Address to Hamilton Presbytery concerning termination of the pastoral relationship

 

My name is the Rev. Dr. Robert Matton, and I am a minister of word, sacrament, and pastoral care.  I was ordained by Saskatchewan Conference of The United Church of Canada at Nipawin on May 29, 1988.  I have faithfully served five pastoral charges from Saskatchewan to Ontario, including the past three and a half years on the Binbrook-Blackheath pastoral charge, seeking to serve God’s people and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and action.  Further, I have also given of my time to the wider United Church, serving on countless committees, as well as Presbytery and Conference executives, and being involved in the ongoing work of the General Council, most notably as chair of the Stewardship Education committee.  It was indeed such involvement that encouraged and inspired me to undertake advanced studies, focusing on stewardship and congregational development, ultimately resulting in a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2004.

 

Sadly, I come before you tonight more deeply aware than I ever thought I would be of what Jesus must have felt as he cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,’ as one who is bewildered and profoundly saddened by the course of events that has led us here.  Having joyfully given so much to Christ’s service over the past twenty years of my life, I would never have imagined that tonight I would be addressing you concerning the May 26, 2008 decision of a joint congregational meeting to terminate—without cause—the pastoral relationship between the charge, myself and Hamilton Presbytery. 

 

Just fifteen months ago I arose before this court to seek clarification concerning the termination of a pastoral relationship involving a ministry colleague, and to lament that too often as a Presbytery we seem resigned to simply rubberstamp such decisions with little if any regard for the pain and suffering experienced in the breaking of a covenant that once dared to invoke the name of God.  At that time, I wondered why my inquiry was met by a rather stony silence and a terse response, as if the discussion of such matters was off-limits, and that supposedly, even the person directly affected wished his departure to go unnoticed. Although, later, the minister assured me that was not the case and expressed gratitude for my concern and support

 

Likewise, as I stand before you tonight, I am most encouraged, not only by all those who are here in solidarity, but also by the many ministry colleagues and others who have kept me in their prayers.

 

Despite the determined efforts of some Binbrook-Blackheath congregants to call my ministry into question and even into disrepute, other congregants have voiced their appreciation of my ministry’s energy and enthusiasm in challenging and encouraging the church to embrace change and be more connected to the wider community and the world of which it is part.

 

Consistent with my duty and responsibility as a minister, I have steadfastly upheld and defended the polity of The United Church of Canada, and have done my utmost to maintain the peace of the pastoral charge, even as others were sowing discord.  As I was called as minister to do, I have continued to attempt to rebuild and grow a healthy, vital, and faithful church, even as the actions of those who resisted my best efforts diverted precious energy towards defaming me.  I feel particularly forsaken by the inaction of Hamilton Presbytery to address concerns that I raised seventeen months ago (in February 2007) in regard to what I felt to be an unfair and counterproductive year-end review and the unjust demands and questionable role assumed by the Ministry and Personnel committee—irritants that may well have been resolved through timely and effective dialogue.  By its lengthy inaction, Presbytery in effect provided abundant time for a disaffected minority of the pastoral charge to broadly defame me and successfully campaign for my removal.

 

I’d like to share with you a passage from II Corinthians 4:7-11:

 

 

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be visible in our bodies.  For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

 

This passage speaks to why I originally joined the clergy union movement in 2004. I did so out of my concern for the mistreatment and abuse of many clergy colleagues who have unjustly suffered under an outmoded system and procedures that, I believe, are not even-handed when dealing with conflict involving the minister and the congregation.

 

In 2007, just before I went public with my support for a proposed clergy union, I felt encouraged by my first two years in a very positive pastoral relationship with Binbrook-Blackheath. In making my union support known, I trusted the pastoral charge would not receive me differently or undermine my ministry. I believed they would honour my legal right to support a union for clergy.

 

However, congregants’ frequent, negative references to my support of the union proved otherwise. I found especially painful the February 2008 Blackheath annual meeting, where, for more than 30 minutes, I was verbally attacked by a church leader for my union support.  He stated publicly that all your clergy union will do is protect ministers who are driving congregations into the ground. I am saddened to say that I did not account for such church bullies who I firmly believe, first and foremost, determined to undermine and ultimately end my ministry, based upon my support of the clergy union. 

 

I acknowledge with regret and heartbreak that the pastoral relationship has been destroyed by those who sought their own will and not the leading of the Spirit. Beyond my own woundedness, I grieve for all who suffer this loss with me.  I pray that the church and all of us here might learn from the experience, and ensure that it does not repeat itself, with another minister and another pastoral charge.  

 

I would therefore ask members of Hamilton Presbytery NOT to defeat the motion requesting on behalf of the Binbrook-Blackheath pastoral charge that the pastoral relationship be terminated “without cause.”

 

Rather, as a matter of conscience and in solidarity with all those who respond to God’s call to serve as ministers in the church, I ask you to express your objection by abstaining from voting.

 

In conclusion, I would like to remind my ministry colleagues of the importance of speaking out, as expressed by Martin Niemoller:

                                               

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist;   Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because  I was not a trade      unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew;  Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

My clergy Brothers and Sisters, please sign your union card. My fellow lay Presbyters, please support us as we seek justice and resist evil in this Church of ours.