Appointment Making & Clear Openings

Dear Clergy and Laity,

May God’s grace and peace be with you as we enter this appointment season.

Throughout the General Church we have many questions about our future as United Methodists. We are reminded that in every season we are called to be faithful. The Epistle letter to the people of Philippi reminds us, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace that passes all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. “ (Philippians 4: 6-7)

Friends, God is still at work in our lives. The Cabinet and I have been praying for you, your families, and the 434 faithful communities that comprise the New York Annual Conference as well as the General Church. We use every opportunity to discern who and what we can become when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us as we begin the work of appointment-making.

We are living into an approach to appointment-making that is collaborative in nature. As I shared with you last year, our cabinet clearly understands that the dynamics involved in making appointments are constantly evolving. As a result, it is our desire to achieve a deeper level of discernment in our work. The need for greater transparency on our part as well as the full disclosure of particular needs and desires on the part of all of our pastors are key factors in being able to do our work well and build a sense of mutual trust.

While the actual work of discerning and fixing appointments is reserved to the bishop and her/his cabinet, it is important for us to affirm that we are in this work together. As a result, it is my desire to share with you the appointments which are clearly open as we begin this year’s discernment process for assignments. I am sharing this list with you today and inviting you into the initial process of discernment for these appointments.

If you would like to be considered for one of the appointments below, I would encourage you to contact your District Superintendent directly by e-mail so that she/he may lift your name for consideration. In that e-mail I would like for you to clearly state the reasons why you believe that your gifts & graces fit with this particular congregation.

If you express an interest in a particular congregation, I pledge to you that we will consider your name as well as others that are discerned. Last year there were names that were self-identified and I saw the possibilities with new eyes. There were some that that were not. Please know, however, that there is no guarantee that you will be called to consider this appointment. However, we are open to considering your thoughts regarding these and future openings that will occur during this appointment season. We will also share with you additional clear openings as they arise throughout the season.

We are most interested in hearing from persons who may feel a sense of calling to serve a particular congregation rather than hearing about geographical preferences. It is my experience that appointments made based on personal preferences do not, on the whole, achieve the goal of equipping the church for its disciple-making ministry. Our number one 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.

The Journey Continues, . . .

Thomas J. Bickerton
Resident Bishop

Clear openings:

District Superintendent — New York-Connecticut

Ardsley — Metropolitan
Babylon — Long Island East
Bakerville — Connecticut
Bronx: Fordham — Metropolitan
Brooklyn: Park Slope — Long Island West
Brooklyn: St. Mark's — Long Island West
Delaware Headwaters Parish — Catskill Hudson
Elmont/Valley Stream: St. John's — Long Island West
Hamden Plains — Connecticut
Hartsdale: St. Paul's — Metropolitan
Jackson Heights: Community — Long Island West
Jamaica: Brooks Memorial — Long Island West
Lynbrook: St. James — Long Island West
Newburgh: Trinity Parish — New York-Connecticut
Norwalk: Cornerstone — New York-Connecticut
Poughkeepsie — New York-Connecticut
Riverhead — Long Island East
Rockville Centre: St. Mark's — Long Island West
Seacliff — Long Island East
Smithtown — Long Island East
Wappingers Falls — New York-Connecticut
Westhampton — Long Island East

New church starts:
Rivertown Incubator
Metropolitan Area New Church Start in response to the Northeastern Jurisdiction Call to Action
Brooklyn: New Church Start
Sag Harbor