The Pensacola District Online
Friday, May 18, 2012
Here for You - Serving Jesus

 

Jeremy Pridgeon, District Superintendent

Jeremy Pridgeon

 
May 13, 2012
 
The following is an article from Dr. Lovett Weems, Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC.  I rarely pass along articles but this one was too good not to share:

If Churches Can Change, They Can Grow

An exceptionally revealing report on church growth is now available from the Faith Communities Today research project. Drawing on extensive survey data, noted researcher C. Kirk Hadaway paints a compelling picture of factors leading both to church growth and decline. Churches have differing degrees of control over these factors.

Factors Beyond the Control of Congregations
  • Region.  If your church is in the South, it is far more likely to grow than churches in any other region.
  • Population growth. The strongest demographic correlate with growth is an increase in the number of households in the area.
  • Location. Churches in newer suburbs are more likely to grow than churches in other locations, followed by downtown metropolitan churches. But central city churches are also more likely to decline than those in other areas, followed by those in towns and rural areas.
  • Congregation’s age. The more recent its founding, the more likely a church is to grow.
  • Household makeup. The proportion of households with children in the home is positively related to growth.
Factors Over Which the Congregation Has Some Control
  • Age of members. Churches with a healthy mix of ages tend to be growing, but those with more than 40 percent of regular participants over 60 are much less likely to grow.
  • Racial ethnic makeup. While most churches are composed of a single racial ethnic group, congregations with two or more racial ethnic groups are most likely to have experienced strong growth.
  • Gender makeup. Churches able to attract larger proportions of men than other congregations are more likely to grow.
Factors Over Which the Congregation Has Much Control
  • Conflict. Churches experiencing major conflict are likely to have declined in attendance. Congregations with no major conflict during the previous two years are most likely to grow.
  • Spiritual vitality. There is a strong relationship between growth and the sense that the congregation is spiritually vital and alive, a place where people encounter God.
  • Character of worship. A congregation that describes their worship as “joyful” is more likely to experience substantial growth, and churches where worship is described as “reverent” are least likely to grow.
  • Change. Congregations that say they are willing to change to meet new challenges also tend to be growing congregations.
  • Worship change. Congregations that changed their worship services moderately or substantially in the past five years were more likely to grow than those that changed their worship only a little or not at all.
  • Congregational Identity. When all congregations are combined, there is very little relationship between growth and theological orientation. More important is the religious character of the congregation and clarity of mission and purpose.
  • Children in worship. Congregations that involved children in worship were more likely to experience significant growth. Whether a congregation has relatively few or more than a few children and youth, not involving them in worship is associated with decline.
  • Website. Congregations that have started or maintained a web site in the past year are most likely to grow.
  • Sponsoring public events. Congregations that sponsor events are more likely to grow. These programs attract both members and non-members. This adds value for members and gives non-members a low-key opportunity to visit the church.
  • Support groups. Among churches where support groups are a key program, two-thirds are growing.
  • Follow-up in multiple ways. Congregations that follow-up with visitors in multiple ways are those most likely to grow.
A subtitle of the report sums up the reality churches face. “If churches can change,” it says, “they can grow.”  My prayer is that all of our churches will embrace the change necessary in order to be vital, thriving congregations.
 
This week I will be in Atlanta on Monday to participate in the graduation exercises for the Candler School of Theology - Emory University, welcoming the new graduates into the ranks of Candler Alumni.  I will be returning to Montgomery for a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting to finalize matters prior to the 2012 session of Annual Conference.  Please feel free to email or call should you have need of me.  Thank you for all that you!  I pray you will have a great week!
 
Jeremy
 
May 6, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ!  I am grateful to be home from the 2012 session of General Conference!!!  I have missed being with all of you here in the Pensacola District and excited about returning to continue the work we share in our common witness for Christ!   Several of you have asked me to reflect on the events in Tampa and I will seek to do so here.  As you know, the General Conference experienced many twists and turns.  Otto Von Brunswick is right, "Laws are like sausage, it is better not to see them being made."

When the obituary is written on the 2012 session of General Conference, I think three factors will be cited as leading to its demise:  Money, Sex, and Power.  What I witnessed in Tampa was a confluence of these factors that hindered the ability of the 988 delegates to affect any sweeping changes to our denomination.  Richard Foster writes in his book Money, Sex, and Power  that "No issues touch us more profoundly or universally. No topics cause more controversy. No human realities have greater power to bless or curse."  This is certainly true of our General Conference over the past couple of weeks as money, sex, and power were key influences in the debate on the Convention Center floor.

As we know, this was the first opportunity of the General Conference to address the economic downturn that has affected the entire world.  Everyone knows that we must conduct the work of the church in different ways as resources are not as plentiful as they once were.  In fact, the General Conference did reduce the budget for the General Church over the next four years - the first time in the history of The United Methodist Church.  We will continue to search for ways to do more with less as the denomination shifts its focus to vitality, as has happened in the Vital Congregations initiative. I suspect we will see conversation emerging about what constitutes vitality - hopefully using metrics similar to that which have been implemented for local churches - for General Boards and Agencies of the Church in the years to come.

While the conversation around dollars was significant in many ways, delegates also were engaged in very difficult debate over issues related to human sexuality.  The General Conference did retain the current language in the Book of Discipline that states that "Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."  Also retained were statements that "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church" and that "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches."

Efforts to overhaul the structures of the General Church were unsuccessful.  The delegates that served on the General Administration committee were unable to pass legislative proposals to bring to the entire body of General Conference during week 1.  The reasons for this mainly centered on issues of power, namely structural entities and representation. Desperate to bring some new structural plan before the General Conference, a compromise plan, "Plan UMC" was brokered during the early part of week 2.  When presented to the General Conference, it was adopted.  A request was made to refer the plan to the Judicial Council (the equivalent of the Supreme Court) for a ruling as to the constitutionality of the plan.  The delegates worked the remainder of the week under the premise that Plan UMC would be upheld as constitutional.  At 4:50 pm on Friday afternoon, the Judicial Council ruled unanimously that Plan UMC was unconstitutional, sending the General Conference into a tailspin.  You can access the entire decision of the Judicial Council at umc.org.  This ruling left the General Conference with little time to try to make any effort toward structural overhaul before the session had to end at midnight on Friday.  Restructuring for all practical purposes for the 2012 session of General Conference was dead. 

