Challenges to my personal life has caused people, who once shared in my sincerity to question the "ideal ministry", which I remain called to deliver. I understand their position. They do not have to understand or accept my decisions. The ministry has never been about my life. This ministry granted me will always be of God and about the workings of the Holy Spirit as revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul describes it as a "treasure in jars of clay." The power for sincere ministry is from God, so we may be "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck, but not destroyed." (4:8-9)
Itinerant ministry is a way of life. It is the life I have known from the cradle and hope for into the grave until the resurrection. It is the sincere ministry known to me, which time to time has me on the edge of homelessness. Living on the edge, you give up or give out or STAND. One pastoral appointment to another within the episcopal system of the United Methodist Church has yielded one or more cities in the United States of America on an average of every four years to be considered home. Since 1976, my pastoral record reveals having been appointed 34 times between eight parishes. The tenures have ranged from 7 months before accepting a "an appointment by selection" to 119 months in a third "appointment by selection." (Types of appointment are not the concern of this message)
In only one of the appointments was a family house purchased. Even then, there was an investigation as to what, how, and when, not by the local church members but someone, who seemed to have thought himself to be wiser or smarter or even better. The pursuit gave an appearance of coming out of piety or envy or perceived power. So much time was wasted. Time that could have been used to acquire over 100 acres of property to develop the ministry. (An opportunity given before Joel Osteen even dreamed his dreams of such a leap of faith) We did not need to raise money, the owners were going to donate the properties that included buildings. All we needed was a letter of affirmation of the special appointment to develop sincere ministries of reconciliation, especially racial reconciliation.
Time that could have been shared in forming a health coalition with the local hospital system, which was part of the planned ministry. Time that could have been given to the interfaith ministries, including Ba Hai, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Time that could have been shared on the outreach ministries that included thousands of listeners and viewers and volunteers from Conway to Atlantic Beach back across to Murrels Inlet. Time that could have been given to campus ministry formed in partnership with Coastal Carolina University. Time that could have been spent helping construct the International Peace Wall that was built in partnership with elementary schools and Carolina Marks with Hilda Dail. Time that could have enhanced our partnership established with Sun News Media, and our two television shows on the Christian channel as well as our radio broadcast. Time that should have been given to our chaplaincy to Conway High School football team and the local community centers in Conway and Atlantic Beach. Time that would have strengthen our pastoral counseling ministry through the Grand Strand Pastoral Counseling Services. Time that would have enlarged our membership with the connectional ministries of each of the local United Methodist Churches that were to assist us in forming ministries out their facilities. Time that may have helped our partnership with the Community Technical College. Time so precious to our partnering with the golf course -Witches Links. Time for our partnership with International Paper and the historic Belin Church. Oh so much time wasted, which would have placed us the forerunner for the Air Force Base housing and chapel. Oh the shared time in ministry would have yielded global impact from our annual Racial Inclusiveness March on Myrtle Beach. Shared time in our music academy could have produced church musicians for church north, south, east, and west. And what about the children taught dance and Bible in the development of the Christian Education Ministries? Wasted time...
Instead, a house bought in 1992 would be questioned in 1996, after the death in 1995 of the bishop, who had appointed us in 1991 for the purpose of delivering racially inclusive ministries, and had relocated us back to the city of my birth after three years (we had fulfilled his requested appointment). During such times, it would be great to have a place where you are at liberty to mature in the faith and reconcile with God as a "wounded healer". (Henri Nouwen)
As 1985 was ending, my brother sent me a poem, which I would pick up for reasoning as I was being confronted:
- "HOMETOWNS, USA"
Somewhere In America... There're Places You'll Want To See, Where Waving Flags Tell The Saga Of A Land For The Free!
Where Working Moms With Things Undone And Dads Who Punch The Clock, Come Together And With Fun Help The Ones Who Have Not;
Where Old Folks Like Young Folk Hurry To Find A Vacant Park Bench, To Tell A Story, Swap A Glory Or Discuss The World's Defense;
Somewhere In America... Somewhere Close To Me... A Waving Flag Tells The Saga Of A Land For The Free!
Where Country Girls View The World While Strolling Down Main Street, And City Girls Doing Curls - Can Still Sweep You Off Your Feet!
Where Homeboys Like Cowboys Displaying Nerves Of Steel, Went Riding Off To Hanoi To Keep Our Freedom Real!
An All American Team... A City At The Edge Of A Bay, Where People Like You Are Found - Hometowns...Of The USA! (Bernard # 25DEC85)
Jars of clay...where within are ministries of men and women, human beings seeking to fulfill the image of God in the mission of Christ.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, and grant us a place, grant us a home, grant us peace. Amen.
Luonne Abram Rouse
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