My day has been personally devastating. I have been through the psych testing for this conference three times. I've always tested as normal and suited for ministry. The head of the testing center is making me drive all the way to Houston on Friday for a face-to-face meeting about my most recent test. This is after meeting with one of his psychologist's last month and being told that everything was good-to-go.
Why do we put ourselves through things like this?? When I graduated with my B.S. in History, I could have went straight into teaching without any student loan debt. Five years later, I'm up to my eyeballs in debt from seminary and, apparently, still I'm not finished jumping through all of the hoops that this conference puts before us.
I will drive to Houston (five hours away), meet with this guy for an hour at 4 p.m., and then try to turn around and make it back to my daughter before midnight. He wanted to meet next Wednesday (the day after Christmas). I told him I was leaving on my first vacation in 18 months that day and couldn't do it then.
Do any of you need a slightly used pastor in your conference? And they wonder why the numbers of clergy are dropping!
2 comments:
I'm catching up on blogs after a full week - I'm so sorry to hear this.
I am so highly suspicious of psychological examination requirements for ministry. I am also sickened to hear that some denominations require a physical exam as well. Does that mean that a disabled person is not ordained? WTF?
Stay strong...
I've often wondered the same thing about the physical. And I understand the need of the conference to keep people out of the pulpit who will cause harm but I'm starting to believe that they want clergy that are perfect. My complaint is that the people currently administering this process did NOT have to fulfill the same strigent requirements.
I have a hang-up about fairness.
Post a Comment