One Transitional Pastor Tells His Story

By Keith Shields

I began my training with the Transitional Leadership Network (TLN) in 2018 when I was Interim Lead Pastor of a Calgary, Alberta church. I had been Executive Pastor beside a great Lead Pastor who shepherded for 41 years—21 as Lead Pastor and 20 as an Associate. After almost 50 years of continuity, this shift would be a shock to the congregation. The congregation was healthy but needed a transitional period to determine next steps. I was a leader and elder for about 20 years, so the congregation had comfort with me in an interim role. Wanting to serve them well, I sought additional training to strengthen my skills.

Transitional Leaders - More than a Place Holder

Through the TLN training, I realized transitional leaders are more than interim leaders holding a place until a new Lead Pastor is hired. Being a Transitional Pastor is challenging because you must do everything a Lead Pastor does (preaching, administration, pastoral care, evangelism, etc.) and guide the church through a transitional process.

This process starts with engaging the congregation in prayer and includes assessments regarding closure and healing from the past. It also includes clarifying vision and preparing for the search process, while attending to congregational care, organizational health, preaching and services, and keeping the church on mission. 

The Value and Role of a Transition Team

Next, the congregation forms a transition team that identifies what needs renovation before hiring a new pastor and areas a new pastor could lead the congregation into greater health. This helps the church identify who they are and what they are looking for in a pastor. It also allows more congregational members to get involved and invest in hiring a new pastor.

When the congregation is ready, the Transitional Pastor helps the search team with posting, interviewing, and hiring. Sometimes the transitional leader coaches the new pastor after they are hired. As the spiritual leader, the Transitional Pastor challenges the congregation to bathe the process in prayer, to take appropriate steps of healing and repentance, and to continue good spiritual practices that reinforce relying on God.

What I Learned When Doing This Work 

My first transitional role was highly positive for the congregation, their leadership, and the new Lead Pastor. I recognized that although I made mistakes, God used me to serve his purposes and that he might be calling me to serve other congregations. The mix of spiritual gifts and years of experience that God granted me were valuable to congregations needing this kind of help. Later, I served churches in London Ontario, Winnipeg Manitoba, and Simcoe Ontario. Each ministry had unique challenges and took about a year to facilitate. They all reminded me of the importance of this ministry.

Mistakes to Avoid

Many congregations, boards, elders, and church leaders are ill-equipped to accomplish transitional work. There is a great temptation to quickly hire a new pastor without truly considering the type of leader needed given a church’s makeup. A quick hire may be a bad fit. Pastors exploring roles are drawn to churches that invest in finding the right leader by discovering who they are and what they need in a pastor.

The transitional process slows down a church’s mechanisms so the church can take time to hear from God. It requires the church to trust God will speak through the transitional team.

More Transitional Leaders are Needed

We need leaders who can step into churches in transition with a process that offers hope to a congregation that has lost some momentum and vision. The reasons for a Lead Pastor’s departure may be positive or devastating.

Transitional leaders are called into many different circumstances and with appropriate training, and the grace of God, can lead a congregation toward the next phase of life. It is important for denominations, networks, and conferences of churches to have transitional leaders ready and equipped because the need is often unexpected and immediate.

The spiritual landscape is changing. As we pray for renewed spiritual hunger, the people of God need to be called into disciple-making. Jesus’ call to make disciples, teaching them to obey all that he has taught, is not simply a pastoral role. The churches of Canada and beyond will grow and be healthy as each member engages in making disciples. Our churches will be places of sending and receiving for the harvest of the Lord.

I pray that churches within your sphere of influence will embrace this model of transitional leadership for the sake of healthy congregations across Canada and beyond.

I pray that if God has called you to this work you will continue with his strength. If you are curious about this ministry for yourself or someone you know, a great place to start is to attend the next Basic training.

Learn a little more about Keith at https://www.keithshields.ca/