Varied Church Jobs-- from DCE to Missions

It's been a long week of consignment sale preparation. Thursday night is always the "pre-sale" for workers & friends, and our tradition has been that my wife and daughter go work that and I spend the evening with our youngest son. It's a good time to catch up with him, catch up with some of my "day job" that's gone unattended during the consignment preparations, and to get a little rest after 4 physical days with the two biggest days looming Friday and Saturday.

Oh, and I get to catch up on blogs and other web information I follow.

During my years working as a church program director I always liked to know what other churches were doing in ministry, who was hiring, and how they framed the job descriptions. It is amazing how much you can learn about the church in a few minutes with review of the job description and a check of their website.

Anyway, I still keep up with who's hiring and like to check out a few websites every now and then. It also helps me to help other deacons who like to know what's going on in the larger world of United Methodism.

A few interesting jobs tonight include:
-a DCE position,
- a Global Outreach job,
- an Evangelism position,
plus I've seen a variety of ministry opportunities with children, youth, etc. I don't know anything about these particular churches, but there could be some good options developing for some of you interested in working in the Church.

North GA UMC Annual Conference Begins

I can't think of any better way to start a few days of church meetings than with a reunion!

Yesterday afternoon I took the pleasant 90 minute drive from Augusta to Athens for Annual Conference. The deacons of the conference always have a gathering the evening before conference, and enjoy a meal, a meeting, and of course, the best part is the reunion and fellowship as "old" deacons and new gather together. We had almost 60 deacons of the conference make their way to Winterville, just east of Athens, for the event. The last 3 years a church in the Athens area has hosted our meal, and we've found it to be a great way to "connect" with different churches and clergy, plus it's always fun to learn more about a church we may not have experienced. Of course, many congregations (even in "deacon rich" North Georgia) don't know about United Methodist deacons, so it's a good opportunity all the way around.

Deacon Ministry

The deacons in my conference are an interesting, diverse order of clergy who range the gamut of specialized ministries in the Church and World. As we gathered we welcomed new clergy to the gathering, and celebrated with some who are retiring. We swapped stories and ate some incredible "home cooked" turkey, sweet potatoes, and more especially prepared for us by the pastor and his church. And then as we left the church to travel back to Athens, as day was giving way to night around 8:30, found ourselves driving in a torrential downpour complete with stoplights out & street flooding!

Let Annual Conference begin!!

United Methodist Deacons Aren't Pastors??

Did you see the info out of the recent United Methodist General Board of Higher Education Ministries meeting? The main topics that got my attention relates to a recent survey result and a comment as part of the article.

See Deacon which speaks to a high degree of deacon job satisfaction. This mirrors what I know from other colleagues who enjoy their specialized calling and the opportunity to devote their lives to that ministry in service to the church and world.

Many folk know that deacons in the United Methodist context are a more recent development since 1996. So, in many respects this order of clergy is an odd mix of specialized ministers, e.g. youth ministers, music ministers, or other emphasis on discipleship, women, prayer, etc. which is in contrast to the more general ministry of an "elder" or pastor in charge. Some of us who serve as deacons (this is my order and calling) have emphasis in mission which may either be in the local church ministry or in some other context which connects Church and World.

Here's the section of the article I want to examine more closely:

"The Rev. Anita Wood, director of Professional Development, said she was surprised to find that 21 percent of deacons who were appointed in the local church selected the title of associate pastor in the survey. 'Deacons are not pastors and that indicates that we have some work to do in communicating the role of the deacon in connecting the church and the world,' she said."

While I'm not too surprised I think the clearer distinction is that we are not elders, i.e. pastors in charge. As a mission pastor in a large church I think I serve in the perfect situation to connect Word and Service (the work of a deacon). I'd imagine most others who are called to specialized ministry would express similar sentiments whether they are called associate pastor or something else.

In a practical way if a deacon has other responsibilities in a local ministry that makes them indispensable, such as an associate pastor, we strengthen our ministries and we strengthen the local ministry. So, when our church cut a program staff position in January I could add evangelism to my existing work of mission and campus ministry, and had the experience and background to absorb this ministry and advance it. In all this I'm speaking very practically and from my experience. As deacons we are still responsive to the needs of the church/Church in the local ministry context where we serve. So while we may have a calling and skill set which is more specific than an elder, I think we are also gifted and flexible to meet the needs of the Church.

I could write more about my understanding of deacon ministry and order from perspectives of the Book of Discipline, Methodist doctrine, scriptural relevance, or practical life in the church, but I'll save that for another time. I believe that the deacon ministry offers great opportunity to help a local church be in ministry, and under the supervision of an elder, district superintendent, and bishop we should allow latitude in how the order continues to advance to connect the church and the world.

What is your experience and thinking about this? Are deacons pastors or not?? As an order that is still evolving and defining itself I think this is an important conversation and value your thoughts and experiences.

International Gathering in ATL July 2009

One of the things I most love about being a Christian is how the relationship and gathering transcends nationality and language barriers. There will be an international gathering of deacons (that's the type clergy I am- one who has focus on service to the Church and World) at GA Tech next July. Think about a group from Asia/Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Americas & Caribbean you get the look of us. The group started meeting every 4 years starting after the end of World War II. The group is ecumenical and as diverse as any gathering you might ever encounter. To learn more or to join the adventure check out the slide show at:

http://www.diakonia-world.org/2009/AssemblyUpdate06012008.ppt#256,1,Diakonia: Crossroads of Grace - Revive and Reconcile