God is on the Move!

 

My dad was a Methodist pastor.

 (Just a side note, I am confident he would be greatly saddened by the state of the UMC and so am I. Straying from God’s word, especially corporately, is never a good thing. In my opinion the church is being controlled by a small but powerful group of false teachers.) 

I grew up in the Methodist Church and one thing I always disagreed with was the “Itinerate” pastor. For those that didn’t grow up in the tradition, the Methodist Church would never keep a pastor in one spot for very long. The theory is to match the strengths and gifts of their leaders with the current needs of the various congregations. It is also a type of reward system for those that are good leaders and do well, they are given bigger and better churches. AND the one thing I always disagreed with is that the congregations have very little input on losing or hiring a new pastor. The Bishop made those appointments. I saw my Dad build such powerful relationships, build a growing successful local ministry only to be reassigned in a few years. Although I never heard him complain, it just was hard to start over. The lack of continuity in a congregation can be devastating. 

On the other hand, my Grandfather was NOT Methodist, but was a Church of God (Anderson) pastor. He made his own decisions about when he thought his ministry had run its course in a particular location. He moved around, some, but not like my Dad. When he went to a new location, the congregation had control of who was assigned. They always voted and my Grandfather listened to the power of the Holy Spirit in guiding his path.

As I was concluding my study of the book of Romans I thought about the Itinerate Pastor. Paul, in many ways was an Evangelist more than an Itinerate Pastor, but there are many similarities. Paul, listened carefully for the power of the Holy Spirit where he was heading to next.

“But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I enjoy your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.” (Romans 15:23-24)

Paul traveled, but he also stayed in some locations longer than others. His decisions were not made by a Bishop, all his steps were completely guided by the Holy Spirit. I am trying to do the same thing. I was called to serve in Bluffton. While here I served with all my heart, soul, and strength. Now God may be calling me to serve in a new location. It is something that has been growing in my heart over the past year or more. It is the spirit of the CALLING that is driving the change. Even though I have been completely satisfied where I am, my excitement is growing to move on to this latest calling. God has been working throughout my life for this single moment, he always has a way of knowing where I need to be and guiding my footsteps through wonderful adventures. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together fo the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)