The Methodist Conference, which met in Belfast last month, appointed the Irish Methodist ministers to the circuits or departments where they will work for the next 12 months, known as their "stations".
Changes were made on the recommendation of the Stationing Committee. This comprises six ex-officio members - the president, ex-president and president-designate of the church, the secretaries of the conference and of the home mission department, and the principal of the Theological College - and eight elected members, one elected by each of the District Synods.
The process has changed through the years and is less authoritarian than it was.
The process opens in October each year when the Stationing Committee begins to consult each minister due to change station the following July and each circuit concerned.
Consultations continue for several months as the committee seeks to balance the best interests of the ministers, the circuits and the church as a whole. Problems arise when any circuit or minister finds it difficult to recognise that their own wishes are not paramount. By February, the process is complete, and the revised List of Stations is circulated to the church.
In theory, the conference could make a further change when it meets in June, but this is only done in the event of a major crisis.
In the first two weeks of July, the ministers move to their new stations. This year there are only 17 changes, which is fewer than most years.
One of the sad events of the year was the sudden death at Easter of the Rev Peter Good, who was superintendent minister of the Omagh circuit, just a few months before he was due to retire. His pastoral work at the time of the Omagh bombing less than two years ago earned him the affection of most people in the town, regardless of denomination. His successor is the Rev Harold Agnew, who is moving from Limavady.
Mr Agnew is being succeeded at Limavady by the Rev Christopher Fraser, who is in turn being replaced at the South Derry Mission by the Rev Heather Robb. Ms Robb has been working for some years at Comber.
The Rev John Dowse of Bandon has retired and the new minister is the Rev William Mullaly. Mr Mullaly has transferred from his native South Africa. Also retiring is the Rev Kenneth Thompson, who has been at Greenisland in the Carrickfergus circuit. The Rev Thomas Bodel moves from Lisbellaw, Co Fermanagh, to Greenisland and his successor is the Rev Eric Duncan.
Mr Duncan is leaving Newry, where the new minister is the Rev Janet Unsworth, who has completed her training in Edgehill College.
Another retiring minister is the Rev William Buchanan, who has been the superintendent of the Newtownabbey Mission for 18 years. Mission superintendents are not subject to the eight-year rule that limits the terms of ministers in other circuits and his 18 years at Newtownabbey have seen much progress there. The new superintendent of the mission is the Rev David Cooper, who has moved from Knock in Belfast. To Knock goes the Rev Winston Graham, who has returned to Ireland after several years working in London. He has been the leader of the World Church Team, formerly the Methodist Missionary Society.
The Rev Derek Russell of Domore has retired and the Rev Robert Wallace is moving to Domore, which is part of the Lisburn circuit. Mr Wallace moves from Church Hill in Fermanagh and will be succeeded by the Rev Thomas Stevenson. At Fintona, on the Omagh circuit, Mr Stevenson will be followed by the Rev Emily Davison of the United Methodist Church in the USA, who will serve there under the Student Pastor Scheme.
The Rev Arthur Parker, who has been serving at Queen's Parade in Bangor, is also to retire this year. To Queen's Parade goes the Rev Dr Thomas McKnight and his place at Ballinamallard is taken by the Rev Philip Agnew. Mr Agnew has spent eight years at Dun Laoghaire and the new minister there will be the Rev Derek Poole. Mr Poole has transferred from the English to the Irish Conference. For the last nine years, he has been ministering at Jersey in the Channel Islands.
The Rev Clifford Meharry of Primacy in Bangor has been appointed chaplain at the Leys School in Cambridge and will be replaced at Primacy by the Rev Brian Griffin. Mr Griffin has returned to Ireland after a second term at Abidjan in the Cote d'Ivoire. The Rev Clifford Taylor, who headed the Shankill Team Ministry in Belfast up to last year, has returned to Zimbabwe for a second term there, after a year's refresher course.
The Rev Richard Rowe has been appointed a chaplain to the Royal Navy and the Rev Nigel McBrien will commence his ministry at Roscrea, having completed his studies at Edgehill College.
A new appointment this year is that of the Rev Vanessa WyseJackson as second minister at Sutton, Clontarf and Skerries.