The Future of Episcopacy in the UMC – Part 4

Subtitle: The Future of the Itinerancy?


As I have heard stories across our jurisdiction about pastoral appointment-making woes, I remembered an old book I read right out of seminary: Send Me? The Itineracy In Crisis (before any of you say it’s not that old of a book, I looked in the front and it was published 16 years ago).

One fact that the editor, Donald Messer, lifted up was this: “The Commission for the Study of Ministry noted that ‘if itinerancy is to remain a viable option for the church, issues of injustice and inequity, as well as accountability, availability, and authority must be addressed,’” a quotation from the 1988 General Conference’s advance edition of Daily Christian Advocate.

It’s nineteen years later. It was not addressed. As a result, we have mediocrity and poor clergy morale. Clergy will tell their superintendent that they can’t move because of family and personal needs. Being compassionate has been a plus to clergy compared to the previous manner of itineration, but are congregations being served well by it? Now, two classes of clergy exist: itinerant and non-itinerant. This has lead to a situation that was called in the 1988 Episcopal Address as “separate and unequal, with all of the advantages going to the non-itinerant.” Has anyone asked what this has done to the churches that the church is supposed to serve?

Housing allowances in lieu of parsonages have been good for clergy finances and assets. But has it served an itinerant church well?

And what happened to the vow UM clergy made, to be appointed “without reserve?” Do we just wink at that and cross our fingers when asked that?

Korea abolished guaranteed appointments in 1978. They had lost trust with the episcopacy and the appointive system. Local congregations chose their pastors and governed their own structure. As a result, the membership went from 597,691 in 1978 to 1,125,667 in 1990. Observations? The Rev. Joon Kwan Un noted that ministerial concern went from “politicking” to “ministerial competency.” “Pastors had to become more sensitive to the needs of the congregation and of the possibility of upbuilding the community of faith…” Longer pastorates emerged, which strengthened church growth. The negative? A phenomenon called “local churchism” took place, and connectionalism became questioned even more.

It may be that the bishops need to lead us through some rough waters: do we need to abolish the guaranteed appointment in order to remain connectional? United Methodism has always maintained that a bishop’s “power” comes from the ability to make pastoral appointments. Does the guaranteed appointment tie the hands of the bishop?

If bishops and other leaders don’t step up and address these concerns in a denomination that is losing membership rapidly, the laity may do as Korea and vote to get rid of the guaranteed appointment and bishops’ appointive power. The next logical step would be to say, “Do we really need bishops?”

It’s been nineteen years since the bishops identified the problem. Are they, are we, ever going to address it?

Pax,
Sky+

To read other entries on the Future of the Episcopacy, click "Bishops" immediately below.

A Catholic Spirit

“A Catholic Spirit” is one of my most favorite sermons of John Wesley. Some excerpts:

"And when he left there, [Jehu] met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he greeted him, and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?" And Jehonadab answered: "It is." [Jehu said], "If it is, give me your hand."- 2 Kings 10:15.

1. Even those who do not pay this great debt concede that love is due to all mankind, the royal law, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." It carries its own evidence to all who hear it. This does not mean, according to the miserable construction put upon it by the zealots of old times, "You shall love your neighbor," your relation, acquaintance, friend, "and hate your enemy." Not so; "I say unto you," said our Lord, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children," may appear so to all mankind, "of your Father which is in heaven; who makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

2. But it is sure, there is a special love that we owe to those who love God. So David: "All my delight is upon the saints that are in the earth, and upon such as excel in virtue." And so a greater than he: "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another: as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another" (John 13:34, 35)…

3. All men approve of this; but do all men practice it? Daily experience shows the contrary. Where are even the Christians who "love one another as he has given us commandment?" How many hindrances lie in the way! The two grand, general hindrances are, first, that they cannot all think alike and, in consequence of this, secondly, they cannot all walk alike. However, in several smaller points their practice must differ as their opinions differ.

