Bridge to an Interim
“Four Weeks Devoted to becoming a Healthier Congregation”A Ministry of Kentucky Baptist Fellowship
After a pastor leaves a congregation, the next few weeks can be a time of
- Anxiety
- Confusion/Disorientation
- Grief
Those emotions are felt by some members even when the separation was a good and happy one! Sometimes there are even emotions of
- Panic
- Pain
- Powerlessness
Baptist churches are sometimes vulnerable during this time of transition. This is an occasion for important choices. Yet, there is often confusion about who should lead in making these choices. Constitutions and by-laws are often unclear about precisely how a congregation should function during the interim. The Kentucky Baptist Fellowship offers a service to churches to facilitate good decision-making during this period.
The interim ministry can be a time of
- Reviewing, Renewing and Transforming the church’s mission
- Healing
- Anxiety reduction
- Clarifying the direction for both the interim committee and the search committee.
The Bridge ministry would usually be limited to about four weeks and the Bridge minister would not be eligible to become the interim or the pastor. The purpose of the “Bridge” will be to assist the church:
- Provide consistent leadership (Sunday worship and Wednesday nights) during the initial time of transition
- Provide the congregation some “breathing room” before irreversible decisions are made
- Help the congregation clarify their needs
- Help the congregation identify the type of interim ministry that is most appropriate
- Provide contact information regarding interim and permanent candidates and congregational options.
The benefit to the church is that a qualified minister will come to the church for about a month, provide for worship, and counsel the church and its leaders as it prepares for an interim minister.
The following article is adapted from a newsletter article written to describe the nature and purpose of “A Bridge to an Interim.”
A Bridge to the Interim
by John Lepper
From the time a pastor resigns until the next pastor steps into the pulpit, the church experiences a critical period of its existence. The period is full of dangers as well as opportunities. It is a time in which many decisions must be made about the direction of the church. During the interim period, potential exists for internal, spiritual and even numerical growth.
A church during the interim period faces numerous issues including:
• Saying goodbye to former leadership and to the past.
• Coming to terms with its history.
• Discovering the identity of the church, perhaps discovering a new identity. This includes re-discovering the church’s mission
• Dealing with shifts of power that occur during an interim.
• Evaluating linkage to the denomination and other denomination-like entities.
• Making decisions about procedures on selecting a new pastor.
• Making a commitment to a new leader and a new future.
John Lepper provides “A Bridge to the Interim” on a limited basis. Generally this takes place over a four-week period (Sunday mornings and evenings or Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings). He preaches sermons related to transitions and to church health. The Sunday evening or Wednesday evening time is spent helping the church think about issues the congregation faces during the interim. The Sunday or Wednesday evening programs generally take place around tables in fellowship hall. These are times of guided discussions about some of the subjects listed above.
During this “Bridge to the Interim,” Dr. Lepper is available to individuals and groups for conversations. The purpose of the “Bridge” is to help the members of the church think openly about issues related to the interim period and to be proactive about the future. These open discussion times will also help the pastor search committee better know your wishes and concerns as they do their work.
For information contact:
John Lepper, Coordinator
225 South Hurstbourne Parkway, Suite 205
Louisville, KY 40222
502-426-1931
jlepper@kybf.org