It was apparent that major factions exist in our denomination.  The factions aligned differently based on which aspect - Money, Sex, or Power - was at the center of debate.  This created a tremendous amount of divisiveness in the debate on the floor. 

Where monetary issues were paramount, US delegates to a large degree, whether liberal progressives or conservative evangelicals, united because the United States funds such a tremendous amount of the General Church apportionments, compared to Central Conferences (located outside the United States). 

When issues on human sexuality were voted upon, conservative evangelicals united with Central Conference delegates - particularly from the rapidly growing continent of Africa, to create a majority and thus retain the current positions of the church on homosexuality with regard to ordination and same-sex ceremonies.

When issues of power were central, liberal progressive delegates from the U.S. aligned with Central Conference delegates, to create a majority ensuring the broadest, most inclusive representation possible on the different boards, agencies, and committees of the church. 

While there are certainly delegates that may have voted differently within these ideological groups represented, these three groups seemed to comprise the greatest blocks within the General Conference delegation. 

The ramifications for our denomination going into 2016 are quite daunting.  Monetary issues will continue to plague us as our churches recover from the effects of the economic recession.  With the United States as the major funding source for the church, efforts to increase giving and connectional support can be expected.  Calls for the Central Conferences to increase their support for the General Church can be expected to increase as well.

As it relates to sexuality, I do not foresee any changes in the current position of the church in the future. With the explosive church growth we are seeing in Africa, you can anticipate the Central Conferences seating more delegates at upcoming General Conferences as we are a global church.  I would not be surprised if the 2016 General Conference will have more than 50% of the delegates coming from outside the United States (it was 41% this year).  This is because representation is based on membership and churches in the United States are continuing to experience membership decline as the church in Africa grows exponentially.

The biggest debates will be over the issue of power.  Who will be seated at the table?  Membership based on representation will mean that the Central Conferences will continue to receive more and more places on General Boards and Agencies.  We are quickly watching the United States become a minority in The United Methodist Church.  In four years, the Central Conferences will not need to form coalitions to enact the legislation they would desire to see as church law as I anticipate they will have an outright majority.

The questions then for consideration are many.  Some of the key questions include: How long will the U.S .fund the operation of the church when there is less and less representation in the power structure? Already this General Conference, we had one fewer delegate from Alabama-West Florida.  What happens when we go from having 6 delegates to 2?  Is a "Global Church" financially sustainable?  The cost of this General Conference was $8.8 million dollars, which including flying delegates in from all over the world, translators, per diem, hotels, etc...What are the ramifications on social issues, such as human sexuality, if we cease to exist as a global church?  Attitudes toward homosexuality in the United States are more varied than they are in other areas of the world, such as Africa.

The 2012 session of General Conference was, in many ways, a wake-up call.  The delegates from our conference and from around the world worked very, very hard, but in the end were not able to deliver many of the hoped for changes that had been trumpeted prior to the gathering in Tampa.  As the General Conference only meets every four years, we must wait until 2016 when delegates will gather in Portland, Oregon, to try to address these matters once more.

Please take the time to thank those who were General Conference delegates - they sacrificed two weeks of their lives, untold hours of preparation, and endured many long sessions seeking what they felt was best for The United Methodist Church.  As I return home, I do so more resolved to engage in the process.  Leadership is desperately needed in our church.  We hear this often; it was exposed in these past two weeks. 

As I return to my work in the district, I want to share with you that I will be serving in an interim capacity at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in Pensacola until the new appointments begin on July 1st.  Cokesbury is one of our great congregations, and over the next two months I will be working with the leadership there to help in the on-going revisioning process taking place in the congregation.  Please pray for me, the staff, and leadership, that this time will be fruitful in preparing the way for new pastoral leadership. In addition to this work, I will be attending to my duties in the district, conducting the introductory visits for pastors and congregations and holding several meetings with leaders from across the district during the week. 

Regardless of the events in Tampa at this General Conference session, our denomination has a tremendous witness that has been served well throughout our history by all levels of the church.  This was not the best General Conference, and perhaps will be remembered as one to forget.  Our mission stays the same however.  Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  And our own Book of Discipline acknowledges in paragraph 120 that "Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs."

God has called us and the church has sent us forth to our fields of labor to serve Christ and his people.  Let us do so in the hope and assurance of the Resurrection that Christ, who was raised, will raise us, his Church, as well.  Let us persevere and keep the faith that our beloved United Methodist Church will discern God's will for her as we serve the present age and work for the coming of the Kingdom.

Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
April 29, 2012
 
Greetings in the name of Christ!  Today begins the second week of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church.  All of the work of the legislative committees will now be brought before the entire body for consideration.  This is a very significant week in the life of our denomination.  Please pray earnestly for the delegates that they might be guided by the Holy Spirit in making decisions that will affect United Methodist congregations throughout the world.

You can follow the action taking place in Tampa at umc.org.  Plenary sessions will be live streamed so you can watch as votes are taking place.  I am sure, by watching various social media, that you are aware of some of the "hot-button" issues that will be coming before the conference, as well as some of the challenges that have been experienced in the legislative committees.  The delegates are working grueling hours seeking what is best for the church, though agreement on these matters can sometimes be elusive.

On Wednesday our own Dr. Larry Bryars, Shalimar UMC, will be presenting with other episcopal nominees from the Southeastern Jurisdiction.  I know Larry would appreciate your prayers as he shares with others from across the jurisdiction in preparation for the Jurisdictional Conference to be held in July.

