"Ready to move a lot?"
That's the question an old professor of mine asked when she heard I was dating a man preparing for ministry in the United Methodist Church.
I didn't take her reference to the UMC's itinerant, circuit-riding pastor tradition seriously at the time. Three years into our marriage and first full-time appointment, I now understand that this is a major concern for many clergy families in the UMC. Some pastors retire with tenures at ten or more churches under their belt, and despite the common knowledge that long pastoral tenures are key to long-term growth and vitality in a congregation, there's still a whole lot of moving going on each year (in many cases, because the pastor has requested it).
I would ask how many churches your spouse has served or how many times you have moved, but that number really doesn't say much unless you know how long he or she has been in ministry. (Three churches in five years means something very different from three churches in a lifetime!) So, I'll phrase the question in a different way:
What is the average length of your tenure at each church you or your spouse have served?
Share your answer in the poll in the sidebar at right. (If you are reading this in a reader, you'll need to click over to the SpouseConnect site.) If you want to elaborate on your answer or this question in general, leave a comment!
April 5, 2010
Would you recommend ministry in the UMC?
Last week, I got an e-mail from a senior at my undergrad alma mater, Furman University. The alumni office had given her my name as an alum working in the career field in which she is interested. She asked me questions about the skills required for my job, how I got into the field, and the best and worst things about the job. Over dinner that night, I asked my husband the same questions, most pointedly, "If a college senior were considering ministry and asked you whether he or she should pursue ordained ministry in the UMC, what would you say?"
I don't remember his exact words, but the reply wasn't quite what an eager young graduate would want to hear!
A lot of the clergy spouses reading this blog are in the United Methodist Church, and as we've seen through some of our more popular and most commented-on posts, issues like itineracy, guaranteed appointments, and the ordination process are often frustrating to those in ministry in the UMC. Every denomination has its issues (so my husband frequently reminds me!) but there are problems peculiar to the UMC that fuel ongoing debates about the church's future vitality and effectiveness.
There seems to be no shortage of opinions on what the church should do to stem decline, grow vibrant churches, change the world, and nurture effective ministers. One UM leader who hasn't said much publicly on the subject before wants to know your opinion, so I wanted to make you (and your spouses) all aware of this conversation.
Mark Beeson, pastor of Granger Community Church (third largest in the UMC), is somewhat of a controversial figure in the UMC because, frankly, he is pretty different from most UM pastors--or at least his church is pretty different from most UM churches. With the look and feel of a non-denominational, evangelical megachurch, and no cross and flame in sight, many accuse him of hiding the UM "brand." But he is--perhaps surprisingly--very committed to the UMC and passionately wants to revitalize it. He is starting a series on his blog called "Methodist Mondays" to gather insights and spark conversation with others in the denomination.
You can check out the first post here, where he asks the question I posed to my husband the other day: "If someone called to ministry asked you whether they should pursue that calling in the UMC, what would you say?"
Your answer might differ from your spouse's, but our answers to this and the other questions to be asked in the series are quite telling when it comes to the future of ministry in the UMC.
I don't remember his exact words, but the reply wasn't quite what an eager young graduate would want to hear!
A lot of the clergy spouses reading this blog are in the United Methodist Church, and as we've seen through some of our more popular and most commented-on posts, issues like itineracy, guaranteed appointments, and the ordination process are often frustrating to those in ministry in the UMC. Every denomination has its issues (so my husband frequently reminds me!) but there are problems peculiar to the UMC that fuel ongoing debates about the church's future vitality and effectiveness.
There seems to be no shortage of opinions on what the church should do to stem decline, grow vibrant churches, change the world, and nurture effective ministers. One UM leader who hasn't said much publicly on the subject before wants to know your opinion, so I wanted to make you (and your spouses) all aware of this conversation.