4. But even though a difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an entire external union, yet need it prevent our union in affection? Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?…

5. Surely in this respect the example of Jehu himself, as mixed a character as he was, is well worthy both the attention and imitation of every serious Christian. "And when he left there, [Jehu] met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he greeted him, and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?" And Jehonadab answered: "It is." [Jehu said], "If it is, give me your hand." - John Wesley, 1771

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Good sermon, Father John.
Sky+

Where Is Jesus?

A tragedy occurs at a major college – and instead of mourning a tragedy, we’re quick to find blame. Don Imus uses very poor judgment in an off-handed comment, and gets people fired up about shock jocks and media misuse… as if it were something new.

In United Methodist circles, IRD, a conservative think-tank, is being accused of being in bed with Rupert Murdoch media outlets and having a questionable director (admittedly, having an ex CIA employee these days isn’t very convincing or even good P.R.). The “liberal” factions produced a book United Methodism at Risk a few years ago (I received one as an alternate General Conference delegate) that preached tolerance yet was intolerant of those who varied from their opinion, plus had some obvious factual errors in it! Renewal Groups haven't renewed much other than increasing cyncism and poor morale.

What in the world do these things have to do with anything substantial? College kids getting killed in school is tragic – how does blame help? Shouldn’t we be mourning senseless deaths instead of blaming a lack of gun control or school officials for letting someone “slip though?” Senseless death and tragedy is nothing new in a world that desperately needs renewal and redemption.

And why is just Imus catching all the flak regarding his comments in a news program? What about Al Franken, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes? Are they newsmen? Hardly. They, like Imus, are entertainers at best… and not very good ones. But awfully insulting at times. What Don Imus did was awful. I could say the same about the other “newsmen” listed above.

Ever go to a UM “renewal group” website? Check them out. See what’s missing? The name Jesus. On the IRD site, it occurs in a quote being critical of the Igniting Ministry campaign and not mentioning the name Jesus… yet IRD’s home page doesn’t mention Jesus either! Jesus doesn’t occur in their greeting from IRD’s president. Nor does it appear in their purpose statement. The home page of Good News’ website doesn’t have the name “Jesus” anywhere on it. The Confessing Movement’s page at least says “Christ Centered.” The Unofficial Confessing Movement’s home page has “Jesus” twice, but only in quotations.

Are we just becoming a club that is about “Jesus?” And is our center about becoming politically active instead of making disciples of Jesus Christ?

The issue of homosexuality threatens to split our denomination. Politics threaten to divide the Christian Church in America, and is becoming the new allegiance of faith, i.e., only “real” Christians belong to this or that party. Jesus said “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, but render to God the things that our God’s.” Can we serve two masters? Aren't these minors when compared to making disciples of Jesus Christ?

We’ve given the renewal groups their chance – on both sides of the aisle. They haven’t delivered, but they are succeeding in watering down the faith by having little or NO Christology in their ministry or mission. Christianity without Christ is... well, it's not Christianity.

I used to think that this song was “pithy”… until I really listened to it. And then I realized that my use of “pithy” was no better than the accusations I have raised above about “Jesus.”

Give Me Jesus
by: Fernando Ortega

Verse 1:
In the morning, when I rise,
In the morning, when I rise.
In the morning, when I rise,
Give me Jesus.

Chorus:
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus.

Verse 2:
And when I am alone,
And when I am alone.
And when I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Verse 3:
And when I come to die,
And when I come to die.
And when I come to die,
Give me Jesus. - ©1996 Izzy Sol Songs

Pax,
Sky+

Keeping Up – Reaching the Masses

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12.2

It’s official. As of yesterday, Toyota is the world’s largest automobile maker, passing General Motors. That doesn’t mean Japan is making all of the money; Toyota makes 10 vehicles in North America: the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Sienna, Solara, Tacoma, Tundra, and Lexus RX330 (did you know that a Lexus is just a well-insulated Toyota?). The Camry Hybrid is made in Kentucky, by the way.

