Whose Church is it Anyway?

I’m a trained interim pastor, who began my ministry working on the staff of my denomination in its national offices. I have held secular jobs, mostly in the not for profit sector while I supply preached in small congregations. And by small congregations I mean sometimes only two people would show up for Sunday’s worship service. There may or may not be a musician so I have had to lead the music and singing without accompaniment. These tiny congregations have vital ministry in their locales, and it grieves me that many pastors on the pulpit supply list would not ever consider providing pulpit supply in such locations. I have to wonder sometimes what motivates some of my pastor colleagues in their understanding of their call to ministry. Is not our call to ministry that of Word and Sacrament: Preaching and Administering the Sacraments? It is sad when congregations have to beg for someone to come and administer the Sacraments and pastors who are available will say no because they do not see the importance of ministry where two or more may be gathered in the name of Christ. The cultural value of big is better has overtaken the Church.

I have also served two small membership congregations as pastor, albeit not as a called and installed pastor. The terminology of called and installed is part of the polity or political process of the denomination of which I find myself living out my Christian faith and serving God in the manner in which I believe I am called. I am best described as a contract pastor. I have a contract that is agreed to by me, the Session of the congregation and the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery. I do not see myself any less of a pastor than my called and installed brothers and sisters. Although I know from my chaplain friends, who serve in validated ministries, that many of our called and installed colleagues do not view our ministries as serious ministry because we are not called and installed to pastoral ministry in a church. Who calls us to ministry? Jesus Christ calls us to ministry, which is then recognized by our governing body so ministry is validated by both an individual calling and the calling of the Church. I believe that ministry is living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in how we live our lives as Church leaders and then using all the skills we have been given to bring God glory. Personal recognition isn’t the goal or purpose of ministry.

My interim training has come in handy in the two congregations I have served in that it has provided me the training necessary to help my Elders live into their calling as leaders of their congregations. Too often the congregations I have experienced have given away their power to paid staff, who may not share the beliefs or theology of the congregation that they have been hired to serve, or to pastors who overstep their understanding of ecclesiology and think that the church they serve is THEIR CHURCH and nobody is going get between them and their church. The church they serve becomes for them their vehicle to personal recognition and prestige. Taken to an extreme, the church becomes a tool they use to promote themselves rather than a body of believers who proclaim the Love of God to an aching world. It is my strong belief that the Church belongs to Christ and the Ministry that God has called the church will prevail, in spite of, pastors who believe they own a specific church. Keeping the fact that the Church belongs to God helps keep all the human jockeying for power and personal glory in perspective, I gain much peace knowing that God is in charge and if there are people who wish to see certain churches fail, that ultimately that the survival and success of a ministry is up to God.

These are just some random thoughts I have had the last couple of days as I have been praying and pondering some recent experiences in ministry. I don’t expect anyone to agree with me. These are my personal viewpoints and by naming the ‘powers’ I sense working, I am able to dis-empower them.

New Years Eve 2010

I am really looking forward to 2011. 2009 and 2010 were tough years, and they gave me the opportunity to reflect and regroup and evaluate a lot of things in life. It is my intention to blog much more often in 2011. Still don't what I will be blogging about if it will be knitting, my baking and cooking, or my life and ministry. Maybe it will be all of the above. Regardless, I hope that whoever reads my blog, will be inspired and find something that they find meaningful in reading my posts.

Until next year....

Clint, Virgil and George

When I read this morning that George Edwards died yesterday, I thought to myself about the old cliche that deaths comes in threes. In this case George was the third death of three retired New Testament professors at Louisville Seminary.

All three taught at Louisville Seminary at or near the time that I attended LPTS.
Clinton Morrison, Jr. who I took for my first Greek exegesis class from and later several semesters of elective Greek reading died in March. Clint was known for his sense of humor, his puns and love of language and was just a genuinely caring human being.

I recently read a short Presbyterian News article that Virgil Cruz died in May in the Netherlands after a stroke. Virgil was a well known evangelical in the church. I took New Testament and a couple of exegesis classes with Virgil. Virgil will most be remembered by me for leading a J-term trip to Puerto Rico where we spent a month at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico in Hato Rey and studied Puerto Rican Protestantism. Virgil also introduced me to my husband Anthony when I first arrived on campus and was helpful in giving me advice on how to make my dream of attending seminary come true during a visit to campus during an exploratory weekend.

