The road to calling new leadership in the church involves the careful cultivation of leaders to guide the process. often this begins with finding an interim pastor with the skills and experience to care for the congregation in the meantime.

FINDING AN INTERIM OR TRANSITIONAL PASTOR

See  7 Things to Talk About with the Interim Pastor Search Committee for guidance in seeking alignment between the church and interim pastor candidates.

INVESTING IN THE MINISTRY OF THE LAITY

It is not unusual at all to find that new leadership emerges in this season on ministry. Cultivating the talents and guiding the energies of emerging leaders takes time and intention. One of the first places you may wish to invest in training is with worship leaders. Here’s a guide to aid in training worship leaders serving in the reformed tradition. Feel free to adapt it for use in your context.

NOMINATING A PASTOR

In the Presbyterian Church, the process of nominating a pastor to serve a congregation typically involves conducting a mission study and forming a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to discern, on behalf of the congregation, who to call as the next pastor.

Here's help for each step along the way:

• Step One: conduct a Church Mission Study

• Step Two: establish the nominating process, criteria, and attributes for serving on the PNC

• Step Three: invite recommendations from the congregation

• Step Four: host a Pre-PNC Gathering, some FAQs, and a discernment process

• Step Five: elect thoughtful people representing diverse points of view to serve on the PNC

• Step Six: equip the Pastor Nominating Committee for their call

• Step Seven: commission the PNC in a worship service

• Step Eight: covenant with the congregation to support the PNC

• Step Nine: thank and disband the PNC