Some say American pride is taking a beating. However, the reality is that we all now live in a global economy. And consumers these days don’t ask where something is made; they want to know, “Is it dependable?” “Will it run?” “Is it well made?” I’ve never owned a Toyota, but I have owned three Nissans. I spent very little money on them; they were well made, affordable, and dependable. Two of them were made in Tennessee.

While I’m not an economist, it seems to me that General Motors dethroning could be tied to an attitude of being too comfortable and assuming that “We’ll always be here.” That’s a dangerous attitude. That attitude lead to the downfall of the railroad – they didn’t keep up, and just assumed that they would always be king.

If the Church isn’t careful, we’ll fall into the same boat. We have to continually examine ourselves and ask the questions: Are we reaching society? Jesus didn’t say that we were to stay in our building and have people come to us; he said, “Go out… make disciples.”

While we aren’t to be of the world, we are in the world – are we keeping up to reach the masses?

Pax,
Sky+

Church Growth Without Christ

There is a new church starting up in our area; I’ve heard their commercials several times on television and radio. There is one disturbing thing about them: they never mention “Jesus” or “Christ.”

It seems like all these church growth formulas and models and criteria of what works are very weak in Christology, and sometimes lack any at all. While some may think that’s too theological a word, in short what that means is that it’s all about Jesus. If it’s not, no matter how effective it might seem, then it’s not Kingdom work.

The deity of Christ matters. The atoning sacrifice of Christ matters. These are not optional or something we hold back until we ease people into the faith. It is the central message of the Gospel. To deny it is, in my opinion, to deny Christ.

Another concept related to Christology is the understanding of hypostatic union. This is a term used to describe how God the Son in Jesus Christ took on human form, yet still remained fully God. John’s Gospel is full of this understanding, how Jesus always had been God and yet at the incarnation Jesus took on human flesh and became like one of us. It’s a mystery, but it’s our saving grace: Jesus Christ, one Person, is fully God and fully man.

We can’t compromise on this. I don’t care what the latest church growth guru says. A church that grows without a foundational and functional Christology isn’t a church – it’s a social club with a steeple.

The good news is that by God's grace, He can redeem anything and anyone. If we get people into the door, may we lead them gently and lovingly to Christ.

Pax,
Sky+

Who Are We?

At the first Master Site Plan/Long Range Planning Committee meeting last week, we spent some time talking about our church: who we are, what our frustrations are, and what we do well. Let me share these with you:

Who are we:
• A cornerstone of the Reidland Community
• Involved in missional outreach
• A Preschool provider
• Followers of the Great Commission

What Are Our Frustrations:
• Poor communications within church
• We are terrible procrastinators
• We are “clique-ish”
• We are crisis-driven
• Need to use our resources better
• We need to find unity from within
• We are a “graying” church (and graying community)

What Do We Do Well:
• Missions – both outside of our community and within our community
• Preschool – we have a premier preschool and have attracted several members through it
• Older Adult Ministry – Our OWLS program is very successful!

It was a good meeting, and an honest one. Not only do we know our strengths, but we also know our faults. But now that we know them, we can address them. We can continue to build upon what we do well, and remedy that which needs work.

But we won’t fix it in a day, or in another meeting. It will take time, and it will be done in God’s time. That’s frustrating for people like me who like timetables. But I also know that the Holy Spirit rarely rejects good planning and prayer. Just as God had a plan for Jesus as He went into Jerusalem, so must we have a plan of discipleship and mission as we go forward.

I am really energized. Our district superintendent came and reminded us that in this day and age, we need several entry points into our church where people can not only find Christ, but also find their niche in the Kingdom and be able to share their gifts. We don’t do it to glorify Reidland UMC, tho… we do it to glorify God and proclaim Christ crucified and resurrected. And that’s good news!

Pax,
Sky+

“Someday” May Be Today – Part II

As I mentioned in the March 7th newsletter, a Master Site Planning Committee will be meeting soon. Our first meeting will take place on Thursday evening, March 29th, at 6:30 PM. Sunday School classes need to send their appointed representatives to serve on a Master Site Planning Committee. We also need church trustees and church staff to be there.

