So many churches in between pastors and so few interim ministers to accompany them
What is a church in transition to do?
In 2008 I trained to become a traditional interim minister (performs the typical pastoral functions in the time between settled ministers), and the following year I added credentialing as an intentional interim minister (fulfills the typical pastoral functions and helps the congregation discern its identity and purpose and the supports needed to live fully into them). The tools I gained through this learning have served me very well ever since, and I regularly recommend interim training to clergy who are serving in a variety of roles and settings.
Over the past few years I have heard many congregations lamenting the fact that they have not been able to find an interim minister to accompany them through seasons of pastoral transition. I have listened to judicatory leaders in multiple denominations wonder and worry how best to resource these churches when interim ministers aren’t available. That’s because pastoral turnover is high right now, meaning interim ministers are increasingly in demand. And financial constraints might prevent a church from offering a compensation package for which an interim minister is willing to uproot.
So what’s a church in a pastoral transition to do?
One option is to find supply preachers or laypeople to cover preaching, congregational care, and programming, then contract with a coach to assist with other areas that an interim minister would typically cover:
General leadership consultation. A coach can work with the church’s governing body (e.g., board, council) on ongoing and pop-up issues that might or might not be directly related to the pastoral transition. These matters could include making decisions, dealing with conflict, or navigating processes like nominating and stewardship.
Identity and direction discernment. A coach can assist the church’s governing body or an ad hoc team either in thinking through the congregation’s history, values, vision, and structure or creating a means for all church members to engage in these essential conversations.
Pastoral search. A coach can help the pastor search team design its process and can be a resource along the search journey.
In all of these areas a coach can guide and encourage a congregation toward an active kind of waiting, which looks like moving ahead with purpose and hope rather than waiting on a pastor to set the course for the next season of ministry. This is in contrast to passive waiting, an anxious orientation in which church members look around at all they can’t do and don’t have, at least at the moment.
A pastoral transition coaching agreement could be very strategic and flexible in terms of focus and hours based on the congregation’s needs. It would also potentially be more financially feasible since a church would be paying for a few hours of coaching per month versus a part-time or full-time salary. And the coach could be located anywhere, eliminating the geographical impediments. (Most of the work I do now with congregations is by Zoom.)
There are many well-trained, extremely gifted people who could serve in this role of pastoral transition coach. If your church is interested in speaking with me, I would bring (in addition to my time as a settled and interim congregational minister and my 11 years of coaching) to bear some resources I have developed that could assist your church:
Planning in the Small Church: Focusing on Abundance to Fulfill God’s Call. This e-book provides a lot of helps for celebrating the past, assessing the present, and discerning the future.
Alphabet for an Evolving Church: Reflections and Questions for Pastors and Lay Leaders. This workbook prompts discussion on the characteristics of faithfulness in the 21st-century Church and on ways to live even more fully into them.
Searching for the Called: Logistical and Spiritual Guidance for Your Pastoral Search. This e-book contains best practices for pastor search processes and prayers for the congregation and search team throughout the pastoral transition period.
If your church is interested in a conversation about pastoral transition coaching, feel free to contact me or schedule a free exploratory call.