Reverend Cynthia Munker
E-mail: revcmm@juno.com

Pastor’s Corner

So...What does an “Intentional Interim” Pastor Do?  

In addition what you expect any pastor to do (preaching, leading worship, guiding education, visiting the sick and shut-in, etc), the Intentional Interim Pastor is trained to help the congregation work through the five developmental tasks [see below] of the interim period between two permanent pastors. This interim period is both a time of high expectation and heightened anxiety. Many want to find the new “permanent” pastor quickly so we can “get on” with the ministry; some can’t see a reason to “delay.” Some may want someone who “is exactly like” the old pastor; others want someone who is “just the opposite” of the previous pastor.

Intentional Interim pastors are trained to move a congregation through this interim period (normally about a year), at a pace, which allows the congregation a sufficient time to grieve, mend and to look forward with a new sense of mission. This new sense of mission is the key to success: only after the new sense of mission is agreed upon by the congregation is the call committee established. The mission of the call committee and the congregation must be the same. Otherwise, friction can occur and a pastor called under this situation may become an “unintentional interim.” 

The Five Developmental Tasks of the Interim Pastor 
Just as children go through developmental tasks as they mature, so congregations go through developmental tasks during an interim period.  These tasks normally number five:  

            1.)  We come to Terms with History.  Our history is as unique as our fingerprints.  We don’t know where we
                  are going till we know where we have been. The past does not have to be replicated, but it has to be
                  acknowledged if we are to move forward.

            2.)  Leadership may change. “The only thing permanent is change.” During a vacancy, some people will step

                  back from what they are doing and some will step forward. The issue for us is, “How do we manage this
                 
                  change of leadership?” 

            3.)  Reconnecting to Synod. Vacancies are a good time to renew the partnership between the congregation,
 
                  the synod and the national church.

            4.)  New Sense Mission (and development of a Call Committee) - Using a “neutral” evaluation instrument, 

                  the congregation discovers its new mission identity.  A call committee is assembled based on this new
   
                  mission. 

            5.)  Preparing for new pastor.  When closure is complete and a new pastor is found, the congregation learns
 
                  to say a healthy “good bye” to the interim pastor and “Hello” to the new pastor.