PASTORING BETWEEN PASTORS

3 Views Of Interim Leadership

by Mark Emerson

It has been a joy for me to serve several of our churches as an interim pastor. I remember one church member sharing with me his perspective of transitional leadership, “It must be great being an interim pastor, you can preach what you want without the fear of being fired.” Obviously, that is not an accurate view.

Tony Wolfe offers a more biblical picture in his book, “While in Crete.” The book is based on Titus 1:5. “The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town.”

Paul’s interim strategy to Titus was two-fold: set right what was left undone, and appoint new leadership. Wolfe shares, “The interim pastor must be relentlessly hopeful on behalf of the pastorless church. And he must master the art of casting that hope forward from the leadership chair.”

A recent study showed that nearly 10% of Illinois Baptist churches are in a leadership transition. This has been the pattern for the past few years in Illinois, where we have identified ten percent of pastors having transitioned each year for the past four years.

Even though this is a surprising statistic, it is important to note that historically, pastoral tenure in IBSA churches is longer than the national average.

With about 90 IBSA churches searching for a pastor at any given time, the need for transitional leadership is magnified. A few years ago, when IBSA began to focus more intently on tracking our churches in transition, we initially referred to the collection as the “Pastorless Church List.”

Former IBSA Zone Consultant Steve Neil was quick to push back that many of these churches are not actually “pastorless.” Some were being led by transitional pastors that shepherd the churches with the similar gifts as permanent leaders, but with a special purpose and calling. This is a good reminder. Interim leadership strategies are as unique as our churches, and each is led by a pastor with a unique purpose. There are unique leaders and unique models.

There are basically three types of interims that IBSA churches tend to embrace during pastoral transition. Each model has advantages and disadvantages. It is important that church leaders prayerfully consider each model to determine which fits best in their context.

Pulpit supply model

In this model the church feels comfortable that they can provide for the daily ministry needs of the church, except the preaching responsibilities. Guest speakers are enlisted for a single Sunday or a sequence of Sundays. An advantage of this model is the variety of the speakers. The cost to the church is also comparatively low. Disadvantages include a lack of stability and consistency each week.

Both church members and guests may not easily identify who is leading the church during a time where the church needs strong leadership. Churches are also tempted to use this model as a “parade of preachers,” as they seek to find their next leader in the preacher they like best.

Short-term interim model

This is a common strategy used by IBSA churches. In this model the church and interim pastor clearly identify roles, time frame, and goals for the interim period. For example, the church may enlist the help of an interim pastor for six months. He may be asked to preach on Sunday, lead Wednesday night Bible study, and share a few ministry responsibilities such as weddings and funerals. Some short-term goals may also be identified that fit the skill set of the interim pastor. The advantages of this model are the consistency and stability of leadership. Disadvantages arise when the church does not clearly identify roles and hours needed of their interim leader.

This model also can promote the awkwardness of the interim pastor wanting to be considered for the permanent role or church members seeking to enlist the interim pastor to the full-time role. It is common to agree with the interim pastor before he is called that he will not be considered as a permanent pastor candidate.

Intentional interim model

The name may be a little misleading since all these models are intentional. The intentionality here is defined by a longer process that could be two years or more. This type of interim expands the focus from keeping the church going during a pastor search to a full church revitalization process.

The advantage with this model, especially in cases where the former pastor has had a long tenure (over 10 years), is that a longer interim can help prepare the church for the next pastor. A disadvantage to this model is the lack of trained leaders who have the ability and availability to lead a church through these longer processes. There are variations of these models that are less common. A church may enlist a current staff member to lead the pastoral duties during a transition, or a church may recruit two or more leaders to serve simultaneously in the interim period. These formats also have their own advantages and disadvantages.

IBSA is willing to meet personally with your church to help you prayerfully decide which interim strategy may best fit your church’s needs.

Resource

Tony Wolfe’s book

“While in Crete” is a helpful guide for interim pastors. The title is found in Titus 1:5; “The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town.”

Wolfe describes the interim pastor as a leader who offers hope to a church in a vulnerable time. He says, “The interim pastor must be relentlessly hopeful on behalf of the pastorless church. And he must master the art of casting that hope forward from the leadership chair.”