Historical past reveals that following a legend in any discipline is a frightening job. Tiffany Tarrant, pastor of the enduring St. John’s Downtown, is tasked with following within the footsteps of two—the church’s founding pastors Dr. Rudy and Juanita Rasmus.
By all accounts, Tarrant is greater than as much as the duty.
A giant a part of Tarrant’s clean transition into the lead position of Senior Campus Pastor at SJD was the Rasmuses’ assist and imaginative and prescient. They put in place a year-long succession plan earlier than turning over the reins to Tarrant.
“I contemplate it a privilege to serve after them. They did it for 32 years,” mentioned Tarrant. “The best way that they set it up for me and our congregation is that they actually empowered me they usually actually received with our congregation and informed them, ‘Hey, that is the route that we’re going a 12 months forward of the transition.’ So, we ready the congregation they usually have been so supportive.”
“Pastor Tiffany is a blessing, and we’re extraordinarily enthusiastic about her management, all the congregation,” mentioned, SJD’s Government Pastor Rick Nance.
JOURNEY TO MINISTRY
One other think about Tarrant’s favor is her historical past at SJD.
“My household got here to this very campus and this very sanctuary about 32 years in the past after I was simply seven years outdated. This place instantly grew to become our village. My calling began with simply recognizing that St. John’s was a congregation that absolutely embraced me, cherished on me, helped domesticate my items, and poured into me,” mentioned Tarrant.
Extra particularly, Tarrant factors to conversations the Rasmuses had along with her over time, encouraging her to significantly contemplate ministry.
“And I’m like, ‘Whoa. I’m not too positive about that.’ However I mentioned, okay. So, me simply saying sure opened up the doorways to God transferring me right into a route that has led me to be right here at this time,” mentioned Tarrant, a graduate of Southern Methodist College’s Perkins Seminary. “It was only a journey of claiming sure, even after I didn’t essentially know that it was God nudging me, however there have been individuals who had been directing me alongside the trail.”
BENEFITS TO FOLLOWING THE RASMUSES
“My state of affairs may be very distinctive… I had the chance to observe them for 32 years to look at the best way that they love on folks, to see their coronary heart, to see their need to serve with compassion and be genuine pastors. Having the ability to witness that, to be proper underneath that, for them to be my pastors, my leaders, that has been the profit.”
– Pastor Tiffany Tarrant
Following the pastorship of the Rasmuses has surprisingly include advantages in keeping with Tarrant.
And Tarrant continues to obtain assist from her mentors.
“They’ve been my rock collectively, simply loving on me and saying, ‘Hey, we’re with you. You bought this.’ Their encouragement has actually helped me be the senior pastor that I’m at this time. So, I might say the one problem is simply day-to-day, simply considering, ‘Hey, I wanna make my pastor emeritus proud. I wanna guarantee that I proceed their legacy and that I characterize them effectively,” mentioned Tarrant.
DN VIDEO: Study extra about Pastor Tiffany Tarrant’s journey to ministry.
TARRANT’S 2025 MESSAGE
And with a lot of the nation fearful about what 2025 has in retailer, Tarrant presents a faith-filled phrase.
“I’m telling my congregation and everybody that we’re gonna proceed to maintain dwelling. I believe this provides us much more of a motive to maintain pushing ahead, to proceed to dwell out our calling and our objective and ask the query, ‘Who do I wanna be on this world?’ And to know that irrespective of the circumstances, irrespective of who’s the president, we’re nonetheless referred to as to do what God needs us to do. In order that must be our mantra, to maintain dwelling, to maintain transferring, to maintain pushing, to evolve as higher folks, as higher people, and to only proceed to characterize the love that God needs us to. To be a light-weight in what can generally be a darkish world. We’re outfitted for the journey. God has introduced us this far and I do know God is gonna proceed to hold us into the years forward,” shared Tarrant.
