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Daniels Tells Pastors to See the Community As Their Parish

(January 9, 2007, GBOD) -- The 2007 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches, which met in Dallas through January 6, featured the Rev. Joseph Daniels, Jr., senior minister of Emory United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. in a plenary session Wednesday.

The annual event is sponsored by The United Methodist Church's General Board of Discipleship, headquartered in Nashville, and hosted by Saint Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas.

Daniels led a plenary session on community connection and social justice for nearly 500 United Methodist pastors and church leaders from across the country. The event was held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.

"Too many of us are not whole," he told the gathering. "We are unhealthy and we need to make healthy connections."

Citing a laundry list of ailments from HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer, diabetes, black on black crime, to regentrification--Daniels used texts from Ezekiel 37, Nehemiah, and John 5 to identify the circumstance, describe the situation, and provide a resolution.

“Economically, many have prospered while the masses are suffering. People are living in wealthy suburbs and are spiritually poor and spiritually bankrupt, broken, and burnt. We are in trouble. We are present physically, but mentally and emotionally in exile.

"For 38 years, the churches have been on the decline.

"Where there is no vision, communities perish. Where there is no vision, churches perish. Where there is no vision, pastors perish.

"There is a resolution in the midst of depression. God brings good news. God starts the revival with a prophet. The Spirit of the Lord got in somebody. Broken and burnt walls and dry bones will get up and build. [Pastors] must be the catalyst for change,” he said.

Clarity about the call to ministry

"Be clear about our call. Be sensitive to the call. Be specific about what God is calling us to do and not to do. Be healthy and balanced as we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives," he said.

"Nehemiah was sold out. Are you sold out for your calling?" Daniels inquired of the church leaders.

“Give up tending to stuff that tears us down. Be clear it is you God is sending. Be clear it is you God is sending there. If not, everybody will be miserable. Run to the right call. Focus ought not be on making career moves so we get a healthy pension. The Holy Spirit is about a summons to a particular circumstance.

"A lot of you are making career moves, not call decisions. Some of you are on the bishop track. Some of you are on the 'big church track.' Appointments are being made without considering the annointing necessary.

"When we make a call decision, communities will be rebuilt. When we make a call decision and not a career move, people will come running to United Methodist churches. Folk will show up two hours before, when your mind is in God’s mind.

"When we know what we’ve been called to, then we help people in the pews to understand their call," Daniels said.

The importance of practicing the spiritual disciplines

Daniels challenged pastors to be rigorous in practicing the spiritual disciplines.

“Through the spiritual disciplines we will be better able to be healthy, stay healed, and remain focused. To build healthy communities, like Nehemiah, pastors must embrace prayer and fasting for healthy connections."

Daniels says pastors are not taking care of themselves and suggests they set aside a day of the week for intercessory prayer for connections in the community.

Pastors and staff are integral to prayer times. If you are married, pray with your spouse. Have a prayer partner. There is no reason to be isolated in this connection, he said.

Daniels stressed the need for pastors to have prayer partnerships, Sabbath rest, study time, exercise, therapy, and family time

.[Pastors] have the most stressful occupation in America. If you do not set aside (what Daniels calls personal wholeness time), stress will burn you up, your family, your church, and your community.

"Take all four weeks of your vacation, build in family time (your family is your first church), be clear about your call, exercise, and practice the spiritual disciplines.”

Be devoted to community development

Daniel says,“pastors must be ready to devote themselves to community development. We must be devoted to our community’s development. God has your back. Speak truth to power as he does.

"See the community as your congregation. The community is your parish and, like John Wesley, you will go any and every where to worship.

"Community partners, corporate executives, street people will join forces with black pastors when they see you are committed,” said Daniels.

The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780 Ext. 7017.

This article was written by by Jeanette Pinkston, Media Relations Director for the General Board of Discipleship.

Other News Coverage of the 2007 Convocation of Pastors of African American Churches

"Convocation for Pastors Focuses on Healthy Connections "

"McKinstry Leads Worship and Healing Service"

"Pastors Need to Know When to Call Time-Out and When to Get Up!"