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A New Approach to Helping Churches Through Pastoral Transitions
A New Approach to Helping Churches Through Pastoral Transitions By Seth Hix CBFNC Associate Coordinator
At some point, every church finds themselves without a pastor. Regardless of the reason for the minister’s departure, this time of transition is critically important for every congregation. And often, a pastoral vacancy is commonly associated with a high level of unfamiliar anxiety.
Pastoral transitions are a normal—even healthy— part of congregational life. The church’s ministry does not end when there is a pastoral vacancy. In fact, many opportunities for renewal and reformation arise in the midst of a pastoral vacancy.
From our earliest days, CBFNC has assisted churches in transition. While the system has changed over the years, our commitment to helping churches find pastors has remained central to the work of “bringing Baptists together.”
THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE
–Dr. Bill Wilson, director of the Center for Healthy Churches
However, as the landscape of congregational life continues to change, so too, does the way in which congregations navigate a ministerial vacancy. The educational experiences of young clergy is vastly different than that of previous generations. The vocational paths of ordained clergy are no longer consistent. Even the networks within Cooperative Baptist life are dramatically shifting as local congregations no longer define their ministry partners primarily through a denominational identity. In response to these new realities, the CBFNC Ministerial Transition Team felt like the time was right to recalibrate how we assist churches in the midst of a ministry transition.
Perhaps now more than ever our congregational systems, and the ways in which we support and connect
Over a dozen leaders from across the state gathered in Raleigh for CBFNC Ministry Transitions Team's two-day training session to learn about CHC's process, led by Matt Cook, Bill Owen and Bill Wilson.
A few years ago, CBFNC expanded this work through the development of a candidate database, as well as the inclusion of a small team of well-respected congregational leaders called Ministerial Transition Facilitators (MTF). Strategically spread out across the state, the MTFs worked directly with local search committees and stayed in regular communication with each other and the CBFNC office. This approach capitalized on the relational networks of Jack Causey, Mike Cogdill, Terry Hamrick and Mike Queen. These men continue to actively assist congregations in transitions as interim pastors, consultants or search team coaches. them to one another, call out for innovation. Ministry in the 21st century, post-COVID-19 world cannot thrive without renewal.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP
In an effort to expand our offerings to local congregations and search teams, CBFNC has entered into a new partnership with the Center for Healthy Churches (CHC) based in Clemmons, NC. This dynamic partnership will not only reshape our approach to assisting churches in transition, but will also deepen each congregation’s internal awareness of their unique history and gifts.
The CHC has already successfully coached dozens of congregations in North Carolina, including several in our own fellowship. The CHC process will allow CBFNC congregations to receive a more consistent offering in congregational and search team coaching from an expanded group of talented leaders across our state.
CHC’s process is based on spiritual discernment, appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence, and a new approach to actively finding your next pastor. “Customized for each unique church, this partnership brings proven and effective guidance to CBFNC congregations at a cost that is reasonable and manageable for churches,” adds Wilson.
We have identified 12 highly qualified men and women who will serve as pastoral search coaches for CBFNC partner congregations that choose to enlist our assistance with their search. CBFNC will maintain our ministry job board on our website (cbfnc.org) as well as continue to provide resume service for churches and candidates free of charge.
However, through our new partnership with CHC, we will now offer a variety of options to congregations that desire additional help throughout the search process. Levels of engagement can include facilitating congregational conversations, development of pastoral/church profiles, as well as “handson” interview techniques and resumé reading skills. These enhanced coaching options will follow CHC’s search process. CHURCH TRANSITION
SUCCESS STORIES
DANNY STAPP SERVED AS CHAIR of the pastor search team during First, Wilson’s most recent pastor transition. He was a firsttimer to the pastor search process and felt that CHC made it very easy to comprehend.
Stapp adds that CHC’s search process increased congregational engagement. “We held three Congregational Conversations where members of our search team sat with different folks from our church, giving us the chance to get to know others we might not have otherwise. It created a unique opportunity to hear different perspectives from people we have gone to church with for years,” he said.
The church had been without a pastor for three years and learned some very hard lessons along the way, according to Stapp. “We tried to do it on our own with our first committee but that process left us still searching for a pastor. Ultimately, that led us to CHC in 2019 and we really benefited from those tough talks. As painful as that year was, our church will benefit in the long run from going through all that together. CHC played a big part in helping us heal,” said Strapp.
“CHC laid out a complex plan that wasn’t too overwhelming and followed a timeline. Within six months we were ready to call a new pastor,” he said. “I don’t know if we would have come across our candidate without the help of CHC.”
CBFNC thanks Dr. Mike Cogdill for serving as interim at First, Wilson. Due to scheduling conflicts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the church has not been able to announce its candidate.
REALIZING AFTER-THE-FACT that the role of pastor search team chair can be a daunting task, Will Hege admits, “I probably didn’t realize what I agreed to when I said yes.”
Thankfully, the church had enlisted the help of CBFNC and CHC. “I believe that the CHC process gave me the framework to follow, not just personally, but to be able to follow and LEAD the team. I was able to articulate where we are going next, what we needed to do and when we needed to do it,” Hege said.
“As a father of three and business owner, I really didn’t have time to reinvent the pastor search process. But when I was given the process to execute, I had the time and mental capacity to execute at a high level,” he added.
Hege felt like CHC’s process was thoughtfully and completely laid out. “The guideposts provided by CHC were incredibly helpful in establishing goals and reaching them along the way. [Bill] and his team gave us the tools and confidence to succeed.”
Ardmore also conducted three congregational conversations that Hege says uncovered a united theme within the church that this was “not about what I want, but about what the church needs.”
“I truly believe that this program matched Ardmore with a gifted pastor and leader. We encountered and met with some very fine pastors doing great work all across the country. But in the end , we felt led by the Holy Spirit to Tyler and felt he was worthy of the call,” Hege said.
CBFNC thanks Mike Queen for serving as interim at Ardmore and welcomes Tyler Tankersley who began in August 2019.
