Resources for “Stations of the Search”
In the March 8 Alban Weekly, “Stations of the Search,” John Vonhof asks readers how their church and church board would respond if the pastor announced that she or he would be leaving in two months. The remainder of the article outlines the “stations of the search,” from pastoral resignation to start-up of the new pastor: checking and following any denominational policies, forming the search committee, developing a church profile, conducting the search, making the decision and placing the call, planning for the installation (if the call is accepted), and managing the start-up.
A detailed discussion of these stations can be found in Vonhof’s recently published book, The Pastoral Search Journey: A Guide to Finding Your Next Pastor. We have reviewed this book in the Congregational Resource Guide, and have concluded that it offers a “one-stop” guide to the pastoral search process.
That being said, you might want to also consider the resources in the “Pastoral Search” section of the Congregational Resource Guide.
What stories do you have about pastoral searches? And what resources do you suggest? We look forward to hearing from you!
Vonhof makes a serious error in not stating that for most churches it is not appropriate to even form a search committee without serious consideration of an interim time and a professional interim minister. If a pastor has been in the church 10 years, if the pastor left under difficult circumstances, if there has been misconduct (by clergy or laity), the next pastor will be an ‘unintentional interim’ unless the church takes time to grieve their losses, re-establish their identity, review their history, resolve their own conflicts, and be ready to begin a search.
I suggest that Vonhof attend the Annual Conference of the Interim Ministry Network in St. Louis this year. Go to imnedu.org. This is an organization of clergy and rabbis who commit their professional careers to ensuring the success of churches in transition.
Rev. Dr. Bill Peterson, IMN Faculty and Board member
We at Alban are long-time supporters of interim ministry, and we have published a number of the books that helped form the convictions Bill Peterson expresses. We would never do anything to undermine the importance of interim ministry.
The excerpt from The Pastoral Search Journey we published this week is just that, a short excerpt from a much longer book, one that includes a chapter (chapter 2) on the interim pastor. As the Alban editor who worked with John Vonhof on this book, I’d like to assure potential readers that he did his homework regarding interim ministry.
While interim ministry is not the focus of this book (as it has been of other books we have published), Vonhof states that because of their training, interim ministers will provide the best support to congregations. He also discusses the tasks an interim needs to address and lists six situations, including all those Peterson mentions, when an interim is highly recommended.
Vonhof has the highest regard for the role of the interim pastor, and I believe the book reflects his respect for the role.
We need a new paradigm of interim ministry. For small churches with less than 30 members some of the is untenable. The majority of the churches in our area have a less than full time pastor and when that pastor leaves, it is extremely difficult for a church to find a replacement because of finances, number of interested candidates, etc. It is a whole different world, and everything I read seems to gloss over it as a footnote.
Ms. Badger raises a highly relevant issue. I’m serving as interim for a small congregation. Unless they are able to negotiate a partnership with a near-by small congregation in the neighboring town there is no way they will be able to extend a call to a full time pastor let alone a part-time pastor. Finances, building liabilities, age groups represented in the congregation, potential candidates, and so on all add up to major roadblocks to forward movement in viable pastoral ministry. Other than work done by Pappas, I’m not aware of resources out there that deal with these particual issues in small congregations.
The interim pastor can be an innovator. One feature of the interim period is the chance it gives the congregation to work out the kind of church it wants to be and, then, to seek a pastor who will help them to move in that direction. In my last interim, I knew that my emphasis on the primacy of the laity as agents of God’s mission was new to the people. I asked for a 9am to 3pm session on a Saturday saying I wanted the time to share with them where I was coming from. By lunch, their grasp and desire for more was clear. We ended with a mission statement that is still in use with the third pastoral leader. Shorter now, it reads: “”We all share in God’s work of calling, forming, sending, and supporting Christians as agents of love, justice, and peace as shown through the life of Jesus Christ.” The church continues to grow in this direction.
Diane and Bob:
Take a look at Alice Mann’s “The Smaller Congregation: Pathways in Challenging Times” on the Congregational Resource Guide: http://www.congregationalresou.....uction.asp
I appreciate everyone’s comments. I recognize the varying diversity in pastoral ministries and churches and that will always be a challenge. Are there differences in church size, rural versus big city, denominations, church order and polity? Certainly. There will never be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ resource. I have tried to give search committees a book that will help them understand the complete process. Interim pastors are a vital component to the process and I recommend churches use then whenever possible. One of the features of the book is the ‘task clusters’ or charts at the end of teach chapter. They provide a one page overview of the whole chapter. Having the flow chart style charts will show relationships of the tasks in that chapter. The feedback I have received on the book and charts has been positive.
After retiring at 65 from a 28 year ministry in the last church. I am currently srving my third interim:
First: Country setting(average attendance on Sunday 95 with 300 members) – followed a ten year ministry – the pastor and the people ended the their relationship by asking for his resignation. I served this congregation for two years.
Second: Suburban setting (average attendance on Sunday in two services 230 with 600 members) – followed a ten year ministry in which the minister retired early – I was told he could retire or they would let him go. I served this congregation for 15 months.
Third: Urban setting across from a major university. (average attendance on Sunday in three services is around 1100 to 1200 with a membership of 5000 (yes, 5000). This congregation has 9 ministers and I am serving as the interim Sr. Minister. The former minister lasted three years. After a two year evaluation of his style of ministry he was asked to reign. . .he fought back. . .but lost. I am in my 6 month. I can’t read enough material on the interim position. . .thank you!
Third