What’s The Difference?

Intentional Interim Pastor

• Full-time status provides stability and reduces anxiety

• Lives with the people to fully experience the life of the church

• Special training and experience in effective transition facilitation

• Sustains on-going programs and ministries

• Enables transition time to be one of dramatic renewal. Willing to deal with past problems, create stronger internal structures

• Works to understand what’s happening and ministers in a timely, sensitive, and relevant manner

• Preaches the difficult sermons that target key issues that a regular pastor would not be able to easily handle

• Helps congregation and individuals handle grief – especially in instances where there has been conflicy or a breach of trust

Vacancy Interim Pastor

• Often part-time and does not provide all pastoral services.

• Usually commutes to the church from his/her home

• Has little or no training in transition facilitation

• Usually covers only basic pastoral functions

• Often views role as “not a time to change anything”

• May not be aware of issues surrounding the congregation

  
  

• Preaching is usually general messages to minister to the congregation

  
  

• Rarely deals with grief processes