In the June 26, 2019 edition of the Living Church, Samantha Clare elevated a conversation lay people often share about being encouraged to explore ordained ministry despite their clarity of being called to a lay vocation (See Valuing the Vocation of Lay Ministers).She amplified the conversation through her July 15, 2019 blog post: 

"I was asked whether I thought I would be a priest in the Episcopal Church when I was fifteen years old. This was the first time I was on the receiving end of an inquiry about priestly call and vocation–but it certainly would not be the last. I now work as a lay minister in a congregation and have been employed by the church my entire professional career. Today I am equipped with language and ideas that I did not have as a teenager – I am called to ministry through my baptism. I am called to work in the Episcopal Church as a lay professional. I do not feel called to priestly orders and have articulated this in every realm of interaction that I have with the church. And yet, at least once a week I am asked: “When will you be ordained?”

Join us April 11 when our host Julie Lytle facilitates our engagement with Samantha and explores both the Vocation of Lay Ministers and how we can support those who do not feel called to ordained ministry as we claim our place in the church.

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Samantha is passionate about equipping people to live full and authentic lives as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. She believes each of us is called by God to ministry and that the Baptismal covenant is the lens and measuring stick we use to find our way in this work. For Samantha, call has taken the shape of justice racial healing work in her parish and community.

Samantha Clare coordinates our formation programs across the whole lifespan. She collaborates with our staff and parishioners to develop opportunities for members of our congregation to grow in faith as disciples of Jesus. Samantha oversees our Children’s Ministry and supports our nursery, youth, campus, and adult formation.

Samantha serves on the Diocese of Arkansas Commission on Ministry, is an active member of Forma: The Network for Christian Formation, and is a collaborator on a variety of church-wide and denominational initiatives including Baptized for Life. Samantha lives a full and beautiful life with her husband, step-daughter, baby, two dogs, a cat, and a beautiful garden at their little house overlooking the White River in West Fork. 

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Julie Anne Lytle, PhD is the force leading the launch of Pathways for Baptismal Living at Bexley Seabury Seminary as Director of the school's Distributive and Lifelong Learning Initiatives and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership. Best known for her mantra "Message, Method, then Media," she delights in finding ways to integrate theology, educational pedagogies, and contemporary media. Her goal is to ensure that people have access to the resources, education, and training they need to respond to God's call and live life abundantly. 

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Sharing Stories of Baptismal Living is designed to offer inspiration and support to all who seek to live lives reflective of their baptismal promises. These free, live, interactive, monthly web-based conversations occur monthly on the second Sunday, 6:30-7:30 pm ET. Our goal is to provide opportunities to explore how faithful people have found their faith and answered God’s call.  In the process, we hope to inspire and offer sustenance to all who seek to respond to God’s activity in their lives.

Pathways for Baptismal Living at Bexley Seabury Seminary provides resources that educate, form, and catalyze the Body of Christ to blaze new pathways for prophetic and pastoral service in response to God’s call.  The most current recording of Sharing Stories of Baptismal Living will be posted on the Pathways for Baptismal Living website here; Other recordings can be found on our Vimeo page here.