WHY CAN'T THE INTERIM BE CALLED?

Once in a while someone raises the question: Why does the Presbyterian Church have such a silly rule that an interim pastor can't become the regular pastor?" I am flattered by the question, because the implication is that were it not for "the rule", old yours truly here might be lucky enough to be called as pastor of St. Andrew's. And I believe the next pastor of Saint Andrew's will, indeed, be a fortunate person! What the book says, though, is "A minister may not be called to be the next installed pastor or associate pastor of a church served as interim pastor." (Book of Order G-14.0513b)

But why is it in the book? Aside from being illegal, there are some good reasons for it, and even denominations which don't have the official rule have guidelines that consider it improper or even unethical for an interim to become pastor. Those reasons include:

1) The Nature of the Interim Time. The interim comes as a stranger (with objectivity) and as a friend (with care), with special skills and experiences to help a congregation in a very special time in its life, a transitional time. There are congregational emotions to which the interim is sensitive. If the interim were open to being called, it would detract from the special nature of the interim time.

2) The Importance of the Calling Process. The calling process in the Presbyterian Church is a good process, and it is healthy for the church to go through it. Through the Pastor Nominating Committee, the congregation is forced to look at its own unique identity, what is 'special about us', and to go through all the struggle and work it takes to call the right person. The new pastor is called by the whole congregation, confirmed by Presbytery, and the call is affirmed by the person as a call from God. The interim, of course, is also called-but through a different process: chosen very quickly, by the Session, through a small committee, for a specific task and time.

3) The Potential for Conflict. It could even be divisive. An interim would always have some following, but there are usually those that feel - and rightly so - that the church should look at numerous candidates. Thus, there could be built-in opposition from the beginning. And whichever way the decision went -even if the interim got the position - there would be those who felt the decision was wrong.

4) The Effectiveness of the Interim. If the interim were a candidate and did not get the position, it could result in hurt feelings, and would jeopardize the remainder of his or her interim work until the new pastor is called.

5) Ministerial Ethics and Relationships If an interim were a candidate, he or she would have an unfair advantage over other candidates for the position, who would not have the same visibility and opportunities. Among other things, that raises questions of ministerial ethics, and affects relationships with other ministers.
 
6) A Dangerous Precedent. A precedent could be set which could result in ministers seeking interim positions with the specific idea of putting themselves in a position to be called - thus damaging their effectiveness as an interim and damaging the whole calling process.

7) Opportunities for Better Suitability. By settling for the interim, the PNC could very well pass over pastoral candidates who were better suited for the particular congregation-with just the right skills and experiences needed.

8) An Appreciation for Specialized Interim Ministry. Most interim pastors today are trained with an understanding of what the transitional time means, and have special skills in congregational analysis or development that are especially geared to shorter-¬term goals. Those skills are transferable to a longer-term call, of course, but doing so fails to recognize fully the richness of the specialized ministry.

9) The Importance of Preparing for New Leadership. One of the most important tasks of the interim is to help the congregation in its openness to the future: to be ready for the new leadership. And that in itself is exciting! The interim time can be an exciting one in the life of a congregation, because it's not a time to slow down or go into a "waiting stance"; --and that excitement includes the anticipation of the new person who will be called to minister with this particular and special people of faith!
Meanwhile, the interim is here until is happens (or as close to it as the timing will allow, which is sometimes tricky). And the now is real. I've said it before: I am glad to I'm here at St. Andrew's in this exciting time. To experience spiritual growth together. And I sense not only that growth, but your love and support in doing it.

Thanks! And shalom,

Clark
Article by Clark Williams, reprinted from St. Andrew's Presbyterian of Dallas Newsletter, "Happenings," April 28, 1991 with full permission.

Scanned and edited for use in Interim Ministry Education by Harris Schultz, 2006.