We will need to hold urgency and patience in tension as we do this work. Highway construction is a reality, as you can tell from work already in progress. The urgency is in two areas:

1. Dealing with immediate parking and facilities problems resulting from highway construction.
2. Relocating the preschool playground, as part of it now lies on state right-of-way.

We have some “sketches” of how to deal with parking and relocating the playground to get our conversation started.

The other areas will be where we need patience, perspective, and prayer:

3. Developing a master site plan on the church property that will take into account future growth and expansion.
4. Answering the question: “Who Are We?”

In recent continuing education events I attended on church growth and evangelism, I have heard the following said over and over: “ ‘If you build it, they will come’ only works in the movies.” There are many churches that have regretted building gymnasiums, family life centers, etc., finding out that they were neither community needs nor areas of mission their church was really called to do. These same churches are now often struggling just to make interest payments on underused and understaffed facilities. And in these days of climbing building costs, aesthetics often has to be balanced with usability and affordability. Most new church facilities are built on the philosophy that all space is shared space, adaptable space, and has to serve more than one function. Before we build, expand, and change – we need to be sure it is faithful rather than faddish.

As far as the question: “Who are we?” The answer to that will dictate what direction we will go in as a church, not just regarding its physical plant, but also in our mission and our ministry.

Sky+

Chilling Out

Michael Choate (mandolin), Zach Bohannon (guitar), and Sam Riley (harmonica) are PseudoScience, pictured here live.

I don't do it enough, but when I do it's glorious. Sometimes, you gotta chill.

This evening, the young men that play at our Sunday Evening worship services did a gig in Lowertown Paducah at Etcetera Coffeehouse (a rather cool place itself, displaying local high school student's art). It was good, laid back acoustic music that was soothing to the soul and pleasant to the ear. I grabbed a mocha, sat down with a few friends, and listened to the music. Other than the fact that I was about the oldest person in there, it was great. Good music, great atmosphere, marvelous company.

These guys are good.

Sky+

Change, Crisis, and Transformation

A friend of mine asked me the other day why I didn’t dress “like a preacher” during the week. When I asked him how a preacher was supposed to dress, he said, “Well, I guess I’ve never really thought about it.” That got me to thinking how much clerical dress has changed throughout history. Clergy and monastics in Russia, Greece, and other Orthodox countries almost always sport long hair and beards, citing scripture from Leviticus 19.27: “You shall not make a round cutting of the hair of your head, nor disfigure your beard.” Today, clergy wear collars, polo shirts, oxford shirts with or without ties, suits with ties or without, beards or clean-shaven. In the case of women clergy, make-up or no make-up, pants or skirts, pant suits or dresses. I don’t wear a beard during basketball season because of officiating dress codes. I grow it back when basketball season is over because my wife likes it and it saves me time in the morning.

I doubt that any of the above has anything to do with the state of the church. Fashions change.

When it comes to “what’s wrong with the Church,” the reasons given have changed as much as the clothing styles for lay and clergy alike. Today, we blame the current state of the Church on sex, music, and “the way kids are being brought up.”

I'll bet that excuse has been around a while.

Homosexuality and sex in general gets more press when it comes to the Church than anything else. In my opinion, it’s no help: it’s idolatry, pure and simple. Just a subset of much bigger and greater problems.

What’s wrong with the Church? I think the answer is simple: we’re failing to make disciples. That takes work. That takes a willingness to get personal. It means being transparent, baring our souls, giving up our comforts and what we like, and yielding instead to the mind and way of Christ.

We must quit majoring in the minors and instead worry about the things Jesus worried about. Dress? Jesus wore sandals. Sex? Jesus said very little about it. Money? Jesus said LOTS about it – its use and its abuse. Outcasts? Jesus didn’t turn them away; he ate with them (and as a result was accused of being a glutton and a drunk). Saving souls? It was his top priority to redeem and transform all God’s children. There were no lost causes to him; he loved everyone he met unconditionally. Those who met Him found their salvation by their belief.

Today, those who meet Him find their salvation by their belief. Are we willing to introduce Him to others? Or just blame sex, music, and the way kids are brought up?

