Research Project Chapter Five Recommendations

Chapter Five (final chapter of research project)

Pastors come to transitional ministry for a variety of reasons, but they stay because of a sense of call and community of colleagues that support them in their work.

Last post I shared chapter four of my project, which presented the findings of my online survey and follow-up interviews, and I shared the storylines that emerged regarding what pastors need to sustain a vocation in short-term transitional ministry.

Chapter five presents five types of support grounded in the research findings. It also suggests six steps that can be implement by those who oversee the well-being of transitional ministry leaders.

If you may recall chapter one closes with a scene depicting an imagined Commission on Ministry meeting, in which members lament the lack of support for and shortage of people willing to take on short-term transitional ministry. I conclude chapter five—and the project—on a more optimistic note based on the results of my study: an imagined letter to mid council leaders that outlines the project recommendations in practical actionable terms. Broadly speaking they are: make training easy to access, share timely resources, tell the truth about the ministry context, socialize new leaders, bridge call gaps, and finally try new things while tracking results. Specifically mid council leader recommendations are: encourage all clergy to seek transitional training, identifying support resources such as peer groups, be a presbytery known to tell the truth about ministry context, take time to socialize (akin to onboarding) , invest funds in training and bridging call gaps, and experiment in new ways of supporting pastors as they lead change, manage decline, or guide the process of closure.

Practical outcome five: When supported in practical ways leaders are more likely to say yes to leading transition again in the future.
LINK to read Chapter Five Recommendations

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