Interim pastorates can provide positive time for growth

Being in an interim stage typically isn’t a state in which congregations like for their church to be.
  
Yet, it should really be a positive time of growth and change, according to Dale Huff, director of the office of LeaderCare and church administration with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
   
“On any given day, 8-10 percent of our churches are in the search mode,” Huff said. That equates to 250-300 churches that are looking for pastors. Yet, he was quick to add that the state is not short that many pastors.
   
Twenty-five percent of the time, when a pastor leaves a church, it is not in the most positive situation, Huff said.
   
For that and many other reasons, it is important that the congregation use an interim — which, on average, is about nine months — to do some “body work,” instead of panicking and rushing to find another leader, he said.
   
The interim should be a time for the church to heal, assess itself, make changes and sharpen its vision of missions, he said. If there is conflict in the church, choosing a search committee too soon would just create more, he said. Each side would try to “stack” the committee.
   
Rather, selecting a committee should be done prayerfully. And the people chosen need to be mature Christians, he continued. That committee must keep its hand on the pulse of the church to know when to present a candidate for consideration, so as to avoid polarization.
   
Calling a pastor, he stated,  is a “tough thing in Baptist church life.” The church members generally know little about the person being considered when they are called on to vote for him.
   
“A quick decision has to be made,” which means the church members must put a great deal of faith in the search committee to do all the homework and ask the right questions, he said.
   
Sometimes, churches may schedule a fellowship night before the trial sermon to give members the chance to meet the prospective pastor and his family and ask questions.
   
Typically, the candidate preaches a trial sermon on Sunday morning and the church votes immediately afterward. Waiting until later, Huff explained, puts the person in a vulnerable position at his current church. A lapse in time between the sermon and the vote may mean his present church finds out he is considering another pastorate. In most churches, the bylaws require 75-80 percent approval of the members for someone to be called, Huff said.
   
One in seven times — or about 12 percent of cases — a person presented to the church as a candidate for pastor will not be called,
   
Huff said. Usually, when that happens, it is the result of polarization in the church.
   
Once a pastor is on board, the typical tenure nationwide, Huff pointed out, is three years and six months. There comes a time in many churches, though, when multiple pastors and ministerial staff members are needed.
   
The general rule of thumb, Huff said, is to add a full-time ministerial staff member when worship attendance reaches more than 100.
   
Basically, there needs to be a full-time ministerial staff member for every 100 members. However, “not many larger churches fit that.” Beyond an attendance of 500, a person with an administrative background would need to be added, said Banks Corl, minister of education at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills. This person should be able to minister in the pastor’s absence. But the main responsibility would be to take the administrative load off the pastor.
   
Churches can become staff-heavy, which means the laity won’t be utilized as it should, pointed out Ron Sumners, senior pastor at Meadow Brook Baptist Church in Shelby Association. Having too many staff members seems to give the church members the idea that others are being paid to do the work the laity should be doing.
   
Most churches, though, tend to be staff-light, said Corl.
   
Of course, with multiple pastors and ministerial staff members working under the same roof, there is the possibility of conflict or overstepping boundaries. But Huff said detailed job descriptions and weekly staff meetings help to establish who is going to do what and keeps the lines of communication open.
   
Sumners noted the staff relationship can be a blessing or a constant headache. Which it is depends on the leadership of the pastor.
   
Taking the team approach prevents that. Functioning as a team keeps everyone focused on the fact that all members are working for God and His purpose, said Sumners.
   
Adding more pastors and staff members may come about for either of two reasons.
   
Philip Wise, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Dothan, said a new person may be added to address a need. There may be an area in which the church desires to provide greater ministries.
   
That was the case for First Baptist Church, Gadsden, which recently added a director of preschool and children’s ministries. James Newell, the church’s senior pastor, said the members of the church saw the potential for growth in that segment of Sunday School and children’s church.
   
Or, said Wise, there may already be a need in the church. So someone to give leadership is sought.
   
Huff gave as an example, a part-time senior adult minister to facilitate programs for people in that group who already are present in the church population. Filling a need doesn’t necessarily mean adding a person.
   
For instance, First, Dothan, may change its emphasis in the next few years to try to attract more singles. Turning its focus in that direction may come about by reassigning duties, rather than bringing another person on staff.
   
The avenues for finding someone to fill a vacancy are many. Local associations and the State Board of Missions usually have resumés on hand from people interested in serving. Also, seminary placement offices work to help new graduates find positions.
   
But there is also a network of pastor friends who recommend someone or a church member who might know a person with the right qualifications.
   
It’s also possible, said Corl, to find prospects through Internet Web sites of other churches, which give detailed information about staff members. Regardless, a church should not be afraid of adding more staff, if the finances exist to support another person, said Sumners.
   
In 1998, his church added two positions — the associate pastor of administration and a preschool director. “That was a stretch for us,” Sumners said, “but it was a good, good choice.” The reason, he continued, is that “it’s an investment.” A God-called minister will pay for him- or herself many times over.