When a Pastor leaves...
Enabling pastoral transitions
in the local church
Developed by James Ashdown
© London Baptist Association
2001
Introduction
This workbook was developed to provide churches with a framework to
manage the transition from the time when a minister announces s/he is leaving
to the selection and installation of a new pastor. Historically, such a period of
change in the life of a local Baptist church has been called an interregnum.
The workbook prefers an alternative description, namely, a time of pastoral
transition, and seeks to enable churches to move from the closure of a
pastoral ministry to the commencement of a new pastoral ministry.
The seeds of this workbook were sown by my experience as a Regional
Minister in the London Baptist Association. The LBA is divided into ten
regions. A Regional Minister serves each region. The LBA team of Regional
Ministers works closely with the General Superintendent for the Metropolitan
Area of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the LBA Association
Superintendent. Regional Ministers are frequently involved in churches that
move into times of pastoral transition. My contact with churches increasingly
led me to the conclusion that this process could be handled better. I attended
the London Mennonite Centre Course Facilitating Healthy PastorCongregation Relations in the summer of 1999 and this stimulated my thinking
further. It was apparent that the LBA and BUGB did not possess tools to help
churches effect pastoral transitions in a thoughtful and structured way. These
concerns resonated with the Superintendents and fellow Regional Ministers.
Towards the end of 1999 I was asked to formulate some thoughts and report
back to the Regional Ministers and Superintendents. Two colleagues, Bruce
Stokes and John Taylor, expressed a desire to work on the project. We
convened our first meeting at the LBA Pastors’ Consultation in February 2000
and mapped out a plan of action. We concluded early on that none of us had
sufficient time to investigate the topic in the kind of depth necessary. The
decision was made to employ somebody to do the work under our supervision.
James Ashdown was appointed and given a brief to undertake the following
tasks:
• Investigate models of practice in other Baptist Conventions.
• Report on models of good pastoral transition practice in the United
Kingdom.
• Draw up a draft-training programme for moderators.
• Produce a draft pastoral transition audit.
When a Pastor leaves… and the Interim Moderator Training Pack are the
outcome of James Ashdown’s research and creative thinking. They are
offered to the wider Church as tools to assist local churches in the complex,
exciting, and challenging task of moving from the closure of a pastoral ministry
to the commencement of a new pastoral ministry. On behalf of the Pastoral
Transitions Working Group:
Julian Gotobed
(Convenor)
Published by:
London Baptist Association
235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP
Tel: 020 7692 5592
Fax: 020 7692 5593
[email protected];
www.londonbaptist.org.uk
Photocopying:
2
Permission is granted for photocopies of Workshop Sheets, Questionnaires,
Liturgies, and Evaluation Form to be made by the purchaser for use within
their organisation.
Summary of the Workbook
Leavings
7
When a minister leaves a church it is a big issue. This section gives you
some resources to manage this process both practically and in helping
people deal with their feelings through formal leaving services (which
mirror formal induction services). It will be important for the success of
your next ministry to be able to celebrate the previous ministry but leave
it behind in the past where it belongs!
•
Practical issues that need dealing with when the pastor leaves
•
Notes on when and how to leave
10
•
Notes on an exit interview
12
•
Liturgy for ending a pastoral relationship
13
•
Alternative service to mark a minister leaving a church
16
The transition time
8
20
This section provides some resources to help you manage the transition
from your old minister to your new one. Many churches experience this
as a positive time when they revitalise their vision and make necessary
changes to their understanding of themselves.
•
What is the transition time?
21
•
A process for a pastoral transition
23
•
The interim moderator
25
•
Working with the church in the interim time: 4 workshop
27
•
Questionnaire
30
•
What is God’s calling to this church?
34
•
Biblical resources for the transition time
35
•
Notes on a transition group
36
•
Notes on the idea of interim ministers
37
•
Notes on other assistance for churches in times of transition
38
3
Preparing
40
This section provides resources to help you retell the story of your
church - looking at your community context, the church itself and what
kind of minister you need now. We believe that doing this work will put
you in a much better position to find the right new minister apart from
being beneficial to the church itself.
•
Ten ideas for getting a profile of your community
41
•
Resources on a Church Profile
45
•
Questionnaire for Church Profile
48
•
Developing a Minister profile
50
•
Notes on using church statistics
52
Calling
53
This section works alongside the material provided by the Baptist Union,
providing further resources to help you successfully find a new minister.
•
Searching for a minister
54
•
Choosing candidates
56
•
Interviewing candidates
58
•
Other ideas for getting to know candidates
63
•
Notes on looking for qualities
64
•
Notes on how to treat candidates
65
•
The functions of a church leader
66
Welcoming
70
This final section looks at the critical, but often neglected, issue of how
to welcome a new minister and get his/her ministry off to the best
possible start.
•
Preparing for and welcoming a new minister
71
•
Worship resources for the Induction
73
•
Developing an induction process
77
Appendices
(1) Notes on pastoral transition and bereavement
79
(2) Newly Accredited Ministers and ongoing ministerial development 81
(3) Evaluation Form
82
4
Resources
Below are a list of resources that I have found whilst researching this
workbook.
Critical moment of ministry: a change of pastors. Loren B Mead: Alban
Institute 1986
A highly recommended reflection on the issues. It is based on extensive
research and experience in the USA. At certain points it reflects a different
context e.g. the use of search committees but the underlying issues which it
discusses are relevant to the British context.
Advice for Churches in a Pastoral Vacancy. The Board of General
Superintendents: Baptist Union.
This is being redrafted. I had access to provisional drafts of this new version
and refer to them frequently in the Calling section.
Understanding the interregnum. Making judgements when kings move. Tony
Bradley: Grove books 1996.
Reflects an Anglican context but has some useful biblical reflections and other
insights.
So the vicar's leaving - making the most of an interregnum. Mike Alexander &
Jeremy Martineau: ACORA publishing 1998
Another Anglican book. Clear practical advice not without relevance once
translated!
Managing transitions - making the most of change. William Bridges: Nicholas
Brealey Publishing 1995.
A standard secular management text. Bridges fits well in a church context and
uses biblical examples at times. His earlier Transitions looks at change from
an individual perspective.
Temporary shepherds - a congregational handbook for interim ministry. Roger
Nicholson ed.: Alban Institute 1998.
A useful collection aimed at American interim ministers but often relevant to
the British context. There are a number of other Alban Institute titles relevant
to this area e.g.
Saying Goodbye - a time of growth for congregations and pastors. Edward
White: Alban Institute 1990.
The Interim Pastor. Ralph Macy Alban Institute 1978
Interim Ministers workshops. ABCUSA 1994
Workshops for the five dimensions of interim ministry
Three steps forward. Frank Boyd
Sabbatical paper from General Secretary of the Southern Association which
looks (in part) at transitional ministry after seeing it in action amongst Southern
Baptists in America.
Administry do two relevant sheets 53 Choosing a new minister and 66 Coping
when your minister goes. Contact: 0114 278 0090
The London Mennonite Centre runs a course on Facilitating healthy pastor
congregation relations which addresses these issues in part. They are also a
good source of American books contact: 020 8340 8775
5
Web sites
www.interimministry.org
Has a good resource section where you can order a number of these books
and others
www.abc-usa.org
The American Baptist Churches USA site. The ministers at large programme
supports interim ministers
www.alban.org
Alban institute site
www.baptist.org.uk
Baptist Union of Great Britain web site
The author
I claim no great experience or expertise in the field of pastoral transition and
have relied greatly on the work of others as indicated above. I could find no
original British research on the subject and it would be valuable to hear about
some.
I have brought my experience as a member of a church in pastoral transition,
deacon and pastor and as a consultant with churches across London. My
professional background is in community development so this has informed
much of my thinking. I also have a training in applied anthropology and would
identify myself in the constructivist/naturalistic/participatory paradigms well
illustrated by Dave Erlandson's book Doing Naturalistic Inquiry (Sage 1993)
and in Peter Reason ed. Participation in Human Inquiry (Sage 1994). My
understanding of congregations is informed by the Family Systems model
developed by Edwin Friedman in Generation to Generation (Guilford 1985)
and based on the work of M Bowen.
Any comments or enquires about this work will be welcomed! Please contact
me at:
12 Symington Mews
Coopersale Rd.
Hackney
London
E9 6BG
020 7682 0658
[email protected]
6
Practical issues that need dealing with when the pastor leaves ..............8
Notes on when and how to leave ...............................................................10
Notes on an exit interview ..........................................................................12
Liturgy for ending a pastoral relationship .................................................13
Alternative service to mark a minister leaving a church ..........................16
7
Practical issues that need dealing with when the
pastor leaves
Below are some practical issues which people have found they need to
deal with when a pastor leaves.
Church property
Keys, documents and other equipment which the pastor has had care
of need to be returned to relevant people and looked after.
Computer
A computer owned by the church will need to be pruned of personal
files, backed up and how it is organised (if at all!) recorded.
A minister might also want to make copies of relevant files from his/her
own computer - leaving clear information about what the various disks
contain.
Files
If files can be pruned of irrelevant information that will be useful as will a
sheet in front of each file detailing what the file contains and a list of all
files and where they can be found.
Jobs and duties
The minister can make a list of all the small jobs and duties that s/he
has undertaken - especially those little ones which nobody notices but
keep the church running!
Manse
Before the minister leaves find out the location of the:
•
•
•
•
Stopcock
Gas meter
Electricity meter & fuse box
Telephones
Find out how the following items operate (and locate the instruction
booklets):
• Heating system
• Burglar alarm
• Photocopier
• Fax machine
• Church computer
On the day the minister leaves check:
•
Oil tank level
8
•
•
Gas and electricity readings
Receive keys and review general repair of the manse
If the manse is to be let to others in the meantime make sure there is a
clear contract and that they know the temporary nature of their tenure.1
Pastoral care
Obviously arrangements will have to be made for covering the pastoral
work that the minister has done. This will depend on how things were
arranged previously but areas to address will include:
•
•
•
•
•
Welcoming newcomers
Visiting sick in their homes and in hospital
Continuing care and support of those in need whom the minister had
particularly been supporting
Continuing care and support for those in leadership
Keeping up community and other contacts
If the minister had taken most of the pastoral load this will require
particular attention.
Post and telephone
Post will need redirection through the post office. Depending on what is
happening to the manse the telephone might also benefit from
redirection.
Records
A minister leaving is a good time to update church records. The minister
should pass on a complete list of church members and contacts with
appropriate comments. This should include contact numbers and
addresses for people s/he has used e.g. organ tuners, plumbers etc.
Weddings,
Weddings, funerals, baptisms, and infant
presentations
Each of these areas will need to be taken responsibility for by some
individual or group. The minister could help by leaving details of contact
numbers e.g. undertakers, relevant documents e.g. baptism certificates.
In particular a review of requirements for legal weddings will need to be
done.
Worship and preaching
Provision needs to be arranged.
