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
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