Holston Center for Well Being

Rev. Kathy T. Heustess Director

2507 Mineral Springs Road Suite B Knoxville, TN 37917-1549

O—(865) 692-2390 F—(865) 692-2393 C—(843) 421-3536

My Administrative Assistant, Donna Felskie, recently informed me that I had officially reached the 100 th client since starting as the Director of the Holston Center for Wellbeing in July of 2018. It has been my privilege to listen and walk alongside the clergy, clergy families, district, and conference staff of the Holston Conference these past few months. It is definitely a unique time of ministry in the United Methodist Church. In addition to the regular stresses and strains of ministry, many are unsettled by what may happen as a result of the next General Conference. Divorce seems inevitable. And just like families, we, the children of divorce, experience a keen sense of uncertainty, as our parents in the faith separate and divide the assets.

We all like certainty. We all like things to be fixed, settled, and consistent. We find no small amount of comfort and assurance when things are predictable and known. But what if they are not? What if the future is unclear, unpredictable, and difficult to understand? What if chaos, confusion, and disorganization seem to be the order of the day? Most everyone will begin to feel anxious. And we attempt to mitigate our anxiety in a variety of ways.

Church leadership is complex, even in the best of circumstances. Our churches are experiencing an unprecedented season of uncertainty and irregularity. It is extremely difficult to be a “less anxious presence” amid shrinking membership, uncertain finances, and a yet to be determined future. If we were to be perfectly honest with ourselves, much of what is happening is beyond our control. So if it is beyond our control, why do we carry so much stress? Perhaps because at some level, we feel responsible. We take our ordination vows seriously and we want to be faithful in bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth. But what about the Holy Spirit? Do we not trust that the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing? Can we not take a few steps back and rest in the knowledge that God is still at work in the business of transformation? We are in desperate need of transformation on many levels!

So what can you do as a “responsible” minister of the Gospel? Pray the Serenity prayer regularly! Find serenity, rest, and renewal in recognizing what you can control and what you cannot. You do have control over your own self-care. You can be proactive about the ways in which your body, mind, spirit, and relationships are continually being renewed and transformed, so that you can be faithful to your calling in ministry. In the words of Reinhold Niebuhr:

“GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.” AMEN.