the monument vs. the mission

My desire as it stands now is to be the pastor of a church.  Considering that that church will probably be a United Methodist church, that is if the conference accepts me, will make for an interesting pastorate.  The United Methodist Church is not unique, and I know the problems that it is experiencing are hardly unknown elsewhere.  However, the challenge will be unique for a guy like me who doesn't hold allegiance to any particular faction within the church, and the allegiances I do hold are to dead guys or ideas and ideals.  It will also be unique because I have experienced church outside of the Methodist church and know that not only is it not all that bad, it is in fact quite desirable. 

This creates a problem.