During my years as worship pastor at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, North Carolina, our church went through a season every congregation eventually faces: the time between senior pastors. For one year I served on staff through a pastoral interim, giving guidance to our staff and later helping our new lead pastor make the transition.
I didn’t go looking for that season. But it taught me things about leadership I don’t think I could have learned any other way. Here are a few of them.
1. Steadiness is a ministry
When a senior pastor leaves, people watch the staff closely. Sunday worship becomes one of the most visible signs that the church is still healthy. An interim season isn’t the time for bold new experiments. It’s the time to do the ordinary things well, week after week.
2. Staff need clarity more than inspiration
In a vacancy, staff members often wonder who they answer to and what’s expected of them. Guiding a staff through that season is mostly about clear expectations, honest communication and being available, not big speeches.
3. The job in an interim is to hand off well
An interim season isn’t the destination. It’s preparation for the next leader. Some of the most important work happens after the new pastor arrives: helping him understand the people, the history and the staff so he can lead with confidence.
4. Worship leaders are closer to leadership than they think
Serving on a pastoral leadership team showed me that worship pastors see the whole congregation every week. That view is valuable to senior leadership, especially in a transition, if the worship leader is willing to think beyond the music.
A question for your church
If your church faced a pastoral vacancy next month, who would keep things steady, and who would help the next pastor get started well? It’s worth answering that before you have to.