Today I learned that George Edwards died. George was one of the most outspoken advocates for justice in the church. His life and witness and advocacy for those experiencing any of the ‘isms’ was an inspiration to all. George came back to campus after his retirement to teach polity. Although I never had a class per-se with George, his presence in the Louisville community and on campus was an inspiration to me and the stories of others who encountered him in their lives .
Both George and Virgil were important in getting the Presbyterian Church (USA) offices to move to Louisville, KY.

The witnesses of Clint, Virgil and George’s lives continues on even though they have joined the great cloud of witnesses that surround us. Their lives and their ministry all point us to look to Christ in some way, to see a new aspect of the Gospel, be it through humor or caring, be it through exposing prejudices and talking through differing opinions, or be it through challenging us to be hands on advocates for those experiencing injustice and speaking out against injustice.

All three will be missed and I know my life is richer for having known all three of these New Testament professors.

First Day in a New Pastorate

Today was the first day of my contract with the Belton Presbyterian Church as their half time Temporary Supply Pastor. I am looking forward to serving this congregation located at 122 Main Street in Belton, MO. The historic church building is beautiful and the congregation has been warm and welcoming. The first big gig with this church will be on Friday morning when the church host this month’s Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee. I’m baking some muffins for the event and one of the Elders on Session has taken the lead in lining up others to bring breakfast casseroles and scones and fruit for this networking event.

What I found so inspiring today was Bill Tammeus’ post on women in ministry. His post on his blog Bill’s FAITH MATTERS can be found here:

I just found it a nice and gentle affirmation of my own ministry as I began a new chapter in my ministry today.

Famous Failures

A dear friend sent this to me in an email. It is very inspiring.

LIFE = RISK

If you have never failed you have never lived.

A Mid-Summer Update

It is hard to believe that it is already August. At the end of this month, I will be out of a job. The church I pastor has voted to close and it will hold its last service of public worship on Sunday, August 30, 2009. It is a sad time for me and especially the congregation. So I have been swamped with all the details involved with closing down a congregation decently and in order in the PCUSA. Actually a lot of the heavy lifting has been delegated to an Administrative Commission and they are doing an excellent job. God does provide for the right people to be in the right place at the right time to do difficult tasks.

I don't want to get hung up on writing about the details of closing down a congregation. Mostly I have been spending my time focusing on the pastoral care needs of the my congregation members in these last few weeks and finding meaningful employment for me since I have to have to some means of income to pay the family bills.

I have been on three legitimate job interview, one group interview, and one extremely deceptive interview in the past month. I am still waiting to hear about the last two job interviews. One is for a full time as an administrative assistant type with benefits job and one is for a part time term job as a fund raiser. I didn't get a second interview as a hospice chaplain (work I think I would be really good at doing as a pastor to older adults and a gerontologist) or a call back to an interview for a concierge at a retirement community (I had more eduction than the Executive Director of the facility).

I am tired of getting emails about going into financial services or insurance sales. I have a business idea but it isn't cooked yet and I need to spend some time developing my business plan, but really can't do that until I find work to keep the roof over my head and the lights on so I can run the computer.

Right now I feel torn in a multitude of directions - take care of the folks at the church - find a new job - don't panic.

It has Simply been a Tough Spring.

It's Been a Tough Spring.

Spring Cleaning hit my household early this year and it has continued with a theme of simplicity. We have lived in our house, which we are really blessed to have and enjoy living in for the most part, for seven years now. What we have come to realize in our household is that this house is just too big for two people and we have way too much stuff. A lot of our stuff is stuff that people have given to us over the years as we helped older relatives downsize their lives. Some of the stuff is stuff we bought that we no longer need, want or use. What I have come to realize is that I was happier when I had less stuff. Stuff has not made me happy. So Spring Cleaning has commenced in more ways than one in my life.

On the career front, I'm looking for my next new thing. The work I do as a pastor has me working with an aging congregation that is working through a process of deciding if they want to close or stay open. It is hard work to work with what many people consider 'dying' congregations. I am not sure if I am developing myself as a specialist in this area or not. I get frustrated with other organizations and entities that like to prey on vulnerable congregations. Lately I see this happening more and more.

I am also dealing with some related internal issue about consistency of my personal values with my exposed values of simplicity and that is difficult work of self reflection.

I did run across this interesting website and I want to link to it. It fits with the Simplicity theme.