Children Go Where I Send Thee

This morning I finally had time to spend a little time with this publication.

The Listing of Appointments for TN Conference UMC Clergy 2014

I enjoy discovering where some of my clergy colleagues have landed after the yearly moves made by the Bishop and his cabinet. Although I know where some friends are headed, some are surprises as I read through the book. 

The biggest question I face as a UM pastor is, "Why do they move you people so much?" The standard answer is:

                       "This unique system of assigning clergy dates back to John Wesley.The bishop 

                        and the cabinet (all district superintendents in the conference) look at 

                        appointment needs throughout the conference, taking into consideration the 

                        needs of each church, the gifts and talents of each pastor, and other 

                        circumstances in the conference. They then determine the appointments for each                               church in the conference. The bishop will "fix" the appointments at the annual                                     conference meeting each year." (From www.umc.org) 

The real answer is that the Bishop and the cabinet, led by God and the needs of the conference as a whole do their level best to place the right spiritual leader for the right church body. Do they always get i right? No, they are human like the rest of us. But they do have a view of a larger picture of the situation that we do in our local churches. 

For us pastors moving (or staying) can be a moment of excitement, where we have a Sally Field, Oscar moment ala Norma Rae.

Or it can be a sad moment feeling as though you have been demoted or left behind. What we forget is that God is able to overcome human failing and our vanity. 

What really lies at the hear of angst at appointment season for both clergy and congregation is found in a statement by Ronald Heifetz, co-founder of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and co-founder of Cambridge Leadership Associates, "People do not fear change, they fear loss...what is familiar, reliable, unknown. Habits, values and attitudes - even those that are barriers to progress - are part of one's identity." Change calls us to let go of what we have become - bad or good, right or wrong.

John Wesley began the process of moving clergy as he began to place pastors through out the new colonies in America. He felt that after a bit a pastor had preached all he had to preach. In fairness, they were called to preach only his sermons for consistency in message so if they ran out I have to wonder where the fault was in that? But seriously, his point seemed to be that over time a number of situations could happen: a loss of looking for leadership in the wrong person, pastors feeling a little too much ownership and the reality that different seasons require different gifts and graces. 

"How many perish in this world, because they rather choose to be great than humble!! therefor they become vain in there imaginations." ~ John Wesley, The Christian's Pattern.

Often as a clergy leader stays it is natural for the people to begin to follow the seen human leadership instead of the true head of a church, Jesus Christ. While a clergy leader is given the responsibility to Order the church, it with the CEO, Christ, guiding that order. Even Moses had to lift the pole with a snake to the Heavens to remind the wandering chosen that their eyes must be lifted to God as the true One.

As a natural leader, with God-given gifts of leadership, I can easily do just that, lead. But it is important to look at what "leading" means. I have a young grand daughter, Amelia. She is beautiful and fun. We call her Miss Sassafras. She IS Sassy. She is independent with a mind of her own. God gave her that mind and we are thankful. Now when she and I go for a walk I could take her hand and lead her the path I wish to take. Well actually I can't because to accomplish that I would have to pick her up and carry her against her will. But... if I let her walk and allow her freedom of movement al the while guiding her directing by showing her points of interest along the way, our paths will eventually become the trajectory I had hoped for. While picking her up, dragging her to the way I want is expedient, she arrives at the destination disgruntled and has missed many great experiences and learning opportunities. 

Amelia and I exploring

This my friends is leading! Not dragging those you have been charged with or manipulating them to love what you love, but to walk with them, allowing them to discover life all the while helping them to find the learning moments that shape their outlook. 

Non-clergy friends, your pastor loves God, loves the Church and loves you. Allow them to go where they are best utilized and embrace the one that comes to leave with an excited anticipation of a great new direction. 

Clergy friends, remember, keep your hands and feet inside the car, pull the safety bar close to you until it clicks and don't exit the car until it comes to a full and complete stop and most of all enjoy the ride!