 9.
The story, written by Rev. Ethan Linder, pastor of discipleship at College Wesleyan Church in Marion, Ind., says Booth came to the small rural church after a painful division at her previous congregation. A Calvary couple who had seen something she posted on Facebook first asked her to interview about starting a preschool. “I'm not sure I want to start a preschool; I love being a children's pastor,” Booth told them, and the church board instead considered hiring her for children's ministry.
Rev. Roger Freed, an interim pastor brought in to help revitalize the church, encouraged her as she healed. “Pastor Roger just surrounded me with such love and believed in me,” Booth said. New families began to come, and the church now sees about 15 children on Sundays and as many as 30 on Wednesdays.
After 15 years in children's ministry, Booth said the thought of preaching to adults and leading a whole church overwhelmed her, and she prayed for months over it. Freed urged her to gather a team and begin the courses to prepare for pastoral ministry. According to the article, some leaders in the farming community had misgivings about a woman in the pulpit, and Freed spoke up for her.
When Freed left, Booth served one year as interim pastor, even studying parliamentary procedure before leading board meetings. At the end of that year the church held a vote, and the members unanimously affirmed her as pastor.
“We have been truly blessed with Amy becoming our shepherd,” said board member Carl Hayes. Board member Dennis Heckerman said the congregation has been growing, and board secretary Jim Eden said he has known Booth for about 25 years.
Booth told the denomination that daily Scripture reading and prayer are the foundation of her ministry. The Wesleyan Church, a Wesleyan-holiness denomination, lists Calvary Wesleyan in its Kansas District.
