I am a United Methodist Pastor. My humanness may pull me away from my calling, but I seek, struggle and fight to stand firm on my faith in Jesus Christ. The faith community I come from is inclusive of those seeking to fulfill their call from God. Our focus on serving the needs of the poor is paramount to our service in Christ. Our focus of sharing the good news in word and deed is built into the structure of the denomination. We help people, wherever they may be, connect with God and begin or continue their journey of faith. We are not flashy, we do not seek the spotlight and rarely do we comment on the political realm, only if it serves and is connected to our purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission and Great Commandment.
I am not a manager of a building. I would rather be in the community than in a committee meeting.
I continue to grow in God’s grace daily, desperately seeking direction and a better understanding of God’s will. My daily prayers focus on my wife, unborn child, my family, my friends, our Bishop, our cabinet, my clergy colleagues, the church I serve, the churches in our community and world, those who are suffering, those who are far from God, the community I serve and many, many more.
The Lord’s Prayer is never far from my lips and thoughts.
The Apostle’s Creed informs my beliefs.
I am part of a connectional systems that encourages clergy to connect.
We struggle with fruitfulness and competition and yet we continue to conference together.
We have an Open Communion table.
The churches of the United Methodist Church are mission stations.
Every Sunday is a mini-Easter for us.
From time to time, we move to other churches to serve wherever we are sent.
We mourn with those who mourn, we rejoice with those who rejoice.
We do no harm, we do good and we stay in love with God.
I am a United Methodist Pastor.
I Am A United Methodist Pastor
by