Earlier this week I received notice that my final course of the Clergy Training Program has been approved. I've submitted my portfolio and application to become an ADF Senior Priest. This is the final step on my journey of ADF Clergy specific training. Standing in this moment, I can't believe how far this journey has taken me, or how far I have come since the beginning.
I took my very first step into the Clery Training in May 2014 when I first started working on the Preliminary Clergy Training courses. I powered through each of those courses, excited to dive into a whole new world of learning and responsibility. In September of that year, I submitted my Letter of Intent to officially begin my journey toward ordination. I was approved to begin training a few days later, and my life has never been the same. I fell in love with the learning and experiences built into the study program, and worked as quickly as I possibly could to finish the first circle. I finished the 1st Circle of the CTP in February 2015, just 7 months after I was approved to begin the work. Yet, when I was Ordained a couple months later in April 2015, I was terrified that I wasn't good enough to be successful as a priest. But I jumped in, I did the work, and I learned more about myself and the world around me than I ever thought possible. When I was Consecrated in May 2017, I was 32 weeks pregnant with my second child and I knew my world was about to change once more. However, I also knew that this felt like the next step in my journey, and it was important for me to continue this work. Where I live, Pagans can be a challenge to find, and Pagan clergy, nearly impossible. Those who are ordained regularly have little to no training to go with their title, so continuing to build my skills and my knowledge set is an important part of my personal journey. Becoming a priest allowed me to serve a need in my community that continues to be greatly unfulfilled. Becoming an ADF Consecrated Priest helped me build a set of tools to serve the community in more ways. In each of my clergy portfolios I have said that becoming a member of clergy is not the end of the journey for me, but is instead a very important crossroad along the very long path. I continue to feel that way as I evolve and grow in this work. Each step along this path has allowed me to better learn who I am in the world, and what role I hope to play in the lives of those around me. As I write this post, I know that this work will be a part of the rest of my life. Completing the work for the third circle was a natural progression in my personal practice, but it definitely will not be the end of my studies. Standing here today, it's hard to believe that I have been a priest for nearly 5 years, working, learning, and building my tools. When I first started this journey, even becoming ordained seemed nearly impossible, so to be here, on this end of the training looking back....I don't even have the words to adequately express how I am feeling. I'm so proud of the work I have done, and know there is still so much more for me to learn. It's a little bittersweet for me to know that I've completed the program and there is not more training of this type in the future. However, I also know that doesn't mean there isn't more work to do. Once I am approved, I will be Senior Priest. I don't know exactly what the next step on my journey will be. I've still got a lot that I want to do, and I look forward to figuring out "What's Next."
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I am so excited to be able to announce that I have officially completed the first circle of the Clergy Training Program, and my application for ordination has been accepted. I received the following message from Rev. Kirk Thomas, the current Arch Druid of ADF:
Congratulations, Rev. Amber Doty! The Officers of the Clergy Council have approved your request for ordination as an ADF Priest. It may not seem like much, but those words have changed my life, forever. I am so honored to be accepted to become a member of clergy within ADF. My ordination will be performed on April 11, 2015 at the To the Stars Retreat in Topeka, Kansas. It will be performed by Rev. Jon Drum, the Vice Arch Druid of ADF, and one of the most incredible men I have ever known. I am thrilled that I will be able to share this moment with my family and friends, and really look forward to seeing where this path takes me next. This week, I tried to do my trance work in a very different environment. I have had difficulty focusing at work, so during each morning when I found myself having trouble paying attention to the work I needed to be doing, I found a recording on the internet. This is an hour long drumming build up, so I would put in my headphones and just listen for the first 15-20 minutes. Then when I began to feel energized I would continue to listen to the recording while actively doing my work. I found myself more energized and able to focus on the tasks at hand. It was a very interesting experience for me, and I think that this is one way that I can definitely expect to use this method more in the future.
