The Transitional Pastor Ministry

Many churches without pastors need Transitional Pastors with experience, training, and ministry gifts that assure high-quality transitional leadership. Transitional Pastors are prepared to lead churches through smooth transitions, rough transitions, and crisis transitions. They may serve effectively as a preacher, pastor, and consultant.

Transitional Pastor Video Now Available Online
This 12-minute video includes an explanation of the Transitional Pastor Ministry and features the tesimonies of transitional pastors, pastor search committee members, a lay member, and a pastor who has followed a Transitional Pastor. Click here to go to a page with links to the video ...

Some of the skills a Transitional Pastor needs:

• Spiritual discernment
• Leading 
• Caring 
• Proclaiming
• Technical
• Listening
• Relating
• Conflict Management

The average time without a pastor in a Baptist church is 9 - 18 months. Transitional Pastors are committed to remaining with the church until they call a permanent pastor.

Transitional Pastor Ministry Training:

Attendance for the Transitional Pastor training must be approved through LifeWay.
An application can be obtained below.

2009 Training Dates and Locations

• August 3-5, 2009
  LifeWay Christian Resources
  One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee.

• August 10-12, 2009
  Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
  SBTC Building
  4500 State Hwy 350, Grapevine, Texas

• September 21-23, 2009
  Baptist General Convention of Texas
  Baptist Building, 333 North Washington, Dallas, Texas.

2010 Training Dates and Locations 

• February 8-10, 2010
  Mississippi Baptist Convention
  Camp Garaywa near Jackson, Mississippi.

• February 22-24, 2010
  Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
  Baptist Building, 3800 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
  
  Note: Participants will register directly with the Oklahoma Convention for this event. The contact person is Lori Warren, lwarren@bgco.org, 405.942.3000, x4401.

• August 16-18, 2010
  California Southern Baptist Convention
  678 East Shaw Avenue, Fresno, California.

Registration deadline is one month prior to event.

Attendance for the Transitional Pastor training must be approved through LifeWay.
An application can be obtained below.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

1. How much is the registration fee?

$400 per person which includes:

• Two-and-a-half days of training
• Monday evening welcome meal
• Training manual
• Books and resources
• Shared wisdom and experience from seasoned pastors

2. What are the other costs?

Each participant is responsible for his own travel, meals, and lodging.

3. How do I register and when is the fee due?

• Fill out an application:
   
  Download an application (Adobe PDF format) to print, fill out manually, and submit by mail  or
  
  Download a application (Microsoft Word format) that you may type and either print or e-mail to us
   
• Mail completed applications with $100 nonrefundable deposit for approval to:
  Pastoral Ministries and Consulting, One Lifeway Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0157
  Questions? E-Mail Renate Paradise
  
   
• The remaining $300 is due upon arrival by check (payable to LifeWay Christian Resources) or cash (no credit cards).

4. Are there scholarships available?

At this time there are no scholarships available through the program. However, some state conventions and local associations have subsidized participants.

5. Who are the conference leaders?

6. What is the schedule?

We begin on Monday evening with our meal (usually at 5:00 p.m.) and conclude on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.

For more information contact:

Pastoral Ministries and Consulting
Lifeway Christian Resources
One Lifeway Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0157
 
Phone: 615-251-2146;
Fax: 615-277-8242