Moving season

By Tom Steagald

At this time of year, my colleagues and I trade more phone calls and emails than usual. It’s a seasonal thing—a whopping increase of calls and emails related to “appointments.”

Appointment-making is the distinctive way in which United Methodist clergy are deployed to congregations. The bishop of a given area consults in the spring with the district superintendents of that area (the Cabinet) to mix and match the needs of particular congregations with the gifts and graces of available pastors. At the end of June, when the appointments are made and the moving list finalized, there is fruit-basket turnover.

Until then, rumors fly from one end of the conference to the other.

Pastors swap stories—most of them baseless, as superintendents are sworn to secrecy. Still, we preachers are fond of speculation, of satisfying our own minds as to who should go where and why. We are also fond of second-guessing when the lists finally go public.

Although it’s normal to be caught up in a process that some years affects each of us directly, it’s a little unsettling that this process takes place in Lent. I am trading these phone calls, swapping these emails, assessing the various rumors and their sources and subjects, in a season when I should be confessing sin, not amplifying it. Envy and anger, pride and despair—they’re part of this networking.

So pray for us Methodists. Pray for the bishop and Cabinet—they have real work to do. Pray for those who will be leaving familiar places and arriving as strangers in new places. And pray that we preachers will soon get back to our ministries.

Tom Steagald is a United Methodist pastor in Stanley, North Carolina.

Comments

[Rev J]

Thank you for the wonderful post. Being in your conference, or in any UMC Conference for that matter, I can agree with the joy of this time of year. My prayers are with everyone taking part of this UMC tradition and I thank God I'm staying where I am. Peace be with you and thanks again for the post.

[Amy]

Itinerancy - An outdated flawed system, sustained by Faithful and Honorable Ministers. The oath a minister takes before God to support the itinerancy system just might not serve the ministry as it did a century ago. District superintendents would better serve God's Mission as much needed consultants, offering their support and valuable experience to their churches rather than spending their time evaluating their ministers for possible appointments. In this day and age where data banks are only a key stroke away, appointments could easily be managed by clergy and congregations. Who knows better than the community themselves what their needs are and who would best serve them? While a district superintendent may have God's work as his / her motivation in the appointment process, neither the DS nor the Bishop advised by the DS can fully know the effects of their decisions, on both sides. The ramifications due to the system of itinerancy are enormous. Mission work, Outreach Programs, support of Social Agencies, Community outreach, Social Services, membership, tithing, apportionments, both budding as well as thriving church committees, families, constituents - the extended family of the church and most importantly the spiritual and mental well being of the very person serving God – our ministers are profoundly affected by the system of itinerancy. How can one person, however good their intentions are possibly be capable of researching and realizing the effects from their decision? No one can deny that an Oath taken before God IS a sacred thing. The system that requires that oath needs to examine itself TRULY in the Light of God's Love and Compassion. Miracles are beautiful things, examples of God's work that surround us every day. May the absolving of this antiquated system be the next miracle we see in the UMC. May we all pray for our beloved clergy whose lives are put thru enormous stress each year during the holiest of seasons. May we all pray that our clergy will be free to fully develop their gifts in a safe and loving environment without the imminent possibility of an appointment elsewhere. May God hear our prayers and create another Beautiful Miracle amongst us all. In God’s Love may we pray.