SE District News

May 2008

SE District Office - MAC - UMC

Make Disciples of Jesus Christ

              

Transitions

Many pastors and churches are going through transitions.  Being reappointed is a huge transition. Changing worship times is a transition.  Most of what we do in the church requires transition.

 

Transition is different from change. Change is merely managing time, resources, and people to achieve a desired outcome.  Transitions may require the same things; however, transitions require dealing with the emotional connections.

 

We become emotionally connected to a lot of things in our churches.  I am amazed when I do a church conference where churches are voting on selling a parsonage.  The majority of the congregation has never been in the parsonage, a good number don’t even know where the parsonage is, yet there is conflict over the sale.  Where does that conflict come from?  There is an emotional attachment to the parsonage that most don’t realize.  The parsonage is a reminder to some of the congregation of the fond memories of former pastors and their families.  When the church proposes selling a parsonage, we are selling the memories.

 

With every transition there needs to be a period of moving the congregation from their current emotional attachment, to a neutral place, and finally to a new emotional attachment.  This process takes time and effort.

 

To be sure, to be a pastor moving from one church to another, you have to go through the same emotional transitional process.  We need to let go of the old, move into a point of neutral ground, and then make the emotional attachment to our new ministry setting.  If this process doesn’t happen, then we remain emotionally connected to our former pastor or connected to our former churches.

 

When you enter a new setting, honor the former pastor’s work.  You may consider asking people from your new setting to pray for the former pastor and family in their new setting.  In the meantime, make connections with people.  Ministry is always about connections with people.  As you connect with people, they will connect with you.  Personal connections allow people to make an emotional connection to the new pastor.

 

It is important to realize that transitions are an important part of ministry.  Helping people move through the emotional attachment process is necessary if the congregation is going to become emotionally attached to you. This process takes time, hard work, and a commitment to serving the people in your new ministry setting.

 

Blessings,

Mike Wuehler

 

 

Published monthly for the leadership of the United Methodist Churches in the SE District

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.