finding a new pastor

gym_class_hero said:

Our Pastor left recently. Our denomination leaders told our elders finding a new pastor will take 18 to 24 months. This seems excessively long to me and I worry that our church will shrink if it takes that long. Does that timeframe seem normal to most of you?

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I don't know all that much about it, but two years does seem like a long time to be honest. We were looking for a youth pastor recently and it took us a lot less than a year. About six months. Now that is not a head pastor, granted.

So that's just my two cents, worth a lot less on the open market!

It took us 1 1/2 year from starting the search to filling the pulpit, partly because we found no acceptable candidates in our first round and started over. I will add it was well worth the wait -- better to have the right person than any person. We had good interim leadership so there was no attrition of members. You may find the opposite. No matter how good a clergy is, someone doesn't like them. You may find some who have drifted away come back because your pastor is gone. In any case, best wishes.

gym_class_hero said:

Our Pastor left recently. Our denomination leaders told our elders finding a new pastor will take 18 to 24 months. This seems excessively long to me and I worry that our church will shrink if it takes that long. Does that timeframe seem normal to most of you?

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It is really up to your church elders, council,deacons, what ever you call them to step up to the plate and lead.
There must be people who can preach in your church. Equally start inviting other preachers to come and preach.
Contact the nearest theological college and invite those in their last year to come and preach.

If the leaders lead and the congragation follows it can build the church up.

That your pastor was leaving, cannot have been a surprise, so why haven't arangements been made while he was working his notice to get other preachers to come and preach?

gym_class_hero said:

Our Pastor left recently. Our denomination leaders told our elders finding a new pastor will take 18 to 24 months. This seems excessively long to me and I worry that our church will shrink if it takes that long. Does that timeframe seem normal to most of you?

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It does depend on the denomination involved. I can't see any reason that there should be such a delay as this represents, but I know that it happens.

It may be that the leaders were thinking that it could take as long as 18 months and wanted the congregation to know this...but that it is not expected to take that long.

In my context, more than a year is starting to be a bit long.

A long interregnum can be a blessing, if you use it well. It can be a time to review your church's sense of identity and mission; what do you want your church to look like in 20 years? What skills and gifts will the next person need to have, to lead you in that direction?

It can also be a time to get a lot of things in order; deal with any conflict, that sort of thing.

Before I came to this church they very deliberately reviewed the buildings, dealt with all maintenance issues etc, so that when I got here I wouldn't have to worry about a leaky roof (or the like) but could focus on ministry and mission.

So it doesn't have to be a bad thing, but it depends how you approach it.

gym_class_hero said:

Our Pastor left recently. Our denomination leaders told our elders finding a new pastor will take 18 to 24 months. This seems excessively long to me and I worry that our church will shrink if it takes that long. Does that timeframe seem normal to most of you?

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I wouldn’t wait to praise the Lord I’d do it with or without.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:19-21

what do you look for as a pastor?..a people pleaser --perfect theologian i worry many do not know how to search for one.. they find one who preaches the way the like. your hired... i went to a church that needed a pastor..i went in preached sunday morning that was the only service they had . i was there for 90 days.. thought maybe this is it..i got a phone call were going to try another out. my heart drops some.. so i ask is it me? the reason try another...reply i think your truly called of God but i think they want someone more laid back was elected pastor of another Church %99 voted in people was eager to invite. they would come to me telling me they invited folks... then boom i used a dirty word in the pulpit-----FOOT WASHING . the reaction by a couple of people tore that up.. i was called in told it was the will of the people i resign... hmm no meeting just because of one Jezebel spirit ..i was even told the Church controlled the preacher... well i told them you dont control me.. .my whole point is it takes full unity being led by the spirit to get a pastor... see right here is the problem (Our denomination leaders told our elders) the Holy Spirit will tell the elders and the elders will bring them in. the congregation will vote

I think a potential pitfall is churches not spending sufficient time in discernment before they call a pastor. A church needs to know who its members are, what they want, and what the church needs at that point in its journey. The right pastor for one time may be exactly the wrong pastor at another time. Different folks have different gifts and different times require different gifts. Being in a rush to fill a pulpit often doesn't work out well in the long run.

seeking.IAM said:

I think a potential pitfall is churches not spending sufficient time in discernment before they call a pastor. A church needs to know who its members are, what they want, and what the church needs at that point in its journey. The right pastor for one time may be exactly the wrong pastor at another time. Different folks have different gifts and different times require different gifts. Being in a rush to fill a pulpit often doesn't work out well in the long run.

