| In this time of transition from one
minister to another, perhaps it would be a good thing to do a short
evaluation. Where have we come from and where are we going.
For a satisfactory day-to-day life, we need to be ever moving forward;
continually challenging ourselves to learning new ideas and trying for
improvements in our methods.
A thriving church also is prepared to meet new challenges; in fact, to
welcome them as a way of preventing an attack of the doldrums.
These doldrums can be brought on by viewing church services as something we
automatically attend and sit through each Sunday morning.
Since I have started attending presbytery meetings, my eyes have really been
opened to the fact that a minister’s job is much more than a couple of
sermons on Sunday and a hospital visit through the week.
There are 14 committees at Presbytery and each one chaired by a minister,
with other ministers also in the groups, besides the lay representatives –
and how necessary they are to give the competent leadership sorely needed by
inexperienced persons such as myself.
And besides the Presbytery meetings, these ministers have frequent executive
meetings, inductions to attend, and other meetings at conference level.
Much reading must also be done to keep abreast of the current affairs both in
the church and in the world at large.
It only takes some time and attendance at
several available workshops to make you realize how the ideas
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come down from General Council through the
various levels to ourselves as representatives to Presbytery to be
brought to you as parishioners.
Much thought and deliberation precipitates these ideas – and just as
institute members and lodge members have a responsibility to
become informed and contribute their time and talents wherever
possible, so do we as church members need to share our abilities.
At
the Official Board meeting in Elora where Mr. Ingleby’s resignation was
formally presented, he explained to us that he felt a change was
necessary both for himself and for ourselves as parishioners.
He remarked that in time both minister and congregation can get into a
rut with a resulting lack of enthusiasm.
He said we should think of a minister not as an employee, but rather as
someone on loan to us from Presbytery, at our request, to be our
teacher and mentor.
He further pointed out responsibilities a congregation has toward a
called pastor.
It should be a covenant relationship in which the pastor and
congregation work together.
Problems should be dealt with by the suitable committees rather than
let things fester.
Meetings should be as frequent as needed and should be well-attended.
Concerning hospital visiting; supposing the regular day for this is
Tuesday. Between that Tuesday and the next someone can be into hospital
and back home again and complain about the minister not being in to
call.
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