Deacon Reflection: The Call Just Keeps Coming

By The Venerable Jan Lamb

The call just keeps coming….

Like many other deacons, I resisted the call to ordained ministry. In fact, I ran from it. But after not only being whispered to often (daily??) by God, but by hearing from people in various parts of my life that they saw me as a deacon, I surrendered and began the process toward ordination. It was a process in which I learned a tremendous amount – about Holy Scripture, Church history, ethics, care for others, servant ministry, but most of all about myself. My relationship with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, was deepened and truly became the guiding force in all that I am and all that I do. I received enormous support and encouragement in every step of the process, and even when I doubted what was the next step, others believed in me. They saw in me something it took a long time for me to see in myself.

And so, in June of 2006, I was ordained to the diaconate. Just before we processed in for the service, someone said to me, “I guess you’re glad it’s all over.” I replied to her, “I believe it’s only just beginning.”  And it was. God has continued to call me to new and different - and often scary - work again and again.

My first assignment as a deacon was, surprisingly, to my home parish: St. Luke’s, Durham. What a joy to serve among the people who had raised me up to be a deacon. It was challenging to take on a new role in a familiar congregation. I initially thought it would be a “cushy” appointment. Didn’t I already know them, and they know me?  Didn’t we share beliefs, values and goals?  How hard could it be to move them in new directions of ministry and outreach, to help them link their gifts with the needs of our community and world? Sometimes the road was bumpy, but we worked it out. I know now that God (and Bishop Curry) sent me there to learn how to be a deacon. 

God’s call to me seems always to include a stretch, a movement into something brand new. One of my initiatives at St. Luke’s was creating adult English as Second Language classes. Our students were Spanish-speaking, many of them members of La Iglesia el Buen Pastor. Out of this program and a similar one at St. Philip’s [Durham] grew LEAP, the Latino Educational Achievement Partnership. I was asked to serve on the first board, working with others dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for Latino children in Durham. In all honesty, I knew nothing about the Latino community, but I did know education and the teaching of reading. Over the last eight years, LEAP has become an independent nonprofit, developing programs that include a dual-language prekindergarten and literacy tutoring for school-age children. Currently, I serve as the director of the tutoring program, where each day brings new knowledge, understanding and joy.

And now God has called me to serve as the next archdeacon for our diocese. Again, it’s a stretch and a movement into uncertain territory. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow deacons, our bishops and God in this capacity. The call just keeps coming. Thanks be to God.

The Venerable Jan Lamb is the archdeacon for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and serves as chaplain to the bishop suffragan.