What should church leaders do when a pastor leaves unexpectedly?

When a pastor leaves unexpectedly, congregations often experience a profound sense of loss or disorientation. One of the first steps church leaders face is to find a pastor with the skills and experience to guide the congregation. Pastors who do this work may be called interim, transitional, or bridge pastors. Your denominational leaders will help you identify pastors who are equipped to lead in your context. What follows are links my post popular posts on these subjects.

FINDING A PASTOR

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

INVESTING IN THE MINISTRY OF THE LAITY

It is not unusual 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.

There's help for each step along the way in my blog:

• What to do when you need to conduct a Mission Study

• How to establish a nominating process to form a PNC

• Inviting PNC recommendations from the congregation

• Hosting a Pre-PNC Gathering

• Electing thoughtful people to serve on the PNC

• Equip the Pastor Nominating Committee for their call

• Commissioning the PNC in a worship service