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When does your church need an intentional interim pastor?

By charlie worley
Your church can benefit from the transitional ministry of an intentional or interventional interim lead pastor when one or more of the following characteristics are present. Read on to discover these transition characteristics.

Your church can benefit from the transitional ministry of an intentional or interventional interim lead pastor when one or more of the following characteristics are present. (Note: an intentional interim pastor focuses on improving the health of a church during transition between pastors while helping prepare the church for a new lead pastor. An interventional interim pastor focuses on managing and resolving severe conflict and division issues in the church during the transition between lead pastors.)

  • When the lead pastor resigns or retires and the Lord makes it clear to the church leadership that it should call an intentional or interventional interim to help the church grow spiritually and numerically, and reach new disciples who will help make other disciples of Jesus
  • When the former pastor has been ministering in the church for over five to seven years, or especially more than ten to twenty or more years
  • When the former pastor has served in the church for a short-term of three years or less
  • When the former pastor unexpectedly retires for health reasons
  • When the former pastor resigns or leaves the church because of moral failure, conduct unbecoming a pastor, or unresolved theological differences with the church's doctrine
  • When there has been a major split or departure of a significant number of church members
  • When the lead pastor leaves a church because of an apparent loss of confidence in his leadership and ministry by the church ministry
  • When the pastor leaves because he no longer fits the needs and preferences of a changing church and/or community demographic (note: this will result in the need for re-engineering the DNA of the church)
  • When a church planter leaves the church to plant another church or pursue another occupation or further education
  • When the lead pastor leaves because the elders or church governing board no longer has his full support or asks him to resign
  • When the lead pastor needs to leave because the church has outgrown his leadership gifts and competencies, or he has outgrown his passion and ability to continue leading the church
  • When the church is on the downward side of its lifecycle and the pastor leaves

This article is adapted from an excerpt found in the book, A Pastoral Search Checklist, that is currently being written by Charlie Worley.

[Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash]

 

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