Welcome Interim Minister
We’re pleased to welcome the Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter as Bethany’s part-time Interim Minister. Dr. Carpenter comes to us with an extensive and illustrious career, having retired as minister at Michigan Park Christian Church for 25 years and as a professor at Howard University’s School of Divinity where she taught for 35 years. Dr. Carpenter is a world renowned author and lecturer and has served as President of the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Dr. Carpenter founded the American Heritage and Cultural Institute of America. In addition, she was instrumental in the formation of the African American Heritage Hymnal. Our choir has noted this with extreme interest.
Dr. Carpenter has mentored numerous student ministers and has offered to continue this aspect of her ministry here at Bethany. As you probably know, Bethany has a long history of supporting ministerial students in person and through donations from the Stephens Fund to several seminaries.
Through the years, we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with a number of such students and usually we learned as much from the students as they did from us! What a pleasure to be able to share in such an endeavor again.
The search committee was impressed by Dr. Carpenter’s spirituality, knowledge, approachability, enthusiasm and willingness to help us through this awkward time of transition. We’re so blessed she accepted our invitation and we look forward to our time together in worship and serving God, while the Settled Minister Search Committee is at work.
Dr. Carpenter will be working three days a week, spending one of the days in the church office on a flexible schedule. If you need or want to see Dr. Carpenter on a weekday, please coordinate an appointment through Patricia in the church office. Please say hello and introduce yourselves when you have a chance. Welcome to the Bethany family!