What Others Reject, God Accepts

This is the story of a child who was born out of wedlock to a mother who would eventually give her up for adoption. A child, who, in spite of four and a half years of loving care by her maternal grandparents, faced the rejection of being given away. Why, she did not know nor understand. She only knew she was not wanted. She was adopted by wonderful parents who loved her and gave her all the support, affirmation and opportunities imaginable, yet through it all the fear of rejection persisted. But God had a very special plan for her life and year by year, as she began to trust Him, her fear of rejection and failure began to dissipate. She not only came to trust Jesus as her personal Savior, but allowed Him to direct her life, one step at a time, into full time Christian service. During her forty years as a female pastor in two male-dominated denominations, she experienced many challenges, disappointments, and failures, yet through it all God was faithful and this book is the result of that faithfulness. For you see, I was that child. Blessings always, Carolyn Jean Cammenga (Rev. Mrs.) Rev. Carolyn Cammenga was born in Oak Park, Illinois and raised in nearby Riverside, where she graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School. She holds a B.A. degree in speech and drama from Monmouth College, a M.S degree in guidance and counseling from Illinois State University, a Master of Divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary and a post-graduate Master of Theology degree also from Calvin Theological Seminary. She taught in Egypt, Germany, Mississippi; Illinois and Michigan. Following her ordination in 1980 as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church USA, she served churches in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida. In 2005 she was ordained in the Christian Reformed Church and served as a chaplain at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan and as an associate pastor at Plymouth Heights CRC also in Grand Rapids until her retirement in 2012. She and her late husband, Bill, were leaders in planting churches in Morton, Illinois and Cascade, Michigan.