There is a great deal of disdain for the itinerancy these days. I will probably not win many friends with this article as a result. I find value in itinerancy and submitted to it willingly when I was ordained. I have now also lived under the system, and I acknowledge the great difficulty of its reality, which I will share in my next reflection. But for now I want to lay claim to what is beautiful about it.
For those of you who do not know what I mean by itinerancy (sometimes also spelled itineracy), I am referring to the practice of pastors being moved from church to church under the appointment and direction of a bishop. When I moved into an RV, I joked with people that I was all ready for my next move – when the Bishop calls, I will just turn on my house and go! But I am not just committed to itinerancy in a practical way; I find its theological power compelling.
The itinerant system puts trust in the Holy Spirit and our connection. We collectively agree to do our very best to seek the will of the Spirit for the good of the whole. When parishioners try to get me to guess when I will have to be moved again, I refuse to answer them. I do say, however, that part of being in connection with one another is that the bishop has to look at the good of the whole church, not just one church. When people retire, or leave the ministry, every pastor and every church feels that reality. It makes our connection very real, as does sharing pastors. It calls us to love and pray for one another as we share pastors.
The itinerant system does not leave us orphaned. Jesus promises us in John 14:18 that we will not be orphaned, but that he will come to us in the Spirit. The Spirit keeps us from being orphaned through the itinerant system. If a pastor resigns, retires, or dies, our system holds us accountable to making sure someone comes to fill that pulpit. The sheep are not left to wander for long. This contrasts with the call system, where, last I heard, the average length of time a pulpit is empty is 18 months.
The itinerant system empowers the laity. We sometimes forget our circuit rider heritage (move into an RV – it will keep it alive in your mind). When pastors rode a circuit, and churches went weeks at a time without someone to administer the sacraments, the work of the church continued.
Those were also the days when the church grew like wildfire. Now, undoubtedly, there were many factors at work, but the fact that the laity took responsibility for the church's work and vision meant that the absence or change of a pastor did not interrupt the work. Practically, this also means that churches on the itinerant system do not become cults of personality. In the back of nearly everyone’s mind is the pressing reality that the pastor will be moved one day. Best to just get used to that idea and make the church of the people and not the pastor.
The itinerant system allows for prophetic challenge. How many times have you heard stories about a pastor making key leaders in a denomination where the church chooses its own pastor mad, and those leaders then firing the pastor? Frequently, the church also splits over such action.
The itinerant system allows pastors to speak prophetically and challenge their congregation to live more fully into their discipleship. Sure, people may get mad (people got mad at Jesus all the time), but they will have to wait until appointment season to get rid of the pastor. They will have to explain to other pastors (district superintendents and bishops) why they want someone new. And those other pastors are liable to say, “Suck it up, buttercup. Your pastor is trying to get you to follow Jesus.”
And speaking of that, the itinerant system is a public sign of the sacrifice we make to follow Jesus. All of us have to make changes in our lives to follow Jesus. All of us have to sacrifice something – time, money, our talents, or unhelpful ways of living. I have long felt that, as a pastor, my willingness to submit to itinerancy reflects the sacrifices my people make to follow Jesus. It very publicly demonstrates our collective commitment to go where Jesus calls us; for most people, that is a metaphorical movement. Pastors serve as a visible sign of their invisible journey in grace.
And so I live in an RV – a visible sign of my commitment to itinerancy. And I hope that, in doing so, I represent that sacrificial heart of followers of Jesus everywhere.
Michelle Morris is a United Methodist pastor in The Arkansas Conference. She currently lives in an RV.
She is the author of Prophets to the Generations.