Saying Yes

Day 8 - Saying "Yes"

After I hung up, I called my DS,  "So what's up with the invitation when I didn't ask to move. And my current congregation didn't ask me to move?  You know that I wasn't interested in another local church.  Why would they ask me to accept this appointment?"

He shared that there was a conversation and when they looked at the list of current pastors interested in moving or those who are being asked to move by their current appointments it seemed that none would fit the profile for Westminster UMC.  That was when each of the superintendents offered up one person from their district for consideration. 

"And you put my name in the hat?"

"No, actually another district superintendent did!  Listen, consider the invitation, pray about it, you don't have to accept because you weren't asking for a move and the congregation didn't ask for a move."

All this was news to me, being part of the appointment system, there was little choice to stay no to a move when asked.  You moved.  It was also strange that I was offered the appointment, I knew that if I said no, then I would always be looking at the person they put into Westminster and wonder if I should have said yes. 

I called the pastor who left halfway through the year and asked him about the appointment and he shared that he left to pursue training in counseling. I spoke to the interim pastor.  I spoke to Jacki who was thrilled that her guess proved out.  By four o'clock, that afternoon, I decided to accept the appointment change.   I have always accepted the invitation of the bishop to take a new appointment.  I also realized that I was in my eighth year at Mount Zion.  We have had a productive run at Mount Zion and perhaps it was time for them to receive new leadership as well.  I figured that the church would continue to thrive and Westminster was struggling with the rapid change of pastors over the last five years or so.  I could go there and stay until retirement (about twelve years in total) and we could do some good work.   Finally, I reckoned that nine brains were more capable of considering the best options for Westminster and who was I question. 

I called the Frederick DS and he shared that he would call the SPRC chairperson at Westminster and set up a time for the introduction on Wednesday evening that week.  I wasn't to say anything to my current appointment if all things went well, then a subsequent meeting was set with the SPRC of Mount Zion.  I have never liked this part of the process.  It always seems sordid, not on the up and up, as if we are setting up an illicit affair ... there is excitement but also a supreme level of guilt as if I'm going to be cheating on my current congregation.