July 11, 2005

"Installing District Superintendents"

Yesterday I celebrated the installation of Rev. Judi Purvis as the new DS for the Vincennes District and Rev. Ned Steele as the new DS for the Indianapolis West District. Two weeks ago, I celebrated the installation of Rev. Dale Mendenhall as the new DS for the Muncie District and Rev. Chip Gast as the new DS for the Huntington District. This makes a total of 7 DS installations I have completed in the last 10 months (including the 3 new DSs I installed last summer who had been named by Bishop White before his retirement).

At each of those installations I have had the chance to say a few words about the meaning of Superintending in the United Methodist Church today. I have shared those words around three words which all begin with the letter S. Perhaps it would be good for me to share those words with all of you.:

1. Shepherd -- a District Superintendent is a shepherd, a pastor, someone who provides caring pastoral oversight for the congregations and pastors of the district. All of us who serve as Bishops and District Superintendents are pastors, and we don't stop being pastors when we start superintending. As I meet with each Cabinet here in the Indiana Area, I am touched by the level of deep, personal care which is provided by each DS. We start every Cabinet meeting with a time of devotions and praying for pastors and churches in the conference. District Superintendents are appointed to shepherd.
2. Supervise -- a District Superintendent provides supervision for the pastor and churches in the district, not as a "boss" and not as a super-hero with "super" vision, but supervision in the sense of providing a larger perspective. In the New Testament the word for "oversight" implies both "looking over the church" and also "looking around the church" to see where God is at work beyond our walls and then calling the church to get involved with God's work. District Superintendents are appointed to supervise.
3. Strengthen -- a District Superintendent is in many ways the "glue" which holds our connection together. For many churches the DS is the only person they meet who embodies the conference, the connection. Part of the work of the DS is to strengthen our sense of connection with one another and with God.

I am pleased to work with 18 individuals who truly offer these qualities and work hard at these tasks of shepherding, supervising, and strengthening the pastors and churches of their individual districts and collectively of the whole conference and Indiana Area. I have been a DS myself, and so I know what a difficult and challenging job it is. These 18 persons deserve our prayerful support as they provide these ministries on behalf of the bishop and on behalf of all of us.

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner

Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"

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