Three Gifts for a Church During Its Pastoral Transition

When a church invests in an intentional interim pastor, they are giving the congregation three very valuable gifts:

The gift of time.

An intentional interim pastor will give a church time to figure out what they need in the next pastor. It is very common (and understandable) why churches think their first job after their pastor leaves is to find their next pastor. Not so fast!  

The gift of healing.

An intentional interim pastor can help a church process issues in the church that could threaten its future.

Emotions of grief, relief, blame, shame, anger, uncertainty, disappointment, abandonment, insecurity, hopelessness and burnout are some of the emotions parishioners can experience in their church’s transitional period. Unattended, these emotions will deter church health, interfere with the pastoral search process, and often be waiting when the new pastor arrives, interfering with the bonding of the new pastor with the people. 

The gift of direction.

When a church’s pastor leaves, he can sometimes leave behind confusion among the church leaders as to the direction that the church should take in the next season. A trained intentional interim pastor can guide a church through a process that will help them realize what their purpose and direction should be. 

Dr. Tom Harris, President of Interim Pastor Ministries briefly explains.

To learn more about how Interim Pastor Ministries can help your church during its pastoral transition visit IPM’s website or Contact Dr. Rich Brown, National Director of Pastor and Regional Relationships.