Holcomb Ordains 10 Transitional Deacons in November Service

The Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, hosted a unique ordination service on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 15, when the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb ordained 10 individuals to the transitional diaconate. People from across the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida and at least three other states came to help celebrate the ordinations, including some who came by bus with other members of their congregations.

The newly ordained deacons are as follows; this list gives the sponsoring church for each one followed by the church and, as appropriate, position where the deacon currently serves:

• The Rev. Jeremy Adams, Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; he will continue to serve as student ministry coordinator at All Saints, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
• The Rev. Carlos Cabrera, Grace, Ocala; he will continue to serve at Grace as resident intern.
• The Rev. Nathan Dearen, Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; he will continue to serve at St. Francis in the Fields, Harrods Creek, Kentucky, as director of youth and family ministry.
• The Rev. Steven McCain, St. Matthew’s, Orlando; he will continue to serve at St. Timothy’s, Raleigh, North Carolina, as curate for formation and pastoral care.
• The Rev. Ryan Malchow, Holy Trinity, Melbourne; he will continue to serve at Holy Trinity as director of student ministries and parish life.
• The Rev. Dr. Ernest Ogbozor, St. Mary’s, Daytona Beach; he will continue to serve at St. Mary’s.
• The Rev. Joshua Reed, Grace, Ocala; he will continue to serve at Grace as director of ministry.
• The Rev. Douglas Romaine, Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo; he will serve as a priest associate at Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden.
• The Rev. Dr. Sebastiana Springmann; St. James, Leesburg; she will continue to serve at St. James.
• The Rev. Joshua Wilson, St. Andrew’s, Fort Pierce; he will continue to serve as pastoral resident and director of youth ministry at St. Paul’s, Murfreesboro, Tenn. He is also a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and a chaplaincy candidate, endorsed by the Armed Forces and Federal Ministries of The Episcopal Church.

Despite the diversity in the candidates’ backgrounds, experience and areas of expertise, the bishop reminded them in his ordination sermon of the foundation of their mutual call to the diaconal ministry, which, he said, is “to bring the world’s realities, its needs, its challenges and its longings, to the heart of the church’s awareness for action and for prayer. … It’s inviting the church as the body of Christ to respond with compassion, justice, mercy and other fruits of the Spirit.”

He also stressed the importance of Christ’s call to sacrificial service, or what Robert Capon refers to as “left-handed power.”

“Jesus says that leadership among God’s people should be characterized by serving others and acting in their best interest, not assuming that everyone else is there to serve the leader,” the bishop said, emphasizing the truth that only the love of Christ can empower such service.

Later in his sermon, he told those assembled, “Let’s all model to each other – and to the world – Christ’s servant-hearted love in the deacon ministry. It’s great, because deacons serve as catalysts for mission and inspire the whole community to respond in the love, compassion and service that they receive. But most of all, may we clearly hear the promise from Jesus to each one of us: ‘I have come to serve, not to be served, and to give my life as a ransom.’”

The new deacons responded to the service and the bishop’s sermon with enthusiasm, reverence and joy. “The ordination service was significant to me in ways that are difficult to express fully,” said Ogbozor, who also serves as assistant professor, security studies and international affairs, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. “The bishop’s message, centered on the theme of servant leadership, resonated profoundly. His words served as a potent reminder that humility must remain at the heart of my vocation as I step more fully into this call.

“Another significant moment in the service was the taking of the oath,” he continued. “This solemn act marked a sacred transition from serving as a lay minister to embracing the responsibilities and identity of an ordained minister. This shift, symbolized through the oath, underscored both the honor and the weight of the commitment I have made.”

Adams and Springmann agree. “Overall, the ordination service was a pivotal moment in my life,” Adams said. “It represented a point in time where a journey officially came to an end, and, at the same time, a brand-new journey opened up ahead of me. The most meaningful parts of the service for me were the laying on of hands from Bishop Holcomb, being vested by my family and distributing Communion at the Cathedral. In each of these moments, I felt this transition into a new vocation coming to fruition.

“[The ordination] was truly an incomparable event made so by the many people who gave of their time and talents to the glory of God,” said Springmann, who has previous careers as a maxillofacial prosthetist and a dentist in private practice. “The presence of the Holy Spirit and the palpable joy of everyone present were evident. In terms of depth of experience, my ordination ranks alongside my wedding day and my graduation from dental school.

“The best part was standing alongside Bishop Justin feeding Jesus to God’s people,” she said. “This brought tears of joy to my heart.”

The new deacons also expressed their gratitude to the various congregations who have supported and are continuing to support them in their journeys. “Two churches immediately come to mind: Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, Florida; and All Saints Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland,” Adams said. “Church of the Messiah has had such an incredible and extraordinary impact in my life that it’s honestly hard to overstate the level of gratitude I feel toward each and every parishioner there. From accepting me as a child to welcoming me again as an adult, first as a visitor, then as a member, then again as a staff member and ultimately as a seminarian. I can’t thank my Messiah family enough for being a soft place in a hard world and equipping me with the tools to pursue ministry as a vocation.

“All Saints Church has welcomed me with open arms, first as their seminarian intern and now as a part-time student ministry coordinator and deacon,” he continued. “I’d like to thank them for being a place that deeply loves Jesus and lives into his calling toward the least and the lost. It has been an honor and privilege to serve at All Saints from the moment I first stepped foot in the church.

“I also want to express my profound gratitude for the team at St. Luke’s Cathedral and the diocesan office for immaculate planning and execution of the service,” Adams said. “It was a wonderful service in a beautiful space with incredible people. Thank you!”

“St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Daytona Beach has been a steadfast companion on my vocational journey,” Ogbozor said. “Throughout my discernment and formation period, the parish has surrounded me with unwavering support. I remain grateful for the trust, hospitality and continuous prayers offered by the rector, the Parish Discernment Committee and the entire church community. Their generosity, encouragement and kindness toward my family and me have been a true blessing.

“When I relocated to Florida to begin my appointment as an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I did so primarily with my academic career in mind,” he said. “Yet in God’s providence, that move opened an unexpected door of spiritual renewal. Through the guidance and pastoral care of Father Jason Marburger, I was invited to revisit, explore and ultimately rediscover my call to ordained ministry. His mentorship played a pivotal role in helping me recognize that God was still actively shaping my vocation, even amid a professional transition.

“My gratitude for those who supported me throughout my ordination journey would be incomplete without honoring the memory of my COM (Commission on Ministry) representative, Maggie Thompson,” Ogbozor continued. “She began this journey with me, faithfully walking beside me through the early stages of the discernment process, but she did not live to stand among my presenters on the day of my ordination. Maggie passed away in January of this year, and her transition was painful for me, mainly because of the care and wisdom she invested in guiding my initial steps toward ministry.  Thanks to Rev. Canon Angela Ifill, who filled in and continued to guide me as my COM representative.”

“So many have supported, encouraged, and prayed for me throughout this journey of discernment, seminary and ordination,” Springmann said. “Those on the COM, my family, friends and especially my clergy and church family at St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg. Seeing about 80 of my parishioners there in the Cathedral was incredible.”