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Bankruptcy

: A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer's Blog

From Bankruptcy Trustee to Orthodox Priest

By Stephen Sather

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As a bankruptcy lawyer and trustee, Ronald Ingalls helped troubled debtors absolve their financial sins. As Father Methodios Ronald Ingalls, he will now be able to deal with sins of a broader nature. Today, on January 6, 2011, Ronald Ingalls was ordained to the Holy Priesthood of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. His story is one that shows that the distance between the sacred and the secular is often smaller than we imagine.

For Ron Ingalls, his sacred/legal journey began as he entered law school in 1985. It was at this time that he converted to the Orthodox faith. As a result, there was a strong connection between the law and Orthodoxy in his personal life.

He drew a parallel between his legal and priestly studies. He that, "It's not about you. It's about the client. Now I have the biggest client of all."

He graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1988 and became a chapter 7 panel trustee in 1994. As a trustee, he administered cases ranging from the missing atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair to bankrupt developer Gary Bradley.

He also drew parallels between his service as a trustee and a priest. He noted that in both instances, he was commissioned to act on behalf of someone who was not physically present. He also drew the parallel of trying to salvage something for everyone else.

Ron's ordination was a moving three hour service. For those not familiar with the Orthodox Church, it involved a lot of solemn ritual. The service took place on Theophany, which means appearance of God. The service remembers the baptism of Jesus by John and the holy spirit appearing in the shape of a dove. The service included hymns in Greek, Romanian and Arabic. It also included the blessing of the holy water. Shortly after the service, the Bishop and clergy went to bless Barton Springs.

Ron will return for a final semester in seminary and then will spend a year in a mission congregation in Fredericksburg.

Godspeed.

Full post as published by A Texas Bankruptcy Lawyer's Blog on January 07, 2011 (boomark / email).