WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — Churches that go through an intentional interim pastor process show lasting benefits, according to recent research.
The North Carolina-based Center for Congregational Health examined churches 24 to 36 months after they completed an intentional interim, paying particular attention to how it affected each church's new pastor.
In a questionnaire, pastors in churches that had previously had an intentional interim gave their new churches highest marks for clearly communicating shared expectations and for differentiating their congregational identity from the former pastor's personality and leadership style.
The new pastors also responded favorably to questions about whether they felt involved in their congregation's shared vision of the future.
When members of transitional teams were asked to evaluate their congregations after intentional interims, they generally described the health of their churches as improved or improving.
Les Robinson of the Center for Congregational Health saw the survey results as “affirming” of the intentional interim process.
“Churches that go through the process seem more in touch with who they are as the people of God and who God wants them to be,” Robinson said. “As such, they are in a better position to know what kind of pastor they need.”
Pastors gave lowest marks to their new churches for having systems of training lay leadership for various ministry tasks and for incorporating new people into leadership roles. Almost two-thirds of respondents said their churches had no plan for training lay leaders.
“This is by far the weakest link,” Robinson acknowledged.
Most surveyed churches showed increases in nearly every readily measurable area. Membership after the interim grew 11 percent, with nine congregations gaining members and two decreasing in membership. Overall worship attendance increased almost 10 percent, with eight churches experiencing growth and three measuring some decline. And church budgets grew overall by more than 4 percent.
The one exception to good rates of growth was in Sunday school and Bible study attendance. More than half of the churches reported a decline, with the overall decrease measuring about 6 percent.
Robinson speculated that the decline in Sunday school attendance and a perceived need for leadership development might be related.
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— This story is the fourth of a four-part series on churches dealing with interim leadership.
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