Outgoing pastor selects interim pastor - crazy or not?

Abuse of pastoral authority. Must be an old-line IBF or BBF church

I voted crazy, even though in my last church, this particular situation actually worked out well for us. It really depends on the interim pastor’s level of spiritual maturity. The out-going pastor arranged for the interim pastor to come in, and the new guy really helped us heal from some of the situations caused by the former pastor.

Interesting story about the outgoing pastor’s resignation - On the Sunday morning he announced his resignation, his wife was leading children’s church in the basement. After the service, a number of us went downstairs to tell her we were sorry to hear they was leaving, and the news came as a complete surprise to her. Her husband hadn’t even told her he was resigning.

Her husband hadn’t even told her he was resigning.

That DEFINITELY merits the crazy poll choice.

Seriously, why would the interim even come if he knows that the entire deacon board opposed this? Is he a glutton for punishment or something?

• The outgoing pastor submits potential interim pastor candidates to the pulpit committee for consideration
• The pulpit committee creates a ministry description and remuneration package for the interim pastor to be presented to the church for approval
• The pulpit committee interviews the potential candidate(s) for interim pastor and brings the recommendation before the congregation for approval

Our church had to deal with our long-time pastor resigning about 9 years ago, and I was one of the ones on the pulpit committee. He did in fact give the pulpit committee some possible candidates for consideration for pastor, though not for interim, and we added them to our list. We did not in any way feel bound to accept any of them, and the pastor we eventually chose was not one on the departing pastor’s list. We also chose our own interim pastor.

Personally, I think it was entirely appropriate for him to give us a starting list, and it was welcomed, as I think everyone on the pulpit committee had never before had to select a new pastor, and it gave us some ideas on what types of men to consider, and how to contact possible pastors. We still respected the outgoing pastor, and we still have a relationship with him that’s on good terms, though he is no longer local and is pastoring another church.

Given any outgoing pastor is leaving that particular ministry, I don’t see how any choice he makes is bound to stick unless a majority of the congregation accept the new man and vote him in, either as interim or as the next pastor. If the congregation completely disregards the views of the deacons that they have also voted in and select a pastor that all the deacons are against, they have bigger issues to deal with.

Checked our church constitution and … it is silent on the matter.

Seems like the outgoing pastor foisting an interim pastor of his own choosing upon a church with congregational government would be quite irregular and dictatorial.