Pastoral Transitions and Onboarding
Many blessings on your church and your community as you enter a time of pastoral transition. Below are some links, resources, and information to assist pastors, leadership teams, and Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Committees as you journey through this season of simultaneously saying “goodbye” and “hello” to your pastors.
Kay Kotan and I have included a chapter on maximizing the potential opportunity for congregational impact during a pastoral transition in our book IMPACT! Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry.
In addition to these resources, I am certified to facilitate UMC Pastor Executive Onboarding, a corporate technique for getting a fast start in executive leadership through early, candid dialogue, assisted by an outside consultant. This corporate strategy was adapted for ministry settings by Claire Bowen, a human resources specialist and longtime member of Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta. Onboarding is a simple process for clergy beginning a new appointment to boost their ministry and leadership in their new church.
Right Start! Equipping Modules for SPRC and Pastors
Download the slides for the Pastor’s Right Start Module at this LINK.
These videos were produced with Rev. Sara Bayles Charlton of North Little Rock FUMC:
Download the slides for the SPRC Right Start Modules at this LINK
Pastoral Transition Resources
S/PPRC Annual Timeline This ARUMC timeline shares expectations for the appointment/assessment cycle and suggested topics of discussion for a full year of monthly S/PPRC meetings.
Checklist for Pastors in Transition The Center for Vitality checklist should be included in the transition packet that the outgoing pastor gives to the incoming pastor. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but it will help the current pastor and the lay leadership begin to gather the basic information that will help the new pastor during the transition.
Outline for a “Baton Passing” Meeting The included questions on this Center for Vitality resource are designed for a “passing the baton” handoff meeting between the incoming and outgoing pastor. They may be in writing, or included as part of the handoff meeting and church/parsonage tour. If needed, the SPRC Chair and Lay leader may need to be included in this or a similar meeting.
ARUMC Pastoral Transition Covenant (1 Page PDF) This covenant was approved by the 2014 clergy session of the annual conference and shares expectations that clergy should have of one another during an appointment transition