Gideon’s Fleece and My Recent Announcement Related to the Episcopacy
After being nominated for a potential Bishop role in the Global Methodist Church, Pastor Paul and his wife, Missy, reflect on surrender, discernment, and what it means to place a “fleece” before God by trusting Him fully with the outcome.
The concept of “putting out a fleece” comes from the story of Gideon, a leader in Israel, in Judges 6. When God directed him to gather the Israelite troops to defeat the Midianite invaders, Gideon wanted to be sure he was hearing God’s voice. He asked God for a sign to prove that this was truly His will. Gideon put out a piece of wool overnight and asked God to make it wet while keeping the surrounding dirt dry. God did as Gideon asked, and in the morning the fleece was wet enough to produce a bowl of water when it was wrung out.
Gideon asked God for a second sign—this time to keep another fleece dry while making the surrounding dirt wet. Again, God responded, and Gideon was convinced God was speaking into his circumstance.
As I have recently shared, I have been nominated as a potential future Bishop in the Global Methodist Church. Considering this fact, there are three things I want to share with you related to the story of Gideon:
Missy and I are content and thankful, and we remain “all in” and “fired up” about serving as the Senior Pastor of Christ Methodist Church. We remain passionate, and our lives are devoted to glorifying God and making disciples of all peoples. This has not changed. We remain steadfast in faithfulness to the church, the goals our faith family has established, and in prayerful dependency on God for renewal and revival.
As you know, three Annual Conference delegations to General Conference reached out to say they wanted to nominate me to serve as their nominee for the episcopacy in the Global Methodist Church. Over almost five months, I said “No” on three occasions. That changed a week ago in a time of prayer following a conversation with a fellow leader in the GMC. That leader challenged me to pray about this matter “one more time.” When I did, I sensed a distinct release and peace I had not known before, as I submitted the decision before the LORD.
What does this have to do with Gideon’s fleece that I referenced above? It is important for our faith family to understand that I have not committed myself to being a Bishop in the GMC. I have not pined for this position. (I said “No” repeatedly.) I did not and do not covet this. There is a sense in which I have simply placed the matter in God’s hands and the hands of His people who represent the church from all over the world by allowing my name to be put forth. As I surrender this matter to God by allowing my name to be put forth, this is my fleece. This is an act of surrender, and surrender is where God wants every believer to live (Romans 12:1-12).
God may not call me forth through His people to serve in the office of Bishop. God may simply be working in my heart to develop greater degrees of surrender, to lay all my “Isaacs” down.
On a deeply personal level, I love the local church, I love pastoral ministry, and I love leadership and serving with high-capacity leaders. Is it possible to love it all too much, in a way that God wants to do something deeper, purer, that deepens my first love for Him? God may be tempering or teaching us all something through this circumstance that we didn’t anticipate, but will be a great blessing in His time. Remember the words of Romans 8:28-29: He is always working in our circumstances for good, and that “good” (see vs. 29) is to become more like Christ in and through good times, as well as in trials and tribulations.
The book of 1 Peter instructs us to be “sober thinkers” in all matters. Just as Gideon was a sober thinker regarding the facts as he sought God, here are some facts to help keep our feet on the ground as we walk this season out together:
There are 52 Annual Conferences in the Global Methodist Church. Only three of the 52 Annual Conferences endorsed your Senior Pastor as a candidate. There is no presumption that I will be elected as a Bishop.
In 2024, the Global Methodist Church consisted of 38 Annual Conferences and more than 3,000 churches. Today, the Global Methodist Church comprises 52 Annual Conferences worldwide and 7,111 churches. While the growth of the church is exciting, many of us are still getting to know one another. There is no presumption, when so many of us do not know one another, that I will be called forth as a Bishop.
Only eight Bishops will be elected in Johannesburg in September. Approximately half or more of our existing Bishops will stand for reelection. That means there may be only three or four new Bishops elected from a global body representing more than 7,000 local churches. The odds are not stacked in my favor of being elected Bishop.
Church family, Missy and I remain passionate about serving Christ and you as we advance His Kingdom together, and that may well carry on for many years to come. But I want you to better understand my fleece and my step of faith in staying surrendered to God. And maybe, as you pray into all of this, somewhere in your heart, there may be a fleece God is calling you to lay before Him, too. Let us all remember our healthiest step in drawing near to Jesus is always to surrender. May His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!
We love you, Christ Church, family!!!
Pastor Paul & MJ ☺
