To my Methodist friends, don’t get worked up until you finish the article.

All Methodist ministers in Louisiana move to their new appointments on the same day. It is called Move Day and appears on all our official Methodist calendars. It is an amazing thing to watch. When I moved to Natchitoches, I pulled into the driveway with my stuff as Donald Avery was pulling out of the driveway with his stuff. I suggest to friends, if they want a business, open up a one day moving service for Methodist ministers.

I mopped my way out of the parsonage in Mandeville, so the new minister could move into a clean house. Donald Avery mopped his way out of the parsonage in Natchitoches, so I could have clean house. Doug Cain had mopped his way out of the District Parsonage in Shreveport, so Donald could move in. It is the way we move. Methodist clergy know how to move. Churches know that one Sunday the old minister will be there and the next Sunday the new person will be in the pulpit. We have done that for two centuries.

I wonder how many Methodists got on their phone after reading that paragraph and called their favorite gossip partner to find out if there will be a change in Natchitoches. There will be a change at First Church, but she is an article for another time. We are receiving a new associate minister in July. Reverend Julia Puac-Romero will lead our Hispanic service. The other four ministers on staff are staying put.

As I understand it, there will be a change of schools this fall. Not only will students be in new classrooms, but many of the teachers will have new classrooms.

It is a struggle to move. Our teachers are trading spaces to begin a new school year.

There are folks at First Methodist that plan to help the TEACHERS in this moving process. Remember we Methodists are experts in moving on one day. Imagine a world where the teachers who were moving adopted the Methodist method, they all did it in one day. Some years there are as many as 150 ministers in Louisiana moving…. on the same day!

I’m guessing, just from rumor that the fall might be crazy for the teachers and the students. We can ease some of the anxiety by helping the teachers with their moves. We will start with the teachers in our church. Ask if the teachers in your church could use a little help with this MOVE. Ask them what they need.
I think it fits under the broad category of helping your neighbor in Jesus name. Find a teacher and ask if they need help moving. Help them.

Jesus encouraged us that as we help others, we are doing it for Him. The Greek text reads we are doing it “unto Him.” (Matthew 25: 31-46)

Could it be that in helping a teacher set up a classroom for the Fall we might meet Jesus?