Church Transition

PLANNING FOR CHANGE AND GIVING THANKS FOR MINISTRY

  1. Pastor announces retirement or resignation
  2. Congregation votes to approve dissolution of call
  3. Presbytery approves dissolution of call
  4. Saying goodbye: Celebration of pastor’s service to the church

A TIME OF PREPARATION

  1. Planning for worship and pastoral care for interval before Interim arrives
  2. Planning for continuation of church programs, stewardship, and administration
  3. Initial planning for transition
  4. Presbytery Committee on Ministry consulted; liaisons appointed
  5. Interim Search Committee appointed by Session
  6. Search for Interim Pastor
  7. Writing Church Information Form and contract for Interim
  8. Approval and assistance of COM
  9. Interviews and choice of Interim Pastor; session approval
  10. Arrival of Interim Pastor

MISSION STUDY AND PREPARATION FOR THE SEARCH

  1. COM liaisons work with Session and Pastor Nominating Committee throughout the process
  2. Interim Pastor may provide leadership; Associate Pastors may serve as resources
  3. Mission Study is carried out by Session
  4. Writing Mission Study
  5. COM reviews Mission Study and authorizes election of PNC
  6. Session assesses the church’s financial status and outlines compensation package for the new pastor
  7. Nominating Committee prayerfully considers makeup of Pastor Nominating Committee
  8. Congregational Meeting for election of PNC
  9. PNC elects officers
  10. PNC and Session establish the PNC budget
  11. PNC becomes familiar with the search process
  12. Plans are established for progress reports to congregation
  13. PNC determines its voting processes and methods of accommodating disagreements
  14. Session (may be though Personnel Committee) and/or PNC develop position description
  15. Session approves position description
  16. PNC writes Church Information Form (CIF)
  17. Session approves CIF
  18. COM approves CIF
  19. CIF submitted to Church Leadership Connection data base

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CALLED PASTOR

The work of the Pastor Nominating Committee is completely confidential

  1. PNC establishes criteria for selection of candidates, based on position description
  2. PNC develops a plan for evaluating the Personal Information Forms (PIF) of potential candidates
  3. CLC matches church’s CIF with PIFs on file
  4. PNC receives PIFs from CLC
  5. PNC solicits PIFs from other potential candidates that may be recommended
  6. PNC reads and evaluates PIFs in light of established criteria
  7. Top candidates are selected for further consideration
  8. Candidates are selected for initial interviews
  9. Initial interviews are held by telephone or Skype
  10. Candidates are re-evaluated, based on interviews and established criteria
  11. PNC contacts references for selected candidates
  12. COM liaisons give names of candidates to Executive Presbyter for clearance check
  13. At least two candidates are interviewed by PNC face-to-face
  14. PNC members may visit candidates’ current churches anonymously or arrange for neutral pulpit
  15. Candidates visit church for confidential interviews
  16. PNC selects final candidate and notifies COM of vote
  17. PNC negotiates the call with the selected candidate and notifies liaisons
  18. COM contacts candidate in preparation for interview
  19. COM interviews candidate for membership in Presbytery
  20. COM gives permission for Session to call a congregational meeting to call approved candidate
  21. Congregational Meeting is held to call candidate

DEPARTURE OF INTERIM PASTOR

  1. Appropriate farewell for Interim Pastor is planned by Session
  2. Work of the Interim Pastor is concluded
  3. We give thanks for the work of the Interim Pastor

WELCOMING THE NEW PASTOR

  1. PNC hosts visits of new pastor and family to find housing and make needed arrangements
  2. New pastor arrives on site
  3. Welcoming celebrations are hosted by PNC and Session
  4. New pastor is introduced to Session and the Congregation
  5. Installation Service for new pastor is held
  6. PNC serves as Advisory Team for the new pastor for the first year
  7. COM liaisons serve as liaisons to COM for the new pastor for the first year