Moving December 7, 2006

in about a week, we will be moving into our new home. i’m 35 and i’ve never owned my own home before. i’ve lived in my parents home growing up, the dorms and an apartment in college and ever since i was 21, i’ve lived in parsonages. i actually planned on continuing that trend until i retire. sometimes plans change.

the house we purchased is just outside the city limits, 10 minutes from the church. it sits on 2 acres with woods. even though it is close, it feels like its a world away. exactly what the doctor ordered. one of the downsides to being an inner-city pastor and living in the neighborhood is that you are never away from it. even when you go home, you are still in the midst of everything.

i have to admit that after the break-in, i was ready to call the bishop and say “get me out.” but upon further reflection and prayer, we decided buying a house was the best option for all. i’m really not ready to get out. in a sense, we are just beginning to do the work we’ve been called here to do. this decision keeps me in the appointment and it gives my family an escape. actually, there has been alot of spiritual warfare going on here in the past few months. since oct.1, the three buildings we operate have been broken into 5 times. this says to me that what we are doing here is making a difference. the forces of evil are trying to scare us out.

united methodist polity says that any proceeds from the sale of a parsonage must be held for the use of purchasing future parsonage. i guess i see the point of such a rule. it helps prevent churches from getting stuck having to buy a house if it is needed in the future. so selling the parsonage would not benefit us. our plan is to use what is currently the parsonage for our children’s ministry and after-school program and stop renting the house we currently use for that program. in the long run, this will help the church financially. it’s one of those things that just makes sense in a real practical way.

anytime you move into a time of change there is always going to be anxiety. we are not sure how long we’ll be here, i have no clue how to take care of a house, financially things will change, we might need to buy a riding lawnmower (maybe my mother-in law can help us with a deal)…but we know this is the right thing to do right now. Pray for us!