I have decided it is time to give everyone an update
on the Candidacy Process. Some pretty big things have happened since November
when I went to my retreat!
On December 5th I went to Duke Divinity
School to visit and speak with Rev. Thie about a possible scholarship; I was invited
back on February 5th for interviews with 5 District Superintendents
and I think those interviews went really well. I have also been invited back to
Duke next week to find out if they are going to pursue me for the Thriving
Rural Communities program. The Thriving Rural Communities Initiative works to
foster thriving rural North Carolina communities by cultivating faithful rural
Christian leadership and fruitful rural United Methodist congregations. Thriving
Rural Communities is a partnership of Duke Divinity School, The Duke Endowment,
the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the Western
North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. It also is a part of
Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. In these matters, I would love continued
prayer.
In January, I met with my Pastor/Parish Relations
Committee and we discussed my calling and their role in helping me discern my
calling to ministry. After hearing from me, I left the meeting and was called
that night to say that the PPR Committee did vote to send me to the Charge
Conference. If you are reading this and aren’t Methodist (or even if you are
Methodist) you may not have a clear understanding of what a “Charge Conference”
is. Basically put, the Charge is the basic
governing body of each United Methodist local church and is composed of all members
of the church council.
 |
| Charge Conference at Clarksbury UMC |
Last night, February
12, 2018 I meet with my church’s charge conference and the representatives of
the various church committees as well as any members who wanted to come out
that were “non-voting attendees.” So maybe you are asking yourself “what part
does the charge council play in your calling?” The charge conference directs
the work of the church and gives general oversight to the church council,
reviews and evaluates the mission and ministry of the church, sets salaries for
the pastor and staff, elects the members of the church council, and recommends candidates
for ordained ministry. After hearing my
call story, hearing my answers to the “Historic Questions” that John Wesley
wrote and asked ministers in 1746, the charge conference unanimously voted to
send me to the District Committee on Ordination.
As I head farther
into this calling and continue to lean into and live it out, I am hoping that
you all will continue to pray for me. Not only me, but also pray for the lives
I will be touching with my ministry. Pray that God will send people my way that
will need to hear the gospel message and that through me a difference will be
made in the lives of others.
I will continue to
update you all through this process and of course, as I will also continue to
write my short devotions or lessons here and I hope that you will continue to
enjoy reading them.
Peace and Grace unto
you!
No comments:
Post a Comment