Letters to the Editor

Pastoral departure coverage criticized

Dear Editor,

I find your article, “Third ERF Pastor Leaves,” (July 21,2000 edition) somewhat less than balanced reporting.

Most of your information comes from the leaving pastors and from their websites. There is no indication that you received information or interpretation of the events from anyone outside that circle of pastors.

Nor does it help in giving a balanced portrayal to say, “No District Superintendents or other leaders were available for comment on July 14,” without saying, as you surely were aware, that most of the superintendents and leaders “were not available for comment” because they were at the Jurisdictional Conference on that day.

It seems crucial to me in this situation to remember two things: First, since we are all liable to justify our own actions and to lay blame on others than ourselves, we are wise to remember that there are many more dynamics in this situation than the disaffected are likely to point out. These have not been reported, and for many reasons, may never be.

Second, it is wise to remember that every year pastors leave the Conference, sometimes the denomination, and sometimes the ministry. For pastors to leave is not unusual. They leave for many reasons. They leave in many ways. Some transfer to other Conferences. Some withdraw to join other denominations. Some choose Honorable Location. Some begin by taking Leaves.

Few strategize for months, even years, work diligently to influence their congregations and then leave to start new churches in the same communities in which they were serving as United Methodist pastors. They are not headlined or remarked on in the Review.

Since the Review chose to headline and remark on these pastors, a more balanced report would have given as much space to exploring the manner in which they chose to leave as to the fact that they are leaving and their own justifications for doing so.

Donald J. Cunningham, Chair ,
Conference Relations Committee,
Board of Ordained Ministry

We should have included the fact that most Conference officers were at Western Jurisdictional Conference.

The departure(s) are news because few pastors work hard to build up a congregation, then suddenly leave to start new churches.

As often happens in news reporting, the story broke at time which made more comprehensive analysis impossible. The Review reported what was known at the time, and followed up in the next edition and on the web. ‹Editor.

We invite your comments by e-mail to news@calnevumc.org