Yesterday I had the opportunity to help lead a workshop for persons interested in serving churches as interim ministers. An interim minister is a term often used for persons who fill the pastoral role of a church when their previous pastor leaves and before a new pastor is called. Another term that is often used today is transitional pastor, and this is a term I am beginning to appreciate more and more. Several of the individuals attending the workshop have been serving as interim pastors for a few years now and wanted to learn how they could be more effective in that role. Others wanted to learn more about this ministry to determine if this is something they might want to do.
In the past many churches that called an interim minister primarily wanted someone to be there on Sunday morning and preach. There might be a few other expectations regarding limited visitation and providing some administrative assistance, but these churches mostly wanted to make sure someone would be there each Sunday with a sermon. That remains the expectation of many churches today, especially smaller churches. For some, it is a time when they can build up their finances since the interim usually costs the church less than having a pastor. Marginal churches actually look forward to this period of time as it gives them a chance to replenish their dwindling bank account, but that is a topic for a later post.
The fact is this interim period is a very important time in the life of a church. It gives the church an opportunity to take a long, honest look at itself and determine if there are some things that need to be addressed before calling another pastor. Is there a history of on-going conflict in the church? Now is the time to address that. Does the church need to transition from having a fully-funded pastor to calling a bivocational pastor? If the church is struggling to provide a decent salary package to their pastor and maintain a ministry presence in the community, the answer is yes, and this is the time to make that transition. Are there systems issues in the church that need to be corrected? A well-trained interim minister can do that and save their next pastor from having to fight that battle. Does the church need to identify a fresh vision from God for its future? Doing that during the interim period will give the church the opportunity to call a pastor with the gifts that will allow the church to fulfill that vision. The church is going through a transition time and using this time wisely will help it come out a much healthier church and better prepared to take advantage of the leadership their new pastor will bring.
I know one church that had struggled for years with a systems problem in their church. Two previous pastors had been unable to correct that problem. An interim pastor led the church to make the needed change in less than a year, and their current pastor rejoices today he did not have to fight that battle. I know another church that had a member who had a history of creating numerous problems in the church. No one in the congregation was willing to challenge this individual, but within a few short months after arriving an interim pastor confronted her about her behavior, and the individual left the church. This church has experienced steady growth ever since, and the pastor who followed that interim has enjoyed one of the longest tenures in that church it has known in years. Countless similar stories could be told of churches that experienced transformation during the interim period leading to these churches being stronger and healthier when their next pastor came on the scene.
Unfortunately, many stories can also be told of churches that did nothing but save some money during the interim period who came through that critical time with the same dysfunctions it had before their previous pastor left. Pastors come and go in these churches, all fight the same losing battles, and the church never changes. Such churches often complain how none of the pastors they call grow their church never realizing that it is their own dysfunctions that prevent such growth from occurring. The interim period is a great time to address those dysfunctions, but these churches are unwilling to do so. They prefer to use someone they know who can preach a little and will work for little pay so they can save some money than to invest in an interim minister who is skilled and trained to lead a church through this interim time so they come through it healthier and stronger. Little can be done to help these churches until they take a different approach to the interim time.
Interim ministry is a vital ministry to help churches grow healthier. It is a great way for a retired pastor to remain in the ministry after retirement, but it's important to recognize that there are some specific tasks interim ministers need to perform that may require some training. Just because someone has been a pastor for 30 years does not mean that person will be a great interim minister. There are some new skills that a pastor may need to learn before becoming an interim minister. Many denominations offer training for persons interested in serving as an interim pastor, and other organizations such as the Center for Congregational Health also offer such training. This can also be a new role a bivocational minister can consider. Interim ministry is an important ministry for the church and the Kingdom of God, and it is one you may want to consider.
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