LAKELAND — According to a strict interpretation of the United Methodist Book of Discipline, Bishop Cornelius L. Henderson has less than three months to appoint pastors to 747 churches and missions throughout the Florida Conference, said Keith Ewing, the bishop’s administrative assistant.

That "appointment process" went into high gear March 6 when the conference’s cabinet began meeting here to decide where pastors will serve beginning this June.

"It is a process that is done with a great deal of prayer and consideration for the persons and congregations," Ewing said. "All…is done with the understanding that the Discipline gives the bishop the authority to make pastoral appointments…but we’re a realistic group of folks who try to operate in Christian mercy and charity."

This year’s appointment process began last December when church pastor-parish or staff-parish relations committees submitted a profile of their church and an evaluation of the relationship between the pastor and the congregation to their district superintendent. The evaluation included the committee’s suggestion on whether a change of pastors was needed.

At the same time, pastors submitted a written consultation form and attended a personal consultation with their superintendent, taking that opportunity to share if he or she felt a change of appointment was necessary.

"Most changes occur because either the pastor or the congregation [believes a change is necessary] or by mutual consent they both agree that it’s time for a change," Ewing said.

A pastor’s retirement, reappointment to a ministry outside the local church, leave of absence or sabbatical can also cause a change, Ewing said.

Once changes have been identified the district superintendent meets with the church’s pastor-parish relations committee to determine "the vision and mission of the church and a statement of the type of pastoral leadership the congregation needs," Ewing said.

When the cabinet convened in early March, it began by discussing the "open appointments," churches that need a new pastor because of retirement or other factors. The superintendents then discussed pastors from their district who meet the needs of those churches.

The cabinet also takes into consideration the pastor’s health concerns, spouse’s employment, salary the church offers, needs relating to children and/or parents, and other issues.

"So many factors need to be considered…," Ewing said. "Sometimes we’ll spend a day on one appointment to make the proper appointment."

Although Ewing says many writers on church dynamics point to "long-term pastors as a significant part of a church being a growing, dynamic, vital congregation," the cabinet does not normally consider the length of a pastor’s tenure at a church. Currently, the average appointment is about five years, with two pastors serving the same churches for 23 years.

Once a pastor is selected for an open appointment, the cabinet discusses how to fill the appointment that pastor will be leaving. "One action causes another action," Ewing said.

The cabinet also considers the number of clergy and churches in the conference to ensure there are enough pastors to go around. For the past two years, the conference has been able to meet its obligations to churches with clergy transferring from other conferences.

Ewing said the Discipline guarantees that all full-connection elders and probationary members of the conference will have appointments. "The Florida Conference feels the same toward its local pastors," Ewing said, adding that the cabinet sincerely considers the appointments of part-time local and supply pastors.