Photo: During a March 26 worship service, Michelle Burkholder was licensed for ministry at Hyattsville Mennonite Church. Attendees had an opportunity to lay hands on and bless Burkholder during the service. Photo by Jake Short. 

Allegheny Mennonite Conference licensed Michelle Burkholder for ministry at Hyattsville (Maryland) Mennonite Church on Sunday, March 26.

It was a worship service full of celebration after much waiting.

Burkholder was first installed as associate pastor in October 2013. During the March 26 service, David Mishler, interim conference minister for Allegheny Conference, recognized Hyattsville’s patience in waiting for the licensing. The official announcement of Burkholder’s licensing was made in February.

Burkholder is now the fourth openly LGBTQ person to be licensed in Mennonite Church USA. She follows Theda Good in 2014 (who was then ordained in 2016), Mark Rupp in 2015 and Cate Michelle Desjardins in 2016. Desjardins was licensed toward ordination by Central District Conference and Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship on Nov. 20, 2016. She currently serves as a chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Burkholder’s licensing also comes more than 30 years after Hyattsville first welcomed an openly LGBTQ person in to membership.

During the service, Burkholder lit a peace lamp, highlighting her licensing as an affirmation of LGBTQ voices in the church. She also thanked “our sister churches in Allegheny Conference, or brother churches, or sibling churches, whatever gender your church is” for their support. After lighting the peace lamp, Burkholder invited anyone in the congregation who identified as LGBTQ to come up front and sing “You’ve got a place (at the welcome table)” from the Sing The Journey songbook.

Hyattsville pastor Cynthia Lapp preached on John 9:1-34, the text telling the story of Jesus healing the blind man.

“Today we celebrate. We celebrate because we see. We have not always seen. We do not always see; sometimes we are still blind. Yet we rejoice because today we see. We see the abundant gifts in Michelle Burkholder,” said Lapp.

During the licensing, Mishler invited anyone to come forward and lay hands on Burkholder and pray. A majority of the congregation came forward to do so in response.

Many members of Burkholder’s extended family and multiple friends were present for the licensing. Allegheny Conference was represented by Mishler and Joy Cotchen, minister for youth and children. Attendance was estimated at 190; average attendance at Hyattsville is 115.

After the worship service, a fellowship meal was held featuring a variety of “smooshy” casseroles and jello salads, which are among Burkholder’s favorite foods. Many in the congregation also chose to wear orange, Burkholder’s favorite color.

“This is a meaningful moment for me personally and for Hyattsville as a congregation. It was wonderful to celebrate with the congregation and family members—especially my partner Becky and our son Simon—and with representatives from various churches across the conference,” Burkholder said.