12 Deacons Ordained in Cathedral Service

On the morning of Oct. 10, more than 500 people from across the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, along with guests from other dioceses and states, celebrated the ordination of 12 deacons in a service presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando. Five of the new deacons were the first to complete the newly restructured Institute for Christian Studies program for deacon formation: the Revs. Margaret Emerson, Dennis Hartenstein, Carol McFarlane, Laura Murray and Jane Surko. The other seven are transitional deacons, who intend to proceed toward ordination as priests: the Revs. Gariné Adams, Parks Bennett, Deborah Hays, Paul Kommula, Kenneth Lewis, Julio Ocampo and Ryan Tindall.

In his ordination sermon, drawn primarily from Luke 12, Bishop Holcomb told those present that rather than operating in their own strength, deacons share in Christ’s service to others. They must remain ready at all times to serve the poor, weak, sick and lonely. “Need doesn’t keep business hours,” he said.

Prior to the Eucharist, the bishop gave special thanks to the Vens. Julie Altenbach and John Motis for their work in reshaping the deacon formation process. “They weren’t looking just for basic competencies,” he said. “They wanted [the new deacons] to be proficient and to excel.” He also thanked the ICS instructors and the Commission on Ministry, all of whom play key roles in the diaconal formation process, and welcomed the Rev. Canon Curt Benham, dean-elect of the Cathedral, who joined the diocese for this special service ahead of Dec. 1, when he begins his service at the Cathedral.

Gratitude Expressed

All the new deacons expressed gratitude for the many who assisted them in their journey toward ordination, including family and friends along with their home churches and rectors. The list below shows the home church for each of the newly ordained deacons:

• The Rev. Gariné Adams, Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden.
• The Rev. Parks Bennett, St. Michael’s, Orlando.
• The Rev. Margaret Emerson, St. Thomas, Eustis.
• The Rev. Dennis Hartenstein, St. Thomas, Eustis.
• The Rev. Deborah Hays, St. Barnabas, DeLand.
• The Rev. Paul Kommula, Holy Family, Ocoee.
• The Rev. Kenneth Lewis, Christ Church, Suntree-Viera.
• The Rev. Carol McFarlane, St. John’s, Kissimmee.
• The Rev. Laura Murray, Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee.
• The Rev. Julio Ocampo, Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo.
• The Rev. Jane Surko, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland.
• The Rev. Ryan Tindall, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando.

“My sending church, Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, has been pivotal to my life,” said Adams, a current seminarian at Virginia Theological Seminary whose husband, the Rev. Jeremy Adams, was ordained as a priest on May 16 at All Saints, Winter Park. “I couldn’t have imagined the wonderful feeling of fullness I got in getting to be a deacon all day at my home church for my first full day as a deacon in The Episcopal Church. I thank God for putting amazing people like Father Tom, Bishop Justin and all the people who help them show a glimmer of the kingdom that Jesus speaks of here on earth.”

Hartenstein had a simple but effective word of thanks: “I would like to thank Father Matthew [Perreault, rector of St. Thomas, Eustis]; my wife, Sally; and the parishioners of St. Thomas for supporting me through these last three years,” he said.

Hays also had words of gratitude for her rector, her church family and others. “With a humble heart, I thank my rector, Mother Audrey [Sutton], for her encouragement and confidence in God’s call on my life,” she said. “Her consistent affirmation has touched me in ways I had never experienced and means more than I can express. To Father Comforted, thank you for sharing your prophetic vision of me serving God’s people at the table of grace. Your words affirmed the call I have sensed since I was 13. … To my St. Barnabas family, thank you for your love, trust and companionship.”

“I am deeply grateful to the entire Holy Family family for welcoming me, praying for me, encouraging me and walking alongside me throughout this journey,” Kommula said, expressing his thanks to the many involved in his journey. “I am especially thankful for my mentor, the late Rev. John Pallard, whose guidance, friendship and faithful example of pastoral ministry profoundly shaped my vocation. I am also grateful to Bishop Justin Holcomb, Canon Dan Smith, Mr. Chip Vanture, my parents, my family, the Standing Committee, the Commission on Ministry, the Parish Discernment Committee and everyone who invested their time, prayers, wisdom and encouragement throughout the discernment and ordination process.”

Ocampo also expressed gratitude for his home church and its faith leaders, saying, “I have immeasurable gratitude for Charlie and Lydia Pierce, the two pillars of Incarnation, who guided me through the entire discernment process and advocated on my behalf.  Without their love, support and guidance, I would likely not have been ordained. Lastly, Father Josh Bales and Tom Phillips were both huge supporters of my discernment, and I am also grateful for them.”

“I am especially grateful to the parishioners who call St. Matthew’s home,” said Surko, thanking her current church family. “When I started my field work there last Advent, they treated me as a part of the family instantly. Father Rob is a great leader. He is wise, compassionate and loves the gospel. … I’m also excited to partner with Deacon David there.”

