Comments on: A year later… http://erikanderica.org/erica/2007/04/12/a-year-later/ A blog by Erica Schemper Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:16:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Mary Beth http://erikanderica.org/erica/2007/04/12/a-year-later/#comment-410 Mary Beth Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:24:16 +0000 http://erikanderica.org/erica/2007/04/12/a-year-later/#comment-410 I had a very similar experience except within the UMC's "appointment" process. The DS in the district where I was a candidate didn't tell the DS in the district where I was going to serve that I was pregnant, so when I met with the new DS to talk about the appointment (which had all but been made) I didn't realize she didn't know I was pregnant. On top of that, I went to meet with the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee after the appointment had been made, and the DS hadn't bothered telling them either. So in the middle of the "interview" (a formality, really, since the appointment is already essentially made) the DS suggests that I tell the committee my "good news." With a surprise like that it's pretty easy to gauge their genuine reaction, and they were obviously all thrilled. But it could've been a really weird situation. I can't imagine how difficult it would be in a call process to determine when the right time is to drop that bomb. I had a very similar experience except within the UMC’s “appointment” process. The DS in the district where I was a candidate didn’t tell the DS in the district where I was going to serve that I was pregnant, so when I met with the new DS to talk about the appointment (which had all but been made) I didn’t realize she didn’t know I was pregnant.

On top of that, I went to meet with the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee after the appointment had been made, and the DS hadn’t bothered telling them either. So in the middle of the “interview” (a formality, really, since the appointment is already essentially made) the DS suggests that I tell the committee my “good news.”

With a surprise like that it’s pretty easy to gauge their genuine reaction, and they were obviously all thrilled. But it could’ve been a really weird situation. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be in a call process to determine when the right time is to drop that bomb.

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