June 28, 2010

More Stress with No Commitment from Our Church

In a recent UM Reporter, I couldn't help but notice two adjacent articles. Separately they were newsworthy, but taken together, a bit surprising. The first article, funded by Duke, had to do with clergy health problems; i.e., clergy's poor health reflects inordinate amounts of stress--no big surprise to any of us. The second article had to do with the possible elimination of the guaranteed appointment.

Think about it. On one hand clergy are over-worked, over-stressed, criticized for poor self care, and under-paid. Then on the other hand, the Church says, "Let's add to pastors' burdens by eliminating their guaranteed appointment. Let's let them worry every year that they might not have a job or home or health insurance for their family the next year."

Seems to me that the Church demands 100% commitment from pastors but is unwilling to show that same commitment to her pastors and their families.

Frankly, it makes me angry. I don't know about you, but I'm not happy for my kids or me to be collateral damage when the Church fails to be a faithful partner.

Kathy

4 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more. If you eliminate the guaranteed appointment, then you have to change the whole appointment process. What we have right now is a covenant between the church and the elders (and their families), and you can't change one side of a covenant and not the other. It's like me telling my wife I can shop around and ditch you for someone else at any time, but you'd better be faithful to me.

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  2. PS- I recently blogged about this issue myself: http://matthewlkelley.blogspot.com/2010/05/guaranteed-appointments.html

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  3. Kathy and Matt, you are both so right! This would certainly be a step toward undermining the established structure of the UMC and relieving the Conference of any responsibility for the security of parsonage families. Best to live well enough alone if they want "happy campers."
    Nona

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  4. "Frankly, it makes me angry. I don't know about you, but I'm not happy for my kids or me to be collateral damage when the Church fails to be a faithful partner"

    agreed!! As we struggle as a denomination to keep dying churches alive, I am not willing to put my families welfare, college education, and emotional health at risk.

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