Appointment Season: What You Need to Know
The time has come for us to begin the season of appointment-making in the New York Annual Conference (NYAC).
Appointing clergy (elders, deacons, provisional members, associate members, and licensed local pastors) is one of the most vital and sacred responsibilities of the NYAC Bishop and his Appointive Cabinet. While the actual work of discerning and fixing appointments is reserved to the Bishop and his Cabinet, but it is important for NYAC clergy to affirm that we are in this work together.
To ensure greater transparency, full disclosure of particular needs and desires of all of our clergy and to build a sense of mutual trust as this year’s discernment process for assignments begin, we will:
- Regularly share information on appointments that are clearly open for assignment on this website and our other communications platforms as they arise throughout the season to invite NYAC clergy into the process
of discernment for these appointments.
- Recommend that clergy that would like to be considered for one of the open appointments contact the District Superintendent directly by e-mail so that she/he may lift your name for consideration. In your e-mail please clearly state the reasons why you believe that your gifts & graces fit with this particular congregation.
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Keep clergy abreast of new appointments and assignments made throughout the season.
We ask that all clergy note the following important information:
- If you express an interest in a particular congregation, your name will be considered as well as others that are discerned. There is, however, no guarantee that you will be called to consider the appointment. Please feel free to share your thoughts regarding these and future openings. We will also share additional clear openings as they arise throughout the season.
- We are most interested in hearing from clergy who feel a sense of calling to serve a particular congregation rather than hearing about geographical preferences. Appointments made based on personal preferences do not, on the whole, achieve the goal of equipping the church for its disciple-making ministry.
- The primary goal throughout the process is to match a pastor’s gifts with a church’s need. When this is done successfully, the setting and the pastor are able to work together in order to fulfill God’s calling in exceptional ways.
- You may lift your name for consideration at any point during the appointment season.
Throughout the process, we encourage you to keep NYAC leadership in your thoughts and prayers as they facilitate the ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through the appointments that are made this year.
