Soft egalitarianism hits the local newspaper

Very few of you who read this blog know that I have been appointed to be the pastor of First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Oshkosh WI effective the end of June. Only a few of you know how the UMC appointment process works. It takes place within a domain-based hierarchy, top-to-bottom. A few elements of democracy exist within the larger setup, but not in an exaggerated way.

I’ve really enjoyed my five years in small-town, rural Wisconsin. The front page of the local newspaper featured my family’s move, and the interim appointment of a Missouri Synod pastor to an ELCA congregation, in the last issue. The demographics of the area, and of the readership of the newspaper: heavily Roman Catholic, Wisconsin Synod and Missouri Synod Lutheran. None of these churches allow women in the pulpit. WELS churches continue to marry people in the love-obey framework. Nonetheless, this works itself out in practice as soft complementarianism to soft egalitarianism in the home, no different than among the other confessional groups regardless of vows exchanged.

Here is the article about my departure. Here is the article about a colleague’s arrival. Put yourself in the shoes of the many RC, WELS, and LCMS people who opened and read the last issue of their  local newspaper. In my congregation’s most recent newsletter, I explained how domain-based hierarchy works in the UMC in more detail:

All good things must come to an end. By now you probably know that I have been appointed to be the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Oshkosh, effective at the end of June. Your new pastor has also been named: he is Kerry Wilson. I know Kerry. He is a very fine pastor and speaker. He is organized. He cares. He loves God with a loyal heart. I trust that you are in for a fine ride.

If you treat him as well as you have treated me – Ralph Germain has already promised to treat him better – he will flourish and you will flourish thanks to his ministry.

It will be hard for me to leave. You have taught me a lot in the time I have been here. I have watched God do some pretty amazing things in your lives. God asks us to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). In the name of our Savior, we have done a fair bit of that together.

Trinity is a strong church with many people who care about it as a place where God makes himself real. They put their heart and soul into seeing God’s work flourish. Once in a while it may seem that the devil wants to see the church unravel – I’m sure he does. But, as Jesus promised, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

How are pastors chosen and appointed in the United Methodist connection? If and only if a pastor lets it be known that he or she is open to a move, is it likely that a move will take place. The goal is to keep pastors where they are so long as the trend line is positive. Still, there are reasons why a pastor or a congregation may ask for a change in leadership.

I let it be known that I was open to move, so that Paola, who pastors a new church start located off the first Appleton exit, would not have so far to go. The move will allow us to be more united as a family. It will allow her church, which is growing very nicely, to get a bigger piece out of her. It will allow First Church in Oshkosh, which has had more than its fair share of trials and tribulations of late, to get a fresh start under new leadership.

Semi-serious reasons why I like the United Methodist system of appointment. (1) If things don’t work out, there is always the bishop to blame. (2) Congregations in other setups spend years interviewing candidates, only to get a dud anyway. (3) The best pastors do not necessarily shine in a beauty contest, which is what a selection process in which everyone puts their best foot forward often turns out to be.

In the United Methodist system, it’s possible for either the pastor or the congregation to reject an appointment. But it’s rarely done, because the system is based on trust. Trust goes a long way among people of good will. What can go wrong still goes wrong, but we don’t make things better by adding suspicion into the mix.

A working match between a congregation and a pastor is like a working marriage. It is not so much about being cut out for each other. It is a choice, first and foremost, to hold the other in honor, to speak and act with the best interests of the other at heart.

It’s a dance if you wish. So what if I step on your toes once in a while, and you step on mine. So long as you let me put my arms around you now and then, and spin you around; so long as I let you do the same, it will be all right. I’ve enjoyed dancing with you these past five years. And I plan to keep on dancing until the end of June. 

Comments

[anthony loke]

from a fellow methodist pastor to another, our system is not perfect but it is as good as it gets. happy moving.

[JohnFH]

Thanks, Anthony. I trust all is well with you.

[terri]

Congratulations on your new post!

Our family has been attending a UMC church for a couple of years now and the structure is very different than what we were used to in non-denominational churches.

Still haven't decided is I think it's better or worse. There are pros and cons to both methods of leadership selection.

[JohnFH]

The non-denominational setup often works better for missional purposes at the moment. It allows churches to spring up better. But that's only because UMC bishops tend to be very timid.

In theory, bishops can call into ministry anyone at any time, outside the box of traditional rules and regs. In theory, they can authorize a new church start without going through the paralyzing process of committee after committee.

But in practice, they rarely do. No wonder the Holy Spirit blows right around the UMC in so many instances, rather than through it.

[David Ker]

I totally missed this. I hope your new congregation is as long-suffering as your old one... :)

[JohnFH]

The new congregation plans to be, but they don't know what they're up against. For the sake of having Anna and Betta around, there is a chance they will put up with me.