I hope that some of you will be making the trip down to Tampa this week.  This is a great opportunity to see the General Church at work, very close to our own area.  If you do, I look forward to seeing you.  If you cannot make the trip, our own Mary Catherine Phillips is sending updates for our conference and you can read about General Conference with an Alabama-West Florida angle at awfumc.org.  Thank you for all that you do! I look forward to returning to the Pensacola District on Saturday.

Blessings and peace,

Jeremy
 
 
April 22, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ!  After two great worship services at Myrtle Grove UMC and Lillian UMC, as well as a charge conference in Niceville, all attention has shifted to Tampa, FL, for the upcoming session of General Conference.  The delegation from Alabama-West Florida is traveling down this week to join with United Methodists from all over the world to celebrate worship together and consider over 1000 proposals that would change The United Methodist Book of Discipline.  Please continue to pray for the delegates as the decisions they make will have ramifications throughout the entire denomination.  As you know, the General Conference is the only body that can speak on behalf of The United Methodist Church.  Needless, to say, these are two critically important weeks of Holy Conferencing.

 

Our district is well represented in the conference delegating.  Dr. Larry Bryars, lead pastor at Shalimar UMC; Rev. Rurel Ausley, lead pastor at Niceville UMC; and Mrs. Beverly Maddox, Pensacola District Lay Leader, are in the General Conference delegation. Dr. Lester Spencer, senior minister at Gulf Breeze UMC, is a reserve delegate.  Mr. Gene Floore of Destin UMC and  I have the privilege of serving as reserve Jurisdictional delegates.

 

The conference will officially convene on Tuesday and will conclude on Friday, May 4th.  Please check the conference website for updates on legislation that may be of interest to you.  You can access this information at umc.org.  Updates will be provided from Mrs. Mary Catherine Phillips as well from our Conference Office.

 

I would ask that you continue to remember the family of Rev. Hubert Segers, retired clergy in our conference, who passed away last week, as well as Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Elliott (Gonzalez UMC) upon the death of Nan's mother.  Also, continue to pray for our clergy and congregations anticipating changes in appointment in the next few weeks.

 

Thank you for all that you do!  I will be reporting in from Tampa during my time at General Conference.  I hope that some of you are planning on making the trip to see the General Church at work over these next two weeks.  It is an exciting time for United Methodism!

 

Blessings and peace,

 

Jeremy

 
April 15, 2012
 
Greetings in the name of the risen Christ!  As we glory in the Easter season, we are reminded of God's power to raise us to new life as well.  I continue to celebrate the stories I have heard from churches about powerful experiences with the resurrected Lord.  In the Pensacola District, we welcomed new members by Profession of Faith or Confirmation of Faith, saw many baptized, and witnessed the movement of God in the lives and hearts of people.  Thanks be to God!

 

In essence, we are seeing God's ability to transform lives and communities of faith.  This is God's work and we are called to faithfully share of how we are seeing God make all things new.  When we tell the stories of faith, they are unleashed with the power of the Holy Spirit and have the capacity to change the hearts of people and the communities we serve. 

 

I am excited to announce that Dr. John Ed Mathison has agreed to be our speaker for District Conference in November.  In preparation for that event, I am asking each church to consider participating in a study of his book, Treasures of the Transformed Life.  Many of our churches have completed this study at the request of Bishop Leeland a couple of years ago; however, if you haven't had the chance to do so, this would be a great opportunity. 

 

I encourage you to continue to share your stories of where you have seen Jesus at work in your life, the life of your congregation, and your community.  Bear witness and lead publicly as shepherds of the flock.  Christ is alive and hope springs eternal!

 

Please keep me in your prayers this week as I will be traveling rather extensively.  I will be in Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday for the Candler School of Theology Alumni Board meeting. On Wednesday I will be in Dothan for the Alabama-West Florida Foundation meeting.  I will be in the office on Thursday and available at any time via email or telephone.  Also, please pray for our upcoming General Conference.  I will share more next week on the eve of our delegation leaving for Tampa.  Thank you for all that you do.  I pray that you have a great week!

 

Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
April 8, 2012
 

Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!  Happy Easter to all of you.  What a glorious day we were given to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord!  I know your congregations were packed with families, friends, and visitors to sing praises to God and hear the accounts of that first Easter morning.

Easter is God's work.  Easter happened in the middle of the night while we were asleep.  When the women went to the tomb, an angel appeared and shared that Jesus was not there, but had risen.  The message of Easter is a constant, and for that I am grateful.  Easter doesn't depend on my own circumstances, but instead speaks to my life circumstances.  I have never needed to hear the message of hope that we find in Easter more than I needed to hear it this year.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers for my family following the tragic death of my 35 year old cousin this week.  Tranum was much more like a brother to me.  We grew up together, hunted, fished and played ball together. We gathered yesterday at the First United Methodist Church of Wewahitchka to celebrate his all too short life and grieve together as a community.  Easter was a welcome gift for what has been a week that has known pain, sorrow, and death.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers, particularly his wife, Winter, and his three daughters:  Autumn (10), AubriAna (5), and Aubrynn (2), whom he leaves behind.

There are certainly events that we see and experience as pastors that can shake us to our core.  The finality of death makes it difficult to claim what we proclaim by faith.  But in the Great Fifty Days of Easter, we are reminded that life triumphs over death, light shines in the darkness, good vanquishes evil, and the power of God knows no limits.

I will be in the office tomorrow.  I am traveling to Okaloosa County on Tuesday morning for a series of meetings and returning to Pensacola for afternoon appointments.  We have a meeting regarding the new church start in our district, The Journey, on Wednesday in Crestview.  On Thursday, all pastors that are receiving new appointments in the conference will be gathering for "The Right Start" at Covenant UMC in Dothan.  If you are receiving a new appointment this upcoming conference year, you are required to attend.  I look forward to seeing those pastors in Dothan.  As always, if you have need of me, please feel free to email or call.  Thank you for all of your hard work throughout Holy Week leading up to Easter Day.  I appreciate you and your ministry to the people and communities that comprise our district.

Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Jeremy
April 1, 2012
 

In our Service of Committal found in The United Methodist Book of Worship, the words from an ancient 9th century anthem are found:  "In the midst of life, we are in death...." The leaders of the early church captured the duality of this truth we experience on Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday.  I worshiped this morning at the Gadsden Street United Methodist Church and felt this tension once again.

As we begin this holiest of weeks in the life of the church, amid shouts of "Hosanna" and the waving of palm branches where there is seemingly so much life, joy, and hope, we sense that the air is also tinged with an ominous presence as the culminating moment of Christ's ministry is a torturous execution on a Roman cross.  Over the next few days, you and I have the high and holy privilege of guiding the children of God through this story once again.  We will raise our own questions, offer our inspired reflections, and be charged with interpreting the mystery and wonder of God's love as expressed through the suffering and death of God's only Son, Jesus.

The longer I serve as a United Methodist minister, the more convinced I am that our people know of death quite well.  It's all around us, so much so that it's hard sometimes to see that there is life.  It's a strange paradox, because our congregations emphasize the joy of the Palms rather than the solemnity of the Passion.  Maybe it is because we want to know life more as we are so familiar with death.  Holy Week gives new meaning to the prayer, "Lord we believe; help our unbelief."  Perhaps this year that prayer will be fulfilled so that even as we experience death, we will see and feel its power vanquished in the Resurrection.

This week I will be in Montgomery for a Cabinet meeting.  I will be returning to Pensacola on Thursday to take part in Holy Week services across the district. I am praying earnestly for all of you in the days ahead.  May God grant us the wisdom and inspiration to proclaim the Gospel with boldness as leaders of Christ's Church. Thank you for all that you do and for the impact you will have on the communities you serve this week.

Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
March 25, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ!  March Madness has captured a nation once again and four behemoths of college basketball remain alive.  Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas will descend upon the Big Easy this coming weekend.  Only one will be crowned and experience that "One Shining Moment" which defines the basketball immortality the new champion will have attained.

I've had the opportunity to watch a few of the games over the past two weeks.  What has struck me thus far is that we have not had that "classic" matchup that has everyone talking about yet.  There have been opportunities for last drive buzzer beaters that send one team on to the next round and the other one home, but in the clutch no one has been able to deliver.  When a team senses their season has come down to a final possession, I wonder if they think about all the time in the weight room, the wind sprints, the practices, the thousands of shots taken in an empty gym that have gone into that moment.  We get to see only a glimpse of what these players endure for the sake of an opportunity that carries no guarantees.

As we move toward Holy Week, we see Christ experiencing "One Shining Moment."  There were several movements - a Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, a final meal with beloved friends, an arrest and trial, culminating with a horrific crucifixion on Calvary's mountain.  From our vantage point, none of this would seem to be a precursor to a crowning achievement, but an eternity of thought and a lifetime of preparation had brought Jesus to the place where he was glorified for all time.

I am praying earnestly for all of you as you prepare to celebrate this most holy time of year.  As I worshiped yesterday in a couple of congregations across the district, I was delighted to hear already of plans to clean the grounds and schedules of Holy Week events to mark this season.  I know there is a great deal of work that will go completely unnoticed by those who will enter your congregations, but when the moment arrives I pray that we will be ready so that all who enter the doors of our churches will know and understand the gift that has been given to us and to the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This week I have a couple of additional conversations to be held prior to appointments being announced on Tuesday.  On Tuesday, the District Superintendents will make calls to all pastors and SPRC chairpersons involved in the moving process with information about the pastoral appointments for the 2012-13 year.  Our District CORE Team will meet on Tuesday at noon.  On Wednesday I will be in sermon preparation for Holy Week and Easter. On Thursday I will be traveling to Montgomery to participate in a delegation meeting.  On Saturday I will be taking part in the dedication of a new garden at the Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministries.  Please continue to pray for all of our clergy and congregations in the anticipation of new appointments.  Thank you for all that you do.  It is a blessing to serve together in the greatest district in United Methodism!
Jeremy
 
March 18, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ!  I give thanks today for the life of Bishop Paul Duffey.  As word of his passing spread across our annual conference and throughout the United Methodist connection, tributes appeared in various forms of media celebrating his ministry among us.

 

Abigail and I had the honor of serving at First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, AL, where Bishop Duffey served as Bishop-In-Residence.  He and his wife, Louise, were such a significant part of that congregation.  Bishop Duffey always took interest in the young associates and his counsel was often sought as we knew of the great wisdom he had as a pastor. We all marveled at his vocabulary.  Whether he was waxing eloquently about the vicissitudes of life or sharing about a person's indefatigable spirit, his command of the language and his immediate access to those words while extemporaneously speaking was amazing.

 

In those trying times that life brings, I always felt a sense of peace when Bishop Duffey would stand before us as a congregation, reminding us of God's goodness and mercy, God's love and grace, God's sovereignty and power, and God's reign over all creation.  He didn't just speak these words as a shepherd of the flock, he lived them for all of us to see. 

 

I grieve his death because Bishop Duffey's witness and presence, among so many things, was a reminder that all would be well in Christ regardless of temporary difficulties we might encounter on this earth.  His loss jolts a sense of security that we all shared because of his courageous faith.  His race now over, we must live out what he taught us to believe while he walked among us and with us.  I rejoice that he and Louise are reunited and I am thankful for the time I was able to learn from him and spend with him.

 

We will gather to celebrate his life later this week.  I have not heard any final arrangements but I know they will be forthcoming.  As you all know, I am with Bishop Leeland and the other superintendents participating in the appointment making session this week at Blue Lake.  Please keep us in your prayers and also be in prayer for our congregations and our clergy and their families.

