June 17, 2005

"Fixing Our Appointments"

At the close of each Annual Conference, I declare that the new appointments are "fixed" for the coming year. I know that means our appointments are "finalized" or "set" or "completed." But on the other hand, I also know that appointments are only "fixed" by the pastors and the parishes who make them work.

Our United Methodist Church is a "connectional" church, by which we mean that every local UM church is connected to every other local UM church around the world. "Connectional" also means that our UM clergy are members of the Conference, not of the local church, and they are committed through their ordination vows to be concerned for the good of the entire Conference and not just the local church they are presently serving. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts that a UM clergy can bring to a local church is a broader perspective which helps that local church to see its role in the worldwide ministry of our denomination and of the whole Christian movement. Unfortunately, sometimes both local churches and the clergy who serve them become so "localized" that they lose sight of this worldwide perspective and become parochial in the worst sense of that term.

Of course our United Methodist Church is an episcopal church with an itinerant ministry, which means that the bishop is assigned the responsibility of "sending" clergy to serve churches, rather than "call" systems where local churches call or hire their own pastors and where pastors must apply and seek such jobs.

So, our appointments are only "fixed" when everyone participates in making this United Methodist system work. Much of this "fixing" of appointments rests with our United Methodist clergy who are colleagues in the Conference and also predecessors and successors in their appointments. Every time we clergy go to a new appointment, we follow a colleague whose ministry we build upon. Every time we leave a place of ministry, we leave behind a ministry for a colleague to inherit. I have a deep conviction that the way we treat those colleagues says much about our true ministry. The way we follow others, speak well of their ministry, and build upon their work says much about us as clergy. If we tear down, complain, and belittle the ministry of our predecessors, we reveal our own lack of collegiality in ministry.

Likewise I firmly believe that one of the measures of our ministry is the way we prepare for our successors. It pains me to hear some pastors say, "I did such great ministry at my last church, that after I left the whole church fell apart." Is that really a good testimony to one's ministry? Would not a better testimony be the fact that my ministry paved the way for my successor to have an even stronger ministry? Isn't the real test of ministry the way our ministry endures and grows? I believe that "collegiality" in ministry has much to do with the way we relate to our predecessors and our successors.

As our United Methodist clergy and families pack up and move this time of year, I pray for them and for their colleagues. I pray that their successors will treat with kindness the ministry that they inherit. I pray that each predecessor will leave behind a ministry and a church that is a strong foundation for their colleague to build upon. I pray that the laity of each church will lovingly release their pastors who are moving, and that they will lovingly receive their new pastors. And I pray that all of us will strengthen our sense of being colleagues in ministry together. That is the only way that our United Methodist appointments can really be "fixed."

And so, I offer this prayer for those who are in the midst of moving to new appointments:

O Lord, help us to be in ministry together, and help us to build upon each other's foundation.

Let us proceed and succeed each other in ministry with a deeper sense of appreciation.

May our ministries build and expand together, may we be colleagues with one another; May our people be blessed by our mutual efforts, and may we treat each one as a sister or brother.

Lord, watch over those who are moving these days, keep them safe and help them to adjust; Since moving and packing is our Methodist way, help them to move and to grow in Your trust.

Amen.

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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