Research Project Chapter One Introduction
Now, more than ever, mainline Protestant churches in the US need pastors who are skilled not only in transitional ministry but also short-term transitional ministry—a critical, yet under-supported, subspecialty with unique demands and rewards. My own varied stints as a short-term transitional pastor gave me a deep sense of the personal qualities and leadership support that helped me thrive in my roles, and they also exposed the gaps I needed to fill to sustain my enjoyment and success. With this project, I sought to learn how other pastors felt about their transitional ministry training, including its impact on their success and well-being in short-term callings and their desire to take on others in the future. My great hope was that a storyline would emerge and allow me to offer concrete suggestions for how the church might increase the number of pastors willing to do the work of short-term transitional ministry and improve their job satisfaction.
Chapter One summary
Moving beyond simply who will do the work, the church must also ask: What training and support do effective leaders need to help the church shape a more hopeful future?
The first chapter, shared below, presents the foundational issues that led to the study, including declining membership and aging populations in mainline Protestant churches; the changing landscape of transitional ministry and the shortage of pastors willing to meet the rising demand of short-term transitional roles; and the lack of research about the experiences of short-term transitional pastors, particularly the impact of the training they receive. The chapter also briefly highlights my background, the research questions I sought to answer, and the methodology I employed, all of which will be presented in-depth in upcoming posts.
As a storyteller at heart, I conclude the chapter with an imagined story of a Commission on Ministry | COM team discussing the value of transitional ministry training and pastors who are willing to serve short-term calls. Perhaps you will identify with one of the characters and be inspired as you continue reading to help improve this critical aspect of the PC(USA).