Visioning the Transition

So far most of my posts have been pretty reflective. I've stayed away from the real nitty gritty of congregation life. I want to venture into the grit, however, and talk a little about the process of planning our leadership transition as I prepare to leave this congregation next June. I've been meeting with a great team of really wise church leaders (now called the "Transition Team") who are charged with steering us through my departure, through decision-making about what kind of staff we will bring on board after I leave, and through the emotional and spiritual issues of this significant period of transition.

At our last meeting my fellow minister and I put a stake in the sand. We are joined with the lay leadership in being open to a variety of options in terms of the final staffing constellation that will serve the ministry of this church, but we do have a recommendation we are ready to offer. Hire an interim. Next fall will be here sooner than we think. There's a lot to think about. There are many choices to weigh. There are emotional and spiritual issues to explore. Regardless of whether my office is destined to be occupied by a minister, a program director, an intern or to be turned into a classroom, I believe that we need some time to make a thoughtful choice and to fully work our process as a congregation. They say that after a settled ministry (7 years we will have been together) if you hire new permanent staff right away you face the same risks we face in romantic relationships (the infamous "rebound" relationship). If you hire an interim to work with you through the next year (or 2) you embody our intention to do this hard soul-searching work, and you ask the interim (whether an interim minister, interim DRE, or interim other) to guide you and accompany you on this journey.

But such talk reminds me that I am leaving, and that it's coming close to the time for me to stop offering advice (to whatever extent that may even be possible for me- sometimes it just slips out). I need to stand off to the side of this decision-making process so that the congregation can learn who it is now after our time together, and what it is called to become in this next phase of its growth.