Warming Shelter and Diaconal Ordinations

Last Saturday, Bishop Poulson Reed ordained three new Deacons, the Rev. David Braddock, the Rev. George Justice Jr., and the Rev. Thomas Crowe at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oklahoma City. The ordination happened to coincide with the Cathedral’s cold-weather shelter during Oklahoma City's dangerously cold temperatures. The ordination and the cold-weather shelter ministry seemed fitting, as Bishop Poulson described a deacon’s ministry, “The heart of the deacon's ministry is to be a living, walking, icon of Christ, humbly serving all in Christ's name and to Christ's honor and glory.”

Stephanie Jensen, the Cathedral’s cold-weather shelter coordinator, highlighted the connection between the Diaconate and the shelter, “ The ministry of a deacon is deeply connected to servanthood, particularly serving the needs of the vulnerable and bridging the church with the world. A warming shelter reflects the very essence of the diaconate responding to human needs with compassion and advocacy. Just as deacons are called to interpret the needs of the world to the Church, this shelter is a living example of how the Church responds to those needs. The ordination of deacons is a reminder of the Church’s mission to be a servant community. A deacon's role of fostering Christ-like service and justice is vividly embodied in ministries like the warming shelter, where we meet people in their vulnerability and extend the Church's care in a practical, loving way.”

Since 2023, the Cathedral has served as a cold-weather shelter partnering with OK End Homelessness and City Care. Just last spring the Cathedral was officially approved by the City Council as a city wide warming shelter. Many of our Episcopal Churches around the Diocese have served as winter warming centers. This year, All Saints’ in McAlester partnering with Humanity 918, served as a cold weather shelter again, after serving as one last winter.