A pastor recently commented to me that they only wanted to move for a "good" appointment.  I wasn't entirely sure what that meant since the measure of "good" could be multi-faceted. 
    Truthfully, I never served an appointment that was not "good".  To think that a group of people who didn't even know me, invited me into their lives to share the heights of their joys and the depths of their sorrows.  Who allowed me to be present when their babies and grandbabies were born and to hold them in baptism; who gave me permission to sow wisdom into the lives of their youth as they prepared to go out into the world; who invited me to be a part of their premarital counseling and weddings as they made the most sacred commitment of their lives; who opened the door for me to stand with them in the solemn saddness of their deaths and speak last words of grace; who allowed me the freedom of the pulpit to speak the "Word of God" uninterrupted; who opened themselves for me to speak the truth in love in tough situations, proclaim hope in the face of challenges, to lead them into new levels of commitment of time, talent, and resources; all of these made every appointment more than "good", it made it sacred and humbling.
     I'm sure "good" at some level speaks of salary, and to be fair the large disparity of salaries from a minimum salary to the highest in the conference, makes it easy and even somewhat legitimate to speak of "good" in those terms.  However, when I look at job availability and job security in the current economic climate of our country, even a minimum salary elder appointment seems pretty good.  Here as some figures that represents in an average minimum salary elder appointment:

salary                                $39,150 (not including supplements for spouse and children)
reimbursable expense            3,000 (just an average amount)
health insurance                     9252
pension                                 1468 (defined contribution)
pension                                 5300 (defined benefit)
housing                                 10,000 (average fair market rental value)
total                                   $68,170

Add to that the "guaranteed" appointment, a comprehensive benefits package including life insurance, disability insurance, retirement, etc, and even a minimum salary appointment seems pretty "good" financially. 
    At any rate, I hope that we as pastors keep constantly in mind the honor and privilege it is to serve Christ through the United Methodist Church.  It is without a doubt full of challenge, sacrifice, frustration, and heartache, but it is also full of blessing and privilege like no other vocation I know.  I hope we all can find the "good" in our appointments whether returning or moving to a new place of service.

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