A Moving Experience

Back In July, I was appointed to a new church, ending my four glorious years with the Mount Airy Charge. It came as a surprise, since I was first told that I was staying there in May. A few weeks after I was told I was staying, I was informed that a move might be in the works and that I should be prepared. Then about another week later, I was told that the move would not be happening and I should relax. Well, I was relaxing one evening and about 9:30 the phone rang. The caller ID said it was my District Superintedent (just so you know, a call from the DS late in the evening is not a good sign). I was told that it was official that as of July 1st I would be with a new church. 

I do have to thank the DS, because he actually came to the churches and broke the news. You couldn't pay me to do that part of the job. It wasn't pretty, but he did his best to reassure them that they weren't being pushed aside for the needs of some bigger church. You see, I was being apponted to a large church, Timberlake UMC, http://www.timberlakeumc.org/ , as an Associate Pastor, but my primary duty was to be the care of their small satellite church, Timberlake UMC East.

Four years ago, before being appointed to the Mount Airy Charge, I served as the visitation pastor at Timberlake UMC. So, it is a going home of sorts, but there are more mixed emotions in all this I can express. But, as I told the folks at the three churches I was leaving, this is why we pray every Sunday for those who are in positions of authority in our lives; government, jobs, and church. So that when a decision is made that we may not be happy or comfortable with, we can relax because we have already take it to God and placed it in God's capable hands.

Timberlake UMC East had gone through some trauma. Their previous pstor resigned as pastor of the church and as a pastor of the United Methodist Church. When he left and started his own independent, non-denominatioal church a large number of the the congregation went with him. They have had a number of people filling in for preaching on Sunday for several months before I arrived. That is where I an now.

I tell you all this to hopefully help with the transition and any confusion with the blog. I still have things to post from the Mount Airy Charge and I will be starting to post some things from Timberlake UMC and Timberlake UMC East. I'll try to be clear, but you know how good I am at that. Of course, there will still be family and Disney stuff, too.