A Spirit of Service: Beth Grissom Commissioned

As the spirit of worship and community filled Camp Meeting this year, one of its most profound moments came during Sabbath afternoon, when the Carolina Conference family gathered to celebrate the commissioning of Elizabeth “Beth” Grissom. Set against the backdrop of Lake Junaluska and the swelling voices of praise, this sacred service marked not just an event, but a milestone in a lifelong calling.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt called to ministry,” she reflected. “Even as a child, I preached to my dolls and baptized them.”

Raised in a pastoral family, Beth grew up immersed in church life, but she also internalized early messages that ministry might not be a path open to women. A pastor once told her she should marry a pastor so her gifts wouldn’t go to waste—an idea she carried into adulthood.

But God had other plans.

She eventually married a CPA and embarked on her own path. Over the years, she served in nearly every ministry role available to her. A degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Advocacy sharpened her ability to lead, speak, and serve. “The gifts and passion had always been there,” she says. “I just needed to stop waiting for permission and start walking in the call God placed on my life.”

Beth credits mentors like Lynn Ortel, Pastor Ryan Ashlock, and Kiera Deschamp with affirming her calling and helping her grow in confidence and leadership. These three were on hand to affirm her at this ceremony.

Chaplain June Price delivered a powerful message, and as leaders gathered to lay hands on Beth, the moment was deeply moving. “It stirred something deep within me,” Beth said. “When you’ve questioned your place, that kind of affirmation is powerful.”

For Beth, ministry is about people, not position. “A pastor is a shepherd and a servant,” she says. She believes deeply in the Spirit’s call regardless of gender and is committed to reflecting Christ through her leadership.

With a family legacy of ministry behind her, she once wondered if she was simply following a path laid by others. Now, she knows: “It’s my own voice I heard—God’s voice—calling me to lead.”

To others wrestling with a sense of calling, she offers this encouragement:

“If God planted a calling in your heart, don’t let doubt or tradition silence it. He created you, gifted you, and called you—just as you are.”

— by Esmeralda Paulino