Notes on when and how to leave
1
See Baptist Union Corporation leaflet A5 'Letting a manse'
9
Leaving a congregation is not an easy thing to do. Leaving it well is an
art. There are many different perspectives on how long a minister
should stay. Some are clear that long ministries of over 12 years only
make it difficult for the succeeding minister. Others are convinced that
short ministries are not able to really achieve anything. Other than to
point out this debate, it is not the role of this workbook to go into it in
detail. Once the decision to leave or think about leaving has been
2
made the following points seem to summarize some collected wisdom .
Leaving is part of the minister's job
As a leader the minister should be thinking about his/her 'exit strategy'.
There is a time to go and a time to stay. Similarly there are good and
bad ways to leave which will either empower or dis-empower the
church. These are discussed below.
Openness and discussion are better than
surprise and secrets
Knowing when to tell the church leadership about a decision or desire to
leave is a very awkward matter for a minister, especially when there is
not complete trust. If the issue can be discussed with trusted leaders
then this seems to make matters much easier – perhaps because key
leaders who have already processed the leaving can ease anxiety.
Springing a decision on a church out of the blue just creates panic and
anxiety.
Slipping away quietly
quietly is unhelpful
Ministers might, through a sense of humility, say they 'don't want a fuss
made'. This ignores the reality of how important a pastor is to a
congregation. Whilst a big carnival or wake might not be necessary, it is
crucial that the leaving of a minister is formally marked by an
opportunity for people to say goodbye. Even in the case of a
catastrophic breakdown of relationships a way of formally marking the
ending of the pastorate will help recovery from the catastrophe. The
outside involvement of a regional minister might help here. Perhaps
more common is the situation where relationships between the minister
and some members of the congregation and/or leadership have been
soured and the temptation to slip away quietly is natural. Experience
suggests3 that the failure to mark an ending properly will only help keep
the pain and anxiety caused by the souring of relationships alive in the
congregation.
2
See in particular Saying Goodbye Edward White: Alban Institute
Much of the thinking in this workbook is informed by research undertaken in USA and
summarised in Critical moment of ministry: a change of pastors Loren Mead: Alban
Institute. There is a striking lack of any similar research in the UK. Nonetheless,
conversations, personal observation, and experience seem to support this opinion.
3
10
Start planning for the departure and the
interim period
Although churches vary in their ability to plan ahead of time it is certainly
worth trying to think through the consequences of a pastor leaving whilst
s/he is still in post. The following things might be organised:
•
•
•
•
An exit interview. This is a chance for the pastor to pass on practical
information and his/her sense of where the church is at and what the
issues it faces are. It might also help the pastor let go of the church
An interim moderator appointed. Some overlap between pastor and
moderator might be a good idea. The moderator will be helped by
listening to the pastor’s perspective and the pastor might also be
helped. It might also help the church feel less anxious if they can
see that they're not being left on their own.
Plan a strategy for the interim period e.g. preaching and worship
leading so that it can be shared immediately the pastor leaves.
Again this reduces anxiety.
Address the practical issues outlined in another worksheet.
Make a clean break
There is an ongoing temptation for previous pastors to keep involved in
their previous church or try to direct its future. Experience suggests that
this is always a bad idea! Nonetheless it is remarkable how often it
happens. The temptation to return for weddings and other such events
should be resisted. Particular thought needs to be given to the situation
when a minister retires and remains in the area. One suggestion is that
the retired minister should worship in a neighbouring church until the
new minister is well bedded down. Ministers may have made close
friendships; wisdom is needed in how these are maintained in the early
years after leaving a church. Part of the reason for having formal leaving
ceremonies is to facilitate the making of a clean break.
11
Notes on an exit interview
The idea of an exit interview is to provide a clear ending to a minister's
leadership whilst also making use of his/her insights and experience. It
both values the minister and is a clear marker of the ending of a
ministry. It should happen very near to the end of his/her ministry.
Issues and questions that might be asked include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What do you feel you have put most work into whilst being minister?
Where do you feel the church is strong?
Where do you feel the church is weakest?
What have you enjoyed about being minister?
What have you found most difficult?
How do you feel the church has changed during your ministry?
How has the community changed during your ministry?
What are the main issues that now face this church?
Generally, the questions should not be asked in a pushy way, but
provide the minister with an opportunity to say what s/he really feels.
It would also be good to find out about these more practical issues,
although it might be good to ask the minister to write them down.
•
•
•
•
The small practical jobs that the minister does
List of the house bound and other pastoral situations which can be
shared
Helpful contacts in the community and amongst other churches
Issues relating to the manse and/or church building
It might be an appropriate job for a transition group to do, especially for
members who haven't been that involved in church leadership recently.
The interim moderator might also be involved. Sensitivity will be
required in your particular situation.
12
Liturgy for ending a pastoral relationship
Opening words
Numbers 23:19
God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should
change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he
spoken, and will he not fulfil it?
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore
we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains
shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though
the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Liturgy of ending
The departing pastor:
On the _ _ day of _ _, 20 _ _, I began ministry in this congregation. I
have, with God's help and to the best of my abilities been your pastor.
After prayer and careful thought, it now seems to me that I should leave
this pastorate and I now publicly state that my time as pastor of this
church ends today.
The pastor can now briefly state his/her plans for the future.
The interim moderator or church secretary:
Do you, the congregation of _ _, recognise and accept the conclusion of
this pastoral relationship?
The congregation: We do
The pastor can now say some words of thanks and make any other
comments not included in the farewell sermon. The pastor's family may
also want to say something.
A handing over of symbols of the pastorate (keys etc.) can also be done
now.
Members of the congregation can respond and wish the pastor and
his/her family well.
The interim moderator or church secretary can now indicate what
arrangements for the time of pastoral vacancy have been made.
13
Prayers and reflection
This prayer can be said by the pastor and congregation together:
O God, you have bound us together for a time as pastor and
congregation to work together in this place in the name of Jesus. We
thank you for this ministry which we have shared together and for all its
joys.
Silence
We thank you for your patience with us despite our blindness and
failings. We thank you for your forgiveness and mercy when we have
got things wrong and hurt each other.
Silence
We also thank you for your never failing presence with us through these
years and for the way we have grown in our understanding of you and
of each other.
Silence
We thank you for all those who have joined us during this time, for all
the baptisms, new births and changes which we have experienced.
Silence
We remember all those things which have been changed and lost especially for those people who have died during this time.
Silence
Now we pray - be with those who leave and with those who stay. May
we continue to grow nearer to you in our journey of faith as we take on
the challenges which lie before us.
Silence
Pastor: The peace of the Lord be always with you
Congregation: and also with you.
14
Readings - a selection of suitable passages
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Genesis 31:44 -50 (The Lord watch between you and me when we
are absent one from another)
Genesis 12:1-9 (Abraham's departure from Haran)
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 (God will raise up a prophet like Moses)
Deuteronomy 32:1-9 (The farewell of Moses)
Joshua 24:1, 14-25 (Joshua's farewell)
Ecclesiastes 3:1-7, 7:8-14 (A time for everything; better the end than
the beginning)
Matthew 9:35-38 (The harvest is plentiful but the labourers few)
Matthew 25:31-40 (As you did it to the least of these you did it to
me)
Luke 12:35-38 (The faithful servant)
Luke 17:7-10 (We are unworthy servants, we have only done our
duty)
John 10:14-18 (The ministry of the good shepherd)
John 21:15-19 (Feed my sheep)
Acts 16:9-10 (Paul's call to Macedonia)
Acts 20:17-38 (Paul's apologia)
1 Corinthians 3:4 -11 (Paul planted, Apollos watered)
Philippians 4:1-10, 23 (Rejoice in the Lord always)
1 Thessalonians 5:12 -25 (Paul encourages the ministry amongst
the Thessalonians)
2 Thessalonians 2:13 -3:5 (Paul gives thanks for the success of the
gospel)
Sermon
The pastor has an opportunity to give his/her final message to the
congregation.
Bible passages are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
15
Alternative service to mark a minister leaving a
church
This is a non-traditional service which could be used to mark the
transition into a period of pastoral vacancy. It would need to be adapted
to the particular circumstances of the church, or ideas taken and used in
a different context. It has been scripted to give some idea of what might
be said. The general idea is to give participants an experience through
the use of symbols and physical movement which will take them through
and prepare them for the transition.
Saying Goodbye
The congregation is gathered in a circle with the person chosen to be
the interim moderator present.
Introduction
Minister: Welcome to this service which marks the closure of my
ministry in this church. I will leave behind many memories and friends,
but I believe that God has called me to a new pastorate and I must
follow obediently to that call. This hymn expresses something of what it
has meant for me to be the minister of this church.
Hymn/songs
Church secretary: Our minister is leaving us. It is a sad time and
maybe we feel worried about what the future holds, but we hope also
that we will use this interim time to look at ourselves as a church and
decide where God is calling us. Our interim moderator is here with us
today and we hope that s/he will help us to discern our way forward. But
first we need to say goodbye to our minister.
Remembering key events
We remember with joy the opening of this new church building which
our minister worked so hard to make happen. The deacons are so
grateful for the skill with which our minister negotiated with builders,
architects and the denomination and the way he gave it all a deeply
spiritual meaning. We hope his new church benefits from their new
minister's great gifts as a godly manager.
We also remember the struggles we have had. The death of our
previous church secretary in a tragic car accident still saddens us all.
16
Ceremony of leaving
In the centre of our circle you can see four items:
A Bible which symbolises the inspiration which our minister has brought
us. Retelling the story of Jesus for us today and making clear the offer
of new life.
A portable communion set which symbolises the care which our minister
has had for us as a church and many beyond the limits of the
congregation.
The church meeting minutes book which symbolises our minister's role
as leader of our church and the many practical things done behind the
scenes which few of us are aware of.
A football, which reminds us of a great centre forward that our church
football team has lost. It symbolises those personal qualities and gifts
that will be lost to us forever by the leaving of our minister.
Minister: (going into the centre of the circle):
I've been at the centre of this church for 10 years! Now it is time to pass
on the mantle.
This Bible I pass on to Joe who will be preaching every other week. I've
never been the greatest preacher but I've learnt from being here - and
your (normally!) constructive feedback.
This communion set I pass on to the deacons. We have discussed how
the pastoral needs of the church will be met, and I think I'm leaving you
in good hands.
This church meeting minutes book I pass on to your interim moderator.
S/he will help you discern where you are going as a church with me out
of the way!
This football I take with me as a symbol that life for you will be different
with me not around.
Song/worship
Sharing final words
Bible reading
Minister: sermon giving final message to church
Song
17
Commissioning
Commissioning of minister for new work
Interim moderator: We are now going to send off Peter to his new
pastorate.
Moderator, deacons and others gather round minister to pray for him
Interim moderator: We thank you God for the ministry of Peter. For his
sincere love for you, his careful attention to detail and the love that he
has shown this church.
We pray for him in his new pastorate. It will be a new challenge - an
inner city church where life will be very different. Empower him to offer
the same care and love that he has given here and help him to learn the
new skills he will need.
We also pray for his family and their life together. May they know your
constant love.
Sharing the peace
An opportunity for people to share briefly words of appreciation or
commissioning could now be provided.
