From the Pastor

On February 22nd I shared after worship that Bishop Bickerton intends to appoint me to the Wilmington (MA) United Methodist Church beginning July 1, 2026. It is important that you know that neither our SPRC nor I requested this change, but rather, the Bishop and Cabinet discerned that my ministry gifts match those required in Wilmington on the retirement of their current pastor. In the coming days and weeks the Bishop and Cabinet will be discerning what other pastor’s ministry gifts match the needs of Oakdale and after meeting with the SPRC, that person will be announced at a worship service. If you have any questions about our process, please feel free to be in touch with me.

The Book of Discipline reads, “¶ 338. The Itinerant System—The itinerant system is the accepted method of The United Methodist Church by which ordained elders, provisional elders, and associate members are appointed by the bishop to fields of labor. All ordained elders, provisional elders, and associate members shall accept and abide by these appointments. Bishops and cabinets shall commit to and support open itineracy and the protection of the prophetic pulpit and diversity.”

United Methodist pastors are itinerant - sent, not called or hired. "Itinerancy" refers specifically to the commitment by pastors to go and serve wherever their bishops send them.  

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, preached up to 40,000 sermons in his lifetime. He was an “itinerant” preacher, traveling from town to town in England, setting up Methodist societies.

In the days of Francis Asbury, the first of two Methodist bishops in the United States, a pastor – most often a circuit rider – might be appointed to half of a state or more. His appointment might be for only three months, after which he moved to another circuit. Thousands of the oldest United Methodist congregations today trace their history to a circuit rider, someone riding on horseback from church to church.

This traveling from place to place to begin Methodist societies in principle led to the itinerant system The United Methodist Church uses today. 

Before they are ordained or licensed, clergy in The United Methodist Church agree to serve where their bishop appoints them. Appointments are for one year at a time. For elders and local pastors, the goal is to match the gifts and graces of the particular pastor with the ministry needs of a particular congregation. In this “serial leadership” of consecutive pastors – no two are alike – over time, this series of different pastoral leaders helps form and develop ministries in the church and community.

Rev. Belton Joyner explains, "In a connectional system such as United Methodism, the question from any individual congregation or from any individual [clergy] is not, 'What is best for me?' The question is 'What is best for us, the whole connection?' The one who has oversight, the bishop, makes those decisions. (The New Testament word for bishop is episkopos, which means 'the one who can see the whole picture.')"

When bishops consider appointments, they consult with others who know the congregation and community, including the district superintendent, the pastor, and the staff-parish relations committee of the local church. The needs and desires of the pastor and the congregation are considered, but the mission of the church comes first.

Assistant to a Bishop, B.T. Williamson says, “Pastors understand that they serve the Bishop. At any moment, our Bishop could call and say, ‘I need you to go,’ and we will say, ‘Yes sir,’ or ‘Yes, ma’am’ and gladly serve.”

Itinerancy enables the Bishop and the Appointive Cabinet to consider the needs of the conference as a whole, balance those needs against the gifts and strengths of clergy, and then make the best matches.

Williamson asserts that the appointive process is undergirded with a spirit of utmost humility and prayer. The cabinet listens carefully to each church. They want to understand their history, needs, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses. “It is amazing how often, by the grace of God and hard work, that the process works well,” he said. “We never begin working on appointments without prayer. We understand that we cannot do this without the help and leading of the Spirit.”

—Adapted from “Chuck Knows Church,” Discipleship Ministries, and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry website, Interpreter Magazine, May–June, 2015 and an article by Sherri Gragg.

175^th Anniversary

We will celebrate Oakdale United Methodist Church’s 175^th anniversary on Heritage Sunday / Aldersgate Day, May 24^th. That day is also Pentecost, the day when Peter preached, the Holy Spirit descended upon those present and 3000 joined the church. We will have worship celebrating the faithfulness of the saints throughout our history. You are welcome to bring photos or items from the church’s history to display on the tables along the side as we did with the Christmas creche scenes. We will hold an extended time of fellowship inviting our District Superintendent, previous pastors and parishioners who have moved away, in the afternoon. We are hoping to have new t-shirts, aprons, sweatshirts and other items with our logo to purchase and show our support. If you’d like to participate, please let me know. We’d love to hear from you. The plans are still fluid and may include an offsite Saturday celebration as well.

Membership:

In the United Methodist Church, traditional times to join the church through baptism are 1) The Baptism of the Lord, early in January; 2) Easter, often in late March or early April; 3) Pentecost, usually late May or early June and 4) All Saints Day the Sunday nearest November 1^st. You can join on one of those days or any time. If you have been baptized, the United Methodist Church recognizes the baptism of other denominations and you can transfer your membership by writing a letter to your old church and requesting the transfer. If you are a practicing Christian and not transferring directly from another church you can join by profession of faith without such a letter. If you are a new Christian, we would be delighted for you to join by being baptized and we look forward to walking with you in your faith journey. I am always available to talk with you about what works best for you and to help you understand the process. This loving and supportive church family looks forward to welcoming you!

Worship:

We will join our sister church Quinsigamond United Methodist Church (QUMC) at 9 Stebbins St, Worcester, for a Maundy Thursday potluck dinner where we will celebrate the Last Supper including Holy Communion on Thursday, April 2^nd at 6:00 pm.

On Good Friday Pastor Cheryl is organizing a service of the Last Seven Words of Christ that will feature seven pastors giving short sermons on each of those words, as well as a combined choir of singers throughout our region directed by Emily Mazzarella. We will also have lay liturgists reading scripture and leading prayers throughout the service which will end with the ringing of our bell thirty-three times signifying Jesus’ age at the time of his death. Good Friday is April 3^rd and the service will run from noon to 3pm with opportunities to sneak out during hymns or silence if needed.

Easter this year is April 5^th and we have procured authorization to use the Old Stone Church for our Sunrise Service at 6:00 am. Emily will bring a keyboard and provide music for this beloved community service.