Soon-to-be ministers celebrate faith during laying of the hands ceremony
MARIETTA - Around two dozen soon-to-be ordained ministers - along with family, friends and worshippers - gathered at the Switzer Library Saturday morning for a laying of the hands ceremony.
The laying of the hands is a sacred tradition observed in a number of Christian denominations where an ordained member of the clergy puts their hands on soon-to-be-ordained clergy to acknowledge spiritual readiness and the duties that come with being a minister.
The ceremony can be done before or during an ordination, depending on the denomination.
Saturday's ceremony was not an ordination, and was meant to confirm and honor attendees' commitment to ministry, organizers said.
It was organized by the National Association of Christian Ministers, a nondenominational evangelical organization that provides training, credentialing and ministry for people interested in becoming ordained.
The group chose to host it at the Switzer Library because the organization encompasses a wide variety of denominations and doesn't have a specific church they meet in.
It was also a convenient location due to many of the participants being from the metro Atlanta area, and organizers living nearby.
The ceremony represented a wide variety of denominations from Cobb County and beyond, said Elbert Webster, state coordinating elder for the National Association of Christian Ministers.
In addition to the laying of the hands, the ceremony featured prayer, song and blessings.
Webster, a Cobb County resident, told the soon-to-be ministers their duty is to go forth into the world and use their newly attained office to share Christian faith with others.
"Because you have accepted the call of Jesus Christ in your life, I now command you to go forward and preach the Gospel where you're sent," Webster said during the ceremony.
The Rev. Tellisha Edge, a minister from Atlanta, said the event marked a major milestone and new beginnings for all those who participated.
"You are joining a sacred, unbroken chain of servants who have already answered the voice of God to the call," Edge said. "This is not a mere career transition, but a spiritual investment."
For those who took part in the ceremony, it marked a major step in their spiritual journey.
Fayetteville resident Janna Kelley, who is about to be ordained alongside her husband, Jamie Kelley, said they decided to go into ministry to help others participate in Christian faith.
"I have always loved people," Jamie Kelley said. "Jesus loves them more. God loves them tremendously. So if I don't give them God, then I'm giving them less than themselves."
Janna Kelley was the one who initially had the idea to become ordained, desiring more mentorship and learning to help guide her efforts to connect others with Christianity. She found the National Association of Christian Ministers online, and her husband soon joined her in her journey.
"I really want to make sure I'm amongst other ministers and lay hands to get others saved," Janna Kelley said. "It's hard to do that when you don't have mentorship or guidance."
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