From time to time I hear Pastors/Corp Officers talk about there most recent moves. I find it interesting that so many times I hear some of these discussions involving a color commentary as to whether the move is a move up or a move down. Let me offer an example:

Pastor/Corp Officer starts in a church of 50. After one year Pastor/CO is moved to a church of 100. That is classified by some as a move up. Two years later Pastor/CO moves to a church of 200. Again, that is a move up in some people's eyes. Three years later with the church of 200 now a church of 500, Pastor/CO is sent to a church of 75. Is that a demotion? Is Pastor/CO moving down? If so, what did they do wrong? Why has this ill fate fallen upon them?

I find myself annoyed at these analysis as I cannot think that any move within the ministry here on Earth could be classified as either up (promotion) or down (demotion). All moves are lateral! What right do we have to deem a move as a complimentary move or a move of insult? Isn't that what we in essence do when we classify moves as either up or down rather than from a lateral perspective?

Think about how insulting it is when we make ourselves evaluators of this.

• We insult the people of these fine churches. Especially those of the smaller size for we in essence say that WE are too good (OK. Maybe we say too qualified or maybe we say that we have earned something greater) to have to deal with them.
• We insult the ministry as a whole as we deem that there are some ministry positions that are more or less honorable then others.
• We deny our Heavenly father in that we deny His ability to use us in any situation.

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. Your ministry appointments, whether you have an opportunity to choose them or they are chosen for you, wherever they may be, are in a place that God longs to use you for His glory and His purpose. Therefore, accept it with the same enthusiasm, passion, commitment, desire, humility, drive and faithfulness as you would if it were your "dream" appointment.