Every church and non profit organization will go through transition. This cannot be escaped. Transitional ministry is always happening around us. We almost don’t see it. But we need to recognize its importance of focusing on hard seasons of ministry and we need pastors and leaders who are prepared to lead the change it brings.

There is a gap between the need for transitional pastors and our commitment to support their formation for ministry. I am a researcher who focuses on how to bridge this gap in today’s ministry context.

Much has been written and studied about the life of congregations during seasons of change. But less is known about the pastors who guide these churches. I wonder why this is so.

More should be known about these pastoral leaders. What draws them to this unique work? What type of training is available? What forms of post-training support are most helpful to leaders in this field? I wonder about the role played by mid councils, leadership coaches, mentors, spiritual directors, peer learning groups, and spiritual friendships in sustaining longevity in this field.

In 2017 I brought my curiosity about these things to Seattle University’s Doctor of Ministry program. My final doctoral project aims to discover what it takes to bridge the gap between the need for transitional pastors and the commitment to support their formation for ministry. To this end I created a survey for interim and transitional pastors to offer feedback based on their experience, training, and personal ministry practices.

To learn about the research project click the ‘learn more here’ button below.

I am so grateful to the nearly one hundred pastors who responded to the survey and host of others who participated in extended interviews that grounded the research project in findings and recommendations about the types of support these leaders find most signifiant and vocation sustaining.

Research chapter summaries can be read as blog post (found under the Resources tab).