Connections

Dynasties seem to appear wherever there are politics, even in the church. Gil Karges, who succeeded Carol Roettmer-Brewer as district superintendent, was a second career pastor with several sons and daughters-in-law who were themselves ordained clergy. One son was none other than Todd Karges. Todd was serving a three-point charge based in Oakland, Nebraska, but it was apparently time for the Karges dynasty to flex its muscle and “promote” him to an appointment that was more worthy of his stature-by-association. I’ve already tried to explain that the unwritten rule of Methodism to keep things relatively stable at the top of the pyramid exacerbates the domino effect that ripples through the trenches. The United Methodist “contract” with local congregations is that they will never be without an appointed pastor, so moving one pastor creates a vacancy that the conference is obligated to fill. When Roettmer-Brewer left the district it was necessary to appoint her to a church that was worthy of her status as a former D.S., and as part of a clergy-couple this meant that her husband, James Brewer, would need a complementary appointment. Thus it was that Jim became a district superintendent with the district office in Fremont, Nebraska, where Carol just happened to be appointed as senior pastor of Fremont First UMC. Todd Karges was appointed to Nebraska City (a one-point charge of higher status), and that’s where yours truly enters the picture as hole-filler extraordinaire. I will never be able to prove this, but I’ve always thought that Bishop Martinez and his cabinet figured that if a two-point charge didn’t cause me to fail, a three-point charge might just do the trick. In June of 1993, the Hanna family reported for duty in Oakland, Nebraska.