Meet Tory Bonners

A super sentimental soul, I have named most things that I have owned. This includes my

beloved bright red backpacking back - rightly named Clifford - that journeyed with me as I led numerous backpacking trips during my years of working in the outdoor industry. Throughout these years, I stumbled across many adventures as well as opportunities to disciple both co-workers and staff in numerous camp ministry settings. I enjoy telling these stories, but one that I love telling more is how I have seen the brokenness of my own life now lead to a place of preparing for a more traditional ministry setting, one where I treasure the holy moments of walking alongside people through the ups and downs of life.

Walking with others through the ups and downs of life – this has been my driving force since God called me to seminary. This year, that meant doing so wisely and safely; masking up, getting tested, and going on walks with lonely members of my church. This year, that has meant putting on all the PPE, walking into COVID rooms during my chaplaincy internship, and holding the hand of the lonely patient.

None of this is ever easy. In ministering to others, you are often confronted with many things, and these all at once: your fear, insecurity, your own baggage being reflected by the person in front of you. But in the midst of it all, you somehow take a deep breath and rely on the Holy Spirit to get you through each whirlwind.

Jesus was present in the trenches and hardships of life. Right now, in these moments of history, instead of the stubborn goal of Christians meeting and singing together on Sunday morning, may our goal be becoming the hands and feet of Jesus.