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Gettin' close...
Topic Started: Jun 12 2012, 09:21 AM (396 Views)
Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
I just got out of what I hope will be my last annual evaluation with my Committee on Preparation for Ministry. My recap to them was that over the past twelve months, I:

Finished my Clinical Pastoral Education, received a very positive final evaluation, and was recommended for and began working as a part-time chaplain on call at two local hospitals - one affluent suburban, and one downtown/urban Level I Trauma center.

Successfully completed my denominational and institutional requirement for 1,000 hours of field education/internship, by continuing to serve as pastor to my congregation.

Increased my academic course load to full-time student status, in order to speed up the overall ordination process.

Completed counseling to verify that my pending divorce hasn't adversely affected my effectiveness in the ministry.

Reconciled/repaired an extremely hostile relationship with one daughter.

Completed three of the four remaining ordination exams - two of them taken immediately after coming off-duty at the hospital, on no sleep, and one of those on a subject I haven't even taken the required class intended to prepare me for it, yet.

It's been an eventful year. ^_^

And once again, I managed to pull the wool over all their eyes, keeping them from seeing my utter incompatibility for the ministry. Seriously, I was very grateful for their prayers and very positive words of affirmation and guidance.

Next step: Return to this same Committee in November, when they examine me for acceptability for ordination and permission to seek a call. Woo hoo!
"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
Congratulations! :) :clap: You're a good man, Charlie Brown!
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Busy are you!!!! Good job, Dewey. Especially that fifth one.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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brenda
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..............
God bless you, Dewey. Keep up the good work. :clap:
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Copper
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Shortstop
Dewey
Jun 12 2012, 09:21 AM

It's been an eventful year. ^_^

And you didn't even mention all the problems solved at tncr.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Good stuff, Dewey!

If you need references fr your fitness for the ministry have them PM Larry, Jolly, or IT. :hat:
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Congrats, man!
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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RosemaryTwo
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HOLY CARP!!!
Good news.

"Perhaps the thing to do is just to let stupid run its course." Aqua
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Very cool, I am happy for you, Dewey!
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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John D'Oh
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MAMIL
Congratulations, Dewey - you're doing a good thing.

Quote:
 
Reconciled/repaired an extremely hostile relationship with one daughter.


This, in particular, made me smile.
What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket?
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
So ... are you excited about the prospect of making a killing in your new career after jumping through all those hoops to get a foot in the door? :devilgrin:

Congratulations, man!
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LWpianistin
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HOLY CARP!!!
congrats!


And how are you today?
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ilm
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Middle Aged Carp
EXCELLENT NEWS. CONGRATULATIONS.

Do you want to stay on the east coast? Do you want to serve a large congregation? Are you going to stay in the US denomination?
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KlavierBauer
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HOLY CARP!!!
Congratulations to you Dewey.

Perhaps you'll find a calling in Boulder?
"I realize you want him to touch you all over and give you babies, but his handling of the PR side really did screw the pooch." - Ivory Thumper
"He said sleepily: "Don't worry mom, my dick is like hot logs in the morning." - Apple

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Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
Do I plan to stay in the PC(USA)? Yes I do; this whole process is specific to being ordained within the denomination. At one point this past year, I was doing a debriefing interview after my internship with one of the seminary administrators, and her final question to me was, "Would you consider becoming a Lutheran?" I smiled and thanked her, telling her that I was very happy within my current denomination. But in the spirit of never burning bridges, I added that who knew, God will lead where God will lead, and besides, it wouldn't surprise me if within thirty years' time or so our two denominations hadn't merged. There are numerous cases worldwide where Lutheran and Reformed traditions operate under one united structure, sometimes due to declining numbers and other times due to rapidly expanding numbers and a desire to be more efficient in mission. The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, an innovative ecumenical/missional melding of Lutheran and Presbyterian traditions, is a great example of the latter. It has a membership of some 5 1/2 million this week, and is growing very rapidly weekly just in this tiny country; compared to about 4 million Lutherans and 2 million Presbyterians in the entire U.S. It's a model that heeds paying attention to. I was fortunate to have two Ethiopian EECMY members in some of my classes this year; one a Presbyterian who is also a Commissioned Lay Pastor like me; and the other was a Lutheran who was actually a bishop in the church. Their insights were invaluable. Anyway, I'm rambling...