 

Blessings and peace,

Jeremy

 
 
March 11, 2012
 

After participating in the McGuire's 5K on Saturday with 15,000 of my closest friends, I took part in an annual ritual of "Spring Cleaning."  I worked in the yard removing all the leaves and other debris that had accumulated on the lawn over the winter months. 

 

I am one of those people that lets the yard go during the winter.  The grass isn't growing, the leaves are falling, the weather is cooler, so my thinking is "Why bother?"  It gives me a much needed (and I think deserved, though Abigail might disagree) break from the lawnmower as well.  But I am always amazed at how the lack of routine maintenance allows for a yard to get so badly out of shape!  After 7 hours of work on Saturday, the yard was starting to come to life again.  However, there's still a couple hours' worth of work left. (Maybe daylight savings time will help!)

 

When I think of our emphasis this year in the district on well-being, I am reminded of our need to stay in shape across so many areas of our lives.  We must be lifelong learners, always reaching and striving to gain understanding, modeling this for our congregation and communities.  We must take care of our physical bodies.  If we fail to do so, we will not be able to meet the rigorous demands of pastoral ministry.  We must also take care of the fiscal house, practicing good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us by God. 

 

Over the weekend, I reviewed all of the goals submitted by our congregations as part of the UM Vital Congregations project. I view this project as a way to monitor whether our churches are staying in shape, and if not, as a way to get them back in shape!  I want to thank the 42 churches that have submitted their goals that were approved.  Some of our churches will need to make a few revisions and resubmit, and 4 churches have yet to submit their report.  Overall, this is outstanding for the District and I appreciate your work with your churches.  I pray earnestly that your church will continually revisit your goals and live into them.  Should we all achieve the goals that have been submitted - and they are tangible goals - the Pensacola District would be the model district for all of United Methodism!  Lord, let it be so!

 

I do want to let you know that the District Office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.  Mary is going to be away for some well-deserved time off.  I do have a couple of appointments at the office and will be in occasionally. I have other engagements away from the office Monday - Wednesday. However, if you need to get in touch with me, please email or call me personally.  Likewise, I am going to be out of the office on Thursday and Friday.  I am spending those two days in final preparation for the upcoming appointment session, which will be held beginning Sunday, March 18th at Blue Lake.  Please continue to pray for Bishop Leeland and the Cabinet in the days and weeks ahead.

 

I do pray you are experiencing a Holy Lent and I am grateful for all that you do for the cause of Christ!

 

Blessings and peace,

 

Jeremy

 

 
March 4, 2012

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the Bishop's Day Apart tomorrow (Monday) at St. James United Methodist Church in Montgomery as we spend time in study and reflection with Dr. Leonard Sweet.  This will be a great chance for us to be together and to learn from one of the leading thinkers in the church.  I do hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. 

Abigail, Alexis, and I were away this weekend.  As many of you know, one of my hobbies is running. I don't claim to be a very good runner, but I do enjoy it.  I participated in the New Orleans Marathon and Half-Marathon.  I ran the 13.1 mile half-marathon and set a new personal best time.  We were grateful for the time away but certainly had you in our thoughts and prayers this morning.

The Bible contains several references to running.  These passages are some of my favorite verses in all scripture.  I catch a glimpse of the "cloud of witnesses" when I watch people cheering us on toward the finish line when I run a race.  I am reminded of the strength that comes to run and not grow weary when we wait on the Lord.  I know to run the race, so as to win it! 

These metaphors are certainly applicable to our life together in Christ and as leaders in the church. There is a "marathon" quality to our ministry that requires persistence and perseverance.  Because of our "connection" we must remember that we run together and we are at our best when we are encouraging one another to do and be our best as pastors. 

Ministry is tough precisely because life is tough.  We stand with people in very difficult moments, we are called to lead congregations that face a myriad of challenges, we are to be Christ's presence in the midst of the brokenness of our world.  This is a significant weight to bear, day in and day out.  We must nurture our relationship with Christ and offer mutual support to each other in order to run the race set before us.  Emerson's adage is true, "Life is not a destination, but a journey."  God has seen fit that we are in the Pensacola District for this season of ministry to run the race.  God only knows what we will encounter along the way, but whatever it is, it is better faced together.  
Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
February 26, 2012
 

Congratulations to our 2011 Pensacola District All-Star Churches! The congregations receiving this distinction include Bagdad (Rev. Gary Jones), Baker (Rev. J.J. McDaniel), Lillian (Rev. Dr. Jim Belcher / Rev. Daniel Randall), Mae Edwards (Rev. Byrd Mapoles), Niceville (Rev. Rurel Ausley) , and Perdido Bay (Rev. Dr. Darren McClellan). Each of these churches paid 100% of their connectional giving, saw a net gain in membership for the year, and had more than 50% of the membership on average in worship.

All of our congregations should be submitting their goals this week as part of the Vital Congregations project that is taking place throughout The United Methodist Church. My prayer is that this discernment process has been helpful for our local church leadership in sensing where God is calling us in ministry in the years ahead. The work from our Pensacola District will be compiled and submitted to the Annual Conference. As part of a special worship service at General Conference, Bishop Leeland will present the goals from all of the congregations in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Please make every effort to have your goals submitted to the Vital Congregations website by the deadline on Wednesday. If you need any assistance, please contact the District Office.

On Saturday, March 3, Rev. Terry Teykl will be at Navarre United Methodist Church for a Prayer Conference. This event has been approved for .5 CEU credit for those who attend and also read any one of Terry's books. You can register here or, for more information, contact Rev. Rebecca Rutherford at Becca.Rutherford@navarreumc.org or (850) 939-2028.

Hopefully all appointed pastors received their copy of Dr. Lovett Weems' new book, Focus: The Real Challenges That Face The United Methodist Church. The book offers great insight into aspects of our life and work together that must be reconsidered in light of changing dynamics in our culture and in the church. I would highlight the section on The Local Church as a particular area of interest to our pastors. I hope that this book will help to create a common conversation across the district as we, who are elders, deacons, associate members, and local pastors, seek to provide leadership to guide our denomination in these changing times.

