First Parish Sermon

I began my interim ministry at the First Parish UU Church in Bridgewater in the fall of 2000. To refresh your memories you appointed an Interim Search Committee headed by Sally Payne Dempsey. That committee sent me a packet about the church and the UUA sent my Ministerial Record Sheet to the committee. The Interim Search Committee then interviewed me and we both agreed that we would enter into a contract for a half-time interim position with the possibility to renew that contract for a second year if mutually agreeable. 

Your previous minister, Kim Wood, had been with you for a period of four years. During her tenure she brought quite few younger families into the church and helped build up the church school program with your previous DRE, Joanne Giannino. Her forthcoming marriage precipitated her decision to resign, but she felt at the time that she had accomplished all she could possibly do and thought perhaps an interim minister might be able to move the congregation towards its next phase of development.

In any event there were mixed feelings about her leaving and the congregation needed some time to work through those feelings and come to terms with the positives and negatives of that ministry and prepare for a new settled ministry in the future. The church leadership felt a two-year interim ministry would be the best way to do this. And that is where I came in.

For those of you who may not remember the difference between an interim minister and a settled minister, an interim minister is only allowed to serve a maximum of two years in any one congregation. A settled minister can stay as long as it is mutually beneficial and agreeable to both parties. The interim minister not only provides essential services of worship and administrative and pastoral services, but is charged with helping a congregation assess its strengths and weaknesses and to make recommendations for changes and improvements in organization, communication and development. The interim minister helps to pave the way for a settled minister to have a more positive and productive ministry with the congregation.

Experts in interim ministry training talk about five developmental tasks of interim ministry. I thought it might be an interesting endeavor for us to review those tasks and see how we have done in measuring up to them? The tasks are listed as follows: 
  *(See Footnote at End of Sermon)

1. Coming to Terms with History.
2. Discovering a New Identity.
3. Leadership Changes during an Interim
4. Renewing Denominational Linkages
5. Commitment to New Directions in Ministry

Let’s begin with the first task—Coming to Terms with History. This involves the following objectives—(a) putting the tenure of former ministers in perspective; (b) acknowledging the past and accepting both the good and the bad; (c) deciding what is important and worthwhile to carry into the future; and (d) appropriately ventilating feelings, grieving, accepting and moving on. I think it is fair to say that we did all of these things in one way or another—in committee meetings, from the pulpit, and in many one-on-one conversations with individual church members. In my very first sermon I reflected on the previous ministries of all those in living memory of both older and younger members of the congregation—going all the way back to Bruce Clary and Charlie Flagg who had been with you for 16 years (your last full time minister) and celebrating the two year ministry of Bob Miller (also an interim ministry) in a special memorial remembrance.

In March 2001 we invited Kim Wood to return to the pulpit and share with me our Views of Ministry about part-time versus full-time, interim versus settled, and community ministry versus parish ministry. Kim was given a round of applause by the congregation and people now felt much better about her leaving and were ready to move on to consider preparing for a future settled minister. No doubt the ghosts of past ministries will haunt the memories of some among you. Joys and fond memories, grief and regrets, are part of who we are. The past is always present even as we move into the future. We are forever learning to say hello and goodbye to one another in this business of ministry, in this business of life and living.

The second developmental task of interim ministry is Discovering a New Identity. The objectives of this particular task are: (a) determining whether or not the congregation’s image of itself is realistic; (b) seeing the interim time as an opportunity for renewal and growth; and (c) helping the congregation to see itself as an entity without a minister, separating the church’s identity from any former or present minister’s personality and style. This is an ongoing task and challenge. Some of you are wondering how you will carry on when I have completed my interim ministry. I assure you that will you be able to do so because you have many strengths as a congregation, and as I have tried to emphasize, the task of ministry is something that belongs to the whole congregation not just to the professional minister who happens to occupy the pulpit at a particular point in time. 

I like what Gordon “Bucky” McKeeman says:  “Ministry is all that we do—together. Ministry is that quality of being in community that affirms human dignity—beckons forth hidden possibility, invites us into deeper, more constant reverent relationships, and carries forward our heritage of hope and liberation.” It is an illusion to think that only churches with full time professional ministerial leadership can do the work of the ministry. Ministry is something we all do together. It is too big a job for any one person to do, lay or professional, part-time or full-time, interim minister or settled minister.

