To Whom It May Concern,
Now that our truly connected Conference "leaders" ("connected," here not so much as in The United Methodist connection, but more in the manner of, say, The Sopranos - fugitabowdit) have taken care of each other in the latest round of "discerned decisions," if it's o.k. with you, may we please now do some real ministry?
I'm just asking.
Because this game we play to maneuver and conspire to get what we want and when we want it - has truly become an art form - which as you know with all art, what one person may think is a thing of beauty, someone else knows is a bunch of crap.
Oh yes I did just say that.
And if you want to see some real leadership, I know a clergy woman who recently itinerated to a congregation in Marshall County, Kentucky, whose commitment to the connection and passion for her call is a continuing object lesson in integrity that judges all this foolishness. More than a few of us need to sit at her feet and take notes.
God bless us - please.
Johnny
an Elder in the Memphis Conference of The United Methodist Church
6 comments:
You have never been more on target. She is a person of true integrity. If the pastor at the church she left doesn't stay at least 5 years then she really was a victim. I have never had less faith in this "system" then right now. However, I am trying to follow Randy's lead and NOT fall into despair. As he said so well at AC...despair cannot be an option. Although it would help if "stuff" like what happened to our female clergy colleague could be not just prevented, but seen for the crime that it is.
Entrenched privilege protects its own, and nothing has changed except that to protect itself these days it needs to be seen as being accessible to people from non-privileged groups.
I don't know who is in Benton, Ky, or why they are there, or what "foolishness" has been going on.
huh?
Thanks for the recognition of the coerced move to Marshall Co. (Actually it's not even Benton) The pastor in question is my cousin. There aren't words adequate to describe how badly she and her former parish were handled in this preposterous move.
As I have said to her, it is noble to bite the lip and go, but going without kicking and screaming may well subject others to the whims of those who pulled this stunt. What to do? Hard to know!
Impulsive decisions, followed by good-old-boy cover-your-ass decisions for the impulsive decisions.
Does God speak to anyone else other than the One in Nashville? And does God change His mind that much?
I would just almost delete my earlier comment, but I leave it as a sign of true cluelessness. How is the current situation any different except perhaps in degree from the good-old-boy network of the past? The people with power have always protected themselves and those it served them to protect, haven't they? People have always been hurt being moved to accommodate others' perceived needs, haven't they? I guess I just don't understand what's going on that is that different from what has always gone on.
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