What size congregation would I like? I'd prefer a congregation ranging between 275 to maybe 550 - big enough to pay me and the bills; to have some administrative staff support and maybe even at least a part-time associate or youth pastor/director; and to have enough critical mass to carry out a diversified range of ministry and mission. The ideal congregation would have a generally traditional style of worship, while also enjoying more informal, non-traditional worship forms as well - including some contemporary, some contemplative, Taize, and other worhsip styles to round out the worship experience. Ideally, the congregation's aggregate theology would be expressed, if using equivalent political terms, center-right economically, and center-left socially. And yes, I would want to serve a congregation that is predominantly inclusivist in its understanding of gays and lesbians in the church. The church I serve now was founded by a man who thought the Presbyterian Church (in 1851) was too soft on the question of abolition, so he split off and started his own denomination, requiring all members to sign an oath of strong anti-slavery, abolitionist sentiment, and using the town as a base of operations and a way-station for the Underground Railroad. In keeping with that legacy, I view the issue of equality and inclusiveness for LGBTQ people in the church and society in general to be every bit as important, and I would like to find a congregation which feels the same way. I'd like to find a congregation in a nice setting, in a neighborhood with social, racial/ethnic, and economic demographics amenable to potential growth for a congregation with our theological and missional understandings. I could live in a nice little house on a quiet street - ideally, a 1 1/2 story Arts & Crafts bungalow with a generous front porch, a nice warm hearth in the living room, hardwood floors, and some built-in bookcases. A postage-stamp yard, just big enough for a little patio out back with a fire ring, and not a big yard that constantly needs mowing. Been there, done that, don't need it any more. It would be within walking or bicycling distance from the church, as well as the neighborhood's little commercial strip where my favorite free wi-fi coffee shop would be, where I'd often sit while developing my next sermon.

Such would be my ideal. And if you're wondering, yes, almost that entire ideal scenario would be met by a particular congregation nearby that will soon be looking for a new pastor. They can't officially know that I'm interested in them until after November, but I'm putting out some unofficial feelers already.

Would I seek a call in Boulder? My first priority and prayer is that I find a good, solid call right here in this area. I've committed that I will not leave this area until after Sixteen graduates from high school. And of course, I'm not really looking to fill some position for a year or so and then leave; I'm hoping that I find *the* call this time around. However, God will lead where God will lead, and after Sixteen goes to college, I'm really not geographically bound to this area, and I love to go to new places - so time and God will tell. I'm told that Boulder is very nice, and I already have one friend there. ^_^
"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
John D'Oh
Jun 13 2012, 03:57 AM
Congratulations, Dewey - you're doing a good thing.

Quote:
 
Reconciled/repaired an extremely hostile relationship with one daughter.


This, in particular, made me smile.
+1
___.___
(_]===*
o 0
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
Yep, I was going to add - that single thing is most important of all.

Congratulations on keeping it together for what has been a tough ride. And although we differ on some important points in our faith, I would be proud to recommend you for a formal call in the ministry (since you've been called for quite a few years now, let's just make it formal!).
Edited by Kincaid, Jun 13 2012, 11:38 AM.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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BeeLady
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Middle Aged Carp
Would you take a call in Boston? :wave:

You'd need a bigger church to pay the bills, though...
"My wheel shall sing responsive to my tread,
And I will spin so fine, so strong a thread
Fate shall not cut it, nor Time's forces break"
"Distaff and Spindle: Sonnets by Mary Ashley Townsend" 1895
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Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
Well, other than the Sixteen commitment, Boston is one of the places I'd love to consider. In fact, right now there are two congregations seeking a pastor in the Boston area. Both are a bit smaller than my ideal (Presbys are not a big presence in New England; they and the Congregationalists agreed way back in the day to parcel up the country and not intrude into each other's turf, so they didn't duplicate efforts and both were part of the Reformed theological tradition). The Roxbury Presby church is looking, with a membership of 136 - only a few more than my church now, but their statistics indicate that their average Sunday attendance is 110, which is a phenomenal attendee/active member ratio. And, those attendees are actually giving more than the denominational average: their 2010 total contributions were just about $250,000 - still not large, but above the statistically average Presby congregation, which would have 191 members and annual contributions of $236,000. So while small, they're dedicated attenders and pulling their weight financially. Their Church Information Form hints that there was some internal friction in the recent past, but they're moving forward, and from the language and jargon in their write-up, it sounds like they're probably somewhere in my same neighborhood theologically. On the other hand, apparently the Boston Presbytery's Minimum Effective Salary (not really a salary; ministers are self-employed) is $51,967. Based on Cost-of-Living comparisions between here and there, they'd have to come up with at least another $25 or 30K in order for me to have the standard of living I'm looking for - which is still rather modest. Based on their annual contributions, it probably wouldn't come as a shock to them to end up hiring someone at an Effective Salary of around that 77-80K number. Most significantly though, while having a racially mixed congregation, RPC is a historically majority African-American congregation, so they might be looking for an AA pastor.

The other opening at the moment is the Cambridge Presby church - obviously a great setting, a really intriguing multicultural congregation - but they're only 58 members, less than half of what I have right now, with an average of only 35 attending on an average Sunday. Interestingly, their annual contributions were $151,200 - small, but two and a half times what my congregation brings in annually with more than twice as many members. In fact, their giving levels are even more above average than the Roxbury congregation. Still, income at that level would never enable their congregation to afford what I'm looking for - unless they're sitting on a big endowment fund or something. Interestingly, the Cambridge church is looking for a more experienced pastor than the larger Roxbury church.

Anyway... ^_^
"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14
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