| A shift in ministry: from DS to local church By Erik AlsgaardUMCONNECTION STAFF A district superintendent ministers with dozens of congregations and hundreds of people while serving his or her term of office. Part one of this series looked at some of the joys and stresses of being a DS. What happens when superintendents finish their terms? Some retire, some are elected bishop and some return to the local church. Like any shift in ministry, a time of transition follows. For a former superintendent, returning to the local church has its own set of challenges and opportunities.  All in all, I had a wonderful time as a district superintendent, said the Rev. Ken Lyons. When I left the district, we had a great group of pastors dedicated to Jesus Christ. Every one of them.
This past July, Lyons returned to the local church after serving on the Cumberland-Hagerstown District since 1998. He is now the pastor of Severna Park UMC. Lyons said returning to the local church has turned several things upside down. When I was on the district, I could call someone and say, I need you to meet me at 3 p.m. and theyd do it, he said. Now, in the local church, you go back to negotiating mode because youre working with all volunteers. You ask, Would it be convenient for you? Lyons time on the district showed him more of the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church. I can now look church people in the eye with more conviction and say we pay apportionments not because the Discipline says so, but because it works for doing the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is also returning to the rhythm of the local church. The Cabinet has its seasons, he said, noting the Cabinet calendar of charge conferences, clergy interviews and evaluations, and appointments. Its nice to get back, personally and corporately, to celebrating the liturgical year. Lyons described superintending as being a priestly paper-pushing personnel worker. You really do collect an awful lot of papers, he said.  For the Rev. Mary Kraus, time on her district was full of learning.
The district got the best of me the last two years, she said. I was more efficient and really knew the job. Krause served as superintendent of the Baltimore North District from 1984 to 1990, the second female superintendent in the conference. Since 1990, shes served as pastor of Dumbarton UMC in Washington I left the superintendency with a good understanding of who the people in the conference were; I knew the players, she said, adding that this knowledge helped her greatly with programming and ministry at Dumbarton. Were wonderfully diverse, she said, in inner city churches, suburban, beltway, rural. I really enjoyed seeing all that. Another learning she brought to Dumbarton: being able to see issues looming on the horizon and addressing them early. She also learned what its like to be a visitor in a new church. Do visitors have to fight their way into your churches? she asked. I made notes of my experiences, and at Dumbarton, we worked on this area. Kraus is enjoying her time in the local church. Its a privilege to be a part of peoples lives, she said. My goodness, people trust us with some of the most sacred moments in their lives.  The Rev. Mary Brown Oliver served as a district superintendent from 1990-1998.
I felt I was enriched greatly because of the experiences I had on the district, she said. I was reluctant to accept the position at first, but it really enhanced my ministry. Oliver, the first African-American woman superintendent in the conference, said the job of a superintendent was one of being a trouble shooter. But, she said, there are so many joys, too. Getting to know the pastors and their families, witnessing innovative programs, being involved in new buildings and going out in the communities. I found charge conferences very interesting while being a superintendent, said Oliver, who retired from St. Pauls UMC this summer. When the people talked about the ministries and mission of the church, it was full of excitement. She took that same sense to her own charge conferences, she said, making them full of stories about their ministry. | 
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