Interim Ministry

“I grow weary in Thy Work, Lord, but not of it.”

Weariness IN the work of the church is not uncommon for busy pastors. But weariness OF God’s work is rare if not totally absent. It is called Interim Ministry—a new option on the horizon today. Read more about this option (PDF) (Reproduced with permission by The Intentional Growth Center)

Itineracy

United Methodists like to speak of itineracy, that most distinctive pattern of deploying clergy for service in United Methodist congregations. (Reproduced with permission by The Intentional Growth Center)

How Interim Ministry Works

The ideal of pastoral transitions in the UMC is akin to the running of the mile relay race in the Olympic Games. A baton is passed from each runner to the next, in full stride, never missing a beat. That’s fine, unless the baton is mishandled. And this can happen in pastoral changes, too. (Reproduced with permission by The Intentional Growth Center)

A Vision for Interim Ministry

Interim Ministry occurs when a unique period in the life of a congregation is met by acts of ministry especially focused upon the characteristics of that period. An Interim Minister is a person who knows himself/herself called to ministry and who is also trained to focus the general skills of ministry on the unique leadership needs of a brief interim in congregational life. (Reproduced with permission by The Intentional Growth Center)

Who would want to be an Interim Minister?

In United Methodist polity there is no way one hangs out the shingle to be an Interim Minister. Only bishops and cabinets can identify, recommend, and appoint one as an Interim Minister. So it follows that bishops and cabinets are the ones to recruit clergy for this specialized service. (Reproduced with permission by the Intentional Growth Center).