Answering the Call: Gibson Works Toward Full Ordination

BY REV. BILL O’NEAL II

On June 11, in the St. Charles Convention Center, Rev. Katilyn Walker Gibson, ‘17, was presented by the Board of Ordained Ministry as a provisional member in the United Methodist Church. As a provisional member, Gibson will serve under appointment by Bishop Bob Farr while gaining experience in ministry, with the hope to be approved for ordination as an Elder in Full Connection.

Although Gibson is now three-quarters of the way through the process, she has been working toward this point in her vocational career for several years.

Her call into ministry happened during the summer between her sophomore and junior years in high school, as a youth delegate to the Missouri Annual Conference. She was a part of the youth choir for the ordination service and while listening to the Bishop Robert Schnase speak about his call to ministry and the little ways in which he had volunteered around the church, Gibson felt God saying, “Does this sound familiar?” That night she accepted her call to ministry. From there she followed her call to Central Methodist University, where she experienced a wide variety of different ministries in which she eagerly served, helping to confirm her call to pastoral ministry.

When Gibson started searching for colleges during her senior year in high school, the pastor of her home church, Rev. Lynn Quist, encouraged her to look into CMU. The pastor’s daughter, Chrystal Quist, ‘09, had recently graduated from Central Methodist. Gibson liked what she heard, so she scheduled a campus visit. The moment she got out of her vehicle, she felt like she was home, and knew that was where she was meant to be. After touring the campus and learning about the religion and church leadership program, she decided it was the best place she could be to help prepare for her call to ministry.

Central Methodist was indeed the beginning of her formal biblical education, as it equipped her quite well in the filed of academic Bible study required for sermon prep and seminary. Undergrad at CMU awarded her a great love of discovering the context in which scripture was written. CMU also taught her about looking outside of her own experience and to envision how others might read and interpret scripture, making a lasting impression on how she practiced pastoral care.

Gibson credits her alma mater with laying the foundation on which most of her vocation is based.

“The personal experience I got from having teachers who not only knew who I was, but actively helped to support my ministry in and outside of the classroom, has had a great impact on my personal life, but also a model for which I have in my own teaching as I lead,” she said.

Community at CMU is what Gibson loved most about her time at Central, as she enjoyed many different opportunities to try new things and meet different people, both in and outside of the classroom.

“I had more opportunities at CMU than I would have experienced, had I gone to any other university,” Gibson said.

There was so much to offer, from hands-on experience in her field of ministry, to the one-on-one mentorship she received from professors Daryl Jefferies and Kevin Carnahan. Gibson also took part in Sigma Alpha Iota women’s music fraternity, which was not a part of her academic work but created lasting friendships. Not only has the communal experience gone beyond her time at CMU, but it has also assisted her with her vocational work today.

Gibson also has advice for current CMU students and future recruits.

“Don’t be afraid to branch out and be a part of groups, even if it might not match your degree area,” she advised. “Also, don’t be afraid to ask your professors questions about their experiences in the field you are studying. You will learn more than you can imagine, so long as you are willing to ask questions. When you need it, don’t be afraid to ask for help. In my own experience, all of my professors were willing to help when I was struggling.”

Gibson would love to see a continued connection between CMU and the Missouri Conference of the UMC. Getting to be a part of CMU changed her life, so she wants to discover new ways to connect the university with local churches and to help provide a way to empower and encourage people to follow their call into ministry in a place where they, too, will be supported and encouraged.