“However, I would not have been a deacon without Good Shepherd,” she added. “I had an excellent Parish Discernment Committee that helped me grow and mature. The first time I gave a sermon, most of the members of my PDC arrived early before service and met in the parking lot to pray for me. The vestry at Good Shepherd was also very supportive.”

Ministry Roles

Like Surko, not only do the new deacons have sponsoring churches, but they also have churches and ministries where they are serving now or will soon serve.

• The Rev. Gariné Adams recently completed serving as music minister at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Virginia; she is finishing her degree at Virginia Theological Seminary.
• The Rev. Parks Bennett will serve in a six-month internship at the Cathedral in Orlando while completing his degree at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando.
• The Rev. Margaret Emerson serves at Holy Spirit, Apopka. She leads a partnership with a local elementary school in which parishioners pray daily for faculty members who request prayer and offer continuing support to the students and staff. She also helped reopen the Sunday nursery, prepares children’s Sunday school lessons and leads weekly Adult Bible Study and Morning Prayer. She plans to continue developing community outreach programs that spread the gospel.
• The Rev. Dennis Hartenstein serves at St. Thomas, Eustis, his home parish. He leads a bicycle ministry that repairs donated bikes for individuals experiencing homelessness and others in the community who need transportation.
• The Rev. Deborah Hays serves as children’s minister at St. Barnabas, DeLand, her home parish. She works in pastoral care, teaching about the sacraments, guiding in spiritual formation and extending God’s kingdom through outreach events.
• The Rev. Paul Kommula serves at his home parish of Holy Family, Orlando. He participates in preaching, teaching, worship, pastoral ministry and congregational life in general.
• The Rev. Kenneth Lewis, a retired Navy chaplain, serves in his home parish of Christ Church, Suntree-Viera, and as one of two stipendiary chaplains at the chapel of the Indian River Colony Club, a large community primarily made up of former and retired military personnel.
• The Rev. Carol McFarlane serves at Ascension, Orlando, where she looks forward to being part of the pastoral care team and helping nurture spiritual growth through prayer ministries and formation study groups.
• The Rev. Laura Murray serves at Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee, her home church. She hopes to build on her involvement in children’s and youth ministry while growing into her diaconal responsibilities. She also wants to work in outreach ministry, helping connect parish life with the needs of the wider community.
• The Rev. Julio Ocampo is currently serving in a ministry internship at St. Stephen and Church of the Incarnation in Washington, D.C., a bilingual congregation committed to social justice, while finishing seminary at VTS. He assists the rector and vestry in instituting their ministry goals; works at Loaves and Fishes, the church’s food pantry; and also assists the rector in making pastoral calls and in all areas of liturgy. As a deacon, he is eager to proclaim the Gospel in both Spanish and English.
• The Rev. Jane Surko serves at St. Matthew’s, Orlando. Her ministry focus will be women in the community who are living on the fringes: unhoused, trafficked and/or in addiction, helping them pull themselves up and out of that life and to see and feel the love of Christ.
• The Rev. Ryan Tindall serves at St. Stephen’s, Durham, North Carolina, and as chaplain fellow at St. Timothy’s Episcopal School, Raleigh. He is carrying out both roles while he finishes seminary at Duke.

Ordination Reflections

The new deacons viewed the ordination service as one of deep personal significance. “The most meaningful moments were making my solemn declaration before Bishop Justin and receiving the laying on of hands as he called upon the Holy Spirit,” Emerson said.

“The two highlights of the ordination service for me were, first, the experience of the joyous worship and the powerful celebration of the Holy Eucharist,” Lewis said. “It was a service of wonder and God’s presence. Second, Bishop Holcomb emphasized that ministry is that of service, whether a deacon, priest or bishop, the model for ministry is that of a deacon.”

McFarlane also identified Holcomb’s message as a key element of the day. “One of the most meaningful moments in my ordination was Bishop Holcomb’s sermon, which centered on identity,” she said. “He reminded us that our deepest identity is found in Christ — not in titles, roles or accomplishments, but in being loved and called by God. Hearing this at the very moment I was being ordained touched me profoundly. It affirmed that the diaconate is not something I earn, but something I receive as part of who I already am in Christ. That message continues to ground me as I step forward in this new season of ministry.”

Tindall had the honor of having a friend from seminary as well as the Rev. Timothy Kimbrough, dean of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke, attend his ordination. “What stood out to me was how Bishop Holcomb explicated the parable – so full of high expectations for the office of deacon and so full of God’s grace,” he said. “I was talking with Dean Kimbrough after the service, and he remarked how good a deacon sermon it was – and he’s heard a lot of them! – and how it’s one that I’ll want to return to later in my ministry for encouragement.”

For Murray, Bishop Holcomb’s anointing reaffirmed her call. “I felt a sense of awe throughout the entire ordination service, but the most meaningful moment for me was kneeling before Bishop Justin as he laid his hands on my head,” she said. “I thought of Acts 6, when the apostles prayed and laid hands on those chosen to serve, the first deacons. In that moment, the years of preparation, prayer and discernment came together, and I felt the significance of the call to serve God and the Church as a deacon.”