A lot has changed in the 20 years since I started my first role in parish ministry. I’ve grown through my experiences. The church I know best – the Mainline Protestant variety – has endured significant decline.
Time and Place
During this time, I’ve served congregations in Texas and Florida affiliated with four denominations.
In order to better understand just how much time I spent in each place I’ve lived and each congregation I served, I created the graph below showing the number of months I invested in each experience.
The first four homes my wife and I owned were in Texas. These correspond to the first four congregations I served.
The next two homes we owned were in Florida. These correspond to the next four congregations I served. Our time in Florida includes the house we called home for longer than any other (a residence we purchased just before the real estate bubble burst). The last two ministry positions shown were the shortest by design since both were interim roles.
The final two homes shown are in Texas. The eighth home is our current home. Since we have no plans to sell it any time soon, the month count will rise considerably from its current placement. During this time, I have served a ninth congregation in an interim capacity (not shown above) and served a faith-based non-profit (also not shown above).
Looking Back
20 years ago I entered married life and started ministry expecting stability. From birth to age 18 I lived in a single house. I accepted my first call to a congregation following seminary graduation expecting I would be there for a very long time.
Now, as I pause and reflect on the path I assumed my life would take and compare it to the actual path I’ve journeyed, I readily see the variances.
So What?
I’m grateful for the strength of my marriage and would not change the life my wife and I have co-created for any other.
I’m wise enough now to know better than to try to estimate the number of congregations I’ll serve or the number of places my wife and I will call home in the next 20 years.
And, I’m thankful these many opportunities have expanded my love of God and love of neighbor.