Interim Ministry
When a congregation’s minister leaves, whether
on good terms or not so good terms, it may discover that
it is in a period of discontinuity.
The first reaction might be to do whatever is necessary to immediately return to
a stable equilibrium. That might mean
quickly doing all that is required to “get another minister”. Or, the congregation
may discover that it has an opportunity to take a little more time so that it can
approach the task of calling a minister in a more studied and intentional way. This can occur by contracting with
an "Interim Minister".
Interim ministers have been
around as long as there have been ministers.
Until the last couple of decades they were usually “unintentional” interim ministers. That is, they were “called” ministers
who did not last very long. While it was intended that they continue at the church
that “called” them for many years, things sometimes just didn’t turn out that way. After a couple of years a new minister
was called.
The minister following the “unintentional
interim” often fared much better. The
congregation now had had the time to deal with and either mourn or in some way move
on from the previous long term minister.
Many have discovered that seeking an intentional
Interim Minister has enabled the congregation to, not only have
that year or two in which to “deal with and either mourn or in some way
move on”, but to evaluate what and who the congregation is. The congregational survey that is part of the Ministerial Search process, can now be more informed. Rather than knee-jerk responses that encourage the search committee to either seek a minister “just like” or “exactly the opposite” of the previous minister, the survey can truly reflect what the congregation needs as well as wants in the next person selected to lead the congregation in its future course of time.
As an Intentional Interim Minister I have had and am continuing to pursue training in the, now specialized, field of Interim Ministry.
I am committed to not only being a minister that can meet the needs of the congregation today but also assist it in a process that can enable the congregation to have better success with the “called’ minister that will follow me.