Teena Myers

Elizabeth Garcia Smith accepted Christ on Easter Sunday when she was eleven years old. Three years later, her mother stopped attending church.

“I had to take two buses through dangerous neighborhoods to get to the church,” said Elizabeth. “When daylight saving time started, I was afraid to ride the bus at night, so I stopped going too. But the desire to be in the presence of God never left me. During high school and my first year at college, I occasionally attended Mass at a Catholic church near my home, but I wasn’t committed to following Christ.”

Elizabeth had lived at home during her first year of graduate school, but the commute proved difficult. The following year, she decided to live on campus. A white bookcase and a Bible written in Korean and English were waiting in front of the door to her suite when she arrived.

“My roommates told me the items belonged to the former occupant and I could keep them,” Elizabeth said. “I attended church with my Presbyterian roommate, but I remained uncommitted to following Christ.”

Elizabeth graduated with a master’s degree in dance education and accepted a position with the New York Board of Education. She loved her job and thought she would spend the rest of her life teaching. As 1997 drew near its end, Elizabeth heard a voice in the depths of her soul say, “I want to draw you back to me.” Recognizing the voice as God’s, she made a New Year’s resolution to return to Bethlehem Church, where she had made a commitment to follow Christ when she was eleven.

“The first Sunday in 1998, I walked into the church and said to God, ‘I’m here.’” This time, Elizabeth was serious about fulfilling her commitment. As she spent more time in God’s presence, the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit led her to make changes. “Changing the way I lived was difficult, but not a struggle. Anything the Holy Spirit convicted me about was gone, with no looking back.”

Nine months later, Elizabeth attended a women’s ministry conference. Rev. Joan Millar spoke about her work at the School of Urban Missions (SUM) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“When Rev. Millar spoke about the school, my heart leaped within me,” said Elizabeth. “I didn’t pursue attending the school, but there was a connection that I could not deny.”

More than a year later, Rev. Millar returned to speak at a missionary convention sponsored by Bethlehem Church. After the service, Elizabeth approached the altar for prayer. Rev. Millar’s prayer confirmed to Elizabeth that God had called her to ministry. Before she left the convention, Elizabeth stopped at the SUM booth to pick up a packet of information about the school.

“The packet lay unopened on my desk for three months,” Elizabeth recalled. “I attempted to open it several times, but stopped. I knew the moment I opened that envelope, I’d have to deal with the reality of leaving everything to fulfill the calling God had placed on my life.”

Elizabeth became restless and no longer desired to teach her class. She sought God for a solution to the unhappiness in her life. God revealed that he was preparing her for ministry. Uncertain that the revelation was from God, she challenged him to prove that he was speaking to her.

“I was vice president of the women’s ministry at Bethlehem Church and scheduled to speak at the next meeting. Before I left, I prayed, ‘God, if I’m really called to ministry, I want Sister Bea to lay hands on me, speak in tongues, and then prophesy that you have called me to full-time ministry.’”

At the end of the service, Elizabeth saw Sister Bea walking toward the exit and said, “OK, Lord, I guess I’m not going to SUM.”

Suddenly, Sister Bea turned around, walked to the altar, and stood in front of Elizabeth. She laid hands on her, spoke in tongues, and prophesied that God had called Elizabeth to full-time ministry. That night, Elizabeth opened the packet of information from SUM and filled out the admission form.

“I had taken the first step, but the battle wasn’t over. I didn’t want to leave New York. Then my boyfriend proposed. He slipped the engagement ring on my finger, and I pushed SUM to the back of my mind,” said Elizabeth. When the school year started, Elizabeth returned to her teaching job, weeping and promising God she would go to SUM the following year.

A friend who had been present for Sister Bea’s prophecy learned Elizabeth had returned to her teaching job and confronted her. “What happened to SUM?” asked Eileen.

“I’ll go next year. I’m still teaching, and I’m getting married—”

“Excuse me,” Eileen interrupted. “You asked God about this. He gave you the answer, and you’re just gonna brush him off like that? You call SUM as soon as you wake up tomorrow, and I’m gonna call to see if you did.”

Early Monday morning, the phone woke Elizabeth. Eileen demanded to know if she had called SUM yet. Irritated and convinced Eileen would not leave her alone until she called, Elizabeth dialed the number to SUM. Rev. Joan Millar answered. Elizabeth explained how she had come to the conviction that God called her to attend the school.

“If you know you belong here, you’d better get on the plane this week,” said Rev. Millar. “We are in the second week of school, but I’ll approve your application if you arrive before Thursday.”

“What am I gonna do about my bills?” Elizabeth asked.

“You can work at McDonald’s.”

“McDonald’s! I’m a teacher.”

“You can waitress at the Holiday Inn.”

“That’s not gonna pay my bills. I’ve already committed to teach another year. I can’t pull out at the last minute.”

“If God wants you at SUM, the principal will release you from your commitment without any complications.”

The conversation with Rev. Millar pricked Elizabeth at the core of her being.

“The next three days were agony,” said Elizabeth. “By Tuesday evening, I’d made up my mind to attend SUM. Then I talked to my fiancé and changed my mind. Wednesday morning, Eileen called to find out if I’d bought a ticket to New Orleans yet. I told her, ‘I’m not going,’ hung up the phone, and then fell on my face begging God to tell me one more time that I was called to full-time ministry.”

A battle raged for Elizabeth’s soul as she cried all morning and into the afternoon. The struggle ceased when she heard God say, “Today, choose who you will serve. If you choose me, I’ll be faithful to you, and you will fulfill the calling on your life.”

Elizabeth wiped the tears from her eyes and called the principal to see if she could be released from her teaching commitment. Rev. Millar’s counsel proved prophetic—the principal released her with a blessing. Elizabeth purchased an airline ticket and left her career, family, friends, and fiancé. She arrived in New Orleans fully committed to follow Christ.

Elizabeth’s story produced a new respect in me for ministers. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to give up everything and follow a calling. God rewarded her obedience with a new fiancé whom she met while attending the School of Urban Missions. After they married, they accepted a pastorate in New Orleans and then lost everything, including their congregation, in Hurricane Katrina. Fully committed to their calling, they remained to rebuild their church and minister to the needs of a suffering city.