18
Introduction to the new reality
The previous minister could symbolically leave at this time.
Interim moderator: Peter has left us but the church still goes on. How
are we going to operate in this interim time before we call a new
minister? I want to give you a brief idea of what will happen.
S/he moves to Joe who is holding the Bible.
The deacons and one or two others will be leading worship. Joe will be
preaching about every other week. Mary will preach once every other
month, as will I. The remaining preaching will be done by visiting
preachers - if you have got any ideas for preachers see the secretary.
S/he moves to the deacons.
The deacons will be responsible for pastoral care. In particular Olu will
be co-ordinating things. But it will be particularly important for you to
look out for each other, as with Peter gone we won't have the same
pastoral resources. I don't have the time to be involved in pastoral work
with you.
S/he returns to her seat with the church minutes’ book.
I will be chairing church meetings and deacons’ meetings. I will also
oversee your search for a new minister, but before that can happen it
will be important for us to review where the church is at and what kind of
minister you will need. In order to help us with this Sarah Smith who has
been recommended by the Association will be leading a church day
which will give everyone a chance to have their say and for us all to
seek God's will.
We will try and keep you all as informed as we can over the coming
months, but that is enough from me for now. Please pray for the church
and us as we seek to make the most of this interim time.
19
What is the interim time?
21
A process for a pastoral transition
23
The interim moderator
25
Working with the church in the interim time: 4 workshops
27
Questionnaire
30
What is God's calling to this church?
34
Biblical resources for the transition time
35
Notes on a transition group
36
Notes on the idea of Interim Ministers
37
Notes on other assistance for churches in pastoral transition 38
20
What is the interim time?
It is the basic assumption of this workbook that a pastoral transition is
about much more than just getting a new pastor. It is a process which a
church goes through - either a good one where it renews its vision, sorts
out problems, works together and finds a new pastor to assist it in its
journey or a bad one which sees problems left to fester, the chance to
develop missed, general exhaustion experienced and an inappropriate
pastor inducted!
Transition can be seen as having 3 phases:
Letting go of the old
What has been has to be acknowledged, learnt from and left. Going
through this process in a formal way can help this to be achieved
successfully.
Living in the transition time
Being in a time of transition can be uncomfortable and is often marked
by anxiety. This can lead us into rushing to fill the sense of emptiness thus appointing a new minister before properly working out what kind of
minister the church needs. This workbook therefore includes exercises,
which help you work through where you are at, and what kind of pastor
would be appropriate.
Moving into the new
A time comes to move into the new. The waiting of the transition time is
put behind and a new direction is chosen. Calling a new pastor is a
chance for a church to take a new step forward.
Within these basic 3 phases various common aspects of the transition
period have been observed:
Grief will be present
People get attached to their pastor and feelings of anxiety,
disappointment, anger, and uncertainty when s/he leaves are not
uncommon.
Hidden conflicts can erupt
Sometimes a minister can keep conflicts suppressed which then erupt
when s/he is no longer around.
Secrets can come to light
An interim period, if well managed, can be a time when secrets which
have affected the church can be brought out into the open.
21
Contacts with the denomination are renewed
Many Baptist churches are very self-contained. Being in a pastoral
transition can make one aware that being part of a wider family has its
benefits.
Churches can feel bad about themselves
A church may wonder why a minister left, or just feel they are not going
anywhere, or just feel anxious. It is common for churches in transition to
lose confidence.
Giving declines
Losing a pastor can mean a losing of vision which is translated into a
decline in financial giving.
Organization might need to be overhauled
Sometimes churches rely on the minister to do many administrative
tasks so that the organization tends to suffer when s/he leaves.
Problems in communication are revealed
Again, the minister might have been the main channel for
communication. Given the anxiety often present and the important
decisions being made communication in an interim time is crucial.
People will have different attitudes to the change
Some will grieve the loss of a minister, some rejoice! Some will enjoy
the challenge of leading the church in the transition time. Others will feel
bitter about how they perceived the previous minister to have been
treated.
These few comments just give a few hints about what goes on in a time
of pastoral transition. What is most important is for leaders to be
reflecting carefully about what is going on in their congregation rather
than just rushing to get a new minister who fits their idea of who a
minister should be!
22
A process for a pastoral transition
Saying goodbye
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Minister decides to leave
Leadership informed
Association and regional minister informed
Congregation informed
Community informed
List of things that need to be done drawn up
Interim moderator chosen and initial discussions on process and role
undertaken
Exit interview with minister
Outline of interim strategy drawn up
Farewell to minister
Outline interim strategy to congregation and community
Finding a direction for the interim period
•
•
•
Church leadership meets with interim moderator
Liaise with regional minister
Confirm interim strategy and communicate it
Retelling and
and examining the church story
•
•
•
•
•
•
Organising church statistics
Telling the church story and setting its context
Discerning God's calling on the church
Creating a community profile
Creating a church profile
Creating a new minister profile
Finding a new pastor
•
•
•
•
Agree process
Contact prospective ministers
Minister and leadership explore relationship
Minister and church contacts
Decision making and negotiation
•
•
•
Initial decision
Negotiating details
Final voting
23
Induction and installation
•
•
•
Agreeing timetable and practical details
Preparation for welcoming new minister and family
Induction service
Beginning the ministry
•
•
•
Agree appropriate support/training for minister
Induction programme
Initial review
24
The interim moderator
One of the most helpful traditions amongst Baptist churches is the
appointment of an interim moderator to help churches through the
transition period.
Traditionally churches have looked to an experienced neighbouring
minister to provide this role but others are also used:
•
•
•
•
Retired ministers
Ministers lecturing at theological colleges
Ministers not in pastoral charge
Experienced lay people
The advantage of one of these other people is that they may have more
time to give, especially on Sundays, than a minister in pastorate. It
should also be remembered that although the skills of a pastor are
relevant to the job of interim moderator, it is a distinct role that requires
a degree of detachment which pastors might not be used to. It also
requires certain skills which could be summarised as:
•
•
•
•
•
Experience and practical wisdom of how churches work
Knowledge and personal contacts in Baptist family
Ability to facilitate and enable rather than direct. The interim minister
is more of a consultant than a leader
Courage and skill to challenge without creating antagonism
Skills in chairing meetings and enabling consensus and participation
The range of functions that an interim moderator performs varies but
seems always to include:
•
•
•
Chairing deacons/elders meetings
Chairing church meetings
Supporting church in its search for a new minister
It can also include:
• Preaching - regularly or occasionally
• Equipping and training church leadership
Deacons or others without experience in a pastoral transition might
require training in things such as interviewing or basic Baptist
churchmanship.
• Consultancy in process of interviewing and appointing minister
The moderator often sits in on the interviews and gives advice and
guidance to the church without being directive or voting.
•
Being a broker between minister and church
25
This can involve getting to know the minister, providing hospitality and
helping to be a bridge between the new and old pastor e.g. by passing
on information.
• Providing pastoral cover for emergencies
• Being an interim pastor
See separate paper on the idea of interim ministers
• Doing weddings and funerals
• Consultancy in transition time
This can involve many roles but might include assistance with
developing the profiles described elsewhere and the processes
described in the paper on 'Making the most of the Interim Time'.
The interim moderator might also be a key facilitator in enabling
churches to find other individuals to perform these roles.
26
Working with the church in the interim time
These are 4 workshops which provide a way for people to reflect on
where the church is at and provide materials which can go into creating
a church profile and a prospective minister's profile. They can be used
with the whole church:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
at the Church Meeting
after or during a service
on a separate day
in smaller existing groups e.g. house groups
They are not designed to be used in any particular order.
Workshop 1
Looking at history
Workshop 2
A way to get the whole
congregation involved in
looking at the vision of the
church
Workshop 3
Corporate decision making
- setting priorities
Workshop 4
What is God's calling to
this church?
27
Workshop 1
Looking at history
This workshop helps a church look back over its history.
Introduction
Get everyone to line up according to how long they have been in the
church.
Keeping people in this line split them into groups of three to share their
best memory about the church. Make sure these memories are
recorded.
In the large group encourage limited sharing of these good memories
Time line
Move on from these memories to a time line. Use a long role of lining
paper marked off in decades. Get the whole group to contribute key
dates and events. Include:
•
•
•
•
•
When everyone joined
Comings and goings of ministers
Memorable events
Changes in the community
Some key world events
Generally try and accentuate the positive without avoiding the realities
of struggle and difficulty.
Recent history
Join together the threes into groups of 6 and get them to share and
record their joys and sorrows for the church in the past 5 years. Record
these on a sheet divided in two.
(A sheet divided into four can also be used with hopes and fears for the
next 5 years added after joys and sorrows are completed).
Stick these sheets up on the walls and let people wander round and
read them.
Close the session by having the whole group reflect on what has been
written. If you have someone good at pulling out themes from diverse
material they could also share their reflections on the sheets.
28
Workshop 2
A way to get the whole
congregation involved in
looking at the vision
vision of the
church
This is a simple introductory exercise which gets people thinking about
the church and begins to raise some issues:
Sharing
Get people to share in pairs about why they started coming to the
church in the first place. Get together in groups of 6 and write down
reasons for coming to the church.
Questionnaire
Hand out the questionnaire (attached) and get people to fill it in. It is
deliberately very short and simple to encourage full participation. It can
also be handed out previously as a way of advertising the meeting.
Groups
In groups discuss the third question in more detail with the question
'What does it mean to …'.
Go on to discuss what things the church could do to fulfil these tasks of
the church. Make a record of these.
Close
Report back some of these findings to whole group.
Provide an opportunity for people in pairs to share about what they have
learned through the process.
Follow up
This session would go well with a biblical reflection on the Baptist
understanding of church. See Fellowship in the Gospel – 6 studies on
Baptist principles and practice in belonging to the church (Baptist
Union).
29
Questionnaire
This questionnaire is part of a process of talking with the church about
where we are at now and where we want to be in the future. Hopefully
this questionnaire will get you thinking!
I started coming to
_________________________
In the last year
Between one and five years ago
Between five and twenty years ago
Over twenty years ago
The best thing about this church is
is (tick one)
Fellowship and friends
Music and singing
Prayer
Teaching and preaching
Other_____________________________________
___
30
The most important thing for us as a church is to
(tick one)
Be a witness for justice and peace
Remain faithful
See people come to know Jesus
Serve the community
Other
_________________________________________
I am (please circle those which apply to you)
Under 20
Between 20 and
35
Between 35 and
60
Over 60
Male
Female
Black
White
Asian
Other
Member
Attend Regularly
Visitor
31
Workshop 3
Corporate decision making
– setting priorities
This priority setting tool can be used in a variety of different ways. In this
example we use it to enable congregations to decide what are the
priorities for a new minister.
Preparation
Create a list of different skills and characteristics of a minister. These
can be gathered from a brainstorm (this is the best for participatory
purposes), selected by another group or adapted from this list or the BU
settlement guidelines.