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pretty much my thoughts exactly

I do believe that the Lord will do great things in this ministry and church in the absence of Pastor. And God will bring right person to be a pastor according to the heart of people of God there. This ministry is belongs to JESUS WHO ESTABLISHED THIS CHURCH FOR THE EXPANSION OF HIS KINGDOM. So brother fear not and do what ever possible to equip and educate the people of God to prepare for His coming. Surely and slowly the Lord shall bring right Person as a pastor to do what God required for the saints of God. NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD AND PEOPLE THOSE WHO BELIEVE HIM. THIS IS RIGHT TIME TO SEE HIS SPIRIT IS MOVING AMIDST OF ALL OF YOUR CONFUSION. BE STILL!!!!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU!!! I AM PRAYING

gym_class_hero said:

Our Pastor left recently. Our denomination leaders told our elders finding a new pastor will take 18 to 24 months. This seems excessively long to me and I worry that our church will shrink if it takes that long. Does that timeframe seem normal to most of you?

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and this is what happens when church politics take over, organizations are great in some ways and lack in others. the issue most churches have is that they want change and younger pastors but the church eat them up and spit them out and they quit. or there may be lack of ministers "qualified" (as in the eyes of the organization) I pray yall find someone faster than that. because yes, without proper leadership and guidance the church will suffer.

gym_class_hero said:

thanks for the responses. We do have people to fill the pulpit in the interim. Old Pastor had been there 18 years so I havent gone thru this before and just thought 18 months sounded like a long time. I know the elders are interviewing a few candidates to be interim pastor. We have had a few families leave in the last year so my concern is a long timeframe may lead to more attrition but I guess that may be normal or maybe even a blessing in disguise.

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18 years that is commendable to your Pastor for that commitment. Churches with long term pastors usually are stronger, more stable, and show signs of growth and healthiness. However, the successor for such a long term pastor usually does not last after two years. People are use to the old pastor and want things to continue as they were. As a result it becomes a stressful transition for both the new pastor and the church. As a result more and more pastors do not want to follow someone who has had such a long term. So I would say taking a year to two years is the extreme. But with the possibility of a church not use to changing pastors, probably a realistic expectation, and it should take its time in finding the new pastor. It is going to take someone special to "enter the lions den" and be able to navigate the waters of change. Both helping the church and themselves face those challenges.

how things are going brother? Have you found Pastor for the church?

It's difficult to put a time frame on something as important as this.It also depends on whether or not the church is "pastor driven" or not.By this I mean "getting the right pastor fills the pews".Also, what is the church policy regarding the capabilities of Elders delivering "sermons and teaching" in terms of 1 Tim.5:17?
If the Elders and Deacons and all members are are doing their bit according to there calling, or "permitted" to do their bit as "living sacrifices"(Rom.12;1)then take your time in selecting the "Good Shepherd"(Jn.10:11)

Our church waited a year and a few months and it did us all the world of good carrying the load in preparing sermons and other duties in the body of Christ.All Christians are expected to be carriers of the Good News.

But as I say it all depends on the particular institutional policy a church follows.

My Church just got a new Pastor. It took us about 6-8 months from the moment our Pastor retired, to the moment the new one started. We had the local Director of Spiritual Studies at a local University come in as the intern during that time. The deacons went through a bunch of resumes and interviews before finding our current Pastor.
You definitely want to make sure you make the right choice for your Church and I can see how such a long time frame can be discouraging, but just try to continually stress the importance of the Church Body staying together. We had a few people leave, but we just kept stressing the importance of the need for unity in this scary transition.

Praying for your church!

It often makes sense for a parish that had a long time pastor to have an extended interim to prepare for the next called pastor.