What is the Association’s Role When a Pastor Leaves?
A perspective for local denominational organizations/judicatories on how they best empower their churches to serve from the base of their local context.
Rundown: Articles on Baptist associations are often applicable to the local denominational organizations/judicatories of various denominations. They may be called associations, districts, classis, synods, and by other names. They are typically organisms more than organizations. Relational more than functional. Regional and national expressions of denominations are more organizational and functional.
GBJ Blog Post 105 includes—a Column, personal Reflections from George, and questions for your Reaction.
(This column appears this week in the digital and print edition of The Baptist Paper. Access the column in the digital edition HERE. The Baptist Paper is a publication of TAB Media. Request a free trial HERE. See all TAB Media columns written by George Bullard HERE.) (Subscribe to this Substack Blog using the “Subscribe now” button below.)
What is the Association’s Role When a Pastor Leaves?
How many times do you see this: A pastor announces a call to another place of ministry, a pastor is under pressure to resign or is fired or a pastor dies from a disease or a tragic accident.
Perhaps the pastor experiences significant health difficulties, legal problems or financial challenges. Or maybe the pastor’s spouse accepts a significant job offer in another city or state.
Then, before the pastor can clear out his office, a few laypeople start talking with urgency about making their move and remolding the church in their image, whether that is God’s image for the church or not.
Other laypeople, perhaps even ones with official authority in the church according to the bylaws, have no idea what to do next. They see their role as more ceremonial than requiring decisive leadership.
Factions in the congregation have differing biblical perspectives and views on how the church should function. A pastor with strong relational skills held the church together during his tenure but now is gone.
The silent majority speaks up with deep anxiety, saying the church needs to quickly find its next pastor. If the pastor leaving had served the church for many years, it may have been a long time since there was a pastor search team.
(Continue reading HERE.)
Reflections from George:
The interim period between pastors is one of the most important transition times for congregations. Whether it is a search process initiated to discover the next pastor or an appointment process by the denomination—depending on the governance and polity of the denomination—these are always important hinge points in the journey of both the congregation and their denominational relationship.
Preparation for the interim between pastors does not begin when a pastor leaves. It starts year in advance. It involves a meaningful relationship between the congregation and its denominational leaders. These relationships take years to develop.
I am convinced that great processes out of deep relationships are vitally important for congregations. Yet too often this does not happen.
Many organizations have processes to assist congregations during the interim between pastors. Numerous books have been written about the interim process. I helped a ministry colleague and friend write one several years ago. It is called Soaring Between Pastors: 8 Actions to Thrive During a Pastoral Interim. See it HERE.
Too often these formal processes fail. The relational base for trusting the person and the process being used does not exist. Internal dynamics within the congregation where factions want to get the changes they think they deserve during an interim interrupt a good process.
Pastoral candidates even disrupt the process. They want to be the pastor of a certain church—in some cases any church. They convince a search committee they are ready to come so a longer, productive, insightful process is not needed.
I once had a ministry colleague and friend who did his doctorate on the search process for pastors. When he was ready to move from a denominational role into a pastorate, and was successfully called as pastor of a church, I asked him how his process worked.
“Oh, it does not work. I wanted the church. They wanted me. We just made a deal and I went.”
Reactions:
You are invited to share some reactions (comments) to this article and my reflections. Here are three questions to guide your reaction:
What are some great or terrible processes and experiences you have encountered in the pastor search or appointment process in your denomination or network?
What are your suggestions for improving this system?
What seems impossible today that if it could happen would transform the pastor search or appointment process in your denomination or network?
Posted on Another Social Media Site as a Response to the Original Posting of This Column on The Baptist Paper Site::
"Even if the ASM has preached numerous times in the church, and has a good relationship with the church, his responsibility is to stay back, unless he is a member of that church, or if he is asked BY THE BODY (not a committee or a person) to provide assistance. An unauthorized offer of assistance violates the autonomy of that church. Even if the Association has put it in his duties, to assist churches, they cannot authorize him to intervene in a local church issue. That church is supposed to be self-governing. If the church votes on a motion FROM WITHIN THE BODY, to ASK the ASM to help them, then, and only then, should he "step up" to offer assistance."
Comment from an director of an association of @100 churches after eight years of service: After working with 22 church pastor search teams, I have to say that I disagree with your article in The Baptist Paper. The leaving pastor usually puts the Pastor Search Team together. He also recommends that they contact me. The chairman of the committee usually is my first contact. The church often calls me in to do pulpit supply for the first couple of Sundays after the pastor leaves. However, my relationship is usually with the pastor and not the church membership.
We have more than 100 churches and knowing our pastors and connecting with them is very important, but it often doesn't go beyond that. That said, I do believe that the AMS should have several touches with the Pastor Search Committee. I ask to meet with them for 90 minutes at their second meeting. At the first of their meetings, they need to pray, get organized, and set meeting times. It's at the second meeting that we outline the needs of the church, community, and future pastor.
Once they get going, I circle back with the chairman at least monthly. Cincinnati is blessed to receive a number of resumes that are already on file when a church needs to begin the process. I will have at least talked with the prospective pastor for 30 minutes before handing off the resume. The AMS has a valuable role, but having a long-standing relationship with members of a church is rare, if at all.
Thank you for your continued writing. I am a faithful reader.