Matthew Lucio
ILC Assistant to the President for Communication
Rodney Balmes, Hinsdale Fil-Am's youth pastor, was ordained on February 15th during a special evening service. His wife, Gelline, kneeled next to him as ILC Executive Secretary Michael Campos offered the ordination prayer alongside other ordained pastors.
THE JOURNEY
Balmes attended Southern Adventist University before he and his accepting a youth pastor position at the Central Filipino SDA Church in Los Angeles. He served there three years before attending the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University from 2018-2020.
With a Master of Divinity degree in hand, Rodney and Gelline discovered that the COVID-19 pandemic had derailed their plans to pastor a church back in southern California. Instead, they moved to their hometown of Orlando, Florida.
"We went back to Florida believing that this was our final landing spot," Rodney recalls. "I had plans to be a stay-at-home dad." Before long, however, Rodney worked as a Bible worker while Gelline found a job at AdventHealth.
Within a year, the Balmes' received a call from Nestor Soriano, senior pastor of Hinsdale Fil-Am, inviting Rodney to serve on the pastoral team. The call proved to Rodney that God hadn't forgotten about him and reaffirmed his calling to pastoral ministry.
THE ORDINATION SERVICE
After a welcome by Dr. Jason Goliath, Pete Braman (ILC Ministerial Director) offered an opening prayer. Friends and colleagues offed a "testimony of character" before Pastor Soriano gave the homily. Conference President John Grys offered the charge.
Following Pastor Campos' prayer, Rodney had a chance to respond. Rodney was clearly moved and spoke about what his congregation meant to him. Doug Reeves, ILC Treasurer, offered the benediction.
NEXT STEPS
View more pictures of the event on the ILC Flickr page.
Please send any news items of what God is doing around the Illinois Conference to communication@ilcsda.org.