Step 1 - Your Pastor Resigns, Accepts a Call or Retires

Adele discussed the key steps following resignation including notification to the Bishop of his/her intent to resign (completed), notification to the congregation (completed), farewell celebration for outgoing pastor held (scheduled for 7/20), Church Council meets with the Bishop or Assistant to the Bishop to discuss the interim ministry during the pastoral vacancy and explains the call process (completed) and the Personnel Committee conducts an exit interview with the pastor (completed).

Step 2 – Interim Ministry Begins

Adele discussed the process for securing an Interim Senior Pastor. This person will be appointed by the Bishop and ratified by the Church Council. He/she will be assigned full-time to Living Water to continue the ministry vs. merely be a fill in and will receive a compensation package appropriate for a Senior Pastor. This approach, called the “Intentional Interim Ministry Process” was adopted as a resolution by the Grand Canyon Synod at the June 2008 meeting. The process is intended to enable congregations with a vacancy to move forward vs. stand still as the call process takes place. Often called “Faster Pastors,” Interim Pastors are selected because they are very intuitive people that can read an environment, develop relationships quickly, provide good preaching and be very objective. They go through extensive training in preparation for this role and will help us to determine what is important to Living Water and what pastoral leadership we need in our new Senior Pastor. The Interim Pastor will not be available for call by Living Water. Given the expected length of the call process (6-9 months after the congregational profile is received by the synod office, 1-1 ¼ years in total), an Interim Pastor is needed to make sure the ministry continues to prosper. It is considered a best practice in the ELCA. The synod hopes to have the Interim Senior Pastor identified and available to meet with the Council during the week of July 21. If the Council ratifies the Synod’s recommendation, he/she will be issued a call from the Synod council and resign his/her current position.

During the Interim Ministry, the Council will appoint a task force responsible for completing the Congregational Profile. The Profile will include the history of the church, past and present pastors, membership makeup, budget, ministry priorities and references. Adele will be available to serve on the task force. The Council will also recommend Call Committee members for congregational approval. Adele recommends that the call committee include only lay people, a variety of member tenures (new members, founding members, etc.), and people that can focus on the ministry and the church vs. their own agenda. She recommends a maximum of 7 people plus an alternate with an equal male/female split. At least one Council member should serve as a liaison.

Step 3 – Call Committee Tasks, Step 4 – The Congregation Calls a Pastor and Step 5 – Your New Pastor Begins.

Over the next few weeks, our focus should remain on thanking Pastor Tim for his superb leadership as both the Mission Pastor and Settled Senior Pastor of Living Water and giving him and his family a great sendoff. We are blessed to have a wonderful Associate Pastor, Marcia Kifer, in our midst. Her role at Living Water will continue and will be very important during this time of transition.

We have a strong church and an incredible congregation. We need to work together to prosper and grow throughout this transition. The head of the church is Christ. The body of Christ is the people. We are the church!

Thank you,

Living Water Church Council