Help! We are now in-between lead pastors and are considering using an interim. What are our options? Read on to begin discovering the pastoral needs of your church and the value of calling the right kind of interim to help meet your needs.
There are three kinds of interim pastors. The first can be called the traditional interim pastor. This pastor fulfills the traditional roles of a resident pastor such as but not limited to preaching, church administration, pastor visitation, prayer, and presiding over the celebration of the ordinances or sacraments including the Lord's Supper celebration and baptism. A traditional interim pastor might serve the church well if the congregation is healthy and the former pastor has left in good terms after serving the church only three or four years.
The second kind of transitional pastor is called the intentional interim pastor. This pastor serves a two-fold purpose: to help make the church healthier and better prepared for a new lead pastor and to help coach the pastor search team in finding and calling a new lead pastor. In addition, the intentional interim will fulfill the normal roles of shepherding and preaching. This will involve pastoral leadership and administration roles agreed upon by the interim and the church governing board. If the former pastor of the church left unexpectedly or under difficult, negative circumstances, an intentional interim pastor is highly recommended.
The third type of transitional pastor is the interventional interim pastor. If your congregation has or is facing serious conflict issues that are threatening the life of the church, an interventional interim pastor is highly recommended. The conflict may or may not have resulted from the former pastor's actions or inactions, but you will discover that church leadership including the lead pastor has played a role in the origin or results of the conflict.
A skilled interim pastor for your church will minister under contract with clear expectations. He will not be someone who will transition from interim into a permanent lead pastor role but will only serve your church for a season.
In the USA, a good resource for interim pastors can be the evangelical organization Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM). If your church is located in Canada, you might consider contacting Transitional Leadership Network (TLN), a ministry of Outreach Canada. Whatever the source, it is highly recommended that you consider an interim pastor who is trained in transitional church ministry, has substantial experience as a pastor, is accountable to a respected interim pastor organization, has a coach for transitional ministry, and is part of a network of other interim pastors.
An excellent resource for finding and using an interim pastor is a new book by Tom Harris and George Bullard, Soaring Between Pastors: 8 Actions to Thrive During a Pastoral Transition. Dr. Tom Harris is also President of Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM).
[Photo by Mitchell Leach on Unsplash]