They are called Place Holders, Interim Ministers, Transitional Pastors – and they tend to have different roles depending on the needs of the church. Gone are the days when Transitional Pastors followed a precise recipe. There is no one model for doing this work of serving a congregation after one pastor leaves and before a new pastor arrives.
Again, I’d like to encourage all professional ministers to take Transitional Ministry Training at Menucha – whether you intend to serve in an intentional interim role or not. All congregations are in transition. All of them need leaders who understand how to navigate those transitions.
This Friday post is intended to be lighthearted, so work with me. As I see it, there are many models of Transitional Ministry – some more helpful than others – but all serving their purpose. Consider . . .
- The Transitional Leader as sorbet – something to cleanse the palate between courses. (Thank you HH.)
- The Transitional Leader as laser surgeon – problems will be pinpointed and subsequently zapped with very little blood involved.
- The Transitional Leader as wrecking ball – everything gets knocked down to the foundation whether it was necessary or not.
- The Transitional Leader as seat warmer – not much is happening until the new pastor shows up.
Which transitional leaders have you worked with? My hope is that effective leaders can come into any transitional situation and move the church forward in healthy ways. That’s a lot right there.
Have a good weekend.
A Church for Starving Artists 