I am sitting in the first session of the second phase of the stationing matching process. This is the group of people, chiefly the District Chairs, who work at the movement of our ministers. We have already spent two days at this task in the first phase, and we are now in session for the best part of three days. We will give a further full day to the task in January. By then we will have arranged most of the moves for the Summer of 2008. We work this way because we are a Connexional Church. Our minister are called and tested, trained and deployed under the careful view of the Methodist Conference. Our churches within Circuits and Districts are also under the call and oversight of the Conference in partnership with our Superintendents and Circuit Stewards, who also play a significant if dispersed part in this process by which we deploy our ministers. Put this way it may seem a bit like following the rules and playing a game of chess, however, while we do have rules ‘the Good Practice Guide’, like a game of chess, to win the day, takes much more care and attention than just the rules. It is still one of the parts of my job, which drives me to deploy my best listening skill and a deal of prayer. ‘To win the day!’ is almost impossible as we do not have enough ministers available to fill the positions, and increasingly, or least that how it seems from where I view the situation, ministers are not as free to do anything anywhere as may have been. If I comment on these two factors:

• I would say that the shortage is being addressed as circuits learn to use other than ordained presbyters and deacons in the work of ministry. Lay people, both employed and volunteers engaged in mission, pastoral ministry, worship leading and preaching, youth work, administration and … well the list goes on. This has I think always been part of out tradition, but needs to be re-affirmed in the present day. Out of such service God some time call people on to the particular, even peculiar ministry of a presbyter or a deacon. Maybe we do need to pray for discernment in calling people out for such work.
• We are in the process of ‘a stationing review’, the recommendation of which can be found on the Methodist Church website. If I read them correctly there are proposals to make a distinction between ministers who are available to serve anywhere, while paying attention to their particular gifts in ministry, and those whose geography is restricted because of … well a number of quite proper considerations. These thing are taken in to account now, but the perception of some is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so.

Well enough of ‘Stationing’, a little light for the journey as you continue to offer in local communities amazing effort of mission and ministry, lay and ordained, seen and unseen.

Light is part of our hope for this Advent season, which will culminate in our celebrating in Christmas festivities. God, who is light, come among us, to bring light to the world and in that light; hope, justice, peace and well being for all, for God, who is light, is love.

Yours in love.

Bill Anderson

PS. Please pay a visit if you can to ‘Christmas Presence’, 37 Corporation Street, Birmingham and do some Christmas shopping. “Goats for sale.”