W PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Sets Another Record!

The Western Pennylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church will meet at Grove City College in Grove City PA on the dates of Thursday, June 13th through Sunday, June 16th. All clergy are required to be in attendance. The service of ordination will be held on the morning of June 16th and will last approximately 3 hours. --- gleaned from information sent to W PA Conference delegates.

Well, they did it again! The first year they did it was back in 2005 and then again in 2006. They took a year off in 2007 and then did it again in 2008. They have had a number of years off now, but will do it again this year on June 16, 2013! What is this, you ask? All pastors of the United Methodist Church of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference will be at the closing session of the conference at Grove City College on Father’s Day, June 16, 2013. That is the day of ordination and all pastors, including retired elders such as I, are expected to be present. It’s about a 3 hour session or so.

The first year they pulled this debacle I wrote to the bishop and as expected, there was no response. I also wrote the second year and again, no response.

Question: how many churches can you name, independent or denominational that have had their pastors off somewhere on something by way of some outside activity and not in their pulpits on Father’s Day? How many United Methodist Conferences can you name that have done this kind of thing that qualifies as a major foul-up of the first magnitude?

Yes, the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference stands in a class all by itself on this! All we have to do is come up with a name for that class – difficult to do, as there is probably not a word in the English language yet to really define such a thing!

The issue in this is whether or not Father’s Day is an important date on the church calendar and worthy of time and attention in a nation where the ranks of dead-beat dads are growing year by year – you know, those guys who think nothing of fathering a child and then take off to let the impregnated female to fend for herself – all those “Baby, I love you -- I’ll love you forever!” statements in the heat of passion now mean absolutely nothing! The Bible does have some things to say about fatherhood and responsibility that falls directly on the shoulders of fathers, does it not?

By scheduling a conference session on Father’s Day and requiring all clergy to be present (and absent from their pulpits) the conference administration is sending a message – Father’s Day isn’t worth the ink which was required to print the name on the date of June 16th on the 2013 calendar where the name appears.

Yes, yes, I know – the defense is likely that scheduling with the college was limited in time and those few days in June ending on June 16th were the only days available in which the conference could be held. There is absolutely no law that says that the conference has to be held over through Father’s Day and an ordination service can be scheduled at other times.

As a result of such a fiasco as this, hundreds of fathers will not get to have that special day with their families and hundreds of pastors will not have the opportunity to observe this very special day in their churches.

A few of us, and maybe just a very few, still hold that Father’s Day is on an equal level with Mother’s Day in terms of importance and each of those days should be observed in churches with an equal amount of zeal. In over half a century of ministry I never missed a Father’s Day service. Further, I have probably conducted more Father’s Day services than any other pastor in the W PA Annual Conference mainly due to the fact that I chose to turn down a station appointment and to stay with a circuit of small congregation churches. The total of those services which I conducted on Father’s Day comes to 139. This June 16th will make #140 although as an ordained elder, I am supposed to be in attendance at the session of the Western PA Annual Conference on June 16th. But I will be conducting a Father’s Day service at Gipsy Christian Church in Gipsy PA. No brag, just plain ordinary fact!

In one of those letters to the bishop I asked that if this situation were occurring on Mother’s Day, would the conference hold the session, do the ordination, and require attendance on part of all pastors? I then said, “We both know the answer to that, do we not?”

I rest my case!

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord. [Ephesians 6:4 - Wesley NT]

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. [Colossians 3:21 - Wesley NT]

Father's Day 2008 Among W. PA United Methodists -- A Real Touch of Irony!

Grace Clayton, a Methodist in Fairmont WV, inspired the first known church oberservance of the holiday 100 yeas ago this summer – long before it became a nationwide tradition. --- from information released by United Methodist Reporter, June 13, 2008

For the third time in four years the W. PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church will conclude with a lengthy ordination service later this morning, Father’s Day, at Grove City College in Grove City PA!

Bishop Thomas Bickerton did not merely suggest that the few hundred pastors of the conference be present at this morning's service adorned in robes and stoles, but has demanded they be present with duplicate demands coming down as well from the superintendents. Under these conditions it is likely that even the death of a pastor would not excuse the pastor from required attendance at the ordination – arrangements by the widow would have to be made to have the deceased pastor pushed down the aisle in his casket in the pastoral procession by the mortician in charge! OK! OK! So this last one is said with a bit of tongue in cheek! But unless you are exposed to the goings-on in the conference, you have no idea how radical the bishop and the cabinet members are when it comes to "laying down the law" to pastors about attending the ordination service, even on Father’s Day! Pastors were told in at least one district that if they had a wedding on June 14th, they were to make sure they got back to the conference in time for the ordination service on Sunday morning!

I had written to the bishop the first year about this grave error on his part and then the second year I included the members of the cabinet as well.