I have tried to help this congregation be realistic in what you can expect from a part-time ministry and to be patient, tolerant and especially forgiving of one another’s strengths and weaknesses as you come to terms with the challenges of adapting to the need for more room for church school classes, office and storage space, and other church functions. Bumping into one another at coffee hours, competing for bulletin board and wall space, conflicts in scheduling programs and events, breakdown in communication between members and committees will continue to happen with the best of planning and preparation. We have sought to get a better grip on the structures of your various committees and made clearer statements of intention in how committees function and define their purposes. But even with the best of intentions there will still be problems and frustrations.

You will go far if you assume that everyone has the best interests of the church at heart. When things go wrong as they surely will in any human organization, don’t jump to conclusions, but ask questions of clarification and volunteer to help if you can. The problems you have are the problems of a growing church with growing pains. Better growing pains than the pains of decline in a dying church. Most of all it helps to have a sense of humor and to not take your temporary disagreements too seriously. As it has been said by many—forgive and you will be forgiven, love and you will be loved, learn to laugh at yourself and the whole world laughs with you.

The third developmental task of interim ministry is to help monitor Leadership Changes during the interim period. The objectives of this task involve assessing power and control of decisions and direction of the congregation; promoting healthy, realistic and open decision making; managing conflicts to promote congregational unity; and honoring past leaders and finding ways to keep them involved. Every congregation goes through changes in leadership in the normal course of events, but often during an interim ministry the changes are sometimes greater and more challenging. We have had changes in committee leadership and in staff personnel. During my first year we began with a change of staff with the church sexton and parking lot attendant, and then had to come to terms with the accident and injury of our church organist. Then at the end of my first year our Director of Religious Education decided it was time to leave her position so she could go back to school and pursue the prospect of theological education towards ministry at Andover Newton. 

These were not divisive changes so much as challenging changes and we have been fortunate to have a new church sexton with a good sense of humor who also keeps track of the church calendar for us, and we have been blessed with a new DRE whose background and skills in drama and education have benefited all of us immensely. As of today both intend to be with us next year as you transition to a new settled minister, or if necessary a new interim minister. We were fortunate that Vahe’s injury, though very serious, was only temporarily debilitating, and he now climbs the stairs and plays the organ as well or better than before.

The fourth developmental task of interim ministry is Renewing of Denominational Linkages. This you have done to a greater or lesser extent depending on involvement and connection with various church programs and events. Both your Interim and regular Search Committees have renewed denominational linkages as they have sought guidance and direction from district leaders. The Ministerial Settlement Representative, Lilly Ayers, and the District Executive, Bill Zelazny, have preached to the congregation and met with church leaders and committees. 

Your Denominational Affairs Committee has kept you in touch with District, Cluster and UUA General Assembly programs and events. And in spite of the fact that you are a small congregation of around a hundred members you have nevertheless been a full suggested share congregation in your financial support of both the Ballou Channing District and the UUA. You are to be commended for this. Some larger congregations in the district with much bigger budgets don’t do as well as you.

The fifth developmental task of interim ministry is Commitment to New Directions in Ministry. This task is one that hopefully comes to fruition as the congregation moves from a temporary interim ministry towards a more long term settled ministry. The objectives of this task are: (a) to promote wide ownership of and excitement about a shared vision for the future; (b) getting a good match between the future settled minister and the congregation; (c) clear and shared expectations between that minister and the congregation, and finally; (d) appropriate closure and departure of the interim minister to pave the way for a new settled ministry. 

The achievement of this task is somewhat in limbo at this point since we do not yet know if the Search Committee has been successful in finding a suitable candidate for a settled ministry. They are close and may know one way or the other later today. If they don’t get an answer today they may need a couple of more weeks to assess the remaining potential candidates. If they cannot get closure on a candidate that they believe will be a good match for this congregation they will not hesitate to recommend a 3rd year of interim ministry with a different interim minister. I will be pleased to share whatever insights and recommendations I might have with your new settled or interim minister, but you and he or her will have to work together on what your future goals and aspirations will be. This can be both a scary and exciting time for all of you. I am confident it can be a time of spiritual development and congregational growth in the best sense of that term.

In any event my two-year interim ministry with you will come to an end and we well will have to find a way to say farewell with mutual affection and best wishes for one another’s future ministries. That does not mean I can never show my face in this church again. I will be pleased and honored to be able to return for an occasional pulpit supply visit. But I cannot be your settled minister, nor can I be considered for a third year of interim ministry. If and when I do come back I don’t want to hear complaints about your new settled minister or new interim minister. My role as a consultant and advisor will be over and you will have to find ways to resolve your problems and issues of ministry, both lay and professional, with new leadership. I wish you well and pray for your continued success. 

*(The Five Developmental Tasks of Interim Ministry with objectives are taken from Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry, Alban Institute, 1998, by Roger S. Nicholson)