Sophia Ormsby moving into ministry
OVER THE past 10 years, the acting principal at Iona Preparatory School in Tower Isle, St Mary, Sophia Ormsby, has worked hard to ensure her students achieve some of the best Grade Six Achievement Test results in the parish.
Ormsby, who was born in Manchester, but lives in Ocho Rios, loves teaching, but feels compelled to devote more time to God in the coming years. Speaking last week, the effervescent educator explained how her current job is proving to be the perfect preparation for a career in ministry.
She told Family and Religion: “For the past two years, I’ve been thinking about studying theology and I think that’s my ultimate goal for the next five to 10 years. I don’t think it will be a big career jump because I can always use what I’ve learned in teaching to help me in ministry. Right now, I will go anywhere that God leads me. It’s not about what I want anymore; it’s about what God wants for me.
“The idea came to me one day and I asked: ‘God, why did you let me go into teaching if you know that it’s ministry you want me to do?’And a voice came to me clearly and said, ‘Jesus was the greatest teacher’. I was a very shy person, so I think God put me in a field that would help me with public speaking so that I can branch out and do what He wants.
“Many transformational things are happening in my life, but I know that even if I do remain a teacher, I will still be doing ministry. I’m not a normal teacher, because I’m anointed to teach; so no matter how weak a child is, once I start working with him, amazing things happen under God.”
When Ormsby does eventually enter the ministry, one of the first challenges she will face is to bring people back to basics. She explained: “I believe the biggest problem facing churchgoers right now is the lack of love and concern for other people. Counselling and talking to people will eventually help to change these things, but sometimes a lack of education is another problem. And some people are just stuck in their ways and don’t want to change.
“But if you are open to change, and read excessively and extensively, you will start to see and the truth will be revealed. Once you start to pray, God will show you and help you to understand things, so you start to see them in a different light.
“Prayer conquers all. If you pray and ask God for something, you will get it. It might take long, in your eyes, but God knows the right time. As the saying goes: ‘Meekly wait and murmur not because God’s time is the best time’.”
“Once you start to pray, God will show you and help you to understand things, so you start to see them in a different light.”