•
•
•
Organiser
Preacher
Pastor
•
•
•
•
•
Energetic
Approachable
Erudite
Wise
Caring
•
•
•
•
•
Good with children
Good with old people
Teacher
Evangelist
Administrator
Print these out on cards so that each is separate.
Introduction
Divide people into groups of 6. Give each group a large sheet of paper
divided in four marked in each section with the words:
•
•
•
•
Used to
Now
Could
Should
Encourage groups to write in the used to section things that the church
used to do.
In the now section things that it does now
In the could section things that other churches do
In the should section things they would like to see their church doing
Prioritising
32
Hand out a selection of prepared cards to each group. Encourage them
to put the cards in order of priority.
Conclusion
Encourage groups to share their order and explain it. Then move into a
general discussion.
33
Workshop 4
What is God's calling to this church?
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, `Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I
appointed you a prophet to the nations.' Then I said, `Ah, Lord God!
Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.' But the Lord said
to me, `Do not say, "I am only a boy"; for you shall go to all to whom I
send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be
afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.' Then the
Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
`Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over
nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and
to overthrow, to build and to plant.'
This workshop uses this passage to reflect on our calling and God’s
calling to this church. Begin by reading the passage aloud.
Reflection
Encourage people to reflect individually on: “Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” with
these questions:
•
•
•
•
Do I have a sense of vocation or calling?
What is it that God has given me to do (Jeremiah was a prophet,
Mary a mother, I am …?)
Do I struggle or feel weak about my vocation or what I have to do?
What is my vocation or role in the church?
Sharing in pairs
Gather people into pairs and give each a chance to share their
reflections. The other should listen carefully and write down on separate
cards what s/he hears as being their partner's gifts/vocation.
Group reflection
Stick up cards on a board, maybe arranging them into groups.
Have a discussion around these questions:
•
•
•
•
What patterns do you see?
What relationship do these have to the church’s calling/purpose?
How can we hear God’s call as a church?
What should stay the same and what change?
Close by reading passage
Based on exercise in Temporary Shepherds ed RS Nicholson Alban Institute
34
Biblical resources for the transition time
The Bible is a rich source of resources for the times of change. Below
some useful biblical passages are outlined.
Perhaps the classic story of change and transition is the Exodus.
Many passages from this story are relevant including:
Exodus 6
Numbers 11:1 –17
Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Deuteronomy 31:4 –8
Deuteronomy 34
Joshua 24
God calls Moses
Moses complains
God calls Israel to choose life
Joshua appointed the new leader
Moses leaves Israel
Renewing the covenant
The passion of the Psalms can also be helpful:
13
30
10
7
12
6
Call for help and expression of trust
Joy in healing and recovery
Discovering our hunger
The Lord restores our fortunes
Classic prophetic passages include:
Isaiah 43:1-7, 18-21
Ezekiel 36:22-36
God's assurance to his people
A new heart and spirit
New Testament passages might be:
John 1:29-34
Acts 10:34–48
Luke 14:25-34
John 14:23-27
John makes way for Jesus
The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit
Counting the cost
The Comforter will teach you
These are based on much more detailed studies in Temporary
Shepherds ed RS Nicholson Alban Insitute
35
Notes on a transition group
Given the importance of a pastoral transition some churches might find
it helpful to think about having a transition group which seeks to manage
the process of transition. You may think this can be best done by the
existing church leadership, but a specific transition group may have
advantages.
A transition group deals specifically with the issues arising for the
church out of being in transition and is not about finding a new minister.
It must have clear terms of reference and might include some of these:
•
•
•
•
•
•
To help the church recognise the significance of losing a minister.
To reflect on and assist the church make the most of the transition
time (maybe having an input into preaching and other teaching
opportunities).
To involve a full spread of the congregation in transition time
activities.
To help the church look at its history.
To help the church reflect on what it's vision for the future is.
To draw up a church (and community) profile which involves the
whole church.
The advantages of a transition group include:
•
•
•
•
Takes tasks away from the leadership group which might over
stretch it or never get done.
Provides an opportunity for new people to get involved in the church
who for various reasons might have held back under the previous
minister.
Has the potential to be more representative of the church than the
leadership.
Can bring in people with specific skills to manage its tasks.
36
Notes on the idea of Interim Ministers
Interim ministers have been common in the USA for many years and
have a network which supports their work and provides specific training.
To some extent it has arisen out of the different American context but
people in Britain are beginning to believe that it could have some benefit
in the U.K. An interim minister never becomes the permanent minister.
An interim minister works for a limited time (normally between 6 months
and a year) not merely to provide pastoral and preaching input but also
to help the church make the most of its transition time. This involves
specifically looking at the five processes looked at in more detail
elsewhere in the manual for interim moderators.
•
•
•
•
•
Coming to terms with history
Discovering a new identity
Allowing needed leadership change
Renewing links with denomination
Commitment to new directions in ministry
An interim minister seems to be particularly useful in two cases:
After a difficult or contentious ministry. When things have not gone
well in a ministry there is often much pain and unresolved conflicts that
can hamper the next minister. An interim minister can help resolve
these difficulties and ensure that a new minister isn't coming into a
mess. With a short-term agenda the interim minister will probably find it
easier to bring up tough issues and tackle them.
After a very long ministry. The difficulty in following a long established
pastor is well known. Having an interim minister can help a church get
the old minister out of their system and be better prepared to accept the
different style of a new minister.
Whilst there is not a network for interim ministry presently existing in
Britain it might be worth considering this type of ministry, especially if
the two scenarios above are relevant to your situation.
37
Notes on other assistance for churches in pastoral
transition
An interim moderator is likely to be the single most useful resource for a
church in this period of transition, but there are other resources
available.
Regional Minister
The Regional Minister is the other person likely to be involved in the
process. S/he can often be the first resort in helping a church develop
its strategy and is likely to have plenty of experience and wisdom to
share. S/he is also a key resource for putting churches and ministers
together.
Consultants
Churches are beginning to find that using an independent individual with
a knowledge of how churches work and skills in enabling people to
reflect and work together can be useful. Regional Ministers or
Associations may have lists of people who can perform this role. In
relation to pastoral transitions they might be able to help in the following
ways:
•
•
•
•
Helping a church heal hurts left over from previous ministry.
Leading workshops that enable the church to look at where it has
been, is now and wants to be in the future.
Training in what it means to be in transition.
Assistance in drawing up church and community profiles.
Teams
Some people have begun thinking in terms of teams to help churches
make the most of a pastoral transition. Let us take the somewhat
extreme example of a church that has had a traumatic experience of
removing a minister because of financial irregularities:
The Regional Minister gets involved immediately in a crisis
management role, providing pastoral support to the church leadership
and developing a strategy for the pastoral transition.
An experienced college lecturer is called in as an interim moderator
who oversees the process but only chairs meetings and preaches
occasionally.
An accountant from a church in the Association helps the church sort
out its finances in a role as a volunteer consultant.
A neighbouring minister offers emergency pastoral cover, doing
weddings and funerals and offering some pastoral support to people
badly affected by the minister leaving.
38
In a team approach these four individuals would not merely do their jobs
but meet occasionally to assess where things were at. After a while it
might become clear that the financial irregularities were only a symptom
of deeper conflicts and hurts so a professional consultant is employed
to provide mediation.
Teams could also work effectively in other less dramatic situations and
in many the Regional Minister and interim moderator could be seen as a
small team. See also the idea of a transition group in Notes on a
Transition Group (p.36).
39
Ten ideas for getting a profile of your community
41
Resources on a Church Profile
45
Questionnaire for Church Profile
48
Developing a minister profile
50
Notes on using church statistics
52
40
Ten ideas for getting a profile of your community
Why a community profile is important
A community profile provides a crucial context for the transition
time. If the area has experienced significant change e.g. ethnic
mix, gentrification, and redevelopment or slow, hardly noticed
change e.g. increase in elderly, it may well require different gifts
and strategies. Without a community context it is like being
deprived of one of your senses. See the bible passages below.
This profile does not need to be complex and it is probably better if
it is not. What is crucial is to pick up key trends and the big picture.
Ten tried and tested ideas to make community profiling easy and fun!
1. Get copies of the ward profiles for the last two censuses from your
reference library or planning department. Use them to create a picture
of how your community is changing. Particularly look for:
•
•
•
•
•
Percentages rather than plain totals
Age profile
Ethnic mix (new measures for this came in 1991 census)
Mobility rates (5% is very low, 25% very high)
Comparisons with rest of borough/town, city/county, national figures
The planning department has small area statistics that divide wards into
about 30 units. But they are unprocessed and only for the keen!
Universities and some dioceses have access to computer programs that
can make these more accessible. The 2001 census will be more
computerised.
2. Create a large map of your community that includes the homes of the
50% of your congregation who live nearest your church’s place of
worship. Mark on the map:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Major roads, railways and rivers
Different types of housing: tower blocks, terraces, detached houses
etc.
Other types of land use: shops, industry etc.
Prominent buildings: churches, police stations, schools etc.
Political boundaries
Geographical features: hills, lakes, parks etc.
Other ‘soft’ information: where kids hang out, block where refugees
are housed etc.
3. Devise a walk round your area which would introduce a newcomer to
its significant features. Video it if you have the facility.
41
4. Interview ten local professionals e.g. councillor, primary school head,
health visitor, police, housing officer …
5. Interview ten local resident community leaders/activists e.g. tenants
association leader, vicar, youth worker, voluntary group, toddler group
leader etc.
6. Compare the perspectives of these residents and professionals.
7. Ask to talk to school kids about their experience of a local
playground.
8. Visit local history library to see if it has anything on your community.
9. Read the local paper for 6 months and collect relevant cuttings in a
scrapbook.
10. Talk to people in the congregation about the community. Find out if
any are local activists.
Use the contacts you make through doing this to improve your local
network.
42
Reflecting on your community
The following workshop will help you reflect on this data. It is taken from
my Urban Vision workbook which goes into community profiling in much
more detail:
10 minutes
Welcome and prayer with music if available e.g. Open our
eyes, Lord
5-10 minutes
Reflecting on the map and/or other data
Put the map or visually displayed data in the middle of the
group. Use it as a focus to talk about the area: how you have
experienced it, what you like about it, what you don’t like about
it.
15 minutes
Drawing out people’s experiences
Ask people to share their own experiences of the community.
How they came to it. How it has changed etc. Encourage them
to speak about feelings.
10 minutes
Reflection time (one or more of these ideas might be used):
•
•
•
Read a Bible passage that speaks to some themes that
you have experienced in the area.
Ask people to meditate on the map and their experience
of the community whilst playing some music.
Get people to walk around the community near where
you are meeting (this might take a bit longer).
5-10 minutes
Bring the people back together and talk about the transition
time and wanting to discern how God is calling the church. Use
the passages from Numbers or Acts below.
Share some of the key issues that you have previously
identified
20 minutes
Begin a discussion about discerning the Spirit using these
questions:
•
•
•
•
10 minutes
What is God doing in our community?
What are the main forces at work in our community?
What needs to be done?
What might we have the resources to get involved in what resources do we lack?
