Get out the boxes, it's moving time again!

It's moving season for a host of United Methodist preachers, myself included. The work at Faith UMC has been fruitful over the last 6 years. As John Wesley intended for the Methodist preachers not to stay too long in one place, we are continuing to live out that dream for him in the itinerant system. I look forward to my new assignment to Deerfield UMC in Boone NC. That means as United Methodist preachers, when we are ordained as Elders, we take a vow to go where we are sent. For me, that was about 17 years ago, and I was much younger. It seemed like a noble thing to do. Little did I know then what it would be like to love a congregation, serve them faithfully for a certain number of years, and then move to start over again. It was a lot easier to say then, "I will go where I am sent," than it has been to love people, leave them, pack boxes, meet new people, love them, and start all over again. To love people freely is a gift from God. I give the Lord praise that after 17 years of full time ministry as a pastor I can still feel love for the people I serve in the name of Christ. It hurts everytime you have to move, yet there are new friends waiting to receive me and  my family on the new end of the move. The gospel compels us to go where there is an open door of opportunity in the name of Christ. That's the call, and it's still as strong as ever after 20 years, praise God for that!
     I asked God to let me continue to love his people with an open heart. I want to warn you that when you love freely you are going to get hurt. Then comes the next part of my request to God, that God will come and heal any hurt that comes my way from loving his people. And the hurt does come.  God is so faithful. I want to give a witness of who is my supply of love that abounds, it is Christ our Lord! And I can give a witness that when it hurts to love, God will bring what I need to have healing and be able to receive that healing, know that I am being loved and cared for and be able to move past the hurt to love again. Receive this good news. God will meet your need if you are getting ready to receive a new pastor. Receive the good news clergy if you have been so broken by this process that you have considered leaving the ministry or the United Methodist Church-God will bring you healing and hope still is ahead of us, and hope will not disappoint us.
    On Wednesday of this past week, all the pastors who are moving gathered with the Bishop and the DS's for a meeting to honor the moving process, the toll it takes on the clergy, our families, and on the congregations. It was a group of really tired looking people. In each pair of eyes there was a story to be told. There were some tears shed. Remember that God is working all things out for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Church, that's us! God will work with the itinerant system and our bishop and our cabinet to make the best appointments for each church and for each pastor, and he can work and does work even beyond their understanding and still works things out for the good of all concerned. Where we are assigned is a spiritual process.  It has not been an easy 5 month process of wondering where in the western half of the state I would be assigned. But God has been faithful, and through all of this, I want to give him a living witness that the anchor of faith he put in my heart through Jesus Christ still holds. Be encouraged and lift up your hearts. The anchor still holds. Preachers, hold steadfast. Church hang in there because God is still in charge. God is our rock. Rock of Ages, Cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.
Rev. Evelyn Lemons

St James UMC Rural Hall honors Rev Dr. Paul Perkins Sr

     This past Saturday, I was invited by the SPRC from St. James UMC in Rural Hall to participate in a service of appreciation for their pastor, Rev. Dr. Paul Perkins Sr. My first question to the chairperson was, "Is he leaving?" She said,  "No we just want to show him our appreciation and surprise him." So I accepted the invitation, and was anticipating great music and worship and the Lord, and I did not leave disappointed. The church filled with folks at 3:00pm on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to come together for the purpose of saying thank you to their pastor for a job well done. Pastors from the community, old friends, family, and even a person whom he had lead to Christ that later went into the ministry were all present to bring a witness to the work of Christ that Pastor Paul Perkins has done. I once heard him say that the people of St. James are the finest sheep that ever stepped foot through the gate of the fold. His admiration for them is obvious too. The invitation to this event said that it was going to be a roast. What I anticipate in a usual roast is for people to be a little on the antagonistic side and tell stories you wish they wouldn't tell. I couldn't imagine anyone saying anything about Pastor Perkins that he wouldn't want told. He is an upright man.
     I was not disappointed in how that turned out either. People had the finest things to say. In my remarks, I recalled the first time I went there to St. James for a worship service. I was sitting in the congregation and an usher tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for to come to the platform. I was getting inducted into the black church tradition, I just didn't realize that at the moment. From that point on, everytime I visited, I was invited to come and sit with the pastors on the platform at the front of the church, whether they knew ahead I was going to be there or not. On one of those occasions, Pastor Paul Perkins brought tears to my eyes. He had invited all the pastors to come forward to sit on the platform before the service started and we ran out of chairs there were so many preachers that day! The way Rev. Perkins showed me such great honor that day was that he gave me his chair on the platform, and sat down on the floor in a hard folding metal chair to give his guests the best seats in the house. I have learned so much from Rev. Perkins about hospitality, about loving his flock and being steadfast. I was so blessed to be apart of such a service of giving the Lord thanks and praise for Rev. Perkins being such a faithful servant of Christ. Usually you don't hear people say such nice things about a person, unless it's a funeral. I commend St.James UMC for praising the Lord now, for their pastor to know beyond any doubt how much they appreciate the work he has done in the name of Christ for them. I could actually feel the honor pass by. I could feel respect and reverence in the air. I know God was not only proud of Rev. Perkins, but also so proud of a church for seeking a way to honor his servant. When we look for a way to be a blessing to God, I know it must bring a smile to the heart of God. I share this story with you today as a praise. Thank the Lord for the gift of hospitality of St. James UMC. They are really setting a high mark for the rest of us. What a competition that could be? Let's see what church can show the most honor and respect and reverence for the work of Christ in their midst and to all the ones who are doing the work as pastor of their flock? I think that's the kind of competition that would make God smile. Church, we are blessed to be a blessing. St. James, thank you for sharing your spirit of gratitude with your faith community. Whatever is beautiful, holy, righteous, let's think about these things. To set your mind on the things of the Spirit is life.