Changes.

September 25, 2008 by Andy Lunt.

Dear Glen Mar Friend,

The transition of settling into our new facility continues with lots of activity each week. This Sunday you may notice panels have been put in place on some of the rear walls in The Spirit Center. These are designed to improve the sound during worship. Work is continuing on the kitchen, and we hope to have it ready to use by sometime next month. And quite a bit of effort is going into getting the heating and air-conditioning systems better balanced in order to provide more even temperatures throughout the building. Members of the Glen Mar Trustees and Building Team are continuing to work with our contractor on the “punch list” of items that need to be completed/repaired/improved before we “sign off” on the building.

Even the re-aligned New Cut Road is showing signs of progress. You may have noticed paving completed to the intersection with existing New Cut Road. All that stands in the way of opening the new road (literally) at
this point is a utility pole from which Verizon still needs to move fiber optic wires.

While all these physical changes are continuing, several groups are beginning to shift attention to another major transition represented by my retirement. Just to reiterate what most folks already know, I am planning to retire after 42 years in ministry on June 30, 2009. Glen Mar’s Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) has already begun working on the process that will lead to the appointment of my successor, who will begin July 1, 2009.

Since Glen Mar has not experienced a change in lead pastors for nearly 30 years, and since many folks have come to Glen Mar from other faith traditions, I thought it might be helpful to review the United Methodist process for appointing pastors. The key is that pastors are appointed to particular churches by a bishop, in consultation with district superintendents who oversee a number of churches in a particular region.

Bishop John Schol, whom you may recall from his preaching for our Easter Services, will appoint Glen Mar’s next lead pastor. Unlike some other denominations, the congregation does not get to “choose” their pastor, nor visit other churches to hear potential pastors. Glen Mar’s SPRC does play a part in the appointment process, however, by preparing a “profile” of the congregation along with a statement of the particular gifts they believe will be helpful for the next lead pastor to possess.

Members of the SPRC will be meeting with our district superintendent, The Rev. Vivian McCarthy, this fall to go over the profile and discuss many aspects of Glen Mar and the kind of leader desired. This information will then be shared with Bishop Schol and the other superintendents by Rev. McCarthy.

Soon after the beginning of the new year, Bishop Schol and the superintendents will begin comparing Glen Mar’s profile with the personal profiles of all pastors who may be available for appointment. By February or March, Bishop Schol is likely to have made a selection. District Superintendent McCarthy will then bring that individual to a meeting with Glen Mar’s SPRC. After that meeting, both the SPRC and the individual pastor will have the opportunity to accept or decline the appointment. If both agree, Rev. McCarthy would then announce the appointment to the Glen Mar congregation during worship on the next Sunday.

You will be hearing much more about this process as it develops over the next 6 months. However, I wanted to outline at least the basics of the United Methodist appointment system and give some idea of how it will serve Glen Mar.

In the meantime, Joan and I continue to cherish our time with you and the excitement of all that God is doing in and through the members and ministries of Glen Mar Church.

See you in church!

Posted in New Cut Road, Staff News, Pastors Ponderings | No Comments »