Various church traditions have different ways of handling pastoral transitions. Some have an appointment system, where denominational leaders tell clergy where to go in the event of a vacancy or because it’s otherwise time to make a move. Others have a succession system, where an internal candidate is trained for the position while the currentContinue reading “Yes, Your Church Needs an Interim Minister”
Category Archives: Church/Ministry
Your Pastor Is Not a Scapegoat
One of my favorite sayings in ministry is, “this is not about that.” That is, whatever the presenting issue is (a complaint about a tablecloth shortage for an upcoming dinner, for instance), is really about something else that won’t be as apparent (worries over finances that have resulted in no tablecloths). People decide it isContinue reading “Your Pastor Is Not a Scapegoat”
Failing Church Syndrome
In his book Kitchen Confidential, the late Anthony Bourdain describes a phenomenon that he calls “Failing Restaurant Syndrome:” I began to see, for the first time, what I would later recognize as Failing Restaurant Syndrome, an affliction that causes owners to flail about looking for a quick fix, a masterstroke that will “turn things around”,Continue reading “Failing Church Syndrome”
Jeffrey A. Nelson 