Leadership

Clare Ferguson Bravo

Pasadena, Rose City Church

Briefly describe your testimony of coming to Christ…

My Christian conversion experience has been a long progression and deepening of faith. However, one of the first major milestones of this journey came when I was in 6th grade, and I attended a Christian concert. During that concert I experienced a conviction from the Holy Spirit for repentance and to surrender my life to God. I believed this was one of the first times I truly internalized God’s personal love for me personally and made the deliberate choice to live my life for the Lord.

Briefly describe your understanding of God’s calling on your life…

I understand my specific calling as one to empower local church communities to be an embodiment of God’s love to the world around them. Acts of Christian hospitality have deeply shaped my understanding of God’s expression of love towards humanity and my conviction that we are to love others as a witness to God’s loving hospitality.
My experience of hospitality has also informed how I approach ministry and discipleship within the life of the church. I understand my calling to be a ministry of hospitality; firstly, to invite and welcome people into the family of God, and then as disciples are formed, they are sent out in service to the world as a witness to God’s love.

How did you come to the Free Methodist Church?

I grew up in the United Methodist Church, but when I moved to California I found Rose City Church soon after I arrived. I was attending Rose City Church when I felt the call to pastoral ministry, and I attended a FMCSC Annual Conference during my time of discerning where to begin my ordination process. I was so touched by the passion, history, diversity, and life of the Spirit in the denomination and conference, I knew this was my denominational home.