Melva Lowry

Credo/Faith Statement
3/17/17

Faith Statement
I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe God to be the ultimate

author and therefore authority in my life. I follow the path of Christ, seriously considering the

impact of my presence, and prayerfully attentive to what I have been given and what I am

required to give to others along this path. I believe in the Church universal, the broad spectrum

of communities that represents all of God and creation. I believe in the speaking of many

tongues; creating a chorus of praise and witness that moves through the world by the Holy

Spirit.
I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
This opening statement to the Apostle's Creed says a lot and means a lot to what I was

raised to believe and what I have come to know for myself. As I began my studies in seminary

the emphasis on using inclusive language was in every course. What was not emphasized was

why it was important to make God inclusive? I was raised that God, in and of himself, was

inclusive and sent Jesus Christ to live and die on Earth to prove the point of his desire to include

and claim humanity as his own. As a black woman who knows and understands her southern

heritage, I have deeply connected with God as Father. Not that I believe God to have only one set

of qualities, characteristics, etc.; and that if I do not address them all then I am lessening God's

ability to be Omni-present in the world. God is God and there is no other. There is no way for

humanity to diminish God's sovereignty in creation. I was raised in the Reformed tradition as a

preacher's kid in the Presbyterian Church (USA). I was born right at the time of reunification and

I believe that was divinely planned by God as a marker for the work I am called to do. I believe I

am a bridge or a point of reference between the past and the present. As a student, I have been

asked by others who share a similar cultural heritage why this emphasis and switch to inclusive

language is vital. These conversations require me to help bridge the gap of culture, between

African Americans who are not Presbyterian with the denominational norms found in the

PC(USA).

I believe God to be the ultimate author and therefore authority in my life.

As a writer of poetry, I know editing should happen and I think of my actions as edits to

what God has established for me. Some edits are great and keep with the flow of work being

written before my eyes and some of my edits need re-visioning from a senior editor. God is the

senior editor in my life. I do not always see clearly what God is orchestrating in my life, the
beauty of the words being written out, but I trust the authority that God has in knowing more

than I do. Allowing God to be the chief editor also means letting the final content be as it is

written. I know that God will not set me up to be harmed intentionally. I know as God writes and

edits my life, the world has its own edits it likes to throw into the final print. I trust those errors

and missteps and I trust that the final revision will show God’s complete and perfect work in my

life. As I train my eyes to see the misprints and develop in wisdom to learn from them, I lean on

God’s love, power and grace to guide me. The written word and the spoken word matters to me.

I am not the most academic or polished, but when I pray that the, “words of my mouth and the

meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy [God’s] sight,” it is the truest and most meaningful

prayer I can recite. I have doubted and questioned the thoughts and words God has given me to

speak at times. As an editor, I know a part of my job is to discern what words will bring the right

impact, meaning, and care, even if not widely received by all who will hear them or read them.

As I continue to learn and grow I feel I will become a better editing partner with God for my life.

I am grateful for the gift of life and to be an apostle to witness to Christ's walk and work in this

world. I am grateful that I have been asked to tell this witness and to help others create

masterpieces that show God’s love.

I follow the path of Christ, seriously considering the impact of my presence and prayerfully

attentive to what I have been given and am required to give to others along this path

This calling does not come easy. It takes everything that was given to me, or presented to

me along my journey, and requires me to share it with others. Recently, during offering we read

a generosity message that ends, “To those to whom much is given, much is required,” taken from

Luke 12:48. This resonates more than ever in my spirit when I hear it. It is my weekly reminder

that I have been given a many gifts, opportunities, experiences for wisdom. I am being called to
be mindful of this wealth, and prayerful as to how and when to share it. Reflecting on this

passage has helped me to seek out more. Questions of who am I and what are the connections of

my past come up when I think about what I have been given. As I seek to work towards the

development of a nonprofit, whose mission is to walk alongside youth and young adults, to assist

in their spiritual and professional development. As I work through my own calling, and look

back down the path of my journey, it takes a lot of time, energy, humility, and trust. This is what

I am required to have available to those who decide to journey with me. Christ walked alone and

alongside others. He carried the burdens of others even before he physically carried the cross of

his death. Though the burdens of this walk rest ultimately on Christ’s shoulders, I am aware of

the burdens of others; especially the ones that become issues of justice and equity. As I walk

closer to my calling, my awareness of the role of advocacy in ministry is growing.

I believe in the Church universal, the broad spectrum of community that represents all of God

and creation. I believe in the speaking of many tongues; creating a chorus of praise and witness

that moves through the world by the Holy Spirit.

I have hoped that in the lives of this generation there would be a call to revive the basics:

The importance of community; awareness of self in and outside of community; a sharing of gifts,

and stories within community. This is also, the main part of my call. The community is where

ministry lives and happens. Communities come to the church just as much as the church is a part

of the community. I have been given a sense of community and who I am within community in

my life. I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to help others find out who they are

within the community in which they live. To help them understand how the community is also

responsible for them as individuals as well. This is the task and the challenge. My call keeps me

alert and builds my imagination to see the hidden possibilities that are within a community. To
mine out the gifts and callings of those within the community. As they see their own potential

and possibilities, how can we re-think being community and developing our community to grow.

This call builds my resilience to move past the obstacles I encounter or unintentionally set up for

myself. It means taking a lot of rejection or hesitation. Learning to build trust and to expand my

network takes energy and time. It is not a quick process and it is not easy to get started. Because

I do not want to go into a parish setting for ministry the work of imagination and resilience must

be developed and broadened. To even navigate through seminary with the deep intention of

working outside a church setting pulls on me to think creatively about connecting the course

objectives with my ministry goals. The base of using spirituality and spiritual practices to aide

youth and young adults in developing careers, gives me room to take courses that are not part of

the traditional Masters of Divinity degree. It heightens my critical analysis of the theories taught

in the basic degree courses to remind others that ministry happens in all places and not just the

church. I want to assist the next generation in tapping into the gifts and talents that God has

placed inside. To see the beauty of their communities and learn how to care for them, but hold

them accountable of the space it provides for fellowship and self-reflection to occur.

As I continue to understand the many ways that ministry happens in the world, I gain

more and more understanding of my role in ministry. I have begun to claim my title as minister

and worked to engage my authority as a leader here on campus and in the wider community. As I

read the words of my own faith statement, the words lay a clear foundation for my values and

goals. To not just serve God’s creation, but to work to ensure it is fully manifested in the world.

As I rest in knowing who I am, I can be fully present as others work to know who they are called

to be as well.