This month, Pastor Dan and Dana Teefey participated in step six of his final ordination ceremonies and meetings in Portland, Oregon. Having felt a call to vocational ministry and agreement with other Christian leaders, Dan began the pursuit of permanent credentials in the Evangelical Covenant Church. This process has a significant time line including class work in seminary, multiple written papers and interviews on Dan’s theology as it relates to the Covenant church. Dan’s experience in ministry work, as well as the years he has lead as Interim Pastor at Ravenswood Covenant Church and Senior Pastor at Riverside Covenant Church, have shaped his skills in the areas of preaching well, teaching well, and caring well.
Another element of Dan’s journey is participating in a two-year mentoring relationship with a seasoned colleague in ministry. This person is Stacey Littlefield, the Senior Pastor at Evangelical Covenant Church in Lafayette, Indiana, who will be celebrating Dan’s ordination with the Riverside family in July (more details to follow). The “on-the-job” training and mentoring has allowed Dan’s theology to become practical to the local church context rather than just being intellectual at the time of his ordination. With this compiled work and “real life experiences” in ministry, Dan received favorable interviews with the denomination’s Conference Committee and the Board of the Ordered Ministry.
The trip to Portland includes the service of ordination, commissioning and consecration of Dan’s ministry. This service is the final step in the calling of Dan to preach and teach the Word, administer the sacraments and rites of the church, and exercise pastoral care and leadership.