This week, I will continue in consultations related to the upcoming appointment season during the course of the week. I know this is a time of high anxiety for clergy, for their families, and for congregations. This state of uncertainty has been heightened given this will be such a difficult year amid the on-going effects of the economic downturn and the shift to direct billing for pension and health benefits. I would remind all of us to pray for guidance and direction in this process. The appointment making session will be held beginning on Sunday, March 18th.

I will be in the office for meetings with various individuals and groups on Monday. Our District Committee on Ministry will meet on Tuesday at the District Office. On Thursday, I will be traveling to Montgomery to participate in the Conference Committee on Nominations meeting at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church. Should you have need of me, feel free to email or call. Thank you for all that you do!

Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
 
February 19, 2012
 

Dr. James Moore served as senior minister of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.  Dr. Moore has written numerous books, including one entitled Some Folks Feel the Rain, Others Just Get Wet.  As the rain fell all weekend in our area, I was reminded of that saying and felt the quote to be very appropriate for our work together in the Pensacola District.

As our denomination moves toward General Conference, it is apparent there are some storm clouds on the horizon.  Debate over proposals with the Call to Action and security of appointment of elders headline over 1000 pieces of legislation that delegates will consider in Tampa.  The realities of declining membership, increased costs, and the effects of the economic recession necessitate serious conversation about our methods for going about the work of ministry at all levels of the church.

This week, all active clergy under appointment will receive a copy of Dr. Lovett Weems new book, Focus:  The Real Challenges That Face The United Methodist Church.  Dr. Weems offers insight for us leaders as to some of the changes that we need to consider and enact at the General, Jurisdictional, Annual Conference and Local Church level.  I offer it to you to help you guide your congregations during this very important time of year in the life of our church and pray you will find it helpful in your work to confront the challenges you face in leading your congregation.  How we respond to the challenges is up to us.  We can either feel the rain that is falling on our church or we can simply get wet. 

Basking in the glory of Christ's Transfiguration on the mountain, we now begin the descent into the Lenten season that will begin on Ash Wednesday.  I do hope you participate in some form of Lenten discipline over these 40 days and encourage your congregations to do the same.  The Lenten season reminds us of our need for repentance, reconciliation, prayer, fasting, redemption, grace, salvation, and perseverance.  As the great hymn declares, "Lord, who throughout these forty days for us didst fast and pray: Teach us, with thee to mourn our sins and close by thee to stay." 

Over the next few days, I will continue in consultations with pastors and SPR committees in relation to the appointment season.  I will be preaching on Ash Wednesday at First UMC, Pensacola as well.  Please remember to submit your church's goals for the Vital Congregations website.  Three of our churches have fully completed that task and their goals have been approved.  Eight congregations have partially completed the work.  The rest of the churches in the district have yet to enter their data.  The deadline for this is Wednesday, February 29th. 

I hope and pray we will all celebrate a Holy Lent.  Thank you for all that you do!
 
Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
 
February 12, 2012
 

I happened to see the TV show "The Voice" last week. "The Voice" is a singing contest that is based solely on the performers' God-given talent.  The judges - Blake Shelton, Adam Levin, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera - listen to each contestant sing a song. Based on the singer's voice, they decide whether they want to work with the contestant.  Some contestants have several judges who want them on their team.  Others may have one judge that will extend an invitation to them.  Many will not have a single judge indicate they would want to coach them.

I like the concept of the show because it is based on a singer's ability.  But I see a strong correlation to the church.  We offer our message to a constituency that will render a decision as to whether they want to enjoin their gifts and graces with our "voice."

Dr. Lovett Weems, Professor of Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary, has written a new book entitled Focus:  The Real Challenges That Face The United Methodist Church.  In the book, Dr. Weems notes that, among many of the issues we must address, our United Methodist congregations must recover their theological voice.  Without clarity around what we believe and how we practice ministry in our communities we serve, our constituency will look elsewhere.

Our congregations are busily involved in the Vital Congregations project.  I believe that vitality is strongly tied to the clarity of our voice.  When we are clear about our identity and purpose and hold this at the heart of our mission, vital ministry will ensue.  As your congregation completes its work in the coming days, ask yourself, "How clear are we in what we communicate to our friends and neighbors about Christ and the church?"  My prayer is we are being heard in ways that others would want to be part of our fellowship.

I will be in the office on Monday - Wednesday, holding various meetings and attending to administrative matters.  On Thursday I will be in Mobile for an Annual Conference Planning meeting.  On Saturday I will be participating in a teleconference with the Committee on Equitable Compensation.  If you have need of me, please feel free to email or call.  I will begin consultations with SPR committees where we are anticipating changes in appointments beginning next Sunday.

I pray all of you have a great week!  Thanks for all that you do!
 
Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
February 5, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ!  I had the privilege of preaching at Cokesbury UMC in Pensacola and celebrating worship with their congregation on this Super Bowl weekend.  I know across the district there were Souper Bowl events, along with other activities related to the "Big Game."  And what a game it was; perhaps one of the best Super Bowls in history.

As I thought about the game, I was reminded that there was no way Eli Manning and the Giants could have known that they would have the opportunity to play for the Lombardi Trophy back in late July when training camp started, during those long two-a-days in the heat of summer.  But they practiced with a purpose and a goal.  Of course, the regular season didn't go very well for the Giants.  At one point they were 7-7 and very close to being out of the playoffs.  But they didn't quit.  They didn't lose heart.  They continued to work hard and control what they could.  Because they persevered in the midst of adversity, they are Super Bowl Champions.

We are one month into 2012.  Is your congregation on course to experience the things you would hope to achieve during the course of this year?  If so, great!  If not, why not?  And how can we get things on track so as to ensure we are living with an aim, a mission, and a purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ?  What is the plan forward for your church?

