The Interim Time: A Wilderness Journey

A pastoral vacancy causes church members to react in various ways. Some have great anxiety about the future of the church. Others may be excited about the opportunity for a new beginning. Many church members may not understand what has happened or what the next steps for the church should be. The time of transition from one pastor to the next is the interim time. The term “Wilderness Journey” has been used to describe the experience. A “Wilderness Journey” can provide many benefits for an individual or a church. In Scripture, Abraham, Moses, Paul, and even Jesus experienced a kind of wilderness journey that prepared them for what God wanted to do. Similarly, a church need not fear a wilderness journey through the interim time between pastors. Rather, a church can eagerly anticipate how God will use this time to prepare them for a new and fruitful season of ministry. An important part of the interim journey is the work of the Pastor Search Committee. This booklet gives suggestions for a process that a Pastor Search Committee can use to find a church’s next pastor. While we recognize that some churches may use the term “search team,” for purposes of consistency we will refer to it as the Pastor Search Committee in this booklet. If your church is in the beginning stages of the interim time and/or has not yet formed a Pastor Search Committee, please study the possible methods of pastoral leadership during the interim time. See Appendix 10 (pages 40–41). The Pastor Search Committee should be elected according to your church’s governing documents/constitution and bylaws. You may find additional guidance for selecting the members of the Pastor Search Committee at absc.org/interim-ministry. Though the task of searching for a new pastor can seem daunting, the work can be simplified by considering six steps as outlined on pages 3–4.