Today is my ame anniversary! I and my church have been ame for one year, I am so happy and it was a joy to discuss our plans today for planting another ame church in september in a town 400 miles away. Yahoo!! God is so good. I want to thank everyone on the board for your prayers, advice and support. I want to especially thank the fourth district lay organization for the brand new hymnals they have provided for our church. I was ordained a deacon by Bishop Bryant on August 11, 2001. All of you have helped my church in Montana and I know God will bless you mightiy. This board is a tool for evangelism and revival. And because of all of you a church was born. I love my ame today family dearly. Thank you, thank you so much.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2002

Answers

Congratulations and Praise God! We are certainly delighted that you are one of us and for the commitment, expertise, joy and inspiration that you bring.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2002

Happy Anniversary to the "Queen of the Discussion Board!" I admire your zeal as you continue to provide a positive spin upon any topic or situation! And as we sing in Church..."May the Good Lord Bless you real Good!"

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2002

Dear Rev. Sister Rogers,

Congratulations on your one year anniversary!!! It is always uplifting to hear from you. Quite frankly, I know only two ministers who have as much zest and zeal for their professions as you do. I pray for your success as a minister at the St. Paul Community AME church in Bozeman, Montanta. I also pray for your health from time to time. I pray that you will continue to be led by the Spirit of God in everything you do.

Jazzman

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

God bless you Rev. Rogers on your one year anniversary. I admire you greatly for your pioneering spirit and devotion to God. I pray God continues to use you in His ministry and showers you with blessings.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

To God be the Glory

Happy Anniversary to my great Sister in the Church.This is wonderful news. We pray for your renewed strength, vitality and vision in serving our gret God.

Blessings to you, your daughter and your Church and family.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

To my AME Today family I hope you will also congratulate yourselves and Bishop Bryant for God used all of you to plant a church in Bozeman, Montana. And in another month another church will be planted in Montana. I love being a pastor more than anything in the world!! When I wake up every morning Christ is there smiling and loving me. I want the entire world to know the love of Christ. Black, white, asian and indigenous people. Some of you know my prelate personally Bishop John Bryant. I want to share some Bishop Bryant stories with you for he is an anointed man of Christ. I preface these stories by saying I have been united methodists for most of my life and I have had many Bishops. The majority I could not tell you what they looked liked for they never ventured from their office. They rarely went to visit or preach in the local churches you would see them at annual conference but their was little interaction with clergy. So to become A.M.E and have Bishop and an Episcopal Supervisor take the time to respond to a request to become A.M.E is incredible. Bishop Bryant and Dr. Cee understood from the beginning my call to church planting and rural ministry. Not once did they say to a report and we will think about it. They speak to me in spiritual terms, God can, God will etc. they have trusted me and when I tell my Bishop I do not fill called to urban ministry, that I want to go to Idaho, wyoming, south dakota. I am listened to. I spent so many years as a united methodists trying to convince my supervisors that God called me for something different, but because I am black with a degree from Princeton. I was told I would be appointed to the city with a "good congregation". God sent me to princeton so that I would have the tools to do specialized ministry. I will always love the UMC for they are apart of who I am, but my soul and spirit is happy now, for I finally feel I am doing what God called me to do. The only family that I have is my beautiful daughter and I am single. But in a year God has given me family, biological family. You guys don't laugh at me, when I say I dream of planting churches and going to indian reservations. When I say I love Montana you encourage and support me. I have lived here 10 years and now people of all races are moving here in droves. People are leaving california, oregon, utah and colorado and moving here. God knew this would happen and he has placed an A.M.E church here to greet them. I got a request in january from a group of africans in missoula, montana. They wanted an A.M.E church in their town. I told them I could not do that and it was up to my Bishop. They said they need the A.M.E church! I told them to pray about it and I promised I would write the Bishop. I did not know what to expect. Bishop Bryant wrote back immediately tell them yes! Next month our church will be going to missoula, montana which is 400 miles away to plant this church. We are so excited and youth group is thrilled!! For they will be apart of the church planting. Please pray for Bishop Bryant and Dr. Cee as they continue the great work in the fifth district. I am so proud to be A.M.E and I praise God for all of you for my daughter and I have family. Thank you for your generousity to us.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Rev. Rogers:

I am curious. From what I understand, you are originally from the east coast? How did you decide to move all the way to Montana and how did your calling come? God is using you in a mighty way! God bless.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Dear Rev. Denise Rogers, God bless you on your one year anniversary. You have shared so much with our A.M.E.Family. I always look forward to reading the chat board. You are an inspiration to others.We will continue to pray for one another Loretta Hill

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Congratulations!

Be Blessed! You are a blessing!

Brenda

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Congratulations Rev. Rogers.

Carmen Rose

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Happy Anniversay and God Bless you and your flock, I am sure you are a good shepherd. To God be the Glory.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

Mary yes I am from the east coast, New York City to be exact. You asked how I got to Montana. In one word God!!! When I answered my call to serve God at age 30, I said I would go anywhere he needed me. An authentic call is usually a 3 step process 1.) their is a stirring in your heart to serve God 2.)Others see your call and say you should be a minister, it is usually during this period that their is a denial about being a minister, or a feeling I cannot do this, it requires prayer and the support of a trusted pastor. 3.)one answers the call to be a pastor. The United Methodist have always required a masters of divinity degree. So at age 30 with a five year old child I started college at night and worked in the day it took me six years to get my B.A including summers I went straight to seminary. It took me nine years to get my degrees to be a pastor. I had planned to go to Oxford to get a Ph.D in patristics the study of the early church. God had a different plan, that year financial aid was unavailable to international students. I was crushed. Then the next day I got a call from the placement office saying they had just gotten a job that was perfect for me and i should come to the office immediately. When I got there I read the job description. It said it wanted a dynamic preacher with a background in social work and alcohol and substance abuse. I was a social worker and alcohol and substance abuse therapist. The job was at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. I did not know where Montana was!! My friends told me not to go! I met with the president of princeton seminary and for two days we prayed about the position. God told me to go. So two weeks later my daughter and I got on a plane to montana. The united methodists in new york gave me permission to go. The position I took was a united methodist campus minister at the university. It was culture shock! Only one big store K-mart, people stared at us. There was nothing black here and the congregation that I had totaled 7. I was hired over the phone. There was a lot of work to do. I was the first person of color in the yellowstone united methodist conference. Anyway I got the ministry going and today it is a successful ministry. All the programs I put in place, jazz liturgy, testimonies etc. are still be done. The position beccame a part time position and I stayed in Montana to let my daughter graduate from high school. I founded a human rights organization and worked in rural schools doing violence prevention. I left the united methodists for there was so much work to do in Montana and I would have to go back to the New york conference. Mary God threw me another curve ball and called me to be A.M.E!! And to plant a church. I have over 15 years of ministerial experience and I love Montana. I hope I answered your question.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2002

What an awesome testimony, Rev. Denise.

May God continue to bless your ministry(s) and grant you new insights into His plan.

HAAPY ANNIVERSARY, MY SISTAH !!

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002