Such a disregard for Father’s Day is totally incomprehensible. But this bishop is not to be ever questioned or remotely challenged in any way by either pastors or laity. His attitude on such an issue can be compared to that fellow who sits on an important seat in a place called the Vatican!

Now here’s the kicker on this – a lady from Bickerton’s home state of West Virginia is credited with initiating the first observance of Father’s Day 100 years ago on July 5, 1908 in Fairmont WV. She was Grace Golden Clayton, a Methodist. Her father was a Methodist minister.

Details about Mrs. Clayton and the roots of observance of Father’s Day are found at the web site of Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont WV. Go to Father's Day -- use reverse feature on your browser to return to this place.

Most would agree that the observance of Father’s Day ranks in terms of importance on an equal level with Mother’s Day – that is all except Bishop Thomas Bickerton and his loyal supporters. Sometimes there is such a thing as blind loyalty – e.g. if a leader says he is going to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City and jump off and all must follow him, they will do it because he simply said to do so – no questioning is permitted – no entertaining of the disturbing thought that just maybe the leader is wrong for once. You know, a Jim Jones type of thing applied in a variety of ways and in different circumstances!

In one letter I asked the bishop if he would pull a stunt like that on Mother’s Day? Realizing I would not get a response, I concluded with, “We both know the answer to that one don’t we?”

So this morning a few hundred pastors of United Methodist churches in western Pennsylvania will be absent for the third time in four years from their pulpits on Father’s Day. Can anyone cite a similar folly today so lacking in respect which involves hundreds of pastors anywhere else within the boundaries of our republic as the debacle which will take place at Grove City College -- any other United Methodist annual conference or any other denomination?

There may be those who in defense of Bishop Bickerton would say that the only week available to hold the conference was the week which ends on Father’s Day, so there was no choice. But there is enough flexibility in scheduling that the whole thing could have been done and wrapped up by Saturday, June 14th! Trying to defend the trashing of Father’s Day by the scheduling of an annual conference session requiring pastors to be absent from their churches flies as well as a Canada goose with both wings broken!

Again, I go on record – I am willing to retract all statements made and issue an apology on my web site and at the blog IF a simple question survey is taken in every United Methodist congregation in W. PA and without any suggestions made by the pastor as to how the bishop and the cabinet want the members to answer. The question is this – “Would you prefer your pastor to be in the pulpit of your church or at annual conference on Father’s Day?”

If 51 percent or more say they want their pastor to be at conference with the bishop, then the apology will be quickly issued. As an aside -- personally I have a lot of confidence in the laity and that they often exhibit more respect for things that count than do those in high positions of authority within church structures – check comparisons on respect and reverence for the holy Scriptures, if you want a good example of contrasts!

The procedure can be done very easily and quickly. All the pastor has to do is ask for a show of hands in each congregation with a couple of ushers doing the count. Then simply send the results (x number want pastor with them on Father’s Day and x number want their pastor to spend Father’s Day with the bishop at annual conference) by email to the W. PA Conference Center located in Cranberry Twp. PA. In fact, that would be a good job to help break in the bishop’s new FULL TIME assistant as of July 1st – let him tally the results!

See how easy it can be done? In the meantime I shall be anxiously waiting to learn of the results of the survey -- remember now, no tampering or putting on the pressure by saying, "This is what the bishop wants!"

In all seriousness, at the very least an apology to every congregation in the W. PA Annual Conference should be issued by the bishop and the cabinet for forcing the pastors to be in attendance at the conference session on Father's Day for three years out of four! But don't hold your breath on this one!

If anything, I'm the bad guy for making a prolonged issue of this due to my marching to the beat of a different Drummer! By the way, I, an ordained elder in the W. PA Annual Conference, will be in the pulpit of my church later this morning and stressing the responsibilities of fatherhood from a Biblical perspective. Why? Because that is where Almighty God wants me to be and about! And then later in the day I shall be sharing the blessings of family members. The details of that family are given in the post just below this one, dated June 13, 2008!

And a PS -- I have probably conducted more Father's Day services than just about any other pastor in the W PA Annual Conference, including the bishop and cabinet members -- in the last 30 years of my ministry before retirement, I served 4 churches in 6 of those years and 3 churches in 24 of those years. I am down now to 1 church during these last 9 years of retirement! And I never missed one Father's Day worship service during those years!

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. --- Ephesians 6:4

They Were in Their Pulpits on Mother's Day, But Don't Expect Them to Be There on Father's Day!

...Pastors should bring a pulpit robe or alb and a red stole to process in the service of Ordination. If you do not have these items, that is fine, you still are a part of the clergy family and will join in the service. If you have scheduled a wedding for June 14th and plan to leave Grove City for rehearsal Friday evening, you still need to return to Grove City for the Sunday service. If you are participating in one of our camping events the week following Annual Conference, you still have ample time to arrive at camp following the service. If you need to be excused from Annual Conference, it is your responsibility to communicate in writing to Bishop Bickerton, Conference Secretary John Wilson, and your Superintendent why you cannot participate in Annual Conference this June.... Part of the "orders from headquarters" directed to pastors in one of the districts of the Western PA Annual Conference in anticipation of the service of ordination scheduled on Father's Day, June 15, 2008 at Grove City College in Grove City PA!

