Intentional Interim Ministry
The primary ministry role of an IBC Transitional Interim Pastor is to assist an IBC church for a period of three to twelve months as it prepares to call or transition to a new pastoral leader or navigate some other crucial event in the life of the church. The host church must be in agreement with this Transitional Interim description and affirm its cooperation with the IBC in carrying out this type of pastoral interim.
The Transitional Interim Pastor arrangement may consist of multiple Interims (for example, each for 3 months) who will facilitate progress in three areas:
- Intentional steps of identifying and resolving issues within the church.
- The Transitional Interim will assist the church in evaluating its current health and formulating a strategic plan for moving forward toward greater spiritual health during this period of a lead pastor transition.
- An additional role during the interim period may be to help the church leadership develop a schedule and plan for launching a successful pastoral search process at the proper time. Transitional Interims will coordinate this work with the appropriate IBC leadership.
In coordination with the host church, a secondary role of this ministry may be to engage with other IBC churches and pastors in Europe to encourage, mentor and teach in areas of church health, vision, and leadership where the interim has knowledge and skill. This may involve some travel in the region and will develop through contacts provided from the IBC Overseer Team identified below.
Timeframe
The timeframe for this ministry is for a minimum of 6 weeks and extending up to 12 months, depending upon availability and need. The actual arrival month depends upon the context of the specific church where the Interim will assist.
Finances
The inviting church will work out an acceptable financial plan with the Transitional Interim Pastor. The host church will be asked to provide what it is able to toward the basic interim needs of an apartment, local transportation, a living stipend, and roundtrip transportation from the Interim’s home location.
Oversight
The host church will provide primary oversight and coordination for the ministry of the Transitional Interim Pastor. The host church also agrees to cooperate with the IBC’s role of secondary oversight of the Transitional Interim’s ministry at the church. In conjunction with the host church, the Transitional Interim will be assisted by the IBC leadership team consisting of the regional LEAD team, IBC General Secretary (Jimmy Martin) and the Director of Church Strengthening (Barry Cole). The Interim will have regular contact and interaction with these IBC overseers. The host church, transitional interim, and IBC representative will sign a mutual agreement that outlines the specific provisions of the Transitional Interim Pastor’s ministry with the church.