Mark Beeson, pastor of Granger Community Church (third largest in the UMC), is somewhat of a controversial figure in the UMC because, frankly, he is pretty different from most UM pastors--or at least his church is pretty different from most UM churches. With the look and feel of a non-denominational, evangelical megachurch, and no cross and flame in sight, many accuse him of hiding the UM "brand." But he is--perhaps surprisingly--very committed to the UMC and passionately wants to revitalize it. He is starting a series on his blog called "Methodist Mondays" to gather insights and spark conversation with others in the denomination.
You can check out the first post here, where he asks the question I posed to my husband the other day: "If someone called to ministry asked you whether they should pursue that calling in the UMC, what would you say?"
Your answer might differ from your spouse's, but our answers to this and the other questions to be asked in the series are quite telling when it comes to the future of ministry in the UMC.
Called or Sent?
I'll never forget how surprised I was when I first learned that some churches call their pastor, rather than accepting the one sent. True, I was just out of school, a newly-wed, serving in the role of pastor's spouse at our first appointment. My husband had a master's degree and we lived with very little. True, we didn't have food stamps but we really looked forward to those fellowship suppers. While we loved the people, the parsonage had a crack in the wall next to the fireplace, such that you could sit in the living room and look across the street. While this may sound quaint, it got cold in the winter. Frankly, I had never known anyone who lived like this. But I sucked it up and reconciled the situation thinking that perhaps my childhood wish to be a missionary had come true. Perhaps you would have been shocked too, given the circumstances.
When appointment time call around, I learned that there were several churches in our conference who had the power and prestige to call whoever they wanted as pastor. To me at the time, it seemed that our church played by the rules and others didn't. Not only that, my spouse had given his word that he would itinerate, but others didn't take their vow as seriously. I also learned that there were wide differences in living standards. Still, this was our first church and our ministry was fruitful. People later told me that they all took a collective sigh of relief when we left because the church had not been so active or taken in so many new members for a long time.
But our time there left its mark.
I made several promises to myself when we left three years later, the first being that I would never let a church treat my family like that again. It was our first church and we didn't know that ground rules about what we could ask for, but clearly there were different sets of ground rules for different sets of churches. To be fair, over time the church did make needed repairs, but, to my knowledge we were on our own. There was no help from anywhere beyond the local church.
Since then, I've lived in some lovely parsonages. Now, can I say living like we did at our first church was worth it? I'm still divided on the issue.
What about you? Is it worth it for you?
Kathy
When appointment time call around, I learned that there were several churches in our conference who had the power and prestige to call whoever they wanted as pastor. To me at the time, it seemed that our church played by the rules and others didn't. Not only that, my spouse had given his word that he would itinerate, but others didn't take their vow as seriously. I also learned that there were wide differences in living standards. Still, this was our first church and our ministry was fruitful. People later told me that they all took a collective sigh of relief when we left because the church had not been so active or taken in so many new members for a long time.
But our time there left its mark.
I made several promises to myself when we left three years later, the first being that I would never let a church treat my family like that again. It was our first church and we didn't know that ground rules about what we could ask for, but clearly there were different sets of ground rules for different sets of churches. To be fair, over time the church did make needed repairs, but, to my knowledge we were on our own. There was no help from anywhere beyond the local church.
Since then, I've lived in some lovely parsonages. Now, can I say living like we did at our first church was worth it? I'm still divided on the issue.
What about you? Is it worth it for you?
Kathy
April 1, 2010
Where are you in this story?
Those who shouted "hosanna" later turned against Jesus and shouted "crucify him. " But is this really true, or does this thought simple betray our own assumptions about crowd psychology?
People did seem to expect Jesus to ride into Jerusalem and then gather an army and overthrow Rome. But instead, he cleared the temple and called the Jewish leaders "wicked tenants." He told them to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's. Perhaps Jesus just angered and disappointed too many of the wrong people.
