The Ministry of the Transitional Pastor

If you are a pastor interested in learning how you can be trained as a Transitional Pastor, go to the The Transitional Pastor Ministry information page.

Transitional Pastor Video Now Available Online This free 22-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 ...

What is a Transitional Pastor?

The period between pastors is treated by many church members as the “hold things together, keep thing going” period.

• For nominal church members it is likely to be the “wait and see” period.
• Other church members who only attend Sunday morning services may use it as the “I’ll just stay home since my preacher left us” period. 
• Prospective church members often treat it as the “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, look elsewhere” period.

Pastor Search Committee Handbook, Revised

With effective transitional leadership, the period between pastors can be very productive – a time a growth in personal and congregational awareness, renewal, and celebration; and a time when people are attracted by congregational worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, and personal and family ministries of the church.

Churches passing from the leadership of one pastor to another may be well served by transitional pastors who help the passage be as positive and constructive as possible, gaining momentum and productivity in the process of changes.

• Some churches without pastors have smooth transitions because of the healthy ministry of the former pastor and a cadre of effective ministry leaders in the church. Even these churches need help in dealing with grief resulting from the loss of a helpful and trusted friend, fear accompanying the uncertainties of change, and in developing trust in new pastoral leadership with personalities and styles that differ from the former pastor.
  
  
• Other churches have rough transitions because the previous pastor left just before relationships and trust were damaged beyond repair.
  
  
• But some churches have crisis transitions due to circumstances involved in the departure of the previous pastor and church leaders are, because of a variety of disabilities, spiritually unprepared to guide the church through emotional healing and holistic preparation for a new pastor.

1. A transitional pastor may be called by the church to lead in the ongoing church ministries as well as to lead the church through the spiritual, situational, and psychological stages of transition that end in the calling of a new pastor.
2. Multiple-staff churches may assign pastoral responsibilities to staff members according to their gifts and available time.
3. Preachers may be enlisted to preach in one or more services, giving members opportunity to hear a variety of preachers during this period.

A preacher may be employed just to preach as long as the church is without a pastor in some or all meetings of the congregation where sermons are appropriate. In such arrangements other pastoral duties may be assigned to persons on the church staff or lay leadership.

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 preacher, pastor, and consultant.

Objectives of Transitional Pastor Ministry

The following objectives express the reasons LifeWay Christian Resources assists churches by enlisting, training, and providing resources for transitional pastors to serve churches during the period between pastors. Each objective focuses on church health that results in church growth, a kingdom-of-God priority and a priority of LifeWay Christian Resources.

• Churches will learn from past experiences, free themselves from hindering traditions, and replace discord with harmony.
• Churches will develop more effective church practices.
• Churches experiencing decline or a growth plateau will experience spiritual and numerical growth; growing churches will accelerate.
• Churches will grow in their understanding of pastoral ministry and in appreciation of pastors and their families.
• More members will become personally involved in their churches’ ministries.
• Energy previously spent dealing with conflict issues will be redirected to expanded ministries.
• The tenure of the next pastor will be increased, sparing the church the expense of frequent pastoral changes and making more money available for ministries.
• Thus, the percentage of Southern Baptist churches without a pastor will decrease. Less time will be spent in the interim mode with growth plans put on hold.
• Church members will rediscover and celebrate their spiritual passion.

Fewer churches will use forced termination as the way to solve pastor-church relationship problems, improving the image of the church in the community and encouraging more people to seek spiritual guidance in the church.