Each day I am reminded of the variables that I cannot control.  Should I focus on those, they become excuses and subsequently blind me to the things I have some agency over in the course of a day.  It is true for all of us in our appointments we serve.  There are external factors that impact our ministry, even as there are internal dynamics that present challenges.  At the same time, we have the opportunity in our waking hours to impact the lives of people and share the hope that is found through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  When we focus on the mission, all those things that would limit us lose their hold on us.  And, by the grace of God, we have this day to be champions in the Kingdom of God.

During the course of the upcoming week, I will be holding additional consultation on Monday with pastors who may be affected in the appointment season.  On Tuesday, I have a couple of morning appointments in the office prior to our CORE Team meeting at noon.  On Wednesday and Thursday, the Cabinet will be meeting in Montgomery to finalize the moving list for our appointment-making session in March.  I will be in Atlanta on Friday for a meeting at the Candler School of Theology.  Please keep me in your prayers for safe travel and if you have need of me, don't hesitate to call or email.

Thank you for all that you do.  I pray you have a great week!
Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
January 29, 2012
 

What a "Great Night of Methodist Singing"!  Eight Okaloosa County area United Methodist Churches came together once again to witness in song as the message of Christ was proclaimed in what has become one of the tremendous annual events in the Pensacola District.  It was an awesome evening at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center on the campus of Northwest Florida State College.  Many thanks to all of the directors and members of the choir and orchestra for their dedication and hard work in making such a "Great Night" possible.

I spent the weekend in Okaloosa County, attending the Asbury Theological Seminary Breakfast as Dr. Timothy Tennent lectured on "Christianity, Islam and the Post-9/11 World" on Saturday.  I also had the privilege of worshiping at Trinity United Methodist Church in Fort Walton Beach as part of their Sunday services.

Please remember to submit your preference forms online by Wednesday.  If you are planning on making a change in your appointment, please know that I will be contacting you to schedule further consultation.  I will be holding these consultations on Monday, February 6th, and for part of the day on Tuesday, February 7th.  In some cases I will conduct these via telephone if it is necessary.  Also, Year-End Reports are due to the Conference Office on Tuesday.

During this week I will be in the Pensacola area on Monday, with several appointments and spending some time in the office.  I will be in meetings during the morning on Tuesday in Santa Rosa County, and will travel to Blue Lake that afternoon, as the Cabinet is meeting with the Board of Ministry.  On Wednesday I will be in the office in Pensacola.  On Thursday I will be in Shalimar for a General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegation meeting.  If you do have need of me please feel free to email or call.

I want to thank you for your attentiveness to the administrative matters we are addressing during this time of year.  You assistance with year-end reports and with the profiles and preference forms for appointment season is of great benefit to me in ensuring our work in the Pensacola District is complete.  I know this is a stressful time for all of us and I am praying earnestly for you.  Persevere and let us encourage one another in the faith and continue to commit ourselves to the cause of Christ.  It is a joy to serve with you.

Blessings and peace,
Jeremy
 
 
January 22, 2012
 

Greetings in the name of Christ! I hope you enjoyed a great day of worship at church today. I had the privilege of worshiping at St. Paul United Methodist Church, our only African-American congregation in the district, and at Ensley United Methodist Church.

I appreciate your prayers for me while I was away last week at the Cabinet Consultation. Dr. Gil Rendle led our gathering and offered outstanding insight into the state of our denomination, as well as the work of the superintendent in the United Methodist connection. I have already found the time to be beneficial and I look forward to sharing more in the weeks and months ahead.

I also had the opportunity to hear from the 13 episcopal nominees from across the Southeastern Jurisdiction as they were presented to the superintendents on Wednesday afternoon. Our own Dr. Larry Bryars, pastor of Shalimar UMC and the episcopal nominee from the Alabama-West Florida Conference was there. Larry did great in representing all of us at the event and offered his vision of what he would bring to an annual conference as an episcopal leader. I would invite us as a district to remember Larry in our prayers daily as he travels the jurisdiction and continues to serve at Shalimar.

This week, I will continue the initial consultation process with our district clergy. I will be in Shalimar on Monday, at St. Luke UMC on Tuesday, and in Niceville on Wednesday. I will have my annual consultation with Bishop Leeland on Thursday in Montgomery. Please remember to submit your forms online after you and your SPRC have had opportunity to share in conversation about the appointment preferences for 2012-13. After I have received the information from both pastor(s) and congregations, I will schedule follow-up consultations where necessary with both pastors and SPR committees. The deadline for the forms is February 1st. Also, do not forget the Year-End Report Data, which is due January 31st. Please contact Mary should you need any assistance with uploading or inputting any of the information on Appointment Preferences / Church Profile or Year-End Reports.

Thank you for your expressions of care for me and Abigail. As many of you know, we had to put our 14 year old cat, Sugarfoot, to sleep on Friday evening. It has been a tough weekend and will continue to hurt for a while. I inherited Sugarfoot when Abigail and I got married. We are grateful for the time we had with him and are starting to make the difficult adjustment of life without him. Keep us in your prayers and know that all of you remain in ours. I count it a joy to serve together with you in the Pensacola District and I want to thank you for all that you do for the cause of Christ!

Blessings and peace,
 
Jeremy
 
 
 January 15, 2012

In his 1965 commencement address at Oberlin College, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”  On a weekend where we remember Dr. King's dream of equality and his pursuit of justice for all persons, I find myself drawn to this quote which underscores the connected nature of our lives and work.

We United Methodists celebrate our connection in the body of Christ and in the denomination, perhaps better than any other tradition.  At our best, we join together in efforts to affect the lives of people through ministry in the name of Jesus.  We provide home for children who have no other place to go, we offer the some of the finest educational opportunities conjoining a thirst for knowledge with a vital piety, we care for God's older children through homes for the aged, we sponsor missionaries who travel the globe sharing in the Great Commission, we help those who have heard God's call to be theological trained for service in the Church, and so much more....