But perhaps the "hosanna" crowd and the "crucify him" crowd were different people. Because we see how the leaders were afraid of the crowd's reaction time after time. When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about his authority, Luke, Mark, and Matthew tell us that these leaders were afraid of the crowd. And Jesus continued teaching in the temple, presumably to many believers, Luke 21:37-38. This crowd's open embrace of Jesus seemed to be increasing. Perhaps, for a while, it served as his protection from the growing crowd of plotters.
Luke 22:1-2 tells us that the chief priests and elders gathered in stealth--secret--to plot against to kill Jesus. Why stealth? Because they feared his followers--the "hosanna" crowd.
So maybe the "hosanna" crowd really wasn't the same as the "crucify him" crowd after all.
Where are you in this story? In which crowd to you find yourself? While we'd all prefer to cheer "Hosanna," sometimes our actions suggest otherwise. Do you praise him or crucify him with your daily living (Hebrews 6:6)?
Do you sometimes succumb to political pressure and fail to proclaim Christ faithfully? Do you claim holiness, but harbor racism or other sin in your heart? Do you scapegoat and mistreat others,--your co-workers, neighbors, spouse, even your children?
Let us confess. For just as Jesus faithfully died on the cross for you, he is faithful and just and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
John Marshall Crowe
People did seem to expect Jesus to ride into Jerusalem and then gather an army and overthrow Rome. But instead, he cleared the temple and called the Jewish leaders "wicked tenants." He told them to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's. Perhaps Jesus just angered and disappointed too many of the wrong people.
But perhaps the "hosanna" crowd and the "crucify him" crowd were different people. Because we see how the leaders were afraid of the crowd's reaction time after time. When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about his authority, Luke, Mark, and Matthew tell us that these leaders were afraid of the crowd. And Jesus continued teaching in the temple, presumably to many believers, Luke 21:37-38. This crowd's open embrace of Jesus seemed to be increasing. Perhaps, for a while, it served as his protection from the growing crowd of plotters.
Luke 22:1-2 tells us that the chief priests and elders gathered in stealth--secret--to plot against to kill Jesus. Why stealth? Because they feared his followers--the "hosanna" crowd.
So maybe the "hosanna" crowd really wasn't the same as the "crucify him" crowd after all.
Where are you in this story? In which crowd to you find yourself? While we'd all prefer to cheer "Hosanna," sometimes our actions suggest otherwise. Do you praise him or crucify him with your daily living (Hebrews 6:6)?
Do you sometimes succumb to political pressure and fail to proclaim Christ faithfully? Do you claim holiness, but harbor racism or other sin in your heart? Do you scapegoat and mistreat others,--your co-workers, neighbors, spouse, even your children?
Let us confess. For just as Jesus faithfully died on the cross for you, he is faithful and just and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
John Marshall Crowe
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
I am curious what Jesus did between Palm Sunday and Easter.
Did he spend time in prayer, gathering courage and strength for the suffering ahead? Did he arrange one last visit with Mary? Did he take the disciples on a retreat?
I looked in each gospel and Jesus was very busy during this last week of life. He continued through the marketplace, going to the temple, teaching, healing, telling parables -- typical days, keeping the normal routine. Jesus never lost focus about the purpose of his life even as his suffering approached.
How do you respond to suffering -- however you define it? How can you stay focused on God even when you are challenged? Are there persons you know or about whom you have read, who are able to remain strong in God despite the suffering they are experiencing?
Jacquie Reed, Fishers, Indiana
Did he spend time in prayer, gathering courage and strength for the suffering ahead? Did he arrange one last visit with Mary? Did he take the disciples on a retreat?
I looked in each gospel and Jesus was very busy during this last week of life. He continued through the marketplace, going to the temple, teaching, healing, telling parables -- typical days, keeping the normal routine. Jesus never lost focus about the purpose of his life even as his suffering approached.
How do you respond to suffering -- however you define it? How can you stay focused on God even when you are challenged? Are there persons you know or about whom you have read, who are able to remain strong in God despite the suffering they are experiencing?
Jacquie Reed, Fishers, Indiana
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