Last month, the search team invited me to extend my time with you from the originally planned 6 weeks to the maximum suggested for UCC bridge ministers, which is six months. I happily accepted and look forward to the extra time with SCC.

Some of you have asked the search team to consider me as a candidate to be your settled pastor. I want to let you know that SCC has been thoughtful, generous and fair to me. I also want you to know that this is not an option for the search team. It warms my heart that this has even been mentioned, but it also makes me think I ought to briefly explain
the differences between types of ministers and their roles.

Interim– Serves for a specific, agreed-upon period of time, usually 1-2 years, depending on the seriousness of the issues the congregation is facing. Interims receive training that focuses on guiding congregations through a wide variety of transitions.

A designated minister might serve as long as three years, often because the congregation feels it needs more time to work through issues. Another distinction between designated and interim ministers is that a designated minister can be called as a settled pastor should both the congregation and minister agree. This possibility is discussed before the initial contract is signed.

A bridge minister serves any number of roles on a temporary basis. They might come in to cover sabbaticals, catch up on pastoral care concerns, cover for an illness
or a gap in coverage between a departing minister and the newly called minister.

All three shorter term roles share the goal of preparing a congregation for their next settled pastor. Interims and Designated pastors also help congregations deal with a wide range of specific issues that need to be resolved before calling a minister in order to give the congregation the best chance possible of forming a healthy, productive relationship with their new leader.

A part of what enables interims and designateds to succeed is the congregation’s knowledge that they have specific goals and are there for a finite period of time.

This is obviously a very brief summary, but hopefully that helps.

Korte