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

Difficult Disclaimer


I rarely name names in any of these postings about the 2012 General Conference. I’d love to name-drop. Most of those I mention have specifically okayed my use of what they said or did. But I am more comfortable not identifying them because I have a history with General Conferences and with many denominational leaders. I do not want to taint good folks by letting the antagonists I have encountered in the leadership of the Church know I have good relationships with them.

Maybe I am paranoid. But if you check the record, you will find nearly all my petitions have been dropped during plenary, usually on the consent calendar. Because this is not my “time,” I do not wish to cause any of the saints I have met to face any backlash they might get because of me.

Ten years from now when everyone will be happy to tell you they believed in my ideas all along, I don’t want you to challenge them because they were nowhere in my record. Presume they were. It’s okay. It’s the value of the ideas and the vision that counts, not who had them when.

I would love to celebrate every saint I met so you would know them. But if I do not name them, you will look for the “saint” in everyone you meet who was in Tampa. Chances are you will recognize the real ones pretty quickly.

May you be as fortunate as I have been.

If by chance you want me to name you, let me know and I’ll edit your name in. Blogs are correctable that way.
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