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Discernment Doctor

~ Navigating clergy career transitions

Discernment Doctor

Tag Archives: Interim ministry

Differences Across the Pond

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Discernment Doctor in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

clergy, deployment, discernment, Episcopal, Interim ministry

A blog follower from Great Britain recently wrote:

Your website and blogs have been a great help, given my ignorance of the transition process in the Episcopal Church. Even for a senior appointment here, it usually only takes about seven weeks from the application deadline to a decision!

Seven weeks!  A full rector search stateside lasts from twelve to eighteen months.  I wonder which process yields the better results.

I wonder how the English church fares without a lengthy interim process.  We Yanks, particularly in the most brilliant Commonwealth of Massachusetts, assume that our way is the best way.  Has anyone thought of comparing deployment systems?  How about some rigorous field testing of the elaborate interim ministry theory that has evolved over the last thirty years?

BTW, I’ll be leading a workshop on the OTM Portfolio on May 1 from 10 until 3 at Trinity Church, Stoughton, MA.   While MECA is sponsoring the workshop, I am sure they will welcome clergy from other dioceses.  More information to follow.

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Interim Ministry in Transition

02 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by Discernment Doctor in Practical Advice

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

discernment, Interim ministry, transition ministry

The Alban Institute’s Dan Hotchkiss just published an article on the evolution of interim ministry theory and practice.  Given that the Alban Institute wrote the book on interim ministry, it is interesting to hear a senior staff member reflect on increasing criticism of the practice.

http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=9964

Hotchkiss writes:  Over the last decade, the consensus in support of interim ministry has softened somewhat. 

 Carolyn Weese and Russell Crabtree, in The Elephant in the Boardroom (Jossey-Bass 2004), complain that the “prevailing stream of thinking about leadership transitions tends to be illness- based. A pastoral transition is treated like a terminal diagnosis….” (p. 19) Ouch!  

Hotchkiss cites a recent article by Norman Bendroth, a long time interim ministry practitioner who surveyed current thinking about the interim system:

http://macucc.s3.amazonaws.com/71BBE2C7B9B049B0883D51809D9A1E82_Rethinking%20Transitional%20Ministry.pdf

Bendroth writes: Anthony B. Robinson, a seasoned United Church of Christ pastor, author and consultant has recommended that “Tall Steeple” churches, in particular, might consider a “succession” model where the newly called pastor overlaps the outgoing pastor so the church does not lose momentum.

How effective is transitional ministry? There is a crying need for longitudinal studies to be done across denominational lines that will provide quantitative results. To date that has not been done,

Here in the Diocese of Massachusetts, a recent transition in our transition ministry office led to a lively discussion among our bishop and area deans about the future of transition ministry.  Bishop Shaw cited statistics that show that interims often slow down a congregation’s momentum, that attendance and pledges often drop during the interim period.  He noted that, given the unpredictability of many transitions, it is difficult to find good interim ministers in a timely fashion.  He expressed openness to trying the planned succession model mentioned by Weese and Crabtree and Anthony Robinson.  Our largest inner city church used the succession model several years ago and is flourishing.  The deans noted that another model – appointment of a priest in charge as a prelude to calling that priest as rector, was increasingly popular.

Here at Old North, we are developing a long-range plan focused on our three hundredth birthday in eleven years.  The wardens approached me about including succession planning as I will probably retire within that timeframe.  They are intrigued with the idea of bringing an associate on who would be eligible to become rector.

The practice of interim ministry will continue to evolve as the church restructures herself for effective ministry in the 21st century.  The articles cited above are useful introductory reflections.  I agree with Norman Bendroth that we need some serious independent studies on what has or has not worked well in the church as well as studies of best practices in other business and non-profit organizations.

 

 

 

 

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