My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
It’s time for a bit more “Methodist 101!” Below is the paper I adapted from an article by a colleague of mine to help explain to her congregation how a new pastor comes to serve a United Methodist Church. Our Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) has met with District Superintendent Rev. Staci Current to share with her their vision for our church and the characteristics of the next appointed pastor that will enable the church to enact that vision. This is an exciting time! For as bittersweet as it is to say good-bye to one pastor (who loves you very much!) and welcome another, it is that transformational time that is the stuff of being the church.
My prayers are with our congregation, our Bishop and D.S. Staci and the next pastor, my colleague who will become your clergy shepherd and leader. I often say to friends that I am envious of the pastor who comes to this congregation, in this time and place–what a splendid and loving church! Please read below so that all of us are informed and aware of the appointment process. This helps us prepare for what is happening right now, for “if we embrace the future, we can shape it.”
Peace,
Pastor Kim
The United Methodist Church, as a denomination, consists of a structure of governance that is divided into geographic and organizational units called the Annual Conference that is headed by a Bishop. Thus, we have an episcopal polity. As members of the Annual Conference, pastors are under the supervision of the Bishop and pastors are appointed by the Bishop and are not called by individual churches (making them an employee of the church). People who are called into ministry are seminary educated and are vetted through a vigorous process by the Board of Ordained Ministry and local District Committees of Ministry. Candidates are required to submit background checks, sexual conduct and history checks and a psychological evaluation. This process can take between four-eight years as the pastor works with the Board on preaching, pastoral leadership and other performance markers, as evaluated by the local church, the Board and other clergy. The culmination of the process is the pastor’s ordination, a celebration always conducted at the annual meeting of the Annual Conference, presided by the Bishop. In the United Methodist Church, pastors called to local church ministry are most often in the order of elders. (Another order is deacons, people called to service ministries rather than the local church.) Elders serve under the supervision of the Bishop and take a vow to be itinerant, meaning that they will move to churches to which the Bishop wishes them to serve. Elders are also guaranteed an appointment under United Methodist polity. It becomes a bit of a trade-off: pastors are guaranteed a church but also agree to move where the Bishop wishes them to go! Appointments are made for one year at a time. Clergy are selected to serve a particular congregation by the Bishop and the Cabinet of District Superintendents. With input from the congregation and with conversation with the current pastor, the Cabinet will discuss individual pastors who may be a good match for a particular congregation. This is a consultative process and not a congregational decision. The selection of our next pastor is made by the Bishop and Cabinet after careful consideration of missional and pastoral needs to the church and the assessment of the appropriate clergy. The factors used to determine the match of pastor and church are the gifts, grace, experiences and skills of the pastor and the needs and vision of the church. When the time comes for the presentation of the pastor the Bishop intends to appoint, the District Superintendent arranges a meeting with the SPRC to introduce the pastor and for a time of conversation. Following this process, the new pastor is introduced to the congregation by the SPRC chair. This process takes place between January-June, with each pastor beginning their new appointment on July 1.
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