Why Have an Interim Preacher?

Here’s what I‘ve observed in sixty-one years of ministry, having followed a long-tenured preacher, and worked with congregations in intentional interim ministry for the past fifteen years.

The general rule: After a long ministry (five years or more) a church will have an interim minister — either an intentional or unintentional interim minister. That preacher will stay a short time. If he is an unintentional interim (he thought he was coming for a settled ministry), it’ll be a time of misery. He’ll be compared to the previous preacher. He will not be like the previous preacher. It’ll be an impossible job description.

I’ve served as an intentional and an unintentional preacher. I can assure you intentional is much preferred. The five most depressing years of my preaching were following a preacher who stayed a long time (fifteen years) and was released by the elders — not to his desire and a large part of the congregation. The congregation was stuck in grief, confusion, and resentment. I bore the brunt of something I had nothing to do with except I happened to be the next preacher. It’s now worth it. I had the opportunity to experience what I’d read in books about being a preacher following a long ministry. But the pain was real and sustained while I was learning the lesson.

People are often concerned about the widow or widower who starts dating immediately after the sudden death of a spouse. People aren’t machines. For a good new relationship, there needs to be a time of grieving over the past relationship before beginning a new one. See two blog posts relating to the concept:

1. How Long Will it Take?
2. How Can We Improve Without Changing?

The rule of thumb is there should be one month of interim ministry for each year of the ministry of the previous preacher.

My advice for two preacher friends who chose to follow a long-term preacher with no intentional interim period:

“You need to understand that part of your job description is you’re volunteering to be unfavorably compared to the previous preacher in preaching, teaching, dress, visitation, name memory, influence and recognition in the community, and the way he related to people. It will be done repeatedly for ten years. If you can endure that for ten years, it’ll get slightly better during the next five years.”

There’re exceptions to the rule. But from my experience, it is the rule: The next preacher who quickly follows a long-term preacher will have a short and difficult tenure. One of my most productive interims was with a congregation who tried the immediate replacement plan with two preachers following the retirement of their long-term preacher. After much pain, and a split, they decided an interim was worth the time and money. I worked with them for twenty-three months. They now have a good preacher. They are at peace and reaching their community.

When you get ready to look for a preacher, Don Viar has the best book I’ve read on the preacher search: The Search Committee Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to Hiring Your Next Minister .

What are your observations about the preacher following a long-term preacher?