Moving right along
Training helps churches and clergy through "transitions"

Holston Conference has 585 charges. On June 14, the final day of Annual Conference, 160 clergy members received new appointments during the Sending Forth Service.

Moving to a new appointment, leaving a congregation. Saying goodbye to a pastor, meeting a new one. The term used by church leaders for this emotionally and logistically complex process is "transitioning." To help both clergy and pastor-parish comittees through a leadership change, the Wesley Leadership Institute has for two years offered "pastor transition workshops."

Under the title, "Fresh Start: Leaving Well and Starting Fresh," the Institute offered two such workshops on May 16 and May 18 at Pleasant View United Methodist Church in Abingdon, Va., and First Farragut UMC in Knoxville, Tenn.

A third workshop is offered on Saturday, June 17, at First White Pine UMC.

According to Wesley Leadership Institute Director Caryl Griffin, the workshops have several objectives.

"At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to begin dealing with their feelings of separation and prepare to leave their current church in a grace-filled spirit," she said.

The seminar is also designed to help clergy and staff-parish committees discern vision and needs of the new church, while using a process to build relationships. A goal is to "start on the right foot in a new appointment," Griffin said.

Workshop participants were divided into two groups for the morning sessions: pastors and staff-parish committee members. In the afternoon session, participants were separated in small church and medium/large church groups. Leading the groups were the Rev. Gary Mauldin, the Rev. Laura Shearer, and the Rev. Bill Carter. A total 140 clergy members and 62 pastor-parish representatives attended the May sessions.

Will Shelton, who at age 24 is leaving his post as youth director at Ebenezer UMC in Knoxville District to pastor the five-point Ceres Circuit in Tazewell District, attended the session at First Farragut UMC.

"I was sitting at the table with people who had been doing this for 40 years, so that environment was helpful," he said. "I am excited, and I am scared. My emotions are running the full gamut."

For more information on Wesley Leadership Institute offerings, call toll-free (866) 690-4080.

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