1. Why do you want to be a Priest, and what is your plan for making that goal happen?
Becoming clergy is something that I have wanted to do since I was a child. Living in Nebraska, I grew up in a small town where nothing out of the ordinary was accepted. I began attending the local Church hoping to find someplace to connect to the world. It was through that church that I met Rev. Delano. He was the first person I met who would discuss religion with me, and answer my questions about life and the universe, even when they didn’t quite match up with the path he was on. He helped to guide me and instilled in me the idea that my path was right for me. He was a beacon of light in a very dark and lonely. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be able to help people in the way that he helped me. Because of that, I have worked hard to become comfortable with my personal path and knowledgeable about the general Pagan community. Also, being the Central Regional Druid has shown me just how much we need to have positive Pagans that are active in the community. Nebraska currently has approximately 5 Pagan clergy that I can locate and 4 of those have been ordained through Universal Life Church. Unfortunately this means that they frequently have little to no training, so their ability to be of service to the community as a whole is limited. The Central Region also currently has no active ADF clergy. My goal for the past several years has been to help build activity in the Central Region and ADF in general and I believe that becoming clergy would add to my ability to do that. In order to make that happen, I want to work through the ADF Clergy Training Program and continue to work within my region and the organization to help foster a community and help build positive interactions between people. I also will continue to be active in my local community through local groups, my protogrove, Pagan Pride Day, and any other areas that I possibly can. (347 words) 2. Why do you want to be an ADF Priest in particular? When I first stumbled my way into ADF over 6 years ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At that time I was looking for a community to share my path with and a group to learn from. ADF has absolutely filled both of those roles, and more. Through ADF I have been able to build relationships with people that I would otherwise never have met. I’ve been able to make friends, become active in the community, and better myself. For years I was the only member in my entire state, and I’ve been so proud to watch the region grow and increase in activity over time. The study programs have allowed me to learn more about my religious path and myself. It has also given me a pillar of strength when I felt like the rest of my world was in shambles. I am forever grateful for all that ADF has given me as a member, and I want to do my part to help make it a positive experience for others. I’ve been fortunate to be active in many roles, including Roman Kin Praetor, Central Regional Druid, and Registrar for the Artisan’s guild. This is an organization that I am proud to claim as my own and I would be honored to serve as clergy for ADF. It has literally changed every part of my life, and my world is better because of it. (236 words) 3. What does being a Priest mean to you in the cultural context of your Hearth Culture? I have always found myself drawn to the Hellenic hearth culture. The mythology and pantheon have always felt like home to me. The role of the priest in the ancient Greek culture was one of service. They would act as spiritual leaders and advisors for the people by leading their rites, maintaining temples, and sharing the wisdom of the Deities. It was also one of the cultures that allowed both men and women to act in the role of clergy, which is quite important to me as a woman. Overall, their goal was to unite the community in rituals and help to share the word of the Gods with the people. I believe this fits well with my desires to be an ADF Priest. Through ADF I have worked to build the local community and serve as a role model for people who are just starting along the path. I also started a local protogrove and through it I have been able to create and share liturgy with the community, which has been very interesting and rewarding. (177 words) 4. What has been your experience of the Work of the ADF Dedicant, and what do you expect when you begin the Clergy Student Discipline? Working through the ADF Dedicant Path was a definite journey for me. The sections of the program required me to do a lot of introspection and study, both of myself and the world around me. The Dedicant Path took me nearly 5 years to complete but during that time I can honestly say that my entire life was changed dramatically. Each time I thought I had a handle on the program my world was turned upside down. Each change caused me to re-evaluate my life, which would lead to me re-evaluating my work in the Dedicant Path. However, it also gave me the time to grow and become more confident in my own spirituality. It also allowed me the time to get involved with the local Pagan community in ways I never thought possible. However, I know that I have to expect the unexpected because if nothing else, the Dedicant work taught me how to survive the trials of life and come out successful. I see the Clergy program as being an extension of the work I started with the Dedicant study and a continuation of the work required. I expect to be challenged and changed. I expect to change the way that I look at myself and the world around me. Overall, I expect to become a better person. (220 words) |
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