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As you’ve probably seen or heard by now, WPUMC will be receiving a new Associate Pastor starting July 1, 2024. We are excited to welcome Rev. Daniel Viehland to our community in ministry and fellowship! Also, with any appointment of clergy in the United Methodist Church, there are often questions about how our process works and how the new appointment will impact the congregation. Here’s a quick Q&A about the upcoming transition.
What is the appointment process in the UMC?
When a person is licensed or ordained as clergy in the UMC, they agree to serve wherever the Bishop and appointive Cabinet ask them to serve. In our system, the Bishop and Cabinet see the big picture of all of the churches in our conference and do their best to match the needs of a church with the gifts and graces of a pastoral leader. In this way, a pastor is appointed to a congregation by the Bishop, not hired by the congregation, with hope and trust that our connected system works for the mission of the whole church.
Does the congregation get to choose the pastor?
The District Superintendent (who is a member of the Cabinet) will have worked with the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) of a local church to hear what the church’s mission is and what the needs of the community are and take that back to the cabinet to find a good pastoral match. The SPRC and other elected church leadership (One Board) have the opportunity to meet with the pastoral candidate, hear from them, ask questions, and generally get to know one another. Then, both the church leadership and the pastoral candidate get to make a decision about moving forward. If the answer is positive on both sides, the process is finalized.
What will our new Associate Pastor do?
Rev. Daniel will be joining our staff ½ time (he will continue to pastor Platteville UMC, where he has served for the last year). In addition to assisting Rev. Sandi in pastoral duties, such as worship leadership, preaching, pastoral care, Bible studies, etc., we look forward to Rev. Daniel bringing his community development background to our church to add value to our missions, outreach and connection with the larger neighborhood. In the past several years, our Associate Pastor has also been the youth director. This time, the model will be a little different, as Rev. Sandi will continue to lead the youth group.
How will it work for the Associate Pastor to serve two congregations?
There will be some negotiation, but the intention is for Rev. Daniel to be at both congregations on Sunday mornings most of the time. He will join us for our 9:30am service, and then travel to Platteville UMC for their later morning service. From time to time, he will spend his whole morning at just one location. During the week, Rev. Daniel will have office time in Denver, as well as navigating some remote work. He will work closely with Rev. Sandi and the SPRC to make sure he is fulfilling his ½ time commitment to WPUMC, but not overworking.
What can I do to help support this pastoral transition?
The biggest support you can offer is prayer for our new Associate Pastor, our congregation, and our staff between now and when the appointment takes effect (July 1). Over the next couple of months, we’ll be sharing more information about Rev. Daniel so you can get to know him a bit before he arrives. Look for opportunities this summer and in the fall to get to meet him and welcome him to our congregation, and once he’s here, make sure to reach out and welcome him!
If you have other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to reach out to me anytime at pastor@washparkumc.org
We look forward to the blessing of this new season at WPUMC!
Grace and peace,
Rev. Sandi
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