“While the leader was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” — John Wesley, May 24, 1738
God calls us to tell our story so that others may come to know Jesus Christ. “Hearts Strangely Warmed” was created to share these stories about transformational encounters with the Living God.
Pastor Hannah Pratt Sledge
A Journey of Calling
I took my first steps in the back of Harrisville United Methodist Church. I was baptized and confirmed in this church, and sometimes I spent more time at church than the preacher’s kids! However, I loved going to church. I loved the people, and I loved the sanctuary that always seemed to usher me into God’s presence.
At a very young age, I decided to follow Jesus, and by the time I was sixteen years old, that decision was deepening. Like many teenagers, I was pondering the frequently asked question of what I wanted to do when I grew up. I considered many different paths, but I wasn’t quite sure what to select. Then, one summer, when my family and I were on vacation in South Carolina, we visited a random church we had located through the yellow pages in our hotel room. We were warmly greeted when we entered, and we found seats as worship began.
I wish words could capture the worship experience that enraptured me that day, but as in most thin spaces when heaven and earth intersect, words so often fall short. I remember standing and singing in harmony with the people of this church whom I had never met and whom I may never know their names. We sang deep praises of worship, and still to this day, this was the clearest picture of heaven I have ever witnessed.
After the service, a kind lady came up to my family and said she had a word for us. She asked the pastor to come over, and he anointed us and prayed over us. The word she gave us was “transverse.” She believed my family would cross geographical boundaries for the sake of the gospel. It was an incredibly powerful moment of prayer and anointing.
I remember walking out of the church back to our car reflecting on all that had just happened. In that moment, I came to a very important decision. I knew that nothing else mattered in life except following Jesus with all that I am and all that I have. This moment was the beginning of my call to ministry and led me on a journey that is still unfolding.
That moment of calling led me to attend Messiah College, now University, where I majored in Christian Ministries and minored in music. Upon graduating from Messiah, I attended Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. where I spent 3 years working at a large suburban church and building a partnership between this suburban church and a non-profit homeless ministry in Baltimore. The same summer I graduated with my MDIV from Wesley, I married [Pastor] Kris Sledge and moved to near Chambersburg, Pa. I served St. John’s UMC for two years and then moved to Harrisburg to begin The Journey with Kris. I now serve at Aldersgate UMC in Mechanicsburg and am so thankful for the journey of calling that continues to unfold.
I look back on that moment of calling in South Carolina and am amazed at all that God has done! I could have never guessed where the journey would lead, but I am filled with gratefulness for the churches, family members, pastors, and mentors who have made this journey possible. Most of all, I am thankful for God’s faithful presence with each and every step.
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| Hannah was commissioned as a Provisional Elder in 2020. |
Rev. Jason Schwartzman
