The Rev. Kenneth Ogden was nervous about his move to Lehighton in 2007.

At the time, he was assistant pastor at Rosedale Evangelical Congregational Church in Baltimore, a city he loved to its core.A Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan, Ogden never contemplated a move to Pennsylvania. On Sunday, however, the senior pastor at the People's EC Church in Lehighton was ordained during a nearly 90-minute ceremony and shed a tear while talking about the community he now calls home."I didn't know anyone up here, but I had faith that God would put people in my life who loved me, my wife and our children," Ogden said."And now, I wouldn't go back to Baltimore for anything. My goal was to invest in this congregation and in the lives within this community. This community has certainly invested in me."Ogden was joined by many friends and family members Sunday inside the church at 216 Wagner St. Among the crowd were his wife, Teresa, and their two sons.Several of Ogden's colleagues also wished him well.The Rev. Dr. Michael Sigman, pastor of Grace Community Church in Willow Street, outlined the difficult role of a pastor."Some people think we only work one day a week and for only a half-day," Sigman said. "Others think how hard it must be to please all these people and meet so many expectations. Pastors are imperfect and weak, but they belong to God."Ogden obtained his master's degree in divinity from Evangelical Seminary. Previously, he completed his undergraduate work at the University of Baltimore, where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in English literature.His journey ultimately began 17 years ago in the basement of his Dundalk, Maryland, residence."I had been saved for three years," Ogden explained, "and I was praying, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me I was going to be a pastor. It was a long road, but under the leadership of a lot of great people such as Michael Sigman, I learned what it meant to be a Christian."Also participating in Sunday's ceremony were the Rev. John Haag, retired pastor at Rosedale EC Church in Baltimore; the Rev. Bruce Hill, bishop of the EC Church; the Rev. Robert Klersy, former minister of Ogden at Rosedale EC Church; the Rev. Gary Kuehner, Delaware Region Conference Minister; Hannah Bartron, member and short-term missionary, People's EC Church; and Paul VanOsten, music and worship director, People's EC Church."This is a validation of God's call upon Ken's life of pastoral ministries," Kuehner said."You can't deny that God has called Ken to this task."