A new appointment

At church on Sunday, our pastor mentioned that it was Moving Day for pastors in the North Carolina Annual Conference. This is the season for "Moving Days" across the UM connection, and that means it is the season of appointment process uncertainties and the unique reality of being a Methodist preacher. "We work on one-year contracts," you'll often hear Methodist preachers say. And it's true that you never know when that call from the district superintendent is going to come, telling you that it's time to pack up your belongings and move to a new town.

We all actually live in a more transient culture than pretty much any previous generation in American history. People move with a lot more frequency than they used to, whether for work, school, or some other reason. So it's a little curious in some ways that Methodist clergy seem more wary than ever of the appointment system. They look at their fellow clergy in other denominations who can potentially have 20 or 25 year pastorates, and the prospect of moving every 4 or 5 years can seem downright unappealing. But then again, who lives in the same place for 20 or 25 years anymore?

This may be an unpopular stance to take, but I'm willing to speak up for the appointment system. In fact, I think it can teach us something about the nature of ministry that a "call system" cannot. In my Lent column last year, I wrote about the virtue of someone else telling you a Lenten discipline to take on, rather than choosing one yourself. The virtue in question is humility, and it is fundamental to learning the kind of love that Jesus wants to teach us. In a way, I think the appointment system in the UMC, which goes back to John Wesley himself, teaches pastors a similar humility. Accepting the appointive authority of the bishop is akin to saying, "Ok God, I accept that I may not know best how to serve the church. So I will accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit and my bishop in telling me where you need me most."

I don't claim that the appointment system is flawless. Mistakes happen every year, in every annual conference. But in the midst of our grumbling, we should realize that there's a whole lot that does work about it. And we Methodist pastors have the opportunity to learn something about servant leadership - through the very way we accept pastoral appointments - in a way that our fellow clergy in other denominations do not.

Along those same lines, I've also got some news to share. Emily and I were contacted a few weeks ago by Gray Southern, district superintendent of the Durham District in this annual conference. He asked if I would be willing to take an appointment in Henderson, NC, at Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church. It's a beautiful little country church that dates back to the 1850s, and Emily and I are excited about starting there in a few weeks (that's a picture of it in the photo at the top of the post). I'm committed to working at the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation in July, so our first Sunday at Mt. Carmel will be August 3rd.

I've experienced unexpected calls related to the appointment process before, and this was quite similar. I wasn't seeking out an appointment, and even though it is technically only quarter-time, it is going to take some time away that I could be spending on my doctoral program. But through prayer and conversation, Emily and I came to the conclusion that this is just one more example of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. The church is telling us where it needs us to serve. And I think the proper response is humble obedience to the call of the Spirit and the church.

Besides, now I'll be preaching again every week! Woo-hoo!