Leveraging the Interim Season
One of the most difficult seasons in the life of a church is the interim—the time between pastors. An interim period can bring challenges and opportunities that no one in the church anticipated. This is a time when some members may take advantage of the leadership vacuum to force the church into a direction of their own preference. On the other end of the spectrum, the interim season can also be a time of coasting in the church as members become less engaged while they wait for the new pastor to give them vision. So, a church may end up divided in a struggle over their direction and identity or they may simply do nothing as they pause their ministries—and the Great Commission—while they wait for months or years to call their next pastor. Neither of these extremes are a good option. Instead, I would like to suggest that your church’s interim period could be a valuable time of preparation, introspection, transformation, and ministry for a church if it is intentionally leveraged to prepare the church for the next season of ministry.
Intentional Strategy
The approach to a pastoral vacancy by a church’s leadership can range from scheduling supply preachers who simply fill the pulpit, to calling a transitional pastor who will lead the church through an 18-month process of preparation. I believe there are definite benefits to the transitional pastor strategy, but many churches are simply not willing to wait a year and a half to begin their pastor search. As a part of my revitalization ministry at the BMBA, I have had the opportunity to serve as an interim pastor at several of our churches and have seen first-hand the benefit of strategically approaching this season. Obviously, I have enjoyed the preaching aspect of serving as an interim, but I have also entered these interim pastorates with the expectation that the church has a desire and willingness to be led through a process to discover who they are, to prepare the pastor search team, and to work through issues and problems so the next pastor’s first months are not spent dealing with infections and issues that have been ignored and grown worse for months. In some churches, this is a fairly quick process. In others, it takes more time. In every case, God is working out His plan and we trust that He will guide the church toward their next pastor in HIs time.
Rediscovering who we are
As a pastor and church member who has been on both sides of a pastor search committee, I realized how frustrating it can be when a church is not sure who they are. In fact, many prospective pastor profiles are crafted in a way to call a pastor who will make the church something different. For example, a church may realize the need to reach young people and may confess that they are willing to do whatever it takes to do so. This church searches for a younger pastor who believes that the church would like to change because that was what he was told by the search team. However, this belief is quickly dashed when he arrives at the church and is forbidden from doing new things or changing anything meaning in the worship service. This church had an optimistic view of their willingness and unintentionally, I hope, deceived this pastor. A strategic interim period could have alerted the church members to the inconsistencies and allowed them time to work through them under the leadership of someone who has a greater willingness to absorb much of the pain of leading this change. A strategic interim pastor should be willing to endure the pain, take the hits, do the hard things, and speak the truth in love because he understands that his temporary pain may lead to a longer, healthier pastorate for the shepherd who God is leading to that congregation.
When I look in the mirror, I often see a younger, skinnier version of myself. However, there have been times when I have seen a picture of myself and not recognized who I have become. Where did young, skinny Josh go? It is the same in our churches. We often see an idealized version of ourselves, we remember who we were 20 years ago, or see the church that we aspire to be. In conversations with potential pastors, we should share who we were and who we want to be, but we also have to honestly share who we are and what is important to us. A strategic interim can guide the church through a process of discovering their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, core values, passions, mission, and discipleship strategy. I served as a strategic interim in one church that spent six months meeting weekly to explore every aspect of their identity. Their pastor search team was able to give prospective pastors the normal demographics and church documents, but they were also able to explain their values and the things that make them a unique church in their community.
Conclusion
In conclusion, navigating the interim season in a church's life is not merely a pause between pastors but a crucial juncture offering both challenges and unparalleled opportunities. The pitfalls of leadership vacuums, disengagement, and identity crises are formidable, but a strategic approach to this transitional period can turn these challenges into catalysts for transformation. By embracing intentional introspection, fostering open communication, and valuing the role of a strategic interim leader, a church can rediscover its identity, clarify its mission, and set the stage for a vibrant future.
Ultimately, the interim season need not be a passive waiting period but a transformative journey. By investing time, energy, and leadership into this crucial phase, a church can emerge stronger, more united, and better equipped to fulfill its mission. The interim season, when approached strategically, becomes a season of preparation, introspection, and ministry—a bridge from the past to a promising future.