Being United Methodist

This post has nothing to do with Isabelle, so some of you may want to stop reading now :) As you (probably) know, I'm a United Methodist Minister. There are advantages and disadvantages of being a minister, and being United Methodist in particular. One piece that has increasing significance in this day and time is that I have 100% job security. That means when my annual conference ordained me, they vowed that I would always have a church to serve (granted, that all goes out the window if I choose to do something illegal or immoral, but no plans for that so I should be safe!)

The downside, is that I (or any UM minister) can't guarantee WHERE that job will be. We stay within the bounds of our conference, but don't get to pick what city/town/middle-of-nowhere we want to live in. We can certainly make requests, but no promises are made.

So why do I bring all this up? Because this past week has been THE week. THE week when all of my friends who either requested to move or whose churches were ready for a change have been finding out where their new churches will be. It is an incredibly emotional time for everyone involved, and having Isabelle has made me so aware that from here on out my primary concern when it comes to appointments will be HER, not me.

I have multiple close friends who, for a variety of reasons, were seeking new appointments, and it's tough. I had not asked for a move and my church had not asked for me to move...but that still didn't guarantee I wouldn't get a call that we'd be packing up and moving...somewhere!

Thankfully, no call for me this week, so I am assuming we'll be staying put! But the situations of so many of my friends have been laying heavy on my heart this week...as has the job of the bishop and district superintendents (the ones "in charge" of figuring out the whole puzzle).

So today, I want to lift up United Methodists everywhere who are caught up in the appointment process and ask for prayers for all my friends who are seeking God's guidance as they move forward.

Oh, and another thing? It's all "secret." As folks find out where they are going, they can't tell their churches or any of their friends (reason being that there are sometimes the need to make changes later, so everything is "projected" at this point).

Oh, and another thing? United Methodist ministers traditionally live in church-owned parsonages. So that means most of us don't pick our houses (or get stuck with a house you can't sell...there are advantages both ways). Anyway, that means that on the last Tuesday in June, at (I think ) 12 noon, everyone magically swaps places!

For everyone who moves, you move and are simultaneously "working" your first day on the job.

So for all of you who are the praying types, please keep the United Methodists up for moves in your prayers. Moves affect families. the size of a community, it's racial make-up, the potential for friends, the presence (or absence) of any other children in the church, the house/yard/fence (or not). I'd love to list all my friends who are in my prayers, but, well, it's all secret :) So, unnamed friends reading this, I am thinking of you today.

So, if you live near a United Methodist church and see a car driving slowly by over and over again, this is the weekend of the "drive bys" as everyone drives to their new appointment to check it out before being allowed to talk to anyone about it! I remember the feeling well.

And you thought church life was boring ;)