You know, I have heard about many instances where pastors were victimized by Bishop's when these Pastors have chosen not to dance to the tune of the Bishop. This is mostly due to the fact that too many powers are vested with the office called the Episcopacy. Don't you think that it has become high time that we intorduced a similar structure like the Epicopal Committe at the Annual Conference Level. Perhaps once that has taken place, i think the bickering for chrages and Presiding Elder Districts would come to an end. I think we would also have more responsible pastors, shepherds that would appreciate lay members and their rights, and less pastors that would literary lick the shoes of the Bishops.

I don't know, may be it might work, may be not. God bless!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Answers

What an excellent idea.

I would take it a bit farther and allow the local church to have the final authority in hiring the pastor from a recommendation made by the Pastorial Committee you suggested. The local church should have the option of accepting one of the candidates or rejecting all.

The selected pastor should have a contract negotiatied: perhaps 2 years minimum, and 5 years maximum with buy-out provisions to protect both the pastor and the church from a bad match. Two years would allow the pastor time to plan and begin to implement his/her program. At the end of the contract period, the pastor would of course have the option of another contract at the same church. It will be interesting to see the comments regarding this.

Blessings

Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

We might as well disband and become congregational. The glue that holds our connection together is our commitment to an episcopal form of governance. If we come up with contracts and give individual churches the right to hire and fire pastors we will find ourselves in new and different conflicts. The current situation is not perfect but this suggestion may make it worse.

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

What would you say of a person who continues to do the same thing over and over again and expecting and hoping for different results? It is apparent to the casual observer that we must make changes. Tradition is wonderful, but when change is needed we must have the courage to make the changes necessary. My suggestion may not be the correct change, but change is needed. Jesus had something to say about putting new wine into old wineskins. It seems the new wine burst the old skins.

Praise the Lord

Pastor Paris

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001

I agree with the need for a change perhaps some sort of annual conferece committee or episcopal district committee that would help us govern ourselves better but to bring it all the way down to the local level will more than likely have damaging effects on the connecton. Imagine congregations turing pastors around at the door because they don't want them and won't give them a try, what sort of churches would evolve out a situation such as this. When I first went to my current assignment the people were furious. the pastor they had was loved dearly. Because of situations on the district there pastor was needed in other areas. I was sent there and was treated pretty badly my first few months. But with much prayer and love the people came around and now we currently have a good marriage. what if i was turned around at the door.

I say once again though, there is a need for some type of change, a licentiate is under his pastor and presiding elder, a deacon, elder, and or pastor is under his or her presiding elder and bishop, the bishop only get nervous 0nce every 4 years when the episcopal committe is in session, but the rest of the time do what he or she pleases there is a need for change.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2001

Rev. Paris, Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again the same way but expecting a different outcome each time. There is definitely a need to change the way Pastors are appointed. Bishops and Presiding Elders need to do more research on what impact appointments have on Congregations. One year is definitely not enough time for Pastor and Congregation to come together and move forward for Christ. Perhaps assignments ought to be four years like the Bishop assignments unless the Pastor and Congregation thinks his work done. At the beginning of his assignment the Pastor, Congregation, Elder, and Bishop will decide on some type of measurement for success. At the end of four years the incoming or reassigned Bishop would look at the scorecards and decide what to do with the Pastor. We will need to see our Elder more than once a quarter and our Bishop more on the local level so they will be able to know how to grade the Pastor. A 30% out of a 100 might be failing for one Pastor based on the work but passing for another. “Change is inevitable . Instead of constantly going through the Change, We should direct the Change.”

-- Anonymous, July 31, 2001