8 ordained, 5 commissioned June 4 in Corpus Christi

Bishop Joel N. Martinez set apart nine men and five women last week in Corpus Christi for various United Methodist ministry offices.
Two other clergy members were recognized June 4 for attaining new statuses within the annual conference.
But one candidate couldn’t take part in the ceremony, part of the June 2-5 Southwest Texas Annual Conference session.
Carol J. Fiero, 59, pastor of First UMC, Bronte, since 2003, was in hospice care in Bronte. She was elected an associate clergy member of the conference and was to be ordained a deacon.
Martinez was expected to go to Bronte June 7 to ordain her.
Fiero had been a licensed local pastor since 1997.

Fiero

Martinez laid hands on the eight probationary elders—six men and two women—to ordain them elders in full connection within the conference.
The laying on of hands symbolically passed on the power of the Holy Spirit for church leadership. Elders are called to ministries of word, sacrament, order and service.

The bishop prayed over six other candidates. Five of those—four women and one man—were commissioned as probationary elders and licensed for ministry. They are working toward eventual ordination as elders in full connection.

The sixth, the Rev. Alexander G. Alvarez, 55, newly appointed pastor of Christ UMC, Stockdale, became a probationary clergy member. That’s a different step toward ordination as an elder in full connection.

He was ordained a deacon in 2002 and elected as an associate clergy member of the conference. He had been pastor of First UMC, Eagle Pass, since 1999.
More than 1,500 people attended the June 4 ceremony.
The eight candidates ordained elders in full connection were:
> Jack Kenneth Dahlberg, 60, associate pastor of Sierra Vista UMC, San Angelo, since 1998. He was licensed as a local pastor in 1998 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. He is a 1972 graduate of Southern Methodist University’s School of Law and a 1998 graduate of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.
> Douglas A. Hinchcliff, 57, pastor of First UMC, Taft, since 1999. He was licensed as a local pastor in 1999 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. He’s a 1972 Washburn University School of Law graduate and attended SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.
> Debby A. Lake, 56, newly appointed pastor of Ingleside UMC. The 1999 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 1999 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. She had served First UMC, Sabinal, since 1999.
> David B. Skinner, 38, newly appointed pastor of Dripping Springs UMC. The 2001 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 1997 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. He had served Cedar Creek UMC since 1999.
> William A. “Andy” Smith, 33, newly appointed pastor of Medina Valley UMC, Castroville. The 1999 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 1999 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. He had served Flatonia UMC since 1999.
> Norman Phil Steinbach, 50, pastor of First UMC, Mertzon, since 2000. The 2000 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 2000 and commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001.
> Sharon S. Stewart, 52, pastor of Webster Chapel UMC, Victoria, since 2001. The 2001 Princeton University Divinity School graduate was commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001.
> Dayton S. “Stan” Whites, 41, newly appointed pastor of Cedar Creek UMC. The 2001 Asbury Theological Seminary graduate was commissioned as a probationary elder in 2001. He had served First UMC, Rankin, since 2001.
Commissioned as probationary elders were:
> Deirdre C. Bryant, 52, newly appointed pastor of Flatonia UMC. She attended Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University.
> Barbara F. Dyke, 46, pastor of Day Memorial and Grape Creek UMCs, San Angelo, since 2003. The 2002 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 2002.
> Aaron Lee Everett, 49, newly appointed pastor of First UMC, Weimar. He attended SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.
> Jack Gause, 32, pastor of Wesley Harper UMC, Seguin, since 2002. The 2002 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a local pastor in 2002.
> Cynthia Grout Layton, 47, associate pastor of Memorial UMC, Austin, since 2000. The 2003 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduate was licensed as a student local pastor in 2000 and a full-time local pastor in 2003.