Rev. Daren Wride – Transitional Pastor, Transitional Coach
Daren Wride has been a trapper, surveyor, long distance canoe racer and small business owner. From 1990-2008 he pastored three different Alliance Churches- Valleyview and Hinton in Alberta, and Lake Country, BC. He has spoken professionally on team building and personal development and also done internet marketing various small business clients in the United States and Canada.
He has served as a transitional pastor and transitional coach since 2011 in several churches in Western Canada. When not engaged with a specific church in transition he frequently preaches area churches.
Daren is a graduate of Canadian Bible College with a BTh (High Honours) and a graduate of the Arrow Leadership program. He and his wife Kristin are in their 32nd year of “marital bliss” and have two married, adult children and two granddaughters.
Transitional Pastor Ministry Role
Preamble
This document is intended to be a starting point description of the role of the Transitional Pastor. It is based on previous Transitional ministry experience and an initial understanding of the needs of the church.
Primary Roles of the Transitional Pastor
The Role of the Transitional Pastor is to provide both pastoral and transitional leadership to achieve the main objectives of an intentional Transition. These include:
a) Helping the church to find stability and continue on in effective ministry through the transition.
b) Helping the church experience a greater measure of health – spiritually, relationally,
organizationally and operationally in preparation for the pastoral search.
c) Preparing the church conduct an effective pastoral search from a posture of health.
d) Assisting a new Lead Pastor to start well.
e) Encouraging the congregation and church leadership that transition is primarily a season of spiritual formation and discernment.
Accountability
The Transitional Pastor is directly accountable to the Board of Elders. The Transitional Pastor works in partnership with the Board of Elders to achieve mutually agreed upon transitional objectives. There will be ongoing review of the roles of the Transitional Pastor and his working relationship with the Board of Elders.
The Transitional Pastor is not an employee of the church the same way a full-time Lead Pastor would be. A working agreement (contract) is developed between the Transitional Pastor and the Board of Elders. This includes an agreement about the average number of hours worked per week. An initial 6 month contract is being proposed with the option of extending the contract in 6 month increments.
Specific Responsibilities of the Transitional Pastor
A. Transitional Oversight
1. To encourage an effective corporate prayer ministry for the church through the time of transition.
2. To lead in the advancement of the health and vitality of the church through the period of transition.
3. To lead in in the assessment of the overall health of the congregation.
4. To oversee, based on the transitional assessment, the development of a specific transitional plan to move forward through the transition.
5. To ensure that effective communication takes place with the congregation throughout the transitional process.
6. To provide progress reports to the Board of Elders, the Congregation and the District Superintendent.
7. To provide guidance for the Search Team and ensure that the search process aligns with the requirements of the CMA.
8. To assist a new Lead Pastor in starting well and understanding what has taken place through the time of transition.
B. Board of Elders
1. To work closely with the Chair of the Board in developing the Board of Elders agenda and strategic plan through the transitional period.
2. To provide effective support, guidance and equipping ministry for the Board of Elders and the leaders of ministry teams while in transition.
3. To oversee a process of moving toward greater Board health and renewal
C. Ministry Oversight
1. Provide oversight and guidance for the public worship ministry of the church in concert with those who are assigned to this ministry.
2. To provide effective Sunday preaching and teaching ministry for the congregation.
3. To provide ongoing guidance, direction, support and encouragement for the development of sustainable ministry plans through the transition.
4. To give oversight and direction to the church staff in concert with the Board of Elders.
5. To ensure that appropriate congregational care is available for people in the congregation and the community.
6. To ensure that the church maintains the values and standards it has established for placing people in key leadership roles.
7. To provide encouragement, prayer support and spiritual nurture to the church leadership.
Limitations of the Transitional Pastor’s Role
A Transitional Pastor is never a candidate for the Lead Pastor position. Even though a Transitional Pastor will assume many of the responsibilities of a Lead Pastor, he is not a Lead Pastor in the fullest sense. The Transitional Pastor is a short term leader who comes alongside the church for a season. Although deeply interested in the life and health of the congregation the Transitional Pastor will not become fully integrated into the life of the congregation in the same way a long term Lead Pastor normally would. The focus is on the internal life of the congregation rather than extending the ministry of the church. The responsibilities of the role vary from church to church depending on the needs of the congregation, the staffing configuration of the church, and the ministry culture of the church.
There are some things that a Transitional Pastor does not do (in most cases):
• Set the long term direction and vision for the church.
• Hire or dismiss staff (all staffing matters are dealt with in concert with the Board of Elders).
• Hands on leadership of specific ministries or ministry programs.
• Engage in extending the church’s ministry into the community.
• Terminate ministries or ministry programs (these decisions, if needed, are dealt with in concert with the staff and the Board of Elders).
• Function as the primary person in congregational care, counseling and rites of passage.
Note: The transitional coaching role differs from that if a transitional pastor in that the coach’s primary role is to work with the interim lead pastor and/or board of to walk through the transitional process.