Melissa Ann Carter was ordained June 6 to the Sacred Order of Deacons at All Saints Sharon Chapel in Alexandria. The Rt. Rev’d Mark A. Bourlakas, Assistant Bishop of Virginia, presided, and The Rev’d Deacon Judi Thomas preached the ordination sermon.
“Each of us has had the same call to walk in a broken world and to let our hearts break for what breaks God’s,” said The Rev’d Deacon Judi Thomas. Thomas noted that as a vocational deacon, Carter is answering that very call to communicate the needs of a hurting world to the church.
Diaconal ministry explicitly reminds the church of its mission in the public square, Bourlakas said to the gathered clergy and congregation.
“I hope that Melissa, along with all of our other deacons, continue to inspire in you and know that our ministry is beyond the walls of the church,” he said. “We come here for nourishment, and then we go out, and I hope we continue to remember the deacons are a sign. Now it is a little sign of that grace.”
Because attendees all wanted to receive Eucharist from the new deacon, Carter served from a single station. She later called the ordination “life changing and the fulfillment of something that I’ve carried with me for more than half my life. It is an honor and a blessing be ordained to ‘serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely,’ and to ‘interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.’”
“My Seeds Need Rain”
Thomas, ordained in April 2025 and serving her first appointment at St. Mary’s in Colonial Beach, preached about the deep vulnerability and relational connection required for diaconal ministry.
“Melissa, welcome every stranger you meet on life’s journey with warm hands and a warm heart,” Thomas told her. “That’s what they’re going to remember.”
The sermon closed with a personal story about finding a poppy blooming unexpectedly where her son had passed away—a sign of remembrance, consolation, and hope from the Holy Spirit. Thomas used this image to give Carter and the audience a vivid reminder of communal support amid suffering.
“When your heart is broken by what breaks God’s heart, that broken heart is fertile ground,” Thomas told Carter. “Plant seeds of hope in that broken heart, plant poppy seeds, and then get on your knees and pray like heaven for rain.”
Thomas told Carter that she would never have to carry the burdens of ministry alone.
“If you need extra rain, send your fellow deacons a text,” Thomas said. “Call us, WhatsApp message us, and simply say, ‘My seeds need rain. Please pray.’ We’ve got your back, Melissa. You are not alone.”
In Her Words: “God Doesn’t Forget Calling Us”
Carter summarized the story of her calling for Diocese of Virginia readers:
I was first called to the priesthood in the early 1990s when I was a parishioner at Christ Church Alexandria. I soon moved to Saint Paul’s (also in Alexandria) and was preparing to apply for postulancy when my marriage ended. At the time Bishop Peter Lee did not allow twice-divorced people to pursue a call to any clergy position so that call to the priesthood was set aside; my priest mentor (then Rector of St. Paul’s, the Rev. Geoffrey Hoare) told me to stay aware, as “God doesn’t forget calling us.” I never forgot that.
In the late summer of 2022, I was praying and driving through a cornfield in Shenandoah County. In response to my prayers I heard two words, “the Diaconate.” Having grown up in the Diocese of Virginia, and not having seen any deacons, I didn’t even know what that meant. I turned the car around to do some research. Less than a month later I was at a Discernment Retreat and my journey began in full.
Carter is balancing clergy work with another career and shared what she has learned:
I am balancing clergy work and a career as an IT specialist on federal contracts. I am at the very beginning of life as a clergy woman, so my experience is limited at this writing, but I have learned that self-care is critical in order to serve others with love.
She recognized these mentors and supporters:
- The Rev. Sarah Colvin, MD, Priest-in-Charge, All Saints Sharon Chapel, Alexandria
- The Rev. Suzie Harding, Deacon, St. Andrews, Burke
- The Rev. Geoffrey Hoare, Sr. Chaplain, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Kennebunkport, Maine
- The Rev. Dr. Sarah Kye Price, Vocations Minister for the Diocese of Virginia, Formation Director for the St. Phoebe School for Deacons, Affiliate Priest, St. Mark’s, Richmond
- The Rev. Oran Warder, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Alexandria
She looked to the future.
I don’t know what’s next for me – I will follow God’s call wherever he sends me. I hope to help the many, many people in our society who are marginalized, to work with children in whatever ways become apparent as I continue to follow God’s call, and to always look for Christ in others.
To learn more about discernment in the Diocese of Virginia, visit this link. More about the diaconate is here; also, the St. Phoebe School for Deacons.