Anita J. Castle never dreamed of being a pastor, in fact, she had rarely even heard of a woman being a pastor before. But after one fateful conference, she knew she was being called.
Anita J. Castle Photo by Melody M. Pannell.
Anita J. Castle is currently the pastor of Grace & Peace Mennonite, a primarily virtual church based in New York City, New York. As a virtual church, Grace & Peace has members in Pennsylvania, Maryland and upstate New York, as well as in the five boroughs of New York City. Anita is a recent graduate of Hesston College’s “The Call Program.” She resides with her husband in Harlem, New York City, where they raised their three daughters. And last but certainly not least, Anita is the proud grandmother of one precious grandson.
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My father was a pastor for the first 10 years of my life, but growing up I never dreamed of becoming a pastor. I never knew of any women pastors until I was a late teen. Even then, I only knew one woman pastor. She was a force to be reckoned with, because she preached the gospel, ministered to her neighbors and lead her church after the previous leadership abandoned the group and no one else was willing to step into the role. Her name was Mercedes. The congregation recognized her as their leader, despite the conference’s reluctance to recognize her as the pastor because she was a woman. Mercedes was certain of God’s calling, and she was determined to follow the Lord’s leading. I admired her, but I never thought I would be following in her footsteps!
I grew up in the church. I accepted Jesus and was baptized at 16 years old. Our church was very small, so we all pitched in with church duties. At 18 years old I was teaching Sunday school nursery class. After that, I became a junior Sunday school superintendent and a member of our three-person worship team. Twice each month, I lead songs and gave a short devotional during our Sunday school hour. In later years, I became the Sunday school superintendent, the head worship leader and was on the church cabinet. I enjoyed leading worship and devotionals, yet I never dreamed I would be called to be a pastor. I was oblivious to God’s plan for me.
Now, I can see that God was preparing me for the ministry my whole life, through the discernment of elders, who encouraged me to serve God in whatever position I was gifted to fill.
Years later, the pastor began asking me to reach out to newcomers and pray for them. Then, he began asking me to assist him during the altar call, praying for the women that requested additional prayer. As time progressed, he began asking me to pray for men and women. During this period, there were only two women pastors that I knew of in the New York City Mennonite churches. Mercedes, the woman pastor of my youth, had since gone to Glory. Both of these current women pastors were at Mennonite churches in the Bronx, in New York City. These women had been pastors for about 20 years by then, but they were still the only ones I knew. One woman had preached a few times at our church. I was impressed with how God spoke through her, but seeing a woman preacher still seemed like an anomaly rather than the norm.
Then, in 2015, everything changed! I went to Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with some close friends from church, including the retired bishop. A close friend and I attended the Radical Anabaptist Women workshop on the last day of the convention. I had attended RAW events in NYC before, but this felt different.
The two women pastors that I knew from NYC shared their personal journey of God’s calling to ministry. They detailed the obstacles that they faced because they were women and how they could not ignore God’s call to ministry, despite those difficulties, because the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be ignored or denied! I listened to them, and suddenly, I felt God tapping me on my shoulder. This is often how God gets my attention, when God wants me to do something that God knows I might be hesitant to do. It’s like your mother tapping your shoulder in church to get your attention. The tapping won’t stop until you listen! I felt God saying, “Now, you know that women can do it, and that is what I’m calling you to do!” I had been called, clear as day, sitting there in that workshop!
I was still hesitant when I went back home. I hedged my bets, looking for a clear sign that I had actually heard God right. So, like Gideon, I put my fleece out (see Judges 6).
When I saw my pastor that next Sunday, I asked, ”Why don’t we have more women preaching here?” And without blinking an eye, he said, “Well when do you want to preach?”
I was flabbergasted! That was a clear sign! So I said, “When do you want me to preach?” We agreed upon a date.
I was extremely nervous but I preached my first sermon in October 2015. I cried after the service, because I knew without a doubt that God was calling me to ministry as a pastor. I could see how God had been preparing me for this calling, leading me to this point my whole life, and now, I was ready, at age 49, to fulfill God’s will for me to serve. Six years later, I was ordained as the pastor of Grace & Peace. I attended and subsequently graduated from Hesston College’s “The Call“ program, at 55 years old, when I questioned if my brain even worked that way anymore, since I had been out of school for decades! Apparently it still does! I am living proof that when God calls, we need only answer! God will work it all out, because God knows best and God’s timing is perfect!
The views and opinions expressed in this blog belong to the author and are not intended to represent the views of the MC USA Executive Board or staff.