Don Shula, famous football coach, said this: “The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others.”

That might hold true for Christians.

Pax,
Sky+

Who's the Worse Sinner?

Here's the shirt I used and referred to from the sermon Sunday. And no, I still haven't worn it yet on a motorcycle ride. Perhaps I should. If the shirt fits...

Many Thanks, Brad Delp

Maybe not a household name, but if you are a classic rock fan, you've heard his voice. He was the lead singer for Boston, and hit those impossibly high notes.

Boston had a sound like no one... and made a LOT of money not just off records, but also off equipment that was pioneering in rock music. Tom Scholtz (Boston guitarist) invented the Rockman (a little gizmo that replaced racks and racks of older electronics), and a lot of groups had their "sound" because of Boston's pioneering.

Who were these guys? In short: nerds. Brad Delp made heating elements for Mr. Coffee machines. Tom Scholtz is an MIT graduate who worked at Poloroid. Regular guys who loved to rock.

I think the greatest tribute ever paid to a musician was what was on Boston's website for a few days after Delp's untimely death: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

I've always loved their music, and have every album. How gratifying to know that not only did he have a great voice... he was a nice guy.

R.I.P. Bradley E. Delp (June 12, 1951 – March 9, 2007).

“Someday” May Be Today

For how many years have we heard that “They are going to widen Reidland Road, put a light at the corner, and close off Old Benton Road by the church?" I heard it when I first moved here. We all said, “Well, they keep saying that…”

It looks like it’s going to happen. Not only has the state paid us for the right of way, they have begun work in earnest moving underground and aboveground utilities. Sunday morning, you may have noticed fewer parking places on the north end of the building because of a pile of dirt and gravel. Those are not “our” parking places anymore.

A few months ago, Sunday School classes were ask to appoint a representative to serve on a Master Site Planning Committee. The time for that committee to meet is now. As I see it, the committee has three imminent tasks:

1. Dealing with immediate parking and facilities problems resulting from highway construction.
2. Relocating the preschool playground, as part of it now lies on state right-of-way.
3. Developing a master site plan on the church property that will take into account future growth and expansion.

There is one more task that we need to tackle that affects every aspect of our church. We need to answer this question:

Who are we?
It may take us a while to answer that question, but in the process of answering it, we will find direction for what goals we set, what ministries we offer, and how we live out our discipleship as individual Christians and as a local church in Reidland.

Pax,
Sky+

Disciplines During Our Lenten Journey

It sounds kind of screwy… but I look forward to the Lenten season each year. The attention we give to Jesus and His love for us fills me with great expectation for the Easter celebration.

This year, we are going to begin some new and different disciplines to keep a holy Lent. Rather than be just busy work, I think they will be ways to focus on our discipleship and to be reminded of the greatest love story of all: the Passion of our Lord.

Here is a Lenten schedule for this season:

Every Sunday morning during Lent:
• Holy Communion, 9:15-9:30, church sanctuary, beginning this Sunday, 2/25.

Holy Week Schedule:
Palm Sunday (4/1)
• 8:15, 10:45, Palm Sunday with Holy Communion
Monday (4/2) & Tuesday (4/3):
• 9:30 AM, Mid-Morning Prayer, Sanctuary. Coffee and fellowship to follow.
Thursday (4/5)
• 6:30 PM, Maundy Thursday Service/Holy Communion, Sanctuary
Good Friday (4/6)
• 6:30 PM, Good Friday/Tenebrae (“Service of Shadows”) Service, Sanctuary
Holy Saturday (4/7)
• Prayer Vigil (asking people to offer to pray for 30 minutes during the day. More later.)
Easter (4/8):
• 7 AM, Reidland Community Sunrise Service, park across from church
• 10:45 AM – ONE worship service, Church Sanctuary

We know that our schedules are all different, and our prayer is that Holy Week will afford people of all schedules some opportunities to center themselves in prayer and in Christ to experience God’s love and continuing saving power.

Pax,
Sky+