A
significant interest and focus of mine is the various transitions experienced
by those who serve in a pastoral role. How do we engage, navigate, and reflect
upon these transitions for a more fruitful future ministry? As a pastoral
coach, walking with pastors through that engagement, navigation and reflection
for future fruitful ministry is the core of what I offer to pastors.
A recent
Google search for “pastoral transitions” found that most sites deal with the
transitions of entry and exit. While these are the bookend transitions in
pastoral ministry they are not the only transitions pastors encounter.
Transitioning from the “honeymoon” to more realistically seeing and being seen
by the congregation is significant. Transitioning through the first conflict
often sets the tone and style for future ministry. Membership increases and
decreases are sometime subtle and sometime dramatic. Either way they present a
transition from what was to what is and to what may be. The loss of a
significant financial supporter forces a difficult transition. The
congregation’s edifice being destroyed is a traumatic transition.
Many pastoral transitions are faced for the first time by neophyte pastors.
While local denominational staff and area colleagues may be able to provide
immediate support neither have the time to provide consistent and longer term
support for the pastor engaging, navigating and reflecting on the transitions
for future fruitful ministry. This is not a disparaging of local denominational
staff nor of area colleagues. It is a simple fact of life.
Thanks to
the relative ease of cross-continental relocation for ministers, the transition
of moving from one culture to another can be difficult. Imagine the cultural
transition experienced, even by a seasoned pastor, in moving from a
metropolitan area to a rural area or vice-versa. How about moving from a
congregation with an annual average attendance of 70 to a congregation with an
attendance of 250? It is not as easy as some may suspect.
Every day is
a transition from yesterday to today. Every day brings new challenges and
opportunities. Every day our relationships with other people are in transition,
either evolving of devolving. Every day a pastor’s well planned tasks for the
day can change with the next phone call or the next person encountered on the
street.
Think of the
transitions faced by the disciples. One day they were going about their daily
routines, and the next Jesus called them to follow him. One day they were
settled the next day they were itinerating throughout Galilee. One day they
were gathered around Jesus and the next they were sent out two by two. One
evening they were gathered at supper with Jesus and by the next evening He had
been crucified and buried. One day they were a confident band, the next evening
they were fearfully huddled behind closed and locked doors. Within a year they
were no longer gathering in the close community they had enjoyed to being
scattered as individual evangelists.
Jesus
promised them a new companion, the Paraclete, to comfort, teach and embolden
them. In Christian theology the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, comes alongside as
an advocate or counselor. As pastors engage, navigate and reflect upon
transitions for future fruitful ministry, a coach can be an instrument of the Paraclete.
Pastors do not have to engage, navigate and reflect upon transitions alone. The
probability of future fruitful ministry is enhanced by engaging a coach.
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