About Interim Ministry
A church with a large staff may be able to divide among itself many of the tasks of the pastor. If they do, the church should assist them in clarifying who will do what. The church should also publicly recognize their new roles, and remind the congregation that staff will now be overworked. Redefining job descriptions is always difficult and should be done in consultation with staff.
No one likes to take on responsibilities for which they do not feel gifted nor trained. If tasks are divided among staff, frequent recognition should be given to them during the interim, and they should be affirmed in some way after a new pastor is called. Sometimes, during the excitement of getting a new pastor, the church overlooks the extra burdens present staff have taken during the interim.
Job Description
A church with a small staff, or no staff at all, will likely ask the interim to do as much as possible. Often an interim is free to truly be a pastor. Most are limited in the time they are able to give to the tasks. A carefully written job description will help avoid misunderstandings in this regard.
Below is a list of functions an interim may be asked to fulfill. Those negotiating with an interim should consider which of these functions they expect from the interim.
Leading morning worship
Leading evening worship
Leading mid-week services
Conducting funerals & bereavement ministry
Supervising staff
Conducting weddings
Visiting the hospitals (how often?)
Visiting the shut-ins (how often?)
Visiting new members
Visiting prospects
Crisis counseling
Leadership training
General counseling
Social events
Extra programs (e.g. music, WMU)
Deacon meetings
Committee meetings
Compensation
Written job descriptions for the interim pastor should also include a salary/benefit package. A general rule of thumb related to compensation is: If you expect the interim to do half the work of a pastor, you should pay half the salary package of your last pastor. If you expect the interim to do 75% of the work, pay 75% of the salary.
The church should expect the interim to be away on some Sundays because the interim is generally retired or working a full-time job. An interim needs time off. Decide how many Sundays can be taken off and whether or not the interim will be paid when absent–and who will pay the supply. Have a written job description/benefit package and let the church vote on it. Remember to compensate the interim for business-related expenses, such as mileage, meals and conferences.
Intentional Interim
A new concept in Baptist life is that of the “intentional” interim. Sometimes a church needs more than a traditional interim can, or is willing, to give. The intentional interim contracts with the congregation to be their pastor for a short period of time–usually a year to eighteen months. The intentional interim is paid the same salary/benefits package as the regular pastor.
While serving as pastor, the intentional interim who has special training in dealing with conflict also uses expertise in other areas to assist the church during this time of transition. The intentional interim can assist a church in identifying its goals and objectives so they know what sort of permanent pastor they are seeking. The intentional interim understands power systems in the church and can address them while helping the church through a time of grief and confusion when the last pastor has left under difficult circumstances.
The intentional interim is expected to speak frankly about problems in the church and have the experience to deal with those problems as well as deal with staff friction. The intentional interim can train the search committee and give them guidance in the process of finding a full-time pastor.
While many interims already fulfill some of the tasks of an intentional interim, they seldom have the time or training to deal with the more difficult problems many churches in transition face. The intentional interim is given permission to deal with these issues and, as a result, assist the church with potentially divisive issues before a full-time pastor arrives on the scene.
If a church is in a transitional community, has had recent conflict, or the previous pastor had a long tenure, they would be wise to consider such an arrangement. Otherwise, the next pastor may, in effect, be an unintentional interim.
Choose the Right Person
Choosing an interim pastor is a crucial decision and should be someone who has been a pastor. Candidates should not be someone who will consider accepting the call as full-time pastor. For that reason, the church needs to be very careful about who is asked to supply or be interim pastor.
Too often someone is asked to fill the pulpit who may use it as a way to circumvent the normal pastor search process. This is an unfair manipulation and often creates tension. No one can know how God will lead a church to a full-time pastor, and there have been times when the interim has become pastor and all ends well. But it often creates confusion and is generally not in the best interest of the church for an interim to be considered as the full-time pastor.
A church with a large staff may be able to divide among itself many of the tasks of the pastor. If they do, the church should assist them in clarifying who will do what. The church should also publicly recognize their new roles, and remind the congregation that staff will now be overworked. Redefining job descriptions is always difficult and should be done in consultation with staff.
No one likes to take on responsibilities for which they do not feel gifted nor trained. If tasks are divided among staff, frequent recognition should be given to them during the interim, and they should be affirmed in some way after a new pastor is called. Sometimes, during the excitement of getting a new pastor, the church overlooks the extra burdens present staff have taken during the interim.
Job Description
A church with a small staff, or no staff at all, will likely ask the interim to do as much as possible. Often an interim is free to truly be a pastor. Most are limited in the time they are able to give to the tasks. A carefully written job description will help avoid misunderstandings in this regard.
Below is a list of functions an interim may be asked to fulfill. Those negotiating with an interim should consider which of these functions they expect from the interim.
Leading morning worship
Leading evening worship
Leading mid-week services
Conducting funerals & bereavement ministry
Supervising staff
Conducting weddings
Visiting the hospitals (how often?)
Visiting the shut-ins (how often?)
Visiting new members
Visiting prospects
Crisis counseling
Leadership training
General counseling
Social events
Extra programs (e.g. music, WMU)
Deacon meetings
Committee meetings
Compensation
Written job descriptions for the interim pastor should also include a salary/benefit package. A general rule of thumb related to compensation is: If you expect the interim to do half the work of a pastor, you should pay half the salary package of your last pastor. If you expect the interim to do 75% of the work, pay 75% of the salary.
The church should expect the interim to be away on some Sundays because the interim is generally retired or working a full-time job. An interim needs time off. Decide how many Sundays can be taken off and whether or not the interim will be paid when absent–and who will pay the supply. Have a written job description/benefit package and let the church vote on it. Remember to compensate the interim for business-related expenses, such as mileage, meals and conferences.
Intentional Interim
A new concept in Baptist life is that of the “intentional” interim. Sometimes a church needs more than a traditional interim can, or is willing, to give. The intentional interim contracts with the congregation to be their pastor for a short period of time–usually a year to eighteen months. The intentional interim is paid the same salary/benefits package as the regular pastor.
While serving as pastor, the intentional interim who has special training in dealing with conflict also uses expertise in other areas to assist the church during this time of transition. The intentional interim can assist a church in identifying its goals and objectives so they know what sort of permanent pastor they are seeking. The intentional interim understands power systems in the church and can address them while helping the church through a time of grief and confusion when the last pastor has left under difficult circumstances.
The intentional interim is expected to speak frankly about problems in the church and have the experience to deal with those problems as well as deal with staff friction. The intentional interim can train the search committee and give them guidance in the process of finding a full-time pastor.
While many interims already fulfill some of the tasks of an intentional interim, they seldom have the time or training to deal with the more difficult problems many churches in transition face. The intentional interim is given permission to deal with these issues and, as a result, assist the church with potentially divisive issues before a full-time pastor arrives on the scene.
If a church is in a transitional community, has had recent conflict, or the previous pastor had a long tenure, they would be wise to consider such an arrangement. Otherwise, the next pastor may, in effect, be an unintentional interim.
Choose the Right Person
Choosing an interim pastor is a crucial decision and should be someone who has been a pastor. Candidates should not be someone who will consider accepting the call as full-time pastor. For that reason, the church needs to be very careful about who is asked to supply or be interim pastor.
Too often someone is asked to fill the pulpit who may use it as a way to circumvent the normal pastor search process. This is an unfair manipulation and often creates tension. No one can know how God will lead a church to a full-time pastor, and there have been times when the interim has become pastor and all ends well. But it often creates confusion and is generally not in the best interest of the church for an interim to be considered as the full-time pastor.
