________________________________
Left to right:

Rev. Nancy Wilson
Rev. Stephen Parelli
Rev. Pat Bumgardner
__________________________
Steve and Jose would like to
thank their many friends for
their support of Other Sheep and
for the ministry of MCC which
has worked hand-in-hand with
Other Sheep in Latin America,
and more recently in Africa.  

Today's clergy, participants and
guests, as well as others not able
to be present, have immensely
encouraged Steve and Jose along
the way.  

Steve and Jose would like to
especially acknowledge Rev. Dr.
Thomas Hanks of Buenos Aires,
Founder of Other Sheep, and
John Doner of Mexico City, Co-
Founder of Other Sheep, for
their faithfulness in ministry and
their impact upon our lives.  Tom
Hanks and John Doner, in their
efforts to be ever present on
the Internet, found us – we were
"other sheep" searching – and
brought us into the fold of
fellowship, ministry and labor.  
We are forever indebted to
them for their on-going love and
service to us and to others.        

-Steve Parelli and
 Jose Ortiz
  Written May 2009
for the occasion of Steve's Ordination
_____________________________
Perry
Brass,
personal
friend and
author
Above photo:
Rev Nancy Wilson, center, reading the liturgy proper of
the ordination ceremony; Rev. Pat Bumgardner, right,
holding script.  Rev. Stephen Parelli at left.
Above photo:
Rev. Pat Bumgardner, left;
Rev. Nancy Wilson, right;
Rev. Stephen Parelli, center.
Above photo:
Rev. Stephen Parelli kneels
before Rev. Nancy Wilson, left;
Rev. Yvette Flunder, center; Rev.
Pat Bumgardner holding script, at
right.
______________
Rev. Pat
Bumgardner
John Doner
Tom Hanks
_____________________________________________
Rev. Yevette Flunder - Guest Preacher at
the 11:00 am Service
MCCNY
_____________________________________________________________________________
Rev. Yvette Flunder
Rev. Yvette
Flunder
Rev. Yvette Flunder
Above photo:
Rev. Yvette Flunder
with life partner,
following Ordination
Ceremony, MCCNY,
May 31, 2009.
Above:  Rev. Pat goes over the order of the ordination
ceremony with participants
Photo at left:
Rev. David
Cockcroft, left,
retired Presbyterian
minister, with Rev.
Nancy Wilson
Above photo:
Rev. Dámaris Enid Ortega
Cardona, MDiv, Pastoral
Studies, Seminario Evangelico
de Puerto Rico '95.
Photo at left:  
Dr. Wilhelmina Perry
(Mina), former Convener of
Maranatha, the LGBT
ministry of The Riverside
Church, New York City.  
Above photo at right:  Rev. Mieke
Vandersall, Minister Director of
Presbyterian Welcome, New York
City, an Affiliate Member of That All
May Freely Serve
Above photo at left:
Kimberly Salico-Diehl is an MDiv student at
Andover-Newton Theological School and
accomplished pianist.  She is a member of
the First Baptist Church of White Plains, NY.
Above at right:  Mr. Jose Ortiz,
Other Sheep Co-Coordinator
for Africa and Coordinator for
Asia; Life Partner of Steve
Parelli (legally married
August, 2008)
                            Rev. Nancy Wilson

Rev. Pat Bumgardner

                     
Rev. Nancy Wilson
Rev. Nancy
Wilson
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"I wanted to thank you for your words after ordination, for they spoke to me.  
Contrary to what most think, I am not a very social person and developing
relationships can be quite difficult for me.  Like you, because of this, I
developed a close relationship with God and Christ, and although that has been
wonderful in many ways, God is showing me that it is vitally important for me
to step out of my comfort zone and develop relationships with others in order
to experience the FULL life of which Jesus spoke.  Your thoughts yesterday
emphasized that, and I was grateful for them as I was in need of hearing them.
 It is a struggle, but one that I am working through!

Again, thanks for everything!  I look forward to watching your journey
continue to unfold and witness the many blessings to come along the way!"
An attendee of the May 31 Ordination Ceremony
responded the following day by email to Rev. Steve's brief
comments (name withheld, used by permission):
Above photo:  Rev. Nancy Wilson, left, and Rev.
Steve Parelli (who never gets that off beat
clapping correct!) joining in the congregational
singing.
Photo at left: Daniel serving up food following the
service.  MCCNY provided a lovely meal for all.
This web page was created June 2009, Bronx, NY.
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
" . . . thank you for your words after ordination . . . "
Rev. Wilson, left,
and Rev. Edgar
Danielsen-Morales,
MCCNY Asst.
Pastor
Rev. Boon Lin Ngeo,
MCCNY Staff Pastor
Click
photos
for bio
info
Rev. Flunder's
hand upon
Steve as Rev.
Wilson (not
seen) reads  
ordination liturgy
Photo at left:  At the end of the service, Rev.
Nancy Wilson asked Rev. Steve Parelli to say a
word.  Briefly,  Rev. Parelli spoke about how
his spiritual journey, -involving his personal
reflection and evaluation of his evangelical
tradition-, has brought him to the point where
Jesus is the Other, the means to our needs,
not the One who stands in as the sole answer to
our needs, not One who is standing in place of
human relationships and social
inter-relationships.
Photo at right:  At the
Lord's Table, Rev. Pat
Bumgardner praying
with Rev. Steve Parelli,
right, and Jose Ortiz
Jose Ortiz,     Rev. Bumgardner,    Rev. Parelli
Rev. Parelli
giving a brief
comment
Rev. Wilson                             
                 Rev. Parelli
Daniel