Alpha, Omega, Aardvark

Drucilla Tyler acknowledges that she is an unlikely minister and unusual child of God, not unlike a certain snouted, insectivorous mammal.

"God made aardvarks and called me to the ministry," laughed Tyler, quoting a favorite statement of self.

As the new Presbyterian Stated Supply Pastor, Tyler now helms two "yoked" congregations in Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka.

She brings with her a firm belief in God as "lord of the conscious" and a special kinship with those who wrestle with their faith, as she once did.

The Atlanta-born daughter of a newspaper reporter father and social worker mother, Tyler did not grow up in a religious home.

For years, she struggled with her faith in God, even identifying as an atheist at age 18.

Faith did not come in a flash of lightning, nor did a heavenly vision summon her to the seminary.

"I have more awareness of how people on the outside of the church feel and the questions they have," said Tyler. "Having been an outsider, I'm more aware of it, more empathetic."

Pragmatism and Priesthood

A divorce in the late 1970s prompted Tyler to re-examine her life. With four children ranging in age from 16 to 2, Tyler set out to find a stable career.

 Having previously earned a bachelor's degree in English, Tyler considered law school and graduate programs in psychology and business administration.

While still mulling over her future, Tyler attended a Presbyterian conference in Tampa.

There, as she listened to ministers speak about hunger and other social issues, Tyler resolved to enter the priesthood.

Tyler attended the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where she studied the Bible in Greek and Hebrew.

She also heard her first sermon delivered by a female minister. The Presbyterian Church began ordaining women as priests in 1965.

"There are a lot of ministers who felt called to the ministry as women," noted Tyler. "I didn't. I simply felt called the ministry. I learned that it didn't matter. I was a pioneer, period."

As she continued her studies, Tyler grew in faith and resolved many of the doubts that plagued her as a young woman.

But one day, during her commute to the seminary, Tyler began questioning her new-found faith.

"I thought, 'What if it isn't true, the thing about Jesus Christ,'" recalled Tyler, who resolved the question pragmatically.

"I thought, 'Well, I like the way believing it affects my life and the choices I make, so I’m sticking with it.'"

After graduating from the seminary, Tyler served for a decade as minister of a Presbyterian church in Whitestone, Queens.

While in New York, she reached out to ministers of different faiths, hosting multi-faith services commemorating the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

From the Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and others who attended the services, Tyler learned that people of different faiths share a common humanity.

"We really do have more in common than not in terms of wanting our kids to be well, be educated, our parents to be safe and cared for," she said.

Though she thrived in her role as minister, Tyler could still laugh at the unexpected direction her life had taken.

One Sunday, while attending a Mets game with her seven-year-old son at Shea Stadium, the then 40-year-old Tyler had a moment of heightened self-awareness while yelling at an umpire.

"I thought, 'If someone had told me at 18 that I was going to be a single parent, living in New York City and a minister, I would've rolled on the floor laughing,'" said Tyler.

Preaching the Word

Tyler served at churches in Maryland and Melbourne before fulfilling her dream of living in the Florida panhandle.

At the Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka Presbyterian churches, she is considered a Stated Supply Pastor, a part-time, annually renewed position.

Serving two "yoked" congregations had long intrigued Tyler, who is adjusting to her weekly routine of "two sermons in 25 miles."

Gulf County's time zone division has eased the transition.

The Port St. Joe service begins at 10 a.m. ET, followed by a lavish pot-luck lunch. The Wewahitchka service starts at 11 CT, and if Tyler lingers a bit longer at the buffet, the dozen faithful parishioners don't seem to mind.

"In Wewa, they say they know when the pastor's not there by 11, the food is really good," laughed Tyler.

Though Tyler makes her politics known in private, she does not preach social issues on Sunday.

"I say that if you talk to me for five minutes, you'll know what my politics are. If you hear it in my sermons, I need to hear about it," said Tyler, who sticks to the Good Book at the pulpit.

"There are some issues where social justice and the gospel are absolute, for the most part, preaching is about the gospel, it's not about a particular issue. I try to make it clear that each one of us arrives at our own understanding of how the gospel calls us to live in the world."

Tyler believes tolerance is key.

"One thing Presbyterians and other denominations have lost is that we must respect people who are part of the body of Christ who have different viewpoints. We have to listen to each other and sometimes we have to call others to accountability."

With a dozen parishioners in Wewahitchka and less than 40 in Port St. Joe, Tyler hopes to grow the congregation by reaching out to the community.

"I think we convince by doing much more than we convince by saying," said Tyler. "I think actions speak a lot louder than words."

Though Tyler will host regular office hours at the churches, she spends more time spreading the word of God at grocery stores, doctor's offices and beauty salons, where she finds that people are more comfortable approaching her with questions.

"I try to be clear that I'm open to answering questions, but I don't think God has to be defended," noted Tyler.

"I think the church's job is to figure out ways to open the door so people come into the church, and it's usually not during a worship service."

Tyler plans to host community events at the church, and has already scheduled an upcoming census worker training session.

In her spare time, she will begin writing works for publication – poetry, editorials, short stories, everything, she jokes, "that there's no market for."

Tyler is now renting a home on Marvin Avenue in Port St. Joe, making her the first Presbyterian minister to live in the city for the last two decades.

Though she doesn't expect her permanent presence to double the size of her congregations, Tyler believes her greater visibility will help the church, even as it hinders her quest for private time.

"I arrived in a red car so everybody's going to know where I am," she quipped.