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Intriguing thoughts on ecclesiology and pastoral ethics not addressed much in the New Testament. Thanks for sharing. Sorry that question probably strayed the thread away from Dave's original intent. (Though I'm still hoping Jon will also answer.)

They are important issues, and they exist within a denominational context. The Methodists seem to do a pretty good job with not assigning their pastors to churches down the street from the one they just finished serving. I don't know if that's done on purpose, or it just happens. Some Presbyterian denominations seem to be big on "transitional" pastorates. One of our school parents has been at his current church here for five years during which his wife, also an ordained pastor, served three different congregations as a transitional pastor for a year at a time. Now they're both going to a church in New England to a transitional pastorate before their next permanent assignment.

My current congregation has three former "pastors" among its membership, and just selected another individual, also a member of the congregation, to serve for the upcoming year. We do not have a formal "ordination" or designation as "clergy" though the individuals who are selected are subject to requirements by the congregation, including a level of theological education, and commitment to participation in quarterly ministers training weeks. The pastor is elected annually, though the same person can be elected as many times as they are agreeable, and the congregation is willing. But these individuals are selected from within the congregation, not from circulating resumes or by appointment of a district board. Our only paid staff member is the custodian. The last individual who served in this capacity (technically, "Overseer") did so for about 20 years. From what I can tell, since it is voluntary and they work at other careers, they share the funeral duties, depending on who is available, and decide between them which one officiates.

Sandy, from what little I know about the Friends churches, that was a very helpful description.

When people are approaching theology from such a different angle, it really is hard to place them in our spectrum. The Friends may be one of the most diverse groups out there.

Timothy, you will appreciate this. I was taking a continuing ed course a few summers back offered by American University in Washington, but which used a classroom on the campus of Wesley Seminary next door (I believe both schools are affiliated with the UMC). They have a Cokesbury book store on campus, and a book title caught my eye, "If the Church Were Christian," by Phillip Gulley who is a Quaker minister in Indiana. I read the book, which of course, reflected the author's Quaker faith and interpretations in addressing the issues related to the title, and were right on target from a Biblical perspective. My wife and I were struggling with our role in our local church at the time, and were open to considering different options. I was talking with one of our school board members about this and he invited us to visit his Friends church, which only met on Sunday evening. On that Sunday morning, we went to a church called Crossfire, where one of my wife's first grade student's families attended, a very high energy, very much contemporary aimed at millenials that was United Methodist. We went to the Friends church that evening, and have been there ever since. Gulley's book helped and I guess, in an indirect way, the Methodists are responsible for us winding up in a Friends congregation.

The whole "church culture" of Quakers is different. It would take several pages just to describe the effect of the value of "Simplicity" and its implications for the church. Of course, we initially looked at the experience the same way we would if we were just visiting churches to find one, and the differences led to a conclusion not to go back. But there were things that resonated with both of us, and my wife picked up and read Gulley's book, and we were back. For her, it has been more about how inclusive and open the congregation has been, for me, it's about the core values. It will take a long time to get used to the differences, and develop the convictions, but in this congregation, that doesn't matter, and about half the members there came from other backgrounds and are still in the process of adapting, learning and practicing the values.

If I were to die tomorrow, I would want (to conduct my funeral) a minister who knew me very well, and would be best equipped to speak about my life. The person I have in mind was never my pastor, but was once my Sunday School teacher. He has pastored several churches, but I was not a member of any of them.

I think the wishes of the deceased ought to trump the other considerations so far mentioned, except that perhaps the funeral service should in such a case not be held in the church in question, at least if the current pastor has any objections.