Decision #5

Decision #5

Reconsidering Clergy Issues

FOCUS

Establishing a standard of gifts,

graces and fruit for faithful ministry,
for both laity and clergy

What do we have clergy?  Answer:  “Not to form any new sect; but to reform the nation, particularly the Church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”  (from an early 18^th century Methodist Conference)

The problem:   “the dramatic drop in the number of UM elders under the age of 35 in the last 20 years.”  (Dr. Outler)  [75]

Solutions Suggested

1. Return to the practice of utilizing ordained Local Elders and ordained Local Deacons.
   
2. To develop different models of training and preparation for becoming ordained Deacons and Elders, directed at Methodist laypeople who are already in a career and feel called by the Holy Spirit to the ministry.  [76-77]

Again, focus upon maintaining our “core values” must be maintained and unqualified people must not be received into ministry just to fill a pulpit.” [77]

MEM:  The unspoken conclusion here is that we are ordaining unqualified people into ministry. Also, the assumption here is that we cannot find enough qualified persons with high moral standards to be Elders. Curiously, we seem to have too many elder candidates in the Virginia Conference.  The reason?  The loss of Elder  appointments due to continue decline of the local churches.  We have lost social equity or social traction in the culture.  Some of the reasons for this we have no control over.  Sticking to our “core values” and our mission for Christ, the transformation of the world, will help us ride through the storm. 

Another question: If we can't insure that our elders are “qualified and have high character” how are we going to insure that the persons we select by other means to lead congregations will be truly fit for such service?  A study was done by the General Conference regarding alternative appointment options.  Many models were suggested by I heard very little talk about that study in recently. 

MEM: A number of other clergy issues in the denomination are noted on page 78.  With all due respect, most of the issues mentioned here are not at all new in our history.  The issues are ongoing.  The speed of change have been moving quickly enough in response to the changing context has changed the playing field to be sure but the issues are not new.  I would agree that very little in being done practically to address these issues.  The current corporate focus on “metrics” represents more “command and control” but a focus on the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Decision #5

To create a model of ministry that addresses our current historical situation by reclaiming an old ministry model and contertemporizing it for a new world.  This model would include reorienting the concepts of laity, clergy and ministry; allowing for fewer Traveling elders; re-instituting the positions of ordained Local Elders and Local Deacons; and developing a viable system to prepare laypeople as Traveling Elders.