Itinerancy

John Wesley, the icon (though not the sole founder) of the Methodist movement, was a big believer in itinerancy — moving preachers from one place to another. He felt that a change in preachers energized the congregation.

“Were I myself to preach one whole year in one place, I should preach myself and most of my congregation to sleep,” wrote Wesley in a 1756 letter.

Itinerancy moved across the pond when Methodism — which had, up to that point, been a reform movement within the Church of England — became its own separate church in the newly-indpendent American colonies. It has continued ever since, although in recent years I don’t think preachers are being moved quite as often as they were when I was a child and my father first became a United Methodist pastor in the early 1970s.

The late Rev. Aileen Massengale once said that a Methodist minister had to be prepared to eventually do two things: die, and move. I remember our moves when I was living with my family.

When I used to attend Wartrace United Methodist Church, one of our pastors was Diana Hough (now Diana DeWitt). Diana had energized the church and brought in some new members — including some from outside Methodism who had no idea what itinerancy meant. When Diana announced that she was being transferred, it blew their minds. What’s wrong? Who can we talk to to stop this from happening?