Shauna Hyde
When I first started as a local pastor ten years ago, I was the first female pastor that Belmont UMC had ever had. Due to a series of unexpected events, the appointment process had not followed the usual pattern and we had not met each other yet. They were anxious and unsure of whom they were getting and I was walking in to my first appointment without knowing them, their history, or what it was exactly that I was supposed to do. My first sermon changed when I realized they needed to talk about all that had happened and how they felt about having a young unmarried female pastor. I sat back and let them talk, deciding that their need to be heard was the most pressing issue at hand. After they had debated a little while, one of the church women stood up and said, "We need to remember that if the Lord can use an ass, He can surely use a woman." Thus began my journey into a life a ministry!
While attending seminary, I served that charge for four years. After graduating seminary, I was appointed to Christ Church United Methodist as the Pastor of Parish Life. While here I have immersed myself in social justice and pastoral care. I also travel to give talks based on my book, "Victim No More!" and book signings. I am a networker and look for who I can plug in where so I am always plugging people from the church into various programs in the church or the community. I have become pastor to many kinds of people and have encountered many types of settings I was not expecting. I learned that sometimes being a pastor entails protecting one person, kicking another person out of the church, having set-tos with abusive spouses and locking horns with those who stand in opposition. I have stood nose to nose with drug dealers, irate panhandlers, and have earned a bit of a reputation among the homeless folk in town as a kind minister who would help but who was also a hard ass.
Robert Wong, a church member who had a deep love for those in poverty, loved the fact that I was in the martial arts and loved my "Victim No More!" talks. He was a staunch supporter of whatever I got in to as he also was passionate about social justice. One day he started to question me about karate wanting to know if we fought "for real." He was awed by the fact that we only use light padding on hands and feet and actually make contact with each other. He loved it that I had black eyes and bloody noses. He called me his Reverend Bad Ass and introduced me that way to everyone he thought I should meet. At his funeral, I told the story of what he called me and about 600 people laughed. The feeling in the room changed from one of dread and despair to one of celebration as a life lived passionately and joyfully was remembered. Reverend Bad Ass is known more than Reverend Shauna Hyde is and Reverend Bad Ass was called when people needed to talk and grieve. There have been places in Charleston where I have been and no one knew who Shauna Hyde was but when they were told I was Reverend Bad Ass, they all went, "Oh! Hi!" I have been walking across a parking lot and heard someone yelling, "Hey, Reverend Bad Ass!" and just laughed and waved even if I had no clue who it was.
One day out of sheer curiosity, I began to research the whole ass/donkey topic and found some wonderfully interesting facts, legends, poems, etc. that made me realize the kind of pastor God is shaping me to be. I am not going to cite sources as I did no serious research and found the same information on the several websites. I just googled ass, jackass, and donkey to see what would come up. I learned that ass is the shortened version of the species name and became a form of profanity over the years when used as an insult. I learned that donkeys AKA asses are pretty cool animals. They are strong, dependable, companionable, and are actually not stubborn contrary to popular myth. Farmers get donkeys to be companions for horses who are old, sick, or lonely because the donkey will care for them, lead them, and never leave their side. Racehorses that have lost their spirit are often paired with a donkey because the donkey will care for the racehorse and invigorate them again. Donkeys are also known for their sure-footedness, even when carrying a heavy load. Donkeys can tolerate a lot of adverse conditions: heavy burdens, heat, cold, little food, and cantankerous horses and humans.
When I started to put together Reverend Bad Ass with donkeys I began to see how my ministry is taking shape and who I have become. I am strong and have learned over the years how to carry heavy loads, how to be a companion to those who are sick, lonely, or beat down. I work hard to be dependable and do as I need to do and to provide safe spaces for people. As a pastor I am called to lead by teaching, preaching, encouraging, and serving. According to 1 Corinthians 13, I do that by loving and not by braying. I am to care for and invigorate those around me, especially the ones who have lost their desire to fly. God needs me to be sure-footed and to lead people on the path that would bring them closer to God. I become and stay sure-footed by spending time with God and listening for direction then obeying the direction God has given me.
I don't know how this story will end. I do know that God is calling me to be Reverend Bad Ass because God has placed me in a place where Reverend Bad Ass is who was needed for some people who are unchurched, de-churched, or just plain cynical about the image of God they have pictured over the years. The church matriarch was more correct than she ever thought because if God can use as ass, He can surely use a Reverend Bad Ass.
