WELCOME!

Associates in Advocacy now has two sites on the internet. Our primary help site is at http://www.aiateam.org/. There AIA seeks to offer aid to troubled pastors, mainly those who face complaints and whose careers are on the line.

Help is also available to their advocates, their caregivers, Cabinets, and others trying to work in that context.

This site will be a blog. On it we will address issues and events that come up.

We have a point of view about ministry, personnel work, and authority. We intend to take the following very seriously:

THE GOLDEN RULE
THE GENERAL RULES
GOING ONTO PERFECTION

Some of our denomination's personnel practices have real merit. Some are deeply flawed. To tell the difference, we go to these criteria to help us know the difference.

We also have a vision of what constitutes healthy leadership and authority. We believe it is in line with Scripture, up-to-date managerial practice, and law.

To our great sadness, some pastors who become part of the hierarchy of the church, particularly the Cabinet, have a vision based on their being in control as "kings of the hill," not accountable to anyone and not responsible to follow the Discipline or our faith and practice. They do not see that THE GOLDEN RULE applies to what they do.

If you are reading this, the chances are you are not that way. We hope what we say and do exemplify our own best vision and will help you fulfill yours. But we cannot just leave arrogance, incompetence, and ignorance to flourish. All of us have the responsibility to minimize those in our system.

We join you in fulfilling our individual vow of expecting to be perfect in love in this life and applying that vow to our corporate life in the United Methodist Church.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you have any questions or suggestions, direct them to Rev. Jerry Eckert. His e-mail address is aj_eckert@hotmail.com. His phone number is 941 743 0518. His address is 20487 Albury Drive, Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

Thank you.

(9/26/07)


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

April 22 - The Grocery Store


It was still fairly early Sunday morning so I decided to walk, travel case in tow, to the two grocery stores I had told my contacts about. It began misting. The weather I predicted (70 at night and 85 during the day with no clouds) changed. It was 65, the wind was out of the north, and the light rain was almost enough to get your clothes wet. But I was doing okay as I crossed the bridge over the Hillsborough River next to the center.

And there was the Publix. It was an older store without a pharmacy but its bakery and deli were as good as the ones at home. I bought a salad for lunch, put it into my travel case, and headed out looking for the Asian market I had found on the internet.

The wind was blowing harder and the mist was getting heavier as I hiked back across the river and turned up the street. I headed for where the buildings would protect me from the weather as I walked northish. When I got to the address, there was no Asian store. The delegates were stuck with American vegetables from Publix.


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