One of the great privileges I have as an Elder in the United Methodist Church is that the ministries that I get to participate in go far beyond the local church to which I am appointed. A great deal of the time, we hear about the church 'beyond the walls' of our local congregation, and usually that is in terms of mission, which is very important, to say the least. However, there are many other ministries that go on to make the connectional system work, and those of us who are ordained Elders have responsibilities that go beyond the local congregation to which we are appointed. This week, I am spending a good deal of time in ministry beyond our local congregation, and wanted to share with you a little of the 'other part' of pastoral ministry. Parson the length of this message; it is important, however, for you all to know the things beyond the local church in which your pastor is involved as part of their job, things that are very rewarding in their own way and are a part of our calling to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Today, I am honored to host Rev. Jeremy Jones of the New Roads-Rosedale charge, for a few hours in our area. Jeremy is a candidate for ordination as an Elder in our conference, and I have been honored to serve as his mentor through the ordination process. Every person pursuing ordination is assigned an ordained Elder as their mentor to guide them through the process, and as one who was ordained not too long ago, I cannot tell you the invaluability of a candidacy mentor to talk through this rather intense process. It is really neat in this instance because Jeremy and his wife have been dear friends of mine for over 10 years.
Another responsibility of all persons under appointment is to make themselves available to serve on district and conference committees. Most of these committees meet maybe 3-4 times a year, thus not requiring too much time away from our appointment. One of these committees is the district Committee on Ministry, and those of us on this committee are responsible for working with our non-ordained clergy and those pursuing a call to ordination. Tomorrow, I will be with my colleagues on this committee as we conduct our fall interviews, seeing where people are in their process and helping to provide them guidance about the next steps of the process. We will see 15-20 people tomorrow, and it is exciting, for God is always raising up the next round of leaders for His church, and the gifts, graces, and abilities that each of these people bring is truly inspiring.
Finally, this past weekend I spend a good deal of time working with our Bishop and other clergy in my role as chair of the Acadiana District trustees. The district trustees are entrusted with the responsibility for all assets held in the district's name, and among them is some land that we are working on using to provide a home for the newest congregation in our district, Faith Community UMC of Youngsville. It can be very easy for those of us in a congregation that has been around for 148 years to not realize the excitement and wonder of being a part of a new congregation; I believe it is a testimony to the strength of our connection that we have these kinds of issues to work through and towards.
None of the above would be possible without a strong congregation with strong leadership and staff; thank you for making it possible for me to participate in the ministries of the larger church as well as the primary focus of life within our congregation.
This Sunday we will be marking the end of the Christian year by observing Christ the King Sunday. I hope and pray as you go about making your final preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday that you will join us in worship this week.
Don't forget that we start Advent on Sunday, November 30. Scroll down for much more information about our Advent activities.
