It Just Is

Itinerant. Traveling from place to place. Covering a circuit.

I am a woman, a daughter, a wife, a friend, a leader, and a United Methodist Christian.  I am all of those things at the same time.  I try to cover my circuit with grace.  I love being a part of a denomination that celebrates all the roles that I have.  I love that I am encouraged to be a better woman, a better daughter, a better wife, of course a better christian, and a better leader.  All of these roles allow me to part of the definition of my congregation.

When you refer to a place, how do you do it?  That church on the corner of 2222 & Burnet Road is Heather's church?  The pumpkin church is John & Betty's church?  The church between HEB & Lamar middle school is Valarie's church?  These are all accurate definitions of the church that is my home.

In the United Methodist Church pastors are moved around.  I have heard that being a United Methodist pastor is like being a member of the military.  Once you answer the call to ordained ministry you serve at the direction of the Bishop.  What does that mean?  It means you go where you are told to go.

My husband grew up in a tradition that hired new pastors via application, so the way United Methodists get a new pastor is foreign.   In the UMC all the churches are connected and pastors are appointed by the bishop, as noted above.  This is not to say that congregations do not get some say in who they are pastored by, but change in pastorial leadership is inevitable when you are a United Methodist.

Today, I learned who I will be pastored by for the next season.  This will be the 5th pastor that I have had in the last 18 years.  I have been a member of the same church during these past 18 years.  When change comes about there is uncertainty in the unknown.

I have had a lot of uncertainty in the past few months, so what is something more?  I am sad that David will no longer be my pastor, but I am glad that he will still be my friend.  I am unsure about the future with Paul, but I am excited for the new perspective.

I hope that Paul & Elizabeth will be happy to be a part of the definition of St.John's United Methodist Church. They have subscribed to itinerantcy, and thus the rest of us United Methodists have as well.  This is not the first time I have thought of this concept, but good or bad; it just is.

If we all stay pretty & smart we should be good.