Close with prayer and an opportunity to listen to what God
might be saying.
43
Acts 17:16-33 Paul in Athens
Paul is a man who is aware of what is going on around him. He is in
Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy, but he can’t help noticing what is
happening all about him. He feels the idols in the city. In particular he
notices the altar to an Unknown God. This gives him a key to
understanding the spirit of Athens, or at least how the Spirit is moving
him, Paul, to act. He focuses on the Athenians anxious hunger for God
which caused them to seek after many gods - even those they didn’t
know! This proved the basic text for his address to the Athenians. It
helped him do what he was called to do.
Numbers 13 Spying in the Promised Land
The spies were profiling Canaan. They formulated their simple report:
Aspect
The land
People
Cities
History
Ethnic groups
Description
Rich and fertile (samples of produce supplied)
Powerful
Very large and well fortified
Descendants of giants live there
Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites and
Canaanites
But they disagreed about what the Spirit was saying to them. The
majority thought that the land was too well defended to be conquered.
Caleb thought differently and urged immediate attack. In response the
majority began to formulate an adapted report. They played down the
positives of it being a fertile land and played up the strength of the
inhabitants and especially the myth of them being descendants of
giants.
Thus we see the so-called facts are not so important as the discernment
of what the facts meant. The presentation of the facts was influenced by
what they were thought to mean. This illustrates the interconnection
between doing a profile and discerning what it means.
44
Resources on a Church Profile
It is now normal policy for churches to draw up a church profile to assist
in calling a minister.
Drawing up a profile is not a battleground! It simply seeks to state where
the church is at. If one group hijacks it to propound their own vision it
could prove disastrous. A minister needs to know the situation s/he’s
coming into so don’t be afraid of diverse views. His/her job will be to
help everyone work together.
The settlement guidelines give some guidance on this:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appendix 2 provides a pattern.
A small group will need to do the work. This could be the transition
group.
It must take into account the Trust Deed.
It should include the Settlement Package.
It needs to be authorised by the church meeting.
It provides a blueprint for the future ministry.
Below, we look at some ideas to develop a good profile and make the
most of the process. A well-managed process will be fun and build
community.
What are we like as a church now?
See:
• Notes on church statistics
• Workshop on history of church
Where does God want us to go in our mission and ministry?
See:
• Workshop on involving people in vision forming
• Workshop on calling of the church
• Ten ideas for getting a profile of your community
Take into account the perspectives of the leadership team, other church
workers and the exit interview if a separate group is doing this. Always
ensure every group has an input. You might miss out:
•
•
•
•
•
Minority ethnic groups
Children
Young people
Minority theological opinions
Housebound
What sort of ministry do we need to take us into that future?
See:
• Workshop on priorities
• Background paper on the functions of a minister
45
A Church Day
These processes could be all brought together in a church day. This is
adapted from a Methodist idea.
10.00a
m
10.30a
m
10.45a
m
11.15a
m
11.45a
m
12.05p
m
Coffee
Opening prayers and explanations
Present information already gathered on the community. A good
way to start is to have a simple multiple choice quiz based on data
you have gathered.
Feedback
Present information on church
Discussion in groups about the church looking at:
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats
Record these on flipchart sheets and display.
12.30p
m
1:20pm
Lunch and chance to look at SWOT sheets
1:25pm
Quiet prayer
1:30pm
In groups agree on three aims for the church.
Short reflection on SWOT sheets drawing out common themes
Make copies of these with separate aims on separate cards. Make
one set of copies for each of the other groups. (So if there are 5
other groups you should have your three aims repeated 5 times –
a total of 15 cards)
1:50pm
Distribute sets of aims to all groups. (If there are 6 groups
altogether each group should have a set of 3 aims from each of
the other 5 groups giving a total of 15 cards).
Each group then puts together these aims in an order of priority
2:10pm
Each group explains and shares their list to whole church.
Make sure you record these lists.
46
2:40pm
Time of worship which helps people reflect on what has been said
and done
Facilitator reflects on work and draws up common themes.
3:10pm
Facilitator shares reflections and opens up discussion.
3:30pm
Close
47
Questionnaire for Church Profile
In the coming years the following are:
Unimportant
Not a
priority
Important
but not
urgent
Important
and
necessary
The
priority
Not a
priority
Important
but not
primary
Important
and
necessary
The
priority
Improve the building
Getting better
organised
Developing new
forms of worship
Evangelism
Good teaching
Social Action
Healing divisions
Improving pastoral
care
Our new minister should be:
Unimportant
Good at running
things
A good worship
leader
Dynamic and
visionary
Good preacher
Emphasize prayer
and spiritual growth
Emphasize pastoral
care
Encourage people
and help us work
together
48
What gifts, characteristics and skills should our new minister have?
Other comments:
I am (please circle those which apply to you)
Under 20
Between 20 and
35
Between 35 and
60
Over 60
Male
Female
Black
White
Asian
Other
Member
Regular attender
Visitor
Deacon/Elder
49
Developing a minister profile
It is helpful to prepare a profile of the kind of minister that you are
looking for. This can have a number of different sources:
•
•
•
•
The church profile – what kind of minister will we need to be able to
fulfil the calling we believe God has given us?
Results of consultations and surveys of congregation – what kind of
minister will meet the expressed needs of the church?
Views of leadership – what kind of minister will be able to work with
the existing leaders?
Identified tasks – what will the minister have to do?
How might this work?
In the church and community profile a sense of calling to work with
young people was discovered because of increasing numbers of youth
in the area. The congregation on the other hand is very multicultural and
the needs of the large Ghanaian community and smaller Tamil group
have not previously been well met. The leadership on the other hand is
mainly women and they are worried if a new minister isn’t positive about
women’s leadership. Finally the church has a housing project attached
to the church. Therefore a basic profile might begin:
Essential
Ability to relate to young people
Preferred
Experience in youth work
Strong commitment to vision of a
Experience of African and Asian
multicultural church and willingness to cultures and understanding of racism
learn about new cultures
Positive attitude to women in
leadership
Skills in management and experience
of social projects
You will then want to consider other issues:
Beliefs
What doctrinal stance will s/he need to have to work constructively with
the church? e.g. Attitude to scripture, charismatic gifts, relationship of
evangelism to social action, position on remarriage of divorcees, lotteryfunding etc.
If issues are not significant to the church, don’t take a stance for the
sake of it, or allow 1 or 2 to get you focused on their hobby horse!
Style
Does informality work for your church? Or do you need someone who
always wears a tie!? Is inspirational preaching appreciated or a more
50
erudite teaching? Do you need someone comfortable in small groups or
someone who is at their best one-to-one? What worship style(s) suit
your church – or which do you want to explore?
Skills and gifting
What are the skills a minister really is going to need? You might like a
great preacher, but maybe a good administrator who sensitively gets
people together is what you actually require! What other skills are
essential and which preferred? What lacks can be covered by others?
Experience
Again it is good to think about what you really need. Maybe after a
traumatic time you need someone with experience and wisdom to
enable healing. Maybe your inner city church does actually require
someone with urban experience rather than another greenhorn!
Personal details
It is easy to be over-prescriptive. Only prescribe marital status or age for
clear reasons e.g. housing limitation. Practical things like needing to be
a car-driver may be relevant.
Whilst a minister profile is useful don’t be too obsessive. A few
guidelines are:
•
•
•
•
Distinguish between the essential and the preferred.
Don’t let a few foist their prejudices on everyone.
Use the profile to indicate the kind of person who will be able to unite
the church and different interest groups.
Focus on what you really need a minister to do and do well.
Agree the profile and make it available to all.
Remember that it can only be a guide and might be challenged
when you actually meet ministers.
51
Notes on using church statistics
Church statistics do provide a wealth of information about the church.
Here are a few ideas about how they can be used if you find statistics
interesting.
1. Look through membership lists and use your personal knowledge to
draw out details of age, gender, work, ethnic group etc.
2. Compare membership lists from the start of the previous ministry with
the present situation.
3. Use address lists to map the geographical spread of membership –
again use comparisons with earlier lists.
4. Include those who attend as part of the congregation that are not
members and compare with formal members.
5. If you keep attendance figures map these on a graph. Rather than
simply plotting each week try plotting average attendance for each week
for the past month – this helps you see trends better. Watch out for
special services e.g. services of infant presentation, which create
anomalies.
6. Cross-reference data. Are all the under 40s from one ethnic group?
Do all the children come from a particular area?
7. Compare church statistics with census statistics. Are they different?
Why?
When using statistics it is helpful to remember:
•
•
•
When sharing them with others present them clearly and simply.
And visually if possible. A few striking statistics will have more
impact than a sophisticated analysis.
Compare what statistics seem to say with your perceptions and the
perceptions of others. Are there differences? What is that saying?
Always use statistics to help you reflect on God’s calling to your
church never as an end in themselves.
52
Searching for a minister
54
Choosing candidates
56
Interviewing and getting to know candidates
58
Other ideas for getting to know a candidate
63
Notes on looking for qualities in a minister rather than skills
64
Notes on how to treat candidates
65
The functions of a church leader
66
53
Searching for a minister
minister
Whilst a pastoral transition is not only about searching for a minister this
is, clearly, a central part of the process and there is considerable help
available to assist churches in finding a new minister. The key resource
is the Baptist Union settlement guidelines. This provides a clear process
for churches to follow which makes available to them all accredited
Baptist ministers who are looking for a pastorate. This workbook takes
this as being the basic model to work from and thus should be read in
connection with these guidelines. Nonetheless, there are other ways to
find a minister. Below a couple of variants are discussed.
Headhunting
It is not uncommon, especially for larger churches, for direct
approaches to be made to ministers who are known to the church or
have a high profile. Perhaps what is important to remember in this
situation is that a proper interviewing process should still be gone
through. After all, someone’s public persona does not always give a
good indication of his or her personal motivations, leadership style, and
pastoral abilities!
Search committees
The use of search committees is normal in America. Search committees
are also used in the Church of Scotland. There does not seem to be any
move amongst English churches towards using search committees
except in creating a search committee which copies the traditional role
played by the diaconate, but comprises members as well as deacons.
This has advantages similar to those of using a transition group:
• The search committee can give their full attention to the matter of
finding a new minister.
• It enables people with specific skills to be utilised.
• It has the potential to be more representative of the church than an
existing leadership group.
The American search committee seems to draw up a list of possible
candidates and gradually whittles them down through a process of
interview and visiting them in their present context. This is very unlike
our situation where the preference has been for 'one at a time' rather
than a 'beauty parade'. It does seem to have the advantage of
increasing contact between church and prospective minister and involve
a real exploration rather than what, some are beginning to feel, is an
inadequate decision on candidates that is over dependent on 'preaching
with a view'. Thus we find in England a move to encourage more
contact between minister and church so that a real sense of genuine
vocation can be realised.
54
Increasing contact between church and
minister
Various methods to increase contact between churches and prospective
ministers are being used:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Providing opportunities for informal contact between candidate and
congregation.
Inviting candidate to small groups rather than just preaching.
Having more meetings with search committee/leadership in which a
relationship can gradually develop.
