During an intercultural worship celebration at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3,
Stephen M. Veazey was ordained prophet-president of Community of Christ. His
call to this role was approved by an overwhelming majority earlier in the day
during a legislative session of the denomination’s 2005 World Conference.
The theme of the ordination service was “My Life Flows On in Endless Song,”
named for a hymn that Veazey recalled as his late mother’s favorite.
Worshipers were greeted by a video of missionaries from Kinshasa, Congo,
singing “All Creatures of Our God and King” that was projected on three large
screens at the front of the 6,000-seat Community of Christ Auditorium
Conference Chamber, which was filled nearly to capacity.
Members of the Council of Twelve Apostles each shared passages regarding
God’s call throughout the Restoration faith movement. Apostle David R. Brock
offered a challenge to the ordinand. Included in this challenge, Brock said,
“Steve, you have the gifts to be prophet-president, a prophet of vision and
penetrating insight…You are a disciple who is open and ever-searching for more
light and truth to break forth.” He concluded, “Remind us that God came among
us in Jesus Christ, not because God so loved the ‘church,’ but because God so
loved this world…Be true to your calling and to who you are…We trust your
leadership for the future to which God calls us all.”
Laying their hands on his head and shoulders, Apostle John P. Kirkpatrick,
Bishop Larry Norris, and High Priests William M. Barnhard and Mareva M.
Arnaud, ordained Veazey to his new role. Kirkpatrick said, “This is about the
journey of a person and the journey of a church that intersects on this night
in this place…He’s here in response to a call that neither he nor we can deny.
His life is the testimony of a person responding to the call of Christ…Perhaps
his greatest gift to us as a church is to take us along on his walk with Jesus
Christ.”
Gifts of support and unity to the church were presented to Veazey. Each
piece will be displayed for the duration of World Conference in the Community
of Christ Temple and become part of the church’s permanent art collection. The
gifts were from the continent of Africa (ceremonial mask), the continent of
Asia (Nepal singing bowl), continent of Australia and the Islands of the Sea
(outrigger canoe wood sculpture and sea turtle wood carving), continent of
Europe (matriocka dolls from Russia), continent of North America (original
watercolor of rural Tennessee in spring), and the continents of South and
Central America and the Caribbean (Haitian fisherman wood carving).
In Veazey’s personal statement to the church he said, “This has been a
remarkable day filled with joy and a clear awareness of the presence of God’s
Spirit in our fellowship. We have been blessed with an evident sense of unity
and hope…As I was being ordained tonight, I found myself lost in the wonder of
God’s eternal love for each and every one of you—all of you, all persons, all
generations, all cultures, all life conditions. I sense in a way that we were
all being called and blessed for the mission ahead of us.”
Veazey also announced that he was officially submitting his letter of
counsel to the councils, quorums, and orders, to the World Conference, and to
the church regarding calls for the presiding quorums of church leadership. In
closing, Wallace B. Smith, President Emeritus of the church, offered a
pastoral prayer.
The service was broadcast live via Dish Network, local cable, and on the
Web at www.CofChrist.org. The World Conference is being held June 2-5
at Community of Christ World Headquarters in Independence, Missouri. Check for
daily updates and more information at www.CofChrist.org/wc2005/.
