The Life of an Interim Pastor

As of this month, I am finishing a 13-month term of being the Interim Pastor of the church we have been attending for the last four years. 

I was asked in April of 2013 to commit for six- to twelve-months to be the Interim Lead Pastor by the founding Pastor and wife who were moving back to the midwest to be closer to their aging parents.  

 It has been a different kind of ministry assignment than I have ever had before.  I consider myself a strong leader and a visionary.  An Interim (like a substitute teacher) is there to keep things going, help in the "in between" and not alter the DNA too much.  That's tough for me.  I like to get my hands on things.  I like change.  I like momentum and growth and dynamism.  I also followed a very loved and long-term founding Pastor and wife couple who were the glue of the church.  They had been there fifteen years.  

Overall, the experience for Sallie and I was positive.  I was able to lead, speak most Sundays and be active in ministry life.  We were asked to "do as much as you can with what we can pay you, and keep your car business going to fill in the rest."  I did that which made me a part-time Pastor and part-time business owner which is a hard task. 

Transitions are hard for any church.  It's hard for people to admit how important one person can be in an organization.  When we lose a leader, we take a big hit in our institutions.  When a CEO of a public company resigns watch the stock take a five- to ten-percent price drop (that can be worth billions of dollars of people's investment money).  When a founding Pastor of a church leaves, there is typically a 25- to 50-percent drop in attendance.  Giving does not drop by the same percentages but it still takes a hit.  

Most successors to a founding Pastor get blasted and resign within two years.  The church is so accustomed to the founder's leadership that they can't stomach anything else.  Add to that the dropping attendance and giving and the successor becomes a whipping boy.  An Interim Pastor can weather that and get the church ready for the next leader.  

What's next for us?  Not sure at all.  Sallie and I were thinking we would be moving back to California or to Arizona perhaps this fall.  Our oldest son Kyle is getting married this summer and just accepted a teaching job with Clark County Schools here in Vegas for this coming school year!  Yeah!  So do we move just when our son moves back here?  That would be weird.  So, we are praying, looking, pushing on doors.  Sallie, as most of you know is a highly successful health professional and charge nurse at St. Rose Hospital.  My car business is good and fills in for me.  

If you are a friend of ours, pray for us!  We would love to pray for you too.  




Comments

  1. Bret,
    It's great hearing your update! May the Lord bless and lead you guys as you look to the future. He's good and sovereign.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Tom. I am praying for two days in Chicago this summer!! See my daughter. See you guys. Go to Wheaton and hang out.

      Delete
  2. Bret, Thank you for your strong and focused leadership through out your time with NCCLV. Your passion and love for Christ and compassion for people has kept the life blood of our church flowing. I'm optimistic about NCCLV's future and thank you for helping us stay on course to "be the life of Jesus to our world".

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