It was Monday, May 14, 2007. Marge and I ate at Arby's. After dinner we drove a few blocks, parked the car, and, at about 7:00, quietly entered a large building through a side door.
People were waiting for us in the basement of the building. The conversation we were about to have with them would have an impact on whether the next stage of our journey in ministry would be successful - for us, for those waiting for us, and for others whom they represented.
We were nervous. We were excited. After all, we had had only had four days (one of which was Mothers Day) to think about this meeting.
Still, I tried to be prepared. To provide those waiting with an informed introduction to me, I had brought with me my resume, a Sunday bulletin, and the May newsletter for the churches I was then serving. I also brought a memo which I had titled, "Twenty Things You Ought to Know About Me - Each In Three Sentences or Less." This was an original approach on my part and I admit I needed the help of a couple of "run on" sentences to keep the title accurate.
The building we entered that night was, of course, the Potsdam UMC. Those waiting were several members of this congregation and our then D.S, Rev. Beth Benham. I still have vivid memories of the evening of May 14, 2007.
I remember the basement was cold that day and that Chris Remick (then chair of the SPPRC) began by telling us that the church was hurting and needed healing.
I remember Marsha Clements telling me that her children wanted to know if I was "fun." (How does one answer that?) I remember talking with Rhoda Hall about having met her on the telephone when I arranged to attend a church archives meeting sponsored by the Presbyterian Church. I remember someone asking Trish Lewis (then treasurer) if the financial approach we discussed was feasible.
Recently, as I moved my office into "The Good Shepherd Room," I came across my "Twenty Things ..." memo. Wondering how accurate that old memo would be today, I read it with some trepidation,
In the memo, I shared that I took the Great Commission seriously; that to me, people do not "join the church" but make membership commitments; that I believed Bible Study to be a necessary and exciting tool for spiritual growth; and that I was convinced that community sharing was an essential part of the success of a church and must be developed and nurtured.
In introducing myself, I called griping, "the offspring of selfishness," and declared it to be the bane of the church. However, I added that disagreements within the church can be healthy, pointing out that if both (or all) sides listen to the other(s) the disagreements often result in better decisions than if we hadn't disagreed.
I pointed out that I did not believe that it was a productive use of a pastor's time to chase after persons who choose to not attend services or contribute to the church because they were upset about something. However, if anyone wanted to talk, I would be more than willing to talk with them about what was bothering them.
I suggested that churches should spend more time looking for solutions than complaining about problems.
I explained that I see the pastor as leader and indicated that I expected to be kept in the loop and not treated as irrelevant.
I acknowledged that my large size (I was much larger then), strong voice, and quick mind had, on occasion, unintentionally intimidated a few people, but explained that in reality I was far more teddy bear than intimidator.
Five years have passed. Five years later I don't believe that I would remove any of my "Twenty Things." I would however, add a few because I have learned and grown during the intervening five years. I thank you - and I thank God - for that.
Jim