As his time as superintendent of the Northern Skies District draws to a close, Rev. Scott Harmon reflects on the evolving adventure of ministry. Sometimes it’s holding on, sometimes it’s letting go, but it’s always about caring for people.
SCOTT HARMON
Superintendent, Northern Skies District
Years ago, a report was commissioned on the state of United Methodist clergy. At the time, I was in my late 20s, so I was among the “young clergy.” That was 30 years ago, and ministry, like the world around us, has changed quite a bit.
As my time as district superintendent of the Northern Skies draws to a close, my wife, Bron, and I are again packing boxes preparing for a move to serve in a local congregation. It’s what United Methodist clergy do. From that first crossing of the Mighty Mac, having been married only a few weeks, ministry has proven to be an amazing adventure to which we said yes, without stipulation.
There was a time when pastors, out of necessity, would transport books by the crate among all their household goods. If you wanted to understand the Gospel of John or preach from Isaiah using good scholarship, you needed a commentary. There was no Google for word searches or interpretation. In isolated regions, the only theological library was the one you brought with you. How times have changed! Communication, creative ideas, and worship resources are just a few keystrokes away. Yet, what hasn’t changed is the fundamental way ministry is about caring for people.
Growing up, it was often said in our family, “People won’t care how much you know if they don’t know how much you care.” Serving as district superintendent, untangling the conflicts pastors sometimes instigate, I’ve come to paraphrase it this way: “You can be ‘right,’ and still be completely wrong.” Meaning you can have the “right” theology, “right” worship ideas, “right” style of what you think a pastor is, or other personal preference (fill in the blank here), but the way it is shared or executed so alienates those your ministry is intended to serve, that nothing but conflict comes of it. In Romans 12, Paul gives good advice on being in relationship with people that often gets missed in the latest transformational leadership books.
Before the invitation to serve as superintendent, I never imagined having the privilege of returning to the churches, people, and pastors of the Northern Skies District. It was, of course, a different time. In 2017, we were the Marquette District of the Detroit Conference. Then, the Northern Skies District of the Michigan Conference (2018). A couple of years later, COVID-19 moved us all online, and as a culture, we learned new ways of functioning — desired or not. Change would become part of our practice as we emerged from the pandemic, closed offices, and expanded districts, all while wrestling with questions of who we are called to be as God’s people.
It has been a robust and, for the most part, wonderful adventure. So many good and faithful people connected to God and to one another. Churches doing meaningful ministry in their communities. Pastors, having heard the invitation to serve, saying, “Yes, send me.” Yet being the church is not easy. God’s people have always been a work in progress. Today is no different, and challenges lie ahead. Smaller congregations struggle to identify those who can operate the technology needed to function today. Once larger congregations struggle to support the facilities, staff, and programming that is meaningful in their contexts. The annual conference continues to wrestle with declining revenue and how best to serve our churches as the differences between metropolitan and rural ministry grow wider and wider.
Thirty years ago, cutting-edge thinkers said, “The church is changing.” That’s true, just like the world around us. Yet we go forward. Amid the boxes and packing, I’m looking ahead. God’s invitation to an adventure still rings true. Good people who love God and seek to reflect the ways of Jesus in their lives continue to exist in this world, even as the world swirls around us.
These days, I read scripture from an app and have traded my legal pads for a reMarkable tablet. To Bron’s chagrin, I’ve not gone completely bookless, but I do augment the scholarship with my favorite blogs.
Ministry is an evolving adventure. Sometimes holding on, sometimes letting go, but always about people. I look back on my time as superintendent with deep gratitude. It has been such an honor to support and serve the congregations of this beautiful region, and I am looking forward to continuing to minister among God’s people in familiar yet different ways. There’s a new bridge ahead, and the adventure continues.
Thanks be to God!
Last Updated on February 18, 2025