Name Calling

I recieved the "Official" evaluation a couple of days ago. It was full of inaccuracies, even to the point of saying that I had a brother, and as mean spirited as I suspected.

At the very end it said, "even if we are wrong about our evaluation, we don't believe she would be effective in ministry".

I got to thinking about that, so I pulled out the conference journal and looked up the author's church stats. Found out he pastor's a 1500 member church and had only 5 Professions of Faith last year. I pastor a church with average attendance of 37 and had 3 Professions of Faith last year. He sent absolutely no money to local mission's or charities. My church sends 4% of our entire budget to a local food bank. He took up no money for special offerings last year (once again my church did). He has an associate pastor that makes more money than I do, and he makes four times more money than I do.

It was petty and small of me to compare our numbers because I know that they don't tell the entire story. However, he lives near one of the fastest growing metro areas in the United States (keep in mind how big Joel Osteen's church is) and I live in a place that isn't even included on the map of Texas.

Who's calling who ineffective?!?!?!

Good news another conference's Bishop sent me a personal email asking for my Resume. It was informal and friendly and he signed it with just his first name. Which, of course, doesn't mean anything but it made me feel good.

I read a great article yesterday that called what is happening to me, right now, an adventure. The author said that it doesn't feel like it when it's happening but I will look back on it as stepping out in faith to God's call. So I am looking at this in a more positive way...............but still kind of nervous.

It reminds me of when I was in the Army and went up with the Golden Knight US Army Parachute Team. It was kind of scary but fun and I walked away with all my body parts intact. Or the time that I rappelled off the top of a castle in Germany, or when my Army jeep got hit by a flash flood in the middle of the desert and was washed away.

It was this risk-taking side of me that the Evaluator had a problem with. But my Conference is promoting Risk-Taking Mission as one of its core beliefs, so I don't think that I'm that far out-side the church as this guy seems to think. Maybe he needs to learn the joy of taking a few risks. He might actually grow his church if he did.