Annual Meeting Remarks: Judy Hjorth

Introduction

Regional Minister 101:The Basics

Northern Regional Minister Judy Hjorth

ANNUAL MEETING 2000 by Judy Hjorth

Some of you have heard me say that Peter may have been the first Pope, but Paul was the first Conference Minister. Since, I first became a member of a conference staff, I have read the Epistles from the perspective of Paul as a Conference Minister. I call verses 9-13 of 2 Corinthians chapter 13, the prayer for conference staff. To the church at Corinth Paul wrote:

For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Like Paul, Regional Ministers are networkers among local churches. Any wisdom that we share on to how to work through a conflict, get a Pastor, raise money, comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and learningıs from the experiences of local churches. Even when the wisdom comes from the Manual on Ministry or the notebook, A Local Church Seeks a Pastor, it is based on what really has worked in UCC churches. It is a collective or shared wisdom that can serve as a plumb line. It is a norm not a rule.

We, Regional Ministers, recognize that every local church has layers of individual history and culture.

• family, pastoral, program, corporate
• Euro-American, Afro-American, Hispanic American
• urban, suburban, rural, town

With pastors and lay leaders of a local church, we look at both the particulars of their churchıs history and culture and see how the shared wisdom and the UCC network can help them; whether it is to find professional staff, broaden their pastoral care ministry, deepen their involvement in mission, deal with difficult and potentially divisive decisions about parsonages and future forms of ministry and mission, etc. and so forth. All decisions are the churches. Each church is responsible to God and not to us for being mature Christian Churches.

Our concerns are that local churches:

• discern what it is God is calling them to do and be
• have an open process with a free flow of information
• have the information they need to make informed decisions.

The gifts that we bring are

• our listening ear,
• the shared wisdom,
• our relationships to other local churches,
• our knowledge of people and material resources that can help,
• our connection to the national UCC Network of associations,
• and because we are two steps back from the local church, the insights of an outsider who also knows you and our common tradition.

One of the tensions we experience as a result of our Congregational Polity is when should we as Regional Ministers wait for an invitation from a local church and when should we take the initiative.

Sometimes, the answer is clear as when the pastor resigns, churches do appreciate it when we immediately say we can help. They know they are not alone.

This feeling of being alone or we can do it ourselves is the back side of our beloved autonomy. Again and again we hear of churches struggling with the same issues, thinking they are the only ones, each trying to deal with it on their own. We look forward to having some more time to be able to set up consultations so everyone can reason together, brain storm together. (more about proactive ministry from Kent)

However, it is not so clear as to whether or not to take the initiative when we hear some low rumblings of dis-ease. It is easy to regard us as intrusive authority figures rather than concerned colleagues who could have a useful perspective or some helpful resources.

To return to the Apostle Paul, he was not bashful about entering into any conflict or offering his opinion on any issue facing the local churches. The churches were far more autonomous then than now. There was no structure holding them together. Yet, at some level the young churches knew they needed each and so do we.

Just as pastors often serve as the invisible glue that holds the local church together, so conference staff can be seen as the invisible glue that holds the local churches together.