In times of crisis, people can often make rash decisions that they likely wouldn’t make under normal circumstances. Church leaders aren’t exempt from this, unfortunately. While most church leaders would like to think that in a time of uncertainty—like when their church is without a lead pastor—they would make a prayerful decision regarding how to move forward, this isn’t always the case.
We’ve seen churches promote associate pastors to the role of lead pastor with seemingly little thought or prayer (or support), or hastily bring in someone to preach on Sundays without considering how the rest of the role of lead pastor will be filled.
If you are in position of leadership in a church that has found itself suddenly without a lead pastor, we encourage you to slow down. Don’t make any hasty decisions. We understand that there is likely an immense amount of pressure to “fix things” as soon as possible. The congregation is asking questions. People are leaving (or considering leaving) for other churches. Giving is down. Everything feels a bit unsettled.
It’s important for you, and for everyone in your church, to be earnestly seeking the Lord as to your church’s next steps.
Here at VitalChurch Ministry, we’ve walked with many church leaders as they navigated a season of transition. No two churches are the same, but many of them face similar challenges. We encourage church leaders to use this time of transition as an opportunity to make changes that will impact their church for the long term. VitalChurch Ministry provides intentional interim pastors who help churches identify the changes that need to be made and who also help implement them. Our intentional interim pastors can help with things like:
- Modifying and/or clarifying staff job descriptions
- Leadership development for staff and lay leaders
- Implementing a discipleship program
- New ministry development
- Changing the governance structure
At VitalChurch Ministry, our mission is to see churches reconciled and restored to unity, with gospel values embedded, gifted leaders empowered, effective governance established, a compelling mission embraced, and discipleship pathways engaged. This doesn’t happen overnight. Our intentional interim pastors typically serve in churches for 12-24 months and then provide follow-up coaching as needed. As you can imagine, in that amount of time, our interim pastors develop strong relationships within the churches in which they serve. This is intentional. They aren’t just there to “fill the gap” until the church can find their next lead pastor. They are there to serve the church in a pastoral role—with everything that entails. They are there to seek the Lord alongside the church, shepherd them, and care for them.
For our intentional interim pastors, it’s not just a temporary role—it’s a calling.
Would you like to learn more about bringing an intentional interim pastor to your church? Contact us at VitalChurch Ministry.