INTERIM PASTORS NETWORK
Sooner or later, every congregation will experience a pastoral transition. It is a time of unique importance in a congregation’s life. At one time, a pastoral vacancy was viewed as a period of time to maintain, to keep things going and to find a new pastor as quickly as possible. More recently, wise church leaders have begun to see this time as more than just maintenance. A process called Intentional Interim Ministry has been developed, which enhances the congregation’s future health and progress. There is a journey awaiting the interim congregation and there are skilled pastors available to lead this journey – women and men who are intentional interim pastors called to specialized work with congregations in transition. The Delaware-Maryland Synod has established an Interim Pastors Network to support and encourage interim pastors in their calling. The group meets twice a year for education, support and networking. In addition, from time to time we sponsor workshops to enhance skills for interim ministry.
The next meeting of the Interim Pastors Network will be Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at Salem Lutheran Church (905 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228). Our guest will be Bishop Bill Gohl. Join us from 10 a.m. until noon.
There are five “fundamental tasks” of interim ministry. Five areas that the intentional interim focuses on in his or her work with a congregation. They are:
- Coming to terms with history
- Discovering a new identity
- Leadership changes during an interim
- Renewing denominational ties
- Commitment to new directions in ministry
RESOURCES
For information on formal training to be an Intentional Interim Ministry Specialist visit one of these websites:
The following is a bibliography for Interim Ministry
- Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry by Roger Nicholson
- Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue by Edwin Friedman
- How Your Church Family Works: Understanding Congregations as Emotional Systems by Peter Steinke
- Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters by Phyllis Tickle
- A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren
- Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope by Brian McLaren
- Clergy Burnout: Revised and Expanded by Fred Lehr
- Becoming a 21st-Century Church: A Transformational Manual by Fred Lehr
- Power Currency: How to Grow, Enhance and Stop Squandering Your Personal Power by Fred Lehr
- A Door Set Open: Grounding Change in Mission and Hope by Peter Steinke