Dear Friends,
As we say our goodbyes to our
pastor and friend Rev. John Ball, we give thanks to God for the four years that he
and Cyndi, Dylan and Braeden have been with us. We pray that their lives in
their new church and home will be blessed.
In the United Methodist
Church our pastors are “appointed” by an area bishop. Bishop Deborah Keisey,
who serves the Michigan area, appointed Pastor John to serve at Lake Orion
United Methodist Church beginning July 1, 2013.
In some churches when a
pastor leaves, the congregation forms a search committee and begins looking for
a clergy member to fill the vacancy. It is different in this denomination. In the United Methodist Church, the bishop
assesses the gifts and graces of each pastor and assigns them to churches as
positions become available.
When a clergy person retired
in Lake Orion, the Bishop determined that Pastor John would bring effective
leadership and ministry to that congregation. After it was announced that John
would be moving, the Bishop and her advisers consulted with the Staff-Parish
Relations Committee (our personnel committee) and appointed Rev. Paul Hahm. He currently
serves at First United Methodist Church of Wayne/Westland and will begin at Brighton on
July 1.
Our denomination has a
“connectional system”. While we may serve the Lord in different churches, we
work together, connected by our heritage, our faith practices, our heart for
social justice and our clergy.
I encourage you to join me in
prayer during this time of transition for our clergy, for our church and for
our sister congregations in Lake Orion and Wayne/Westland.
Blessings,
Pastor Sherry
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