Last Saturday, clergy approved by the Western North Carolina Conference Board of Ordained Ministry for ordination and full membership in The United Methodist Church were invited to the home of Bishop and Mrs. Leeland. The day was shaped by a cookout at the episcopal residence, offering a time for conversation and reflection on the nature of ministry and ordination. The twenty ordinands who will be ordained at Annual Conference on June 24th at Lake Junaluska were invited to spend the day sharing their faith stories with each other and reflecting on why they chose to be ordained in The United Methodist Church.  In addition, they reviewed the historical examination for admission into full connection and engaged Bishop Leeland in conversation about their calling into ministry and the unique nature of the denomination. Many of these newly ordained clergy will participate in a reading group over the next year with Bishop Leeland, meeting one full day each month as they explore issues of leadership, spiritual authority, and “ordering the life of the church.”  Bishop Leeland said he offers this time each year to those being ordained as “a means of investing in the next generation of clergy and developing a relationship with those I am privileged to ordain.”