Church Health

There have always been pastors and churches in transition, regardless of which appointment system was in operation at the time.  Once a local church is in transition, a board-approved Transition Team (TT) works to provide focus and stability, develops a church profile and pastor’s job description and works in consultation with the Sr. Director of Church Health and the Director of Ministerial Formations to hire a pastor who is a good fit for the local church and the denomination.  After receiving resumes, conducting interviews and selecting a pastor, the Church Board Chairperson sends a request to the Director of Ministerial Formation (cc Bishop) for that pastor to be appointed by the conference, and in turn the Director of Ministerial Formation presents that recommendation to the Ministerial Education Guidance and Placement (MEGaP) committee for approval, after which the selected pastor is appointed.

At some point in the pastor’s ministry career, he or she will find themselves in transition, whether it is between pastoral appointments at local churches, going into transition without a new pastoral position or transitioning to retirement.  The Transitions Handbook for Pastors is designed to be a helpful resource during the process.