The Mutual Ministry Committee has made a tremendous difference in my ministry. This group supports me in a number of ways. This committee is made up of about four church members. I select the members of this committee, and my appointments are approved by the church governing board. Members of this committee serve more-or-less permanently. These must be people in whom I can place a great deal of trust because they sometimes become involved in very sensitive areas of ministry.

The MMC usually meets monthly. We discuss very openly anything that might be of concern to me or to the congregation. The MMC acts as a sounding board for me. They also serve as my "temperature gauge" of the congregation. They are able to give me information about aspects of our congregational life that I have not seen, and they can help me to anticipate the likely outcomes of changes that I hope to make. I also invite the MMC to serve as a Personnel Committee. They interview potential new staff members. They also help to work with staff members if personnel problems arise.

The MMC was able to help our former secretary see that she would have to leave her job at the church. Unfortunately, her skills were no longer exactly what the congregation needed. This was an especially sensitive matter because she was also a member of the congregation. The MMC was able to help ease her into resigning in a way which avoided any kind of "blow-up". As a result, I was able to spend Secretary’s day with both the new and former secretaries!