As we continue to focus on our spiritual and financial well-being, the health of our connection is predicated on all of us living into covenant, being accountable to each other, and upholding one another in prayer, mutual encouragement and support.  We are all aware of the effects of the Great Recession on our congregations.  The devastation of a real estate bubble, a market collapse, an oil spill, and our own inability to live within our means has been difficult and is still causing stress in some parts of the district and conference.  But issues in another area do have consequences for us, whether we realize it or not.  At the same time, we are still here and there is still work to be done.  By focusing on the mission - making disciples - and by focusing on fruitful ministry we will, by God's grace, persevere and indeed thrive.  The road ahead will not necessarily be easy, but we do not travel alone.  We are assured of God's presence and we have one another to walk with on the way.

To that end, I would encourage all of you to make a point to take part in the Self Care Workshop at Cokesbury UMC this week on January 18th.  If you are needing to develop healthy habits for the work of ministry, this is a great place to start.  Continue to encourage your congregations to live faithfully into their covenantal responsibilities.  Perhaps setting aside 10% of weekly offerings now will allow your congregation not to slip into a place where fulfilling their fair share will be of greater difficulty later in the year.  Share your best practices of ministry with one another as well in the hopes that greater fruit will be borne in our district.

This coming week, I will be participating in a continuing education experience at St. Simons Island, GA.  I will be taking part in the Cabinet Consultation, joining with other District Superintendents from across the Southeastern Jurisdiction as we hold conversation with one another, crossing conference lines to see what other groups are doing in their areas that might be of benefit here.  If you do have need of me, feel free to email or call.  I will get back in touch with you as soon as possible.

Lastly, congratulations are in order for Reverend Mark Dees, our pastor as Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.  Mark was named the Community Leader of the Year by the Pace Area Chamber of Commerce.  What a great honor and a testimony to public leadership!  I want to thank all of you for the ways you "lead beyond the walls" in your communities.  I celebrate our shared labor for the Kingdom and count it a privilege to serve with all of you.  I pray that we will all become what God would desire us to be! To God be the Glory!
Jeremy
 
January 8, 2012
 

Remember your baptism and be thankful!!!  On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we recall those words of assurance and hope that are ours as we celebrate that through the waters we have been sealed with Christ Jesus.  We are part of a new family, the body of Christ.  We are marked as Christ's own and our lives are now directed toward the work of his Kingdom.

As we look to our work in this coming year, an area of emphasis that has been adopted by our Pensacola District CORE Team is on spiritual and financial well-being.  This is in keeping with our desire to highlight an aspect of ministry that "cuts across" the 51 different churches of the district, seeking to be applicable to all of our congregations.  Last year our focus on hospitality yielded considerable fruit and we are prayerful that this year will be equally beneficial.

To that end, I would like to remind us of an event being held on January 18th at the Cokesbury UMC.  "Body and Soul:  The Essentials of Self Care" is a CEU approved event that is being offered by the new Academy for Congregational Excellence and the Center for Clergy Care of Pensacola.  The seminar will focus on how you can lead from a position of health and strength.  We all know the work of ministry is demanding.  It is worth spending a day apart to reflect on how to care for yourself in all aspects of life.  It is my hope that you will register for the event by contacting Sandy Gutting at sgutting@mchsi.com or call her at (850) 430-4300.

Please remember to continue to work with your congregation on the Vital Congregation goals that are due at the end of February.   This is time sensitive, given they will be presented at the General Conference as part of a consecration service.  Additionally,  year-end reports are due on January 31.
 
If you have not scheduled an SPRC meeting to participate in a conversation about the appointment preferences for the coming year, please do so as soon as possible.  If you have any issues with the on-line forms, please contact Mary Hernandez at the District Office.
 
I will be in Montgomery this week for Cabinet meeting, returning to Pensacola on Thursday.  Should you have need of me, please feel free to email or call. I will be holding office hours on Thursday afternoon when I am back in the area. 
 
2012 is off to a great start!  As I have spent time in consultation with many of you over recent days, I am reminded of your sacrifices and love for Christ and his Church. Thank you for all of your hard work.  Let us hold fast to the hope that is ours in Jesus.  What a joy it is to serve with each of you!
 
Blessings and peace,
 
Jeremy
 
 
January 2, 2012
 

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a great holiday and are looking forward to an exciting adventure with Christ in 2012.  I know all of the resolutions have been made, we're continuing in the season of Christmas and hope springs eternal at the possibilities before us in the next 365 days.  We're quickly making our way to Epiphany, remembering the gifts offered by the Magi, as well as the Baptism of Our Lord, recalling how the spirit descended and the voice of God was heard giving approval of Jesus and his ministry to all the world.

I want to thank all of you for your participation in our meetings prior to the Christmas holiday.  I know there is a tremendous amount going on in the next few weeks related to appointment profile forms, Vital Congregations, and Year-End Reports.  I look forward to talking with each of you during the consultations which start this week and are being held throughout this month.

Several years ago, I read an article written by a pastor recalling a men's ministry gathering that featured a commercial pilot as the speaker.  The pastor shared that the pilot showed the group slides of beautiful sunrises, sunsets, mountain chains, and cloud formations and that his experience in the skies had informed and strengthened his faith in God.

During the question and answer session following the presentation, a man in the audience asked the pilot, "How do you live with the stress of being responsible for the lives of other passengers?"  The pilot's answer was remarkable.  He said, "If I just concentrate on getting myself there safely, when I look behind me, all the passengers are safe as well." 

The pastor went on to note the obvious lesson for us who serve in ministry:  The health of the pastor's soul is directly linked to the safety of his or her congregation.  If the pastor is on an authentic spiritual adventure with Christ, the congregation will be fruitful and prosper.  If we are able to deliver our souls safely, chances are when we look back, those following us will be safe as well.

Lord, let it be so with all of us in the Pensacola District in 2012.
 
Blessings and peace,
 
Jeremy