Appointment Announcements

Over the last few days, the two cabinets of the Nashville Area of The United Methodist Church have been engaged in the annual process of appointment-making. Many of you have held us in your prayers and we are deeply grateful.  What I can tell you is that we, too, have prayed for every congregation and every pastor in the Tennessee and Memphis Conferences by name.  I can also tell you that your cabinet has worked faithfully for the good of the whole.  Today those pastors in full time appointments who are moving will be contacted.  After the pastors have been contacted, the Chairpersons of the P/SPR Committees where there are moves will be contacted to inform them about the projected appointment for their congregation. Part-time changes will be communicated in May.

The Nashville Area Cabinet has worked extremely hard over the last four months thinking and praying about the mission field, our congregations, and our pastors as we have engaged this work. As we shared with you in the P/SPRC training in January, our hope was to make Missional appointments, which would better match pastor and congregation with an eye toward reaching the mission field. While we are continuing to move in that direction we were not able to do so in every circumstance.  However, in many places were able to do so.

This Sunday, the P/SPR Chairperson will share the news of the projected appointment with the congregation in worship. A prayer will be offered for both the departing pastor and the incoming pastor and the churches.

In the coming weeks there will be an introductory meeting with the new pastor and the P/SPR Committee that we call a Covenant Meeting. This will be a time to introduce the pastor and family and for the committee to speak about their mission and vision for ministry for this new beginning. It is NOT an interview, but it is a time of welcoming.

In May, in each of the conferences, there will be a transition seminar for those congregations and pastors who are involved in the moving process.

The dates are:
Sunday, May 5 at St. Mark’s in Murfreesboro from 3-5 (MAP)
Saturday, May 4, 9:00 A.M. at Grace UMC in Jackson, TN (MAP)

Each moving pastor and each P/SPRC will be expected to be in attendance. We believe this is a crucial time to create a positive new beginning. Your District Superintendent will share information with you regarding registration.

We continue to pray for each of you and pray God’s richest blessings on new beginnings.