How Interim Ministry Works in The United Methodist Church

However, the General Conference of 1996 placed the term Interim Minister in the Book of Discipline. The 2004 Discipline reads, Par. 338.3:

Interim appointments may be made to charges that have special transitional needs.

a) Interim clergy may serve outside the annual conference where membership is held under the provisions of paragraph 337.1, with approval and consent of the bishops involved.

b) Interim appointments will be for a specified length of time, established in advance following consultation with the district superintendent, the pastorparish relations committee, and the interim pastor.

How? Who? Where? Why?

And it can happen in pastoral changes, too. The “opening” comes at the wrong time. The “right” successor is not presently available. The church is so wounded by the circumstances creating the opening that healing time will be required before it can fully embrace the leadership of a regularly appointed pastor.

HISTORY OF INTERIM MINISTRY

Interim Ministry is a far-cry from simple “pulpit supply!” Supply is akin to just keeping the doors open so the congregation still worships during a transitional time. Interim Ministry is a time of analyzing the wounds and hurts of a church and leading it to face or deal with these with the clearly stated goal of bringing new congregational health and a return to vital ministry in the community.

Possible Scenarios

You might be sent to a church where the pastor has died suddenly. Grief consumes the congregation. Do you want to go now, or would you rather arrive after an Interim Minister, trained to lead the church in dealing with its grief, has led them out of those depths to a point of readiness for a new day?

You might be sent as the new pastor following the extended 12-15-20 year tenure of a beloved founding pastor. The congregation with one voice seems to be saying “How can we live without Dr. Smith?” Do you want to go now, or would you rather wait a year, after a trained Interim Minister has helped them celebrate those glorious years, claiming their gifts, without confusing those memories with efforts to relate to a new pastor, and is now ready to embrace new long-term pastoral leadership pointing them toward a new future?

You might be sent to a church following the removal of the pastor for misconduct, or would you rather arrive after a trained Interim Minister has led them through their anger and their reluctance to trust anyone again, to a point of being ready to put a disappointing past behind them and look to a promising future once again with a new regularly appointed pastor?

Is Interim Ministry new for United Methodists?

Yes and no. Interim Ministry has only been named in the Book of Discipline since 1996. But already there are almost 200 United Methodist pastors who have been introduced to Interim Ministry, most of whom have completed an Interim Ministry Training Seminar provided by the Intentional Growth Center.

• Many are pastors who are early retirees or those anticipating retirement who are pleased to be able to continue in the work of ministry in short-term appointments.
• Some step up in mid-year openings, leading churches through critical moments in preparation for the next regularly appointed pastor.
• Among those still serving full-time, some accept one or two year appointments guiding critically conflicted congregations through their “wilderness wanderings” to the Promised Land of a joyful new future.
• A few so love this interventionist work that they hone the valuable skills of a specialist in Interim Ministry and are available to serve many consecutive such critically wounded congregations. What a gift their unique work is to the Church!

How does one become a TIMS — a Transitional-Interim Ministry Specialist?

This article is reproduced with permission from the Intentional Growth Center.

The Intentional Growth Center has a 28 year history of providing continuing education experiences in the work of ministry for both lay and clergy leaders of the Church. Its founders chartered IGC to be both ecumenical and national in its focus. IGC is located at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina but conducts training events throughout the nation.

To learn more about Interim Ministry Training Seminars or for further information about Interim Ministry in general, contact Rev. Dr. Larry Ousley, Director of the Intentional Growth Center, who offers the training, at Larry@LarryOusley.com  or call 800-482-1442.