I first stepped through the doors of Council Road Baptist Church in 1997, as a single, 24-year-old woman. I attended Quail Springs Baptist Church, until leaving for college at Oklahoma Baptist University. After graduation, I lived in Shawnee for an additional year, working at a facility serving adults with severe mental illness. There are a handful of moments in my life when God has spoken in a near-audible way, and this was one of them. I was sitting at my desk, writing treatment notes for clients, when I heard, “It’s time to move home.” Looking around, no one was in the room with me; I knew the Lord was speaking. Two weeks later, I resigned from my job and moved back to Oklahoma City; at that time my family was attending CRBC, so there I went.
Within months, the Lord unfolded a series of life-changing events: I met and began dating my future husband, started meeting regularly with other women for Bible study and accountability, accepted a full-time position working in the student ministry at CRBC, and planted deep roots within this church community. More than two and a half decades have passed, yet I remain deeply connected, not only to the Lord, but to the precious people of Council Road. This body of believers has built me into the woman I am today.
My husband, Garrick, and I made our wedding vows in the worship center nearly 26 years ago, we dedicated and baptized all three of our children in that same room, and have spent countless hours in so many of the spaces within these walls - learning, praying, worshiping, teaching, serving and connecting to others. Our decades at CRBC have been spent building our faith, our marriage, our relationships and our lives.
Over 28 years as a member of CRBC, I have been the recipient of so much wisdom; many women and men made space for me to learn and grow, in life and in ministry. Once employed by our church, then later staying home to raise children, I have had the privilege of serving in our youth, children’s, married adult and women’s ministries as a volunteer. As my season has changed and our children are now young adults, God has opened doors for me to be equipped in new ways, calling me back into vocational church ministry.
In June, I accepted a part-time position at CRBC as the Director of Women’s Ministry, and I could not be more thrilled to serve women of all ages within our church. I consider it a privilege to join our wonderful staff! I smile at God’s full-circle plan, as the last job I held, before being home with our family, was at CRBC from 1998-2001.
In addition to serving our women at Council Road, I have also accepted a part-time position at Thrive Christian Counseling, as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I am trained to provide clinical mental health services through a biblical worldview. I am confident that God has provided these two opportunities, allowing me to minister both in and outside of the church walls, intersecting clinical work with church ministry in a beautiful way.
As I look back on the journey, I am in awe of God’s leading each step of the way, using experiences and aspects of my calling to bring me to this place. I am who I am because of the Lord’s continued faithfulness and work in me… much of which occurred inside the walls of this church that built me.
I am honored to serve as your Women’s Minister, and if we have not met, I look forward to meeting you! If you have not allowed Council Road to be a church that builds you and your faith, may I challenge you to become involved in one of our ministries, groups or classes? And may I also invite you to join me at our Fall Women’s Event on August 7? I can’t wait for you to see what God has in store for this year!
Meet the Author!
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help women understand their uniquely beautiful design and how to use it for God's glory! In fact, Heather hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes in hopes do just that! She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, time with her three teen-aged & young adult children, traveling, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for more than two decades and serving on the Women's Ministry team has been one of her greatest joys!