Having an open day for churches in a vacancy during which
ministers can anonymously take a look at the church.
Giving candidates a more prolonged exposure to the church and its
context (especially in specific contexts such as inner city with which
candidates might not be familiar).
Candidates taking more of an initiative in interviewing the church,
contacting previous ministers and talking with interim moderators.
Making more use of techniques from the business and voluntary
sector worlds e.g. job descriptions, person specifications and
interview techniques.
55
Choosing candidates
Below are some ideas to help in the selecting of candidates for further
exploration:
•
•
•
•
The minister profile is the key resource. This helps you avoid
personal prejudice and look for a minister who meets the basic
requirements of the whole church (providing of course the whole
church did have a genuine input into its creation!).
Distinguishing between essential and preferred requirements in the
minister profile makes it a more sensitive tool and means you are
less likely to miss out on individuals who could be suitable but
different from your initial idea.
Remember that the profile is a guide to be respected rather than a
straitjacket that imprisons.
Pay careful attention to the language used by ministers – especially
when describing their theological beliefs. Your interim moderator
should be able to provide guidance as to what jargon actually
means! Below we provide a brief guide:
Believing in the ‘gifts’ (of the Spirit).
This tends to mean that the candidate is open to charismatic renewal.
Charismatic
Believes in speaking in tongues and the manifestation of the gifts of the
Spirit as talked about by St Paul. It generally implies an evangelical
theology, but not necessarily. It also tends to imply other beliefs e.g.
team ministry, modern worship styles, but check out what people really
mean!
Conservative evangelical
Often means not charismatic. Otherwise used to indicate a generally
traditional and conservative attitude to scripture and other theological
issues. Might imply a scepticism about social involvement, but not
necessarily.
Ecumenical
Basically means open to working with non-Baptist churches including
Catholic churches. Might imply a more liberal theology, but not
necessarily.
Evangelical
A common but tricky term! It implies a belief in the authority of scripture,
a commitment to evangelism and a belief in a personal relationship with
God.
Inerrant (Word of God)/ inerrancy
Takes a very conservative approach to scripture believing it to be
literally true in every particular e.g. Adam and Eve were real people.
Liberal
56
Has no clear definition. Implies a commitment to modern critical
approaches to the Bible, openness to the world as a source of truth
alongside Christian tradition, and, often, a positive appreciation of other
religions. Definitely needs some unpacking.
Liberal evangelical
This probably needs to be unpacked. It implies a desire to be
evangelical but also to remain open to other traditions and avoid
positions such as Inerrancy.
Middle of the road/Mainstream
Implies a desire to avoid the extreme positions that evangelicals and
liberals can take up.
Orthodox
Can mean the Eastern Orthodox churches but that is unlikely. More
likely to mean traditional Christian beliefs which would be shared by all
Christians from Evangelical to Catholic.
Radical
Very much depends on context. Often means a commitment to social
issues and involvement or a strong commitment to the position it is
describing (e.g. radical charismatic would imply someone strongly
committed to charismatic approaches). Definitely one which needs
clarification!
Radical evangelical
Often implies the desire to hold together traditional evangelical beliefs
with a commitment to social issues.
Reformed
Technically means Calvinist in theology. Tends to imply a conservative
evangelical theology which is opposed to charismatic beliefs.
Renewal
Often shorthand for Charismatic renewal – trying to revitalise a church
by charismatic approaches.
Trinitarian
The doctrine of the Trinity is the distinctively Christian belief in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It reflects the complexity of the Christian
experience of God. Often has similar meaning to orthodox in practise.
Generally it is a good idea not to assume but seek clarification at
interview about even apparently obvious terms.
57
Interviewing and getting to know candidates
Interviewing is not an easy matter. It requires careful preparation and
some training. The matter is complicated with candidates for a pastorate
for a number of reasons:
•
•
•
•
It is not a normal job interview. Normally one candidate is met at a
time rather than a group of two or more.
Churches are not seeking to employ a worker but call a leader.
The two parties are not so much seeking to enter into a contractual
agreement as develop a covenantal relationship.
The call to a minister is not from the interviewing group but from the
church meeting.
In view of these realities it is not a bad idea if we put aside notions of
the interview as being akin to a job interview. But it would also be a
mistake to avoid the reality that an interview is what is going on. Maybe
the best way of describing these initial meetings between a candidate
and a church leadership or search committee is of a mutual interview.
The church and the candidate are interrogating each other! They are
trying to work each other out, to see if a long-term relationship might
develop between them.
Working from this basis the following might serve as an outline of the
interview process.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Arrange a time and date with the candidate expressing your desire
for a mutual interview and suggest an outline for the meeting,
encouraging him/her to suggest amendments.
Agree without being rigid:
•
Length of meeting
•
Areas that will be covered
•
What each party would like the other to bring or prepare
Prepare a comfortable, warm room in which to meet. First
impressions are important so think about how you can be welcoming
without being overwhelming.
Arrange the furniture in the room in a suitable manner (see below).
Make sure you won't be interrupted.
Agree what subjects you want to raise and agree questions which
relate to these. Distribute these questions amongst yourselves and
talk about how you want things to go.
58
•
•
•
•
•
Areas for exploration will probably involve:
•
Background and life experience
•
Christian journey and calling
•
Experience in ministry and relevant work
•
Theological emphases and approach
•
Practical emphases and approach (e.g. as a pastor, leader,
preacher)
•
Personal strengths and weaknesses
•
Personal aspirations and vision
•
Attitude to issues that are of particular concern to your
church
Use your interim moderator to have a practice run!
You might want to think about asking the candidate to give a short
(10 minutes maximum) presentation about some relevant thing they
have done. You might also give a similar presentation based on your
church profile.
In your interviewing make sure you cover all the subjects that you
want to address. Avoid letting the conversation ramble too much.
On the other hand do ask follow up questions if answers are unclear
or open up important areas. You are trying to develop a relationship
rather than just get answers to questions.
Questions should be:
•
Concrete. Questions that ask about actual experience tend to
be more productive. E.g. "How did you set up the youth club
when you were a youth minister?" rather than "How would you
set up a youth club for us?”
•
Clear. Simple, straightforward questions are better.
• Open. Try to think of questions that will open up the areas you
want to explore.
•
Questions should not be:
59
•
Leading. E.g. "Don't and you think evangelism is the most
important thing for a church to do?"
•
Closed. E.g. "Preaching is the most important thing a minister
does. Isn't it?"
•
Hypothetical. These tend not to be productive unless you
have no alternative. You will learn more about someone from
what they have done than from what they think they might do!
•
Multi-part. These are just confusing.
• Asking for information you already have.
•
•
•
•
•
Listen carefully to what is said. Particularly note the actual words
being used and make sure you both have the same understanding
of them. E.g. what does the candidate mean when talking about
renewal?
Take notes of significant points that arise, especially those which
you need to think about further.
Don't be afraid of summarising what you feel the candidate has said
or what you are sensing is going on. E.g. "So what I understand you
to be saying is that you see your main calling to be preaching and
teaching and you see your main pastoral role to be facilitating a
pastoral team to meet pastoral needs?"
Do ask the questions which really need to be asked.
Don't be aggressive or focus too much on your pet issue.
60
There does seem to be some tendency to move beyond the single
meeting between candidate and leadership/selection group. This is to
facilitate the development of a relationship. If three meetings were
envisaged it might go something like this:
•
•
•
•
•
First meeting. Initial checking out, covering basic issues outlined
above. The church asking the question “Is this the kind of person
who could be our minister?” More than one candidate could be met
in this way.
Second meeting. One candidate is gone ahead with who does seem
to be the 'right kind of person'. Selection group has met between
these two meetings and decided what areas need to be explored
further and communicates these to the candidate when inviting
him/her for the second meeting. The candidate is also encouraged
to suggest topics for discussion. Meeting has less of a character of
mutual interview and seeks to be more of a genuine dialogue. Times
of meditation and prayer might be appropriate.
If a real sense of relationship and calling has developed the
candidate can be asked to preach and meet the wider church.
Third meeting. Selection group seeks feedback from congregation.
This feedback together with issues raised from within the selection
group, and by the candidate, form the agenda for the third meeting.
By now a genuine openness and ability to ask difficult questions
should have been achieved.
With agreement of church meeting who have received a report from
the selection group the candidate is asked to ' preach with a view'
and a subsequent vote at church meeting is held.
61
Design of the interview room
The layout of furniture contributes to the atmosphere of an interview:
Layout 1
Layout 1 creates a sense of confrontation and strict distinction and will
discourage open sharing. Some will find it intimidating.
Layout 2
This also is confrontational, if less so.
Layout 3
A circle (Layout 3) includes everyone on an equal basis. All chairs need
to be taken and no gap should be left next to candidate.
Based on suggestions by Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed
62
Other ideas for getting to know a candidate
candidate
Traditionally churches have not sought to call a minister only on the
basis of an interview. They have also called ministers to preach. This
does help to give a more rounded picture of a minister. Churches have
also used other methods to develop this picture and establish a
relationship:
•
•
•
•
•
•
A church tea or lunch after the candidate preaches to enable
informal contact between candidate and congregation
Question and answer sessions
Visit to the candidate's existing church (not common amongst
English Baptist churches but common in Scotland and USA)
Recommendation of Superintendent (regional minister)
Experience of the candidate from other situations
Occasionally asking candidate to lead or attend other meetings e.g.
house group
A way of thinking about how to build up the picture you need, might be
to return to your minister profile and consider how you are going to
judge the different aspects of the profile. Say you had identified the
need for a minister who would develop youth activities you might draw
up a chart that looked, in part, something like this:
Aspect
Vision
Requirement
Able to inspire young
people
How judged
Preaching
Caring
Understanding of young
people
Interview and visit to
youth group
Administration
Ability to set up youth
club
Presentation on work as
a youth minister
This should not be made too rigid but it might help you think creatively
about how to get to know candidates better and more appropriately.
63
Notes on looking for qualities in a minister rather
than skills
There is a danger in searching for a minister, particularly when one
starts to get into minister profiles and such like that we over concentrate
on the skills and gifts of the minister rather than his/her character and
personal qualities. As a corrective to this mistake the following checklist
is offered.
Personal awareness
It is crucial that a minister should have a high degree of personal
awareness, and be able to separate his/her own issues from those of
people in the congregation. S/he needs to be confident in his/her self
and not be looking to the church for personal affirmation.
Leadership
A minister needs to be comfortable with being a leader, having a clear
sense of their unique purpose in life and confident in their ability to lead.
Relationship skills
A minister needs to be able to relate comfortably to people in the
congregation, being sensitive to where the congregation is at (rather
than just his/her own agenda), and be able to communicate effectively
and clearly.
Committed to individual's growth
A minister needs to value individuals and their unique gifts and be able
to model the Christian life and encourage others to do the same.
Committed to the growth of the church community
A minister needs to be interested in the development of the whole
church community rather than his/her own agenda or the interests of
just part of the church community. S/he needs to be able to tolerate
diverse opinions and hold ambiguity.