They say 3 out of 4 ain't bad! In baseball or softball, if you get 3 hits out of 4 times at bat, that would be considered an impressive batting average. If you were traveling through a small town which had 4 traffic lights and you hit 3 of the 4 when they were green, you would congratulate yourself on doing well in avoiding some red lights in that community. In fishing, if lively trout hit the bait 4 times and you get 3 out of the 4, you would consider that a successful fishing venture.

But sometimes 3 out of 4 is not a good thing -- ask the congregations of a few hundred United Methodist Churches in western Pennsylvania about that ratio. You see, for the 3rd time in 4 years their pastors will not be present with them on Father's Day!

The pastors have always been present in their churches on Mother's Day, as they were yesterday. But for 3 years out of 4 it's been a kitty of another color on Father's Day.

The Western PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church will be meeting the latter part of the second week of June and will conclude with an ordination service on the morning of Father's Day, June 15th! The conference will meet at Grove City College in Grove City PA. It will be the 3rd year out of 4 since Tom Bickerton became bishop that Father's Day has been scrapped in favor of an ordination service!

The bishop along with support from his superintendents is adamant in demanding that all pastors be present for the ordination service on Father's Day. The pastors are given ample "warning" in advance about this (see the wording of statements in one district newsletter as noted above) with specific instructions about making sure arrangements are made for someone to conduct the services in the pastors' absence.

I'm not sure that even if you die on Saturday night, June 14th, that you would have a legitimate excuse for being absent from the ordination service the next morning! But that can be taken care of by arranging to have the funeral director wheel you down the aisle in your casket ahead of the bishop and all the other dignitaries in the procession -- that way, your presence will be obvious. Just make sure the casket lid is open so that they know you were present -- this is necessary in order to insure that no "unpleasant" things happen to you because you were regarded as being absent!

Now a question -- is there anybody out there who knows of a similar debacle taking place in other UMC conferences or other denominations in the entire United States? Write it down -- you'll be hard pressed to find even a half dozen pastors who will be absent from their pulpits on Father's Day. For any outside the W. PA Annual Conference who are absent it will likely be due to an unexpected emergency of the first magnitude!

I wrote to Bishop B. about this the first year, figuring that being a rookie bishop and quite young (I have 2 kids older than he, 1 about the same age, and 2 a bit younger) that he didn't fully realize what he was doing.

The second year I also included the District Superintendents in the letter sent. The appeal was that Father's Day is an ideal time to stress the importance of family and responsibilities of fatherhood, etc. And this at a time when our culture is fast adopting an attitude that fathers aren't really all that important -- about all they are good for is to provide some wriggly things which are essential in making a baby! One woman got a lot of publicity plus many, many bucks from her book which described how she artificially inseminated herself (the old turkey baster tactic) and has a child she is raising without a father being involved! Much as she probably hates to admit it, she did need the help of a man at one point though she never met the guy -- he provided some of those wriggly things mentioned earlier!

Anyway, the bishop, as I expected, made no response to those letters. One person mentioned to me that Father's Day is not a significant religious holiday -- the implication being if the the W. PA Annual Conference wants to have an ordination service on the morning of Father's Day with all pastors expected to be present, so what? If a bishop says that is the way it is to be, that settles it -- no questions or objections are permitted! Sounds like a United Methodist version of a pope at his dictatorial best, does it not?

A final question I asked in one of the letters was this -- "If it were Mother's Day, would you have the ordination service with the presence of all pastors being required? We both know the answer to that one, don't we?"

There are many things that call for prayer -- sometimes very unusual things -- this is one of them. Whatever it takes, may Almighty God clearly reveal that it is His will for those W. PA United Methodist pastors to be in their pulpits on Father's Day in June of 2008 and not at Grove City College!

Go ahead -- ask them -- ask any congregation of United Methodists if they would prefer that their pastor would be present with them to conduct worship on Father's Day. And do not condition the people by first saying that this is what the bishop and the superintendents expect -- we're not concerned about their desires, but only with what God wants!

And as an ordained elder in the W. PA Annual Conference, where will I be on the morning of June 15th? Just where I am each Father's Day and where I have always been in 49 years of ministry -- occupying the pulpit of the church (or churches) God has called me to serve, and where He expects me to be. I mentioned this in the second letter sent to the bishop and D.S.'s -- also mentioned was the fact that if that was unacceptable to them, then they would have to take the issue up God, because He is the One Who wants me to be in a certain church at a certain time on Father's Day! I have never yet missed a Father's Day service in any of the churches I have served over the years and I have no intention of missing one in 2008!

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men...." --- Acts 5:27-29