There is a caveat
by Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton
Michigan Christian Advocate
January 2009
Michigan Christian Advocate
January 2009
During the funeral of the Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Christler, former Executive Director of the Detroit Union, a number of stories were shared. They were wonderful, humorous, inspiring and touching. Two of them shed light on major challenges facing the church today, namely cross-cultural appointments/encounters and new church starts. A former parishioner of Ken wrote the following: “I got to know Ken when he came to Roscommon (1988) to start what has now become the Good Shepherd of the North United Methodist Church…using multiple phone lines, thousands of people were called and invited to come to the first service… Come they did; and the Good Shepherd Church is one of the most successful new church starts in our conference.” And when the people came, Ken provided the kind of pastoral leadership that grew a church.
Why is this noteworthy? New church starts have begun and will begin in both Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences. Money has been provided. A site has been chosen. After multiple consultations and prayer, the bishop and cabinet has or will choose a pastor to start new churches. There is a caveat. (By caveat, I mean admonition, notification or object lesson.) Some observers of our new church start history will point out that we’ve had more failures than successes. That said, we can’t stop trying. New church starts have been recognized as the chief way to grow the membership of the church, the conference and the connection UMC). Growing new churches is one of the most difficult, draining, lonely and fulfilling experiences in ministry. It can make, break or destroy a family, a marriage, a career, clergy and laity. Whoever is chosen and accepts will be exposed to these factors. PRAY FOR THEM!!!
Matthew Thompson, sixth grade student in Frankenmuth, shared these opinions about Ken in a bulletin insert. “Pastor Ken is a missionary pastor. He often visits churches in Downtown Detroit. He is very involved with the Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village in Liberia which houses orphans. He had visited Liberia many times.” (said to be eight times) Then Matthew added, “He (Ken) has great passion for Liberia and helps them in any way he can.” Here, a sixth grader, one of Ken’s former parishioners in Frankenmuth, acknowledged a caveat in Ken’s ministry.
Although Ken was appointed pastor of Frankenmuth, he spent time, money and energy in arenas of ministry outside his local area, primarily at Cass Community Services in Detroit and in the African country of Liberia. Ken enveloped himself in a cross-cultural context and found a relational home with the people of Liberia. The kind of compassion he showed for Frankenmuth and folk in Detroit, he gave his Liberian brothers and sisters. Mutual love flowed between Ken and the people of Liberia. In fact, one of the speakers at Christler’s funeral noted that the Liberians were having a service of remembrance for Ken Christler at the same time we were celebrating his life at Birmingham, Michigan.
Ken’s openness to a new church start and cross-cultural appointments or involvements reminded us of an essential caveat of every ministry. Our work must maintain its pioneering spirit. Our ministry must ever be cross-cultural. The apostle Paul embodied both factors in every phase of his ministry. A highly trained theologian, gifted writer, excellent organizer, a Jew among Jews, Paul spent the bulk of his ministry in cross-cultural appointments. God sent him to make disciples – to start new churches among diverse groups of non-Jewish people. If the whole church could open itself to such inclusive disciple-making, God’s kingdom on earth would have a bit more of “the abundant life” cited by those who talked about Ken Christler’s striving to “fight the good fight, to finish the course, to keep the faith” Here is the caveat. May we all be moved, called, and/or inspired by Ken’s faithful example.
Why is this noteworthy? New church starts have begun and will begin in both Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences. Money has been provided. A site has been chosen. After multiple consultations and prayer, the bishop and cabinet has or will choose a pastor to start new churches. There is a caveat. (By caveat, I mean admonition, notification or object lesson.) Some observers of our new church start history will point out that we’ve had more failures than successes. That said, we can’t stop trying. New church starts have been recognized as the chief way to grow the membership of the church, the conference and the connection UMC). Growing new churches is one of the most difficult, draining, lonely and fulfilling experiences in ministry. It can make, break or destroy a family, a marriage, a career, clergy and laity. Whoever is chosen and accepts will be exposed to these factors. PRAY FOR THEM!!!
Matthew Thompson, sixth grade student in Frankenmuth, shared these opinions about Ken in a bulletin insert. “Pastor Ken is a missionary pastor. He often visits churches in Downtown Detroit. He is very involved with the Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village in Liberia which houses orphans. He had visited Liberia many times.” (said to be eight times) Then Matthew added, “He (Ken) has great passion for Liberia and helps them in any way he can.” Here, a sixth grader, one of Ken’s former parishioners in Frankenmuth, acknowledged a caveat in Ken’s ministry.
Although Ken was appointed pastor of Frankenmuth, he spent time, money and energy in arenas of ministry outside his local area, primarily at Cass Community Services in Detroit and in the African country of Liberia. Ken enveloped himself in a cross-cultural context and found a relational home with the people of Liberia. The kind of compassion he showed for Frankenmuth and folk in Detroit, he gave his Liberian brothers and sisters. Mutual love flowed between Ken and the people of Liberia. In fact, one of the speakers at Christler’s funeral noted that the Liberians were having a service of remembrance for Ken Christler at the same time we were celebrating his life at Birmingham, Michigan.
Ken’s openness to a new church start and cross-cultural appointments or involvements reminded us of an essential caveat of every ministry. Our work must maintain its pioneering spirit. Our ministry must ever be cross-cultural. The apostle Paul embodied both factors in every phase of his ministry. A highly trained theologian, gifted writer, excellent organizer, a Jew among Jews, Paul spent the bulk of his ministry in cross-cultural appointments. God sent him to make disciples – to start new churches among diverse groups of non-Jewish people. If the whole church could open itself to such inclusive disciple-making, God’s kingdom on earth would have a bit more of “the abundant life” cited by those who talked about Ken Christler’s striving to “fight the good fight, to finish the course, to keep the faith” Here is the caveat. May we all be moved, called, and/or inspired by Ken’s faithful example.
By: Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton On 1/1/2009
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