What is an Interfaith Minister?

Interfaith is not a religion, and does not advocate the blending of all religions into one. Rather interfaith is a spiritual philosophy, which honors the validity of all religious paths and does not proselytize or promote a particular faith or tradition. As an Interfaith Minister, I honor all paths to commune with the Divine. An Interfaith Minister helps people to follow their own religious teaching and not the Interfaith Minister's beliefs.
The concept of an Interfaith Minister is contained in the following ideas:
* An Interfaith Minister is someone who seeks to promote understanding, harmony, and love among people by emphasizing what is universal in the teachings of the many spiritual paths and faith traditions.
* An Interfaith Minister has chosen to learn about, respect, and appreciate the diversity of paths to Oneness, and to look for the universal truth contained in each one.
* An Interfaith Minister is someone who is dedicated to serving the spiritual needs of all those who seek their guidance, counsel, and assistance, without regard to race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ethnic background, gender or age.
* An Interfaith Minister is someone who is dedicated to deepening their own spiritual development and practice and their connection to the Divine, so that their service to others is always grounded in the integrity of their own spiritual life.

My Calling

Although trained in Aeronautics and Business Administration, I have always had an interest in spirituality and science. My self-study in quantum physics increased my spirituality. I first felt a calling by the Lord in 2004 after my wife Patty fell ill with cancer. The calling was not a result of the illness, just the catalyst for a period of soul searching. At first I believed the Lord was calling on me to use my talents as a writer to write about God's message of love. For several years I did a great deal of research and study in the world's religions and began writing a book. Over time it seemed to me that writing was not enough to answer the calling. I tried volunteer work, first as a reading tutor for adults and then with "Hearts and Hooves". Though rewarding, I did not feel that this work was a good use of my talents. When my wife fell ill with cancer for the second time in 2008, I again did a great deal of soul searching and began to think very seriously about answering the calling. God's calling became the chief pre-occupation of my thinking. I just could not shrug it away any longer as described in Jeremiah 20:9 or in Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve".

I have basic Protestant Christian beliefs, but had not been closely associated with any particular denomination. I began to search for a church and a spiritual belief that matched my own belief. I found that match with my beliefs in the Interfaith Church. The Interfaith Church places great emphasis on respect for all religious teaching. All texts that contain wisdom are accepted and studied, including The Holy Bible and ageless wisdom teachings. The Interfaith Church believes there is one God or Supreme Spirit. Conscience, the truth found in one's heart and mind, is favored above dogma as the final authority. The fundamental unity of all spiritual paths that express love is seen and honored. Inward thought, more than most forms of discourse, calls upon you to assimilate it, not on the basis of citations and credentials, but by its resonance with your own being. The Interfaith Church does not deny that there is an afterlife that will be shaped by our actions and belief in the present, but it is less concerned with obtaining salvation in the future than with attaining morality, compassion, tolerance and illumination now. The Interfaith Church does not try to sell its religious beliefs nor try to bring straying believers back into its fold. Their guiding statements include: One God, many paths. "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalms 25-10) Dr Hans Küng, a Professor of Ecumenical Theology, formulated, "There will be no peace among the nations without peace among the religions. There will be no peace among the religions without dialogue among the religions". This has become an often-quoted belief among the interfaith community. These beliefs are identical to my own. "Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity." (Psalms 133:1)
This is a church that believes that selection for the ministry should be a self-selection. Not on the basis of citations and credentials, but by its resonance with your own being. "Jesus said to them, Come with me and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19-20). Many are called, but few accept and this requires the effort and sincerity to look within. This is not always easy or pleasant and the forces of the material world generally pull one away. "For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13) Constant study and dedication to one's calling is required. For four months I did research and study on the requirements and duties of the ministry. I came to the conclusion that ordainment into the ministry, as an interfaith minister through the Interfaith Church was the best way for me to meet my calling for two reasons:

First, ordainment for me would be a major commitment for a life in service to God and I was eager to study to prepare myself to help others.

Second, ordained ministry would give me a certain level of access to people needing comfort that was not possible as a layperson.

It was with great humility that I accepted the ordainment as a Christian Interfaith Minister by the Esoteric Interfaith Church and the Esoteric Interfaith Theological Seminary Gainesville, Florida on December 30, 2008. At age 61 I have no interest in starting a new career in the professional clergy. My only interest is in the volunteer ministry under the supervision of experienced professional clergy. Interfaith ministry is heavily involved in chaplain ministry, an area that I am interested in with my first duties being with the non-profit charity "Hearts and Hooves" as a volunteer chaplain under the guidance of their administration. Ordination requires an appropriate effort in biblical education and ministerial training. The Bible emphasizes that we should study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15). It is my intention to engage in constant study and dedication to my calling. "Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths." (Psalms 133:1) "Blessed be the Obstacles, that I not become weak in the service of the Lord". As an Ordained Interfaith Minister, I honor all paths to commune with the Divine. "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalms 25-10) I will endeavor in all things to serve God as a minister of his works on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer
I appeal to God concerning my faithful discharge of the office of minister to which I am called. I humbly beg that God will guide and protect me in the work to which I am called. I will endeavor in all things to serve God as a volunteer minister of his works on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy
0 Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
-- Saint Francis Of Assisi

Why I wear clericals
I do not dress to please myself, or anyone else; my manner of dress facilitates my service as an interfaith minister. It makes my function obvious to strangers. It makes my duties inescapable, and it constrains my personal conduct. In addition it may serve as a ministry of presence, which may calm and constrain other's conduct. I dress to humbly serve the Lord.
Clergy shirts (black shirts with white tabs) are actually of Protestant origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Protestant Church of England invented the neckband shirt style in 1827. Protestant clergy had been wearing the clericals for quite some time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as street wear for clergy until the late 1800's. The term "Roman Collar" refers to a style and is not meant to insinuate that the wearer is Roman Catholic. The other two styles are the "Anglican Collar" which has a wider white square and the "Banded Collar" which has a white collar all the way around. The shirts come in several colors (black, gray, white, blue, purple) with black being the most common; purple/maroon is only worn by bishops.

Chaplain
A chaplain is typically a member of the clergy serving a group of people, who are not organized as a church congregation, or who are unable to attend church for various reasons such as health, confinement, or military or civil duties. For example a chaplain is often attached to a military unit (often known as padre), non-profit charity, a private chapel, a ship, a prison, a hospital, police, medical service (EMS) or fire department, high school, college or especially boarding school, even a government assembly and so on. Due to shortages of ordained clergy, in recent years many non-ordained lay persons have received professional training as a chaplain. Many chaplains are Board Certified Chaplains, (B.C.C.) through the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Reverend George V. Schubel
Interfaith Minister