Path to Ministry:
Rebecca Myers
During a Eucharist in the summer of 2006, Rebecca Myers felt called and knew she was going to seminary. She had heard “I can do it” right in the service. But there were so many reasons why she should not go. How could she go back to school and incur educational debt? Wasn’t she too old? It would be hard work and she already had a great job and a great life. The call, however, was persistent and she stopped fighting it. She had learned to trust that the Holy Spirit would lead her into new and unexpected places.
She started her discernment process three years ago meeting monthly with her clergy mentor Cathedral Chaplin Rich Kukowski. There were periodic meetings with Canon Mary Sulerud and Bishop Chane. She completed a year-long internship at St. Dunstan’s in Bethesda. In addition to regular spiritual direction, she wrote a spiritual autobiography, visited other churches, went on two retreats, and underwent physical and psychological evaluations and a criminal background check.
Rebecca supports the discernment process. She recognizes that one can feel called but it’s also about community. It must agree that she is called and to ask if her skills are needed. In her case, she brings years of experience running non-profits, working in hospice settings and with children. Rebecca has worked with diverse communities and in politics and has a passion for social justice. Members may know her from her leadership in our Urban Ministry program or from seeing her in the soprano section of Cathedral Voices. She is grateful to all her supporters and for their prayers.
The Congregation Committee approved her candidacy in April of this year. On June 17, she became officially a Postulant for Holy Orders and will attend General Theological Seminary in New York City in the fall. Rebecca will finish her job as Director of External Relations at the National Association of Social Workers here in Washington and move to New York after August 19.
We send her our love, prayers and blessings and hope to see her back at the Cathedral often. New York is not that far away.