These notes are based on materials from the Lombard Mennonite Peace
Centre used during the Facilitating Healthy Pastor-Congregation Relations
seminar at the London Mennonite Centre.
64
Notes on how to treat candidates
Common decency should encourage us to treat candidates well. But it
also might be good to reflect on the fact that the bad treatment of a
candidate, who ends up being your minister because s/he really feels
called, could set up bad feelings even before the relationship has
started!
A few suggestions about how to treat candidates well:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep them informed. Communicate with them at least monthly even
if you have been too disorganized to do anything new!
Once you have entered into the process with a candidate keep
things moving at a reasonable pace, even if you are following the
advice of this workbook and trying not to rush things.
Look after their physical needs. Have they had a long journey - will
they need food or space to relax?
Treat them as individuals in their own right. Are they extroverts
wanting lots of people contact, or more introverted needing time on
their own? Don't compare the candidate with the previous minister or
treat them as robots who do or do not fit your minister profile.
Be aware of what their unique individuality might be bringing to you
which you didn't expect.
Think about their families. How much do they want to be involved in
the process - what is appropriate?
Encourage the candidate to ask questions of you and become an
equal partner in a shared dialogue.
Particular attention needs to be given to not discriminating against
candidates whether on grounds of ethnicity, gender or disability. We
need to examine our own assumptions and stereotypes and consider
them in the light of Paul's assertion that in Christ there is neither male or
female, Jew or Greek, slave or free - and we might add black or white,
disabled or presently not disabled! We also need to remember that
churches must operate within the parameters of equal opportunities
legislation. Minister specifications are a good way of keeping focused on
what we should be looking for in candidates rather than lapsing into
personal prejudice.
65
The functions of a church leader
This section was written to provide some foundational thinking to
undergird the workbook but enough people found it useful in its own
right for us to include it in the body of the workbook.
Visionary
Director
Administrator
Leader
Manager
Carer
This diagram seeks to illustrate the different functions of church
leadership. It tries to describe what ministers actually do and develop a
typology of ministerial roles from that basis rather than something more
theoretical. It starts from the basic premise, which is rooted in my own
experience, that a church leader - whether s/he is called a minister,
pastor or priest - has three main functions. S/he must be able to
perform all three functions with a basic competency even though one of
these functions is likely to be his/her primary focus, especially because
s/he finds functioning in this area easier and more natural. These are
visionary, carer and administrator. Below I go on to describe these in
more detail.
Visionary
This function might be associated with words like prophet or
inspirational. It would be particularly evident in the worship service
where the minister needs to develop a vision of the Christian faith which
inspires the congregation. Typically this is done through preaching. A
visionary minister is likely to be a good preacher but this would not
necessarily be the case.
66
If a minister under functions in the role of visionary then s/he is likely to
be experienced as boring. The church will feel uninspired and flat. This
functioning is probably the most volatile - a minister will be able to be
visionary depending on his/her spiritual health, home and personal
circumstances and attitude towards the church.
If a minister over functions as a visionary s/he is likely to become
detached from reality. The daily practicalities of church life will be
neglected as everything is focused on the minister's vision. The church
might flourish if the minister is very charismatic but is likely to hit
problems sooner or later.
Carer
This function might be associated with words like pastor, or maybe,
priest. It particularly concerns the minister's dealings with people - both
in the more formal roles of visitor or counsellor but also in the less
formal roles of shepherding the flock and encouraging personal and
spiritual development.
If a minister under functions in the role of carer then people are likely to
experience hurt and disillusionment. A particularly inspirational minister
might be forgiven his/her lack of caring and it might be tempered by
caring fellow workers but a severely under functioning carer can cause
grave and serious harm.
If a minister over functions as a carer people are less likely to complain
but the minister is highly likely to get burnt out. There are also likely to
be compounding problems of paternalism and a stifling of other people's
pastoral gifts.
Administrator
This is probably the most under acknowledged role that a minister
plays. It is the Cinderella function but no less important. It might be
associated with the diaconal ministry which is perhaps why it is
underplayed Yet, most ministers seem to recognise that administrative
functions from clearing drains to playing the role of a line manager are
increasingly significant. It is most classically expressed in the function of
chairing church and deacons’ meetings.
If a minister under functions in the role of administrator chaos is likely to
follow. Often a church secretary has taken a great administrative burden
but even the most competent church secretary will not be able to shield
a church from the consequences of a minister severely under
functioning as an administrator.
If a minister over functions as an administrator s/he is likely to be
experienced as controlling. Initiative will be stifled and resentment likely
to take hold.
67
Individuals and the different functions
It is necessary for all ministers to function in these three areas, but it is
likely that every individual will function more comfortably in one than the
other. One function will come easily and be a comfort zone but the
others will have to be worked on. My observation is that most ministers
function most comfortably as carers - they are primarily pastors. The
visionaries tend towards itinerant roles, the administrators tend towards
more bureaucratic jobs in church structures or elsewhere. But there are
certainly carers, visionaries and administrators everywhere. It might also
be possible to perceive that some ministers whilst remaining, say,
carers tend to be either more visionary carers who struggle with
administration but function reasonably as inspirers of their congregation
or more administrative carers who tend to lack inspirational quality but
are efficient organisers. The same principle can be applied to ministers
who are basically visionaries or administrators. My key contention is that
it is necessary for a minister to minimally function in all three areas in
order to survive as a minister (but see the discussion of managers,
leaders and directors).
Ministerial functioning and other leaders
As already mentioned above the functioning of voluntary (or in large
churches other salaried) leaders can balance out a minister's under
functioning. Certainly, when looking for a new minister the existing
functioning of established leadership needs to be taken into account.
Churches often try to balance the under functioning of a previous
minister with someone who functions well in this area - the classic would
be the carer who follows the visionary. I am doubtful about the wisdom
of this approach for the church will have got used to the visionary
leader, maybe a better policy would be another visionary who functions
better as a carer.
Ministerial functioning and context
Actual functioning is not wholly determined by personal qualities and
preferences. It seems to me that ministers will function differently
depending on their context. Thus a minister might function well as a
carer in a church where s/he feels loved and accepted but start
functioning poorly in a new church where s/he feels criticised. But s/he
might start functioning better as an administrator because that is a
defence against the constant criticism. Thus actual functioning is a
dialogue between personal qualities and particular context.
68
Ministers with two main functions
It seems to me that there are some individuals who function easily in
two areas. These unusual characters bring with them great advantages
but also dangers. I have given them the names of leader, manager and
director.
Leader
The leader is a natural visionary and a natural people person. This
individual has the ability to inspire confidence and great loyalty. S/he is
perhaps the stereotype of a successful minister whom everyone would
like to be and to have as their minister. The danger is that s/he might
well be able to get away with under functioning as an administrator taking no account for the practicalities because force of personality and
natural rapport with people enable him/her to make things happen by
inspiration. This tends to mean proper foundations aren't built and their
is over reliance on the minister.
Manager
The manager is an able administrator and a caring pastor. Such an
individual will be a gifted manager of a church and will be skilled at
enabling people to work together. Any church will benefit from such an
individual. The problem is that such competence will often come with a
lack of vision and inspiration - people will grumble because somehow
the church seems boring and not at the cutting edge. This is perhaps
because the minister is so focused on getting everyone working
together and making sure that things run smoothly that the radical,
disruptive edge of the gospel gets sidelined.
Director
The director is the visionary leader. Not only does s/he have a clear
vision but s/he is also able to implement it! This is a powerful individual
who is really able to make things happen. The problem with the director
is that people get sidelined in the pursuit of the vision, nonetheless
directors have an important role to play and have been the initiators of
many important projects.
69
Preparing for and welcoming a new minister
71
Worship resources for the Induction
73
Developing an induction process for a new minister
77
70
Preparing for and welcoming a new minister
This is a part of the process that is easy to overlook. The 'difficult' job of
finding a minister has been accomplished, the excitement of meeting
candidates and voting as a church is past - but in a very real sense the
work has just begun.
How is the relationship between church and pastor going to develop?
You can certainly help things get off to a good start by thoughtful and
considerate preparation, which will in turn assist you in giving a wise
and loving welcome.
Below is a list of things to think about while preparing for your new
minister:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make careful note of all the undertakings you made in the selection
process and the agreed terms of settlement. Confirm these in writing
with the minister.
Make sure you deliver on all the undertakings you have made. If you
encounter problems contact the minister and explain what has
happened. Don't ever just hope s/he will forget about things!
Pay particular attention to the agreements on the manse. Never
forget that this is the home of the minister and his/her family. The
issue of the manse is one of the major causes of conflict between
church and minister. Looking after the manse (and spending money
on it!) is one of the best ways of making him/her feel valued.
Get all the documentation you prepared previously through the
church profile in order. Revise membership lists. This will give your
new minister something to work with when s/he comes.
Think carefully about the personality and situation of your minister. Is
s/he going to want lots of contact with people immediately or will
s/he need space to settle in? Is s/he going to want lots of facts and
figures about the church or will s/he be more intuitive? Think
carefully but don't assume - ask your minister what will make him/her
feel comfortable.
Talk with people who have taken on key roles during the transition.
Do they want to slip into the background or continue to play a key
role? Try to manage people's expectations. Avoid the trap of people
dropping all their jobs because the minister can now do everything
and the problem of people feeling marginalised now a minister has
come and taken over their roles!
The welcome is also a crucial phase. Don’t forget that the minister and
his/her family will feel some anxiety. A new job, a new house and a new
environment, not to mention many new relationships to make and a new
church to understand. There are many things that can make a minister
feel welcome but don’t forget to be thoughtful and ask rather than
assume. Here are a few ideas.
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Help with moving house may be appropriate, as may offers to
provide meals.
A tidy, clean house and garden will feel good.
A book with names and photographs of the congregation would be a
big help.
A guide to the local area - shops, restaurants, recreation facilities,
maps etc. will be useful.
Think about needs of the minister’s family as well.
Make sure they have space to do their own thing and find their own
feet.
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Worship resources for the Induction
Opening words
Moses said to the Lord, … “Now if I have found favour in your sight,
show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your
sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” God said, “My
presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
(Exodus 33:12-14)
How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God's people to live together in
harmony! It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron's
head and beard, down to the collar of his robes.
(Psalms 133)
Reflection
(based on leaving reflection)
O God, you have brought us together as pastor and congregation to
work together in this place in the name of Jesus. We thank you for this
opportunity to be your church and seek your kingdom.
Silence
We thank you for your patience with us despite our blindness and
failings. We will need your forgiveness and mercy when we get things
wrong and hurt each other.
Silence
We also thank you that you have promised your never failing presence
with us through these coming years. We pray that we will grow in our
understanding of you and of each other.
Silence
We look forward with anticipation and, if we are honest, some anxiety)
to the changes that we will experience in this new situation. Help us to
be loving and open with each other and always focused on you during
these times.
Silence
We offer this new journey on which we are embarking into your hands.
We do not have the ability to be the perfect church, but by your grace
we can become a better church. Be with us in this journey we pray.
