Interim Ministry

The first time I heard of an “interim pastor” was while I was in seminary. One Sunday morning, group of us visited a congregation in which a friend had done his contextual education during our first year. The pastor was serving there on an interim basis, helping to facilitate the transition from one called pastor to another. The concept of interim ministry intrigued to me. It sounded like something I might one day want to try.

In the Northern Illinois Synod, when a pastor resigns a call, if it is at all possible, the bishop appoints an interim pastor. The Congregation Council retains the right to refuse the appointment, but this only happens when there are good and compelling reasons. The interim pastor steps into the congregation with all the rights and responsibilities of a regularly called pastor. The beauty of this is that there is no gap in the congregation’s pastoral ministry. Word and Sacrament ministry continues while the congregation engages in a search for a new pastor.

I remember a time when congregations were left largely on their own to find supply pastors and someone to cover emergencies. In other places, a neighboring pastor was asked to cover the basics and help find the Sunday preacher. (Once in a while we still have to employ the latter “vice-pastor” model.) Congregations often felt that they did not have a real pastor. Consequently, the call process was rushed in the hope of getting a new pastor quickly.

The expectation is that the interim pastor will be compensated at the previous pastor’s level. This keeps the congregation’s budget intact and ready to receive a new pastor. In some cases, when full-time pastoral leadership is not necessary, compensation is pro-rated. If the interim pastor is serving in a ¾-time capacity, then the compensation is reduced to ¾ of the previous pastor’s compensation. We have found that most congregations appreciate having a full-time pastor available. The pastoral presence tends to keep the anxiety level of the congregation lower.

In our synod, Bishop Wollersheim gathers pastors who serve in interim capacities three or four times a year. In those meetings, the interim pastors are always thanked for their service and transition issues are discussed. Our interim pastors are mostly retired pastors with many years of service behind them. The experience they bring is invaluable. We also have four pastors who have gone through interim ministry training. They bring a skill set that is especially useful in congregations that have experienced conflict or other painful circumstances.

Interim ministry is hard work. It is not nearly as attractive to me as it was when I was a seminarian. Our synod is very fortunate that we have pastors who are willing to serve the church in this way.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC

Call Process

I coordinate the call process for the Northern Illinois Synod. It scares me to even say those words. It is a huge task. However, I have the help of our bishop, Sandy (full-time assistant to the bishop), Kurt (our Director of Evangelical Mission) and our six part-time conference assistants to the bishop. We all work together in assisting the call committees of congregations as they seek new pastors or other rostered leaders.

I am always asked how pastoral candidates for a particular congregation are identified. There are four ways. First, we are aware of pastors from within our synod who are interested in serving a new parish. Second, thanks to a new system implemented last year, we also have access to the Rostered Leader Profiles (RLP) of any pastor in the ELCA who has expressed a desire to serve in our synod or region. In fact, we can access the RLP for any pastor who is seeking a call, so if we are looking for a particular skill set, we can engage in a churchwide search. Third, a congregation is free to raise names. Those names are submitted to me and then we follow a prescribed protocol. And finally, again because of the new system, pastors are able to search for open parishes and contact me for more information.

This past Wednesday and Thursday I participated in Region 5’s Mobility Conference. In the conference, the twelve synods of the region are represented by their bishop and an assistant. We are divided into two groups, each with six bishops and six bishop’s assistants. Each synod is permitted to bring two rostered leaders who are open to serving anywhere in the region for an interview. It must be somewhat intimidating to face six bishops and six assistants. I have heard some tough questions asked. Perhaps I have offered a few of my own.

I do know that mobility is a bit slow right now. Part of that is attributable to the economy. It is not a good time to try to sell a house; nor is it a good time for a spouse to be seeking employment. Rural congregations with a parsonage seem to be at an advantage, but that advantage is often offset by the disadvantages of lower compensation and fewer employment opportunities for spouses.

In our synod, we are very grateful for the work of our interim pastors. They are able to sustain ministry and offer experienced leadership for congregations in transition.

Every congregation of our synod is valued for what it is and who its people are. We work with each congregation to best fulfill its needs. Sometimes the call process is long. Sometimes it is frustrating. But, in every congregation, we trust the Holy Spirit and the people of God to call the pastor who will lead faithfully, creatively, and lovingly.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC