Sent, Not Stationed: Benji Van Fleet on Itinerancy, Humility, and the Beauty of Being Placed (Part 2) | PT 144
What if you didn’t get to choose where you served, but trusted the Spirit and the Church to send you? In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to unpack the Methodist system of itinerancy and what it teaches us about obedience, humility, and trust. From matchmaker bishops to Methodist “March Madness,” Benji shares a vision of ministry rooted in submission rather than self-promotion, and a faith that follows wherever God leads. 🎙️ In This Episode:What the Methodist itinerant system teaches about calling and surrenderHow being sent shapes a pastor’s humility and courageThe dangers of “pastor as CEO” and the freedom of not owning your churchHow diversity flourishes through a Spirit-led appointment processWhy obedience to the Church’s discernment can deepen faith ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – The theology behind being sent rather than hired 03:00 – Contextualizing mission: unity without uniformity 07:00 – The “matchmaker” role of bishops and discernment in appointments 11:00 – Fresh eyes and prophetic courage in short tenures 15:00 – Undermining the “pastor as CEO” model 20:00 – Methodist March Madness and the beauty of discernment 24:00 – Diversity and the Kingdom of God in appointment systems 32:00 – A phone call on Holy Week that changed everything 36:00 – Saying yes when it could’ve only been six months 38:00 – Submission, humility, and the Spirit’s surprising work Ministry is not a career we climb; it’s a call we receive. Benji’s story reminds us that when we live as sent ones rather than stationed ones, we find the freedom to trust God’s wisdom over our own plans.
From "The Pastor's Table"
Comments
Add comment Feedback