Silence
We come now with joy and expectation. Grant us the desires of our
hearts. May we look back on this day as the start of something good!
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Amen
Liturgy of induction
These are readily available - see Patterns and Prayers for Christian
Worship (Baptist Union). Here an alternative form is offered.
The congregation is gathered in a semicircle with a table in the middle.
The semicircle is split. A lectern is located in the split. A second lectern
is situated at the front. The Leader (perhaps the interim moderator) is
positioned at the lectern at the front.
Introduction
Leader: This is a good day! We have been without a minister for 18
months. In this interim time we have thought about where we are at as a
church. We considered carefully what kind of minister we needed, and
God has led us to Susan. We now want to welcome her as our pastor!
New Pastor (from the lectern in the semicircle) introduces herself,
gives a brief personal history and says something about the sense of
call to this church.
The New Pastor now walks to the front with the Leader.
Leader: It has been good to get to know Susan. We had some idea of
what we were looking for when we chose Susan, but she is also
bringing many new gifts and ideas. Exactly what her ministry will be like
we don't know, but through this process of transition and calling Susan
our belief is that God is calling this church.
The church leadership team and/or selection group and the New
Minister give a brief presentation about the agreed vision of the church
and what it and the minister's priorities will be.
Leader: But now we need to welcome Susan properly.
The New Minister moves to the table in the middle of the semicircle.
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New Pastor: I am moving into the centre of the congregation because
that is where I hope to be during my years as your pastor.
As a symbol of what I bring to this church which is personal to me I offer
this guitar. Music is important to me and I hope to share this gift with
you all.
She places the guitar on the table.
A representative of the leadership team now comes forward with the
church minute books, places them on the table and greets the minister.
We bring these books as a symbol of the history of the church. May it
be a source of inspiration and new life for us.
Various other representatives now come forward, placing symbols on
the table, saying a few words and greeting the minister. These should
include representatives from the Association (maybe bringing a Bible as
a symbol of our common faith) and other significant groups including
children.
This concludes with another representative from the leadership bringing
a blank book or piece of paper.
We bring this blank book as a symbol of the history of this church which
is as yet unwritten.
Leader: Let us all now greet one another with the peace of Jesus as a
symbol of our unity through the Spirit.
After this the pastor (and her family if appropriate) can be prayed for,
formal induction made and sermon preached.
At the end of the service people can be encouraged to write their hopes
for the church in the blank book.
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Suggested Bible passages
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Genesis 12:1-5 (Abraham leaves Haran)
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (The command that is not too difficult - the
choice between good and evil)
1 Kings 19:1-21 (Elijah gets scared, runs away and hears the still
small voice of calm)
Nehemiah 8:1-12 (Ezra gathers the people together and reads the
Law)
Isaiah 6:1-8 (The call of Isaiah)
Isaiah 49:1-6 (God's servant a light to the nations)
Isaiah 52:7-10 (The messenger bringing good news)
Isaiah 55:1-13 (Come all you who are thirsty)
Isaiah 61:1 -4 (I have come to proclaim good news to the poor)
Jeremiah 1:4-18 (The call of Jeremiah)
Matthew 5:1-12 (The beatitudes)
Mark 3:13-19 (The calling of the disciples)
Mark 6:30-44 (The feeding of the 5000)
Mark 10:35-45 (James and John ask to sit at Jesus' right)
Luke 4:14-21 (Jesus' sermon in Nazareth)
Luke 10:1-11 (Sending out of the 72)
John 13:1-7 (Feet washing)
John 15:1-17 (I am the vine)
Romans 10:5-15 (How can they hear if the message is not
proclaimed?)
Romans 12:1-21 (Offer your bodies as living sacrifices)
1 Corinthians 3:4-11 (It is God who gives growth not Paul or Apollos)
1 Corinthians 12:4-13 (There are different kinds of spiritual gifts)
Ephesians 4:1-16 (One Lord, one faith … many gifts)
1 Peter 4:8-11 (Above all maintain love)
1 Peter 5:1-4 (Tend the flock, do not lord it over them)
Bible quotations are from the Good News Version.
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Developing an induction process for a new minister
The induction service is an important ritual at the beginning of a
pastorate that can help set the tone for the ministry. But a good start to
the ministry is even more important. The early months of a pastorate
are often seen as a honeymoon period. Research (Mead 1986)
suggests that this is a dangerous attitude and that, in fact, the early
months are one of the most critical periods in the new ministry. It is here
that patterns are set up which determine the course of the following
years. The existing leadership of the church can greatly help the
minister in this regard. I always remember what a minister enjoying a
very successful pastorate said about his secretary "He would always
support me 100% in public but behind the scenes wasn't afraid to tell
me the truth". This seemed to be an example of lay leadership helping
pilot the minister through the tricky early months when s/he has not yet
learnt the territory.
A good induction can also assist a minister in the early months to form a
basis for the years to come.
Induction requires some time. It will depend on the personality and
perspective of each minister. Encourage your new minister to not just
jump straight in, but spend time getting prepared. Elements of an
induction might include:
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Familiarisation with the history of the church through church records
and old members. This will help the minister be aware of
expectations and ingrained patterns. It might be worthwhile having a
think about how the church does things and what expectations of the
minister there are beforehand and negotiating these with the
minister.
Going through membership lists with the minister and other relevant
documentation e.g. accounts.
Introduction to all the various groups and organizations in or
associated with the church.
Introduction to other churches with whom you have been linked.
Introduction to community contacts and groups. Also a
familiarisation with the social context will prove useful.
Your minister will need particular assistance if the community
context is unfamiliar e.g. urban estate or rural villages. You may
know books that are useful or people with particular experience.
A particular issue or change in the community e.g. a major
redevelopment might also benefit from particular attention.
Awareness raising to any ethnic groups in church or community that
the minister is unfamiliar with. Help with learning about rites of
passage can be particularly useful as can more general
understanding of history and culture. Many ministers find visits to the
home countries of significant ethnic groups in their
congregation/community useful.
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Encourage the minister to find training to develop his skills,
particularly in those areas which you had both identified as priorities
during the process of preparation and call. The sooner you invest in
your minister's skills the more you'll get out of the investment!
Introduction to local Baptist Association and group.
Review
At the end of a fixed period - say 6 or 12 months it might be useful to
have a review of the appointment. This should be agreed in the terms of
settlement and an identified process clearly stated and on no account
introduced at a later date. The interim moderator might be an
appropriate person to facilitate it, but it should be a person acceptable
to the minister. This should not be seen as an assessment of the
minister but an examination of the settling in process and could look at:
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Have all the undertakings agreed for the appointment been acted
on?
How has the experience of church and minister working together
clarified unreasonable expectations or raised new issues?
Do any agreements or vision statements need to be revised in the
light of experience?
Have particular training needs for the minister become apparent
through experience?
Are there any problems that could be resolved by intervention at this
point?
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Appendix 1
Notes on pastoral transition and bereavement
The concept, which is most often applied to a minister leaving, is that of
bereavement. It is argued that for a church losing a minister is like
someone losing a close relative because the emotional processes that
are gone through are similar. Parallels have been drawn with the stages
in bereavement which were identified by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in On
death and dying. Below I outline these stages and indicate how they
might be relevant to a church losing a minister.
Denial
Because a minister leaving can be difficult churches can seek to deny
the fact that their minister has decided that s/he wants to leave their
church and go and do something else. Nobody really talks about the
minister leaving, feelings are not dealt with and the practical issues
which need to be tackled are not addressed. It can even carry over into
the new ministry with a curious listlessness afflicting the church such
that the new minister never feels welcome.
Anger
Anger is very likely, in Christian communities, never to be really
expressed but that does not mean it isn't present. We may feel angry
that the minister has left for a more prestigious job just when s/he was
getting into the work or that the minister was forced out unfairly or just
feel anger at the loss of someone we have come to love. It is therefore
good in leaving rituals to have an opportunity for people to give and
receive forgiveness for past hurts so that anger can be acknowledged
and laid to rest.
Bargaining
Sometimes people try to find a way round the reality of their minister
leaving. Maybe being especially 'nice' to him/her to try to bring about a
change of mind or finding a way for the minister to stay around in some
capacity. Again, these seductions need to be resisted and ways found
to accept reality.
Resignation
Eventually people will come to accept the reality and face the sadness
which comes from any loss. This time may also be difficult - leading to a
lack of energy and vision for the future. People may feel guilty about not
supporting their pastor and wondering if that is why s/he is leaving.
There is a tendency to put everything on hold until the new minister
comes.
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Acceptance
A final stage can be reached of real acceptance. Some people never
seem to reach this point and will spend all their lives looking back to a
minister who becomes progressively more and more perfect! But for
those who do get to accept the reality of the situation a sense of
purpose and vision can develop as they get involved with the practical
realities of the transition time and the planning for a new ministry. At this
point we can begin to connect in a new way with the fundamental
Christian experience of resurrection - letting go of the old so that the
new can be experienced.
It is also worth remembering that a similar experience needs to be gone
through by a minister who is leaving - it can be just as much of a
bereavement for them!
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Appendix 2
Newly Accredited Ministers and ongoing ministerial development
Churches seeking new ministers need to be aware of the overall
program for ministerial development, which are for the benefit of
churches as well as ministers. To encourage ministers to engage in
further training and study will enable the church’s work to be enhanced.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain has a program designed to offer
support at all stages in ministry:
Newly Accredited Ministers:
Newly Accredited Ministers have a three or four year program,
which is mandatory, and the church needs to accept this if they
call such a minister. It is written into the standard terms of
settlement.
Beyond that the following are on offer for ministers:-
Ongoing ministerial development:
A guided self-appraisal scheme
In Service Training grants
Sabbatical Grants
Further Studies Awards
The Scholarship Scheme for full time studies
Refresher conferences at five year intervals
Not all of these are appropriate to each minister at every point in the life
of service but it is hope that churches will actively encourage their
minister to engage in careful self development so that ministry is offered
out of a life that is committed to growing with God.
Further details can be obtained from:
The Ministry Department
Baptist Union of Great Britain
Baptist House
PO BOX 44
129 Broadway
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 8RT
Tel:
01235 517700
Fax:
01235 517715
Web Site
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www.baptist.org.uk
Appendix 3
When a Pastor leaves ... Evaluation Form
We are hoping that we will be able to gather up experiences with this
workbook and produce a revised edition at some point so your
comments will be most welcome.
The workbook
What aspects of the workbook did you find most useful?
What aspects of the workbook were least useful?
Was there anything in the workbook which was particularly new and/or
enlightening for you?
Were there any aspects that you disagreed with or felt were
misleading?
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What would improve the workbook?
I am (please circle as appropriate)
Minister
Church Secretary
Elder
Interim Moderator
Past Interim Moderator
Regional Minister
Deacon
Complete details below:
Denomination
(Other than Baptist)
Region/Association:
Church
(Using workbook)
Please return to:
James Ashdown
12 Symington Mews, Coopersale Rd. London E9 6BG
020 7682 0658
[email protected]
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