"If you had asked me five years ago, I still would not have pictured myself being here—being an ordained pastor,” shared Sarah Grover, associate pastor at Camarillo church.
This May, Grover was ordained in a service that emphasized the uniqueness and importance of the occasion, as Grover is the second woman to be ordained in the West Region and the fourth in SCC.
“Sarah has demonstrated a profound capacity not only to find the courage and identify her gifts and her calling and to name that and to present that but to also overcome prejudice and to win people over,“ said Greg Hoenes, West Region director.
Grover earned her associate degree in language arts and sciences and bachelor's in english prior to starting her ministry at the Lancaster church, where she began serving as Kidz Ministry Director in 2012. She remained in that position for two-and-a-half years, after which she began to pursue her master's degree in educational leadership. Upon earning her degree in 2016, she returned to Lancaster as the youth and young adult/associate pastor, during which time she earned her master's degree in pastoral ministry. Grover's journey thus far highlights her dedication to continuing education and excellence in ministry.
“I can remember many moons ago that conversation I had with you on the phone when you were in San Francisco, when you said you’re sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, and I went, ‘Woo hoo! We got a good one,’” Ed Sammons, Lancaster church pastor, said in his welcome to ministry.
Grover recalls her answer at five years old to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It was “A teacher, a missionary, and a nurse.” She later realized that these careers weren’t the perfect fit and prayed for God to guide her into His plan.
“As that prayer has continued and still continues in my life, with my hands open, saying, ‘God, I want to do what You want me to do,’ it’s interesting that I’m kind of fulfilling that dream of being a teacher and a missionary in the form of a pastor,” she reflected.
Grover claimed 1 Timothy 4:12, encouraging attendees: “Today, we’re talking about my calling, but I’d like for us to take a moment and remember that we’re all called,” first, to love God and others, and second, to use our gifts for His purposes."
To watch Sarah Grover's ordination, click here.
