tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344296417215561454.post3937965379225066780..comments2024-01-08T10:43:35.440-06:00Comments on SpouseConnect: The New Face of Ministry, Part 1Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10838090105213069031noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344296417215561454.post-12639822696905628482010-05-30T08:18:11.731-05:002010-05-30T08:18:11.731-05:00I am doing PhD. research on this area of the itine...I am doing PhD. research on this area of the itineracy. How do you think spouses career, child care, child schooling, aging parents -- if disrupted -- affects the effectiveness of the ministry of the spouse who is the clergy. In particular, in SC, we are finding it no longer a given that a spouse who has a public school teaching career will be able to find a teaching position -- because of cuts across SC in education. This means, in our case, my wife's health care with the school system is terminated as of June 1st. This could mean I have to negotiate a new direct billing -- adding her to my conference health care -- with the church to which I am being appointed. This is a difference to the church of >450 per month.ridinpreachernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344296417215561454.post-26202640313104424062010-05-23T14:50:15.329-05:002010-05-23T14:50:15.329-05:00Dear Jamie, We've been in the Tennessee Confer...Dear Jamie, We've been in the Tennessee Conference for over 30 years and each time we've moved, we have known well ahead of time. Sometimes as early as Feb. But I understand that different conferences do things differently. About 50 years ago, things were as you describe them here. But the process may be different for local pastors or student appointments if you all are in those categories. It seems to me that not knowing that you are moving until so late makes it hard to plan. For example if you have to plan for child care or for aging parents. Just seems totally unfair to the families involved. As for an offical national moving day. That too depends on the conference I believe. I think ours has even been changed this year for some reason. But even so, we have moved both before and after the official date for various reasons. <br />I'm not sure if you are getting totally correct answers from your DS. I'd check with other spouses in your conference. Every conference has a conference journal, some of these are online at the conference website. Or you can call your conference office to get names and contact info for others in your conference. Are you also aware that each conference has parsonage guidelines for what the church is supposed to provide?<br />If you want more help, please feel free to contact me.Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344296417215561454.post-8720826778958759932010-05-19T12:49:48.067-05:002010-05-19T12:49:48.067-05:00Has anyone heard of not knowing your going to be m...Has anyone heard of not knowing your going to be moved until state conference?<br /><br />This is our first appointment, and we didn't find out we were appointed last year until after conference.<br /><br />Now this year, the DS says your moving but we wont know where until conference...<br />As far as we know those who are moving have been made aware and there are only two pastors that have yet to find out their appointments for the upcoming year?<br /><br />I guess my question is...have you ever heard of this before? Is this common or unusual?<br /><br />We were told that national UMC pastor moving day is annually June 22. But packing and moving within 2 weeks is not a lot of time to prepare your children or congregation...<br /><br />Please help me understand?Jamienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344296417215561454.post-67088916127124079682010-05-18T14:07:41.815-05:002010-05-18T14:07:41.815-05:00I commute to my job about 50 minutes a day (one wa...I commute to my job about 50 minutes a day (one way), But for years we were a lot closer, so I still count myself as fortunate. However, I so know spouses who are now refusing to move, and frankly, can't afford to even if their spouse gets an increase, which is by no means assured any more. It seems that ministry is becoming much less stable a profession. This makes for a scary proposition if you are sending your kids to college, buying a car, or even trying to go back to school yourself.Kathynoreply@blogger.com