Here are 7 reasons why they shouldn’t:

1. It can short-circuit closure.
If the possibility exists of hiring the interim pastor, the closure process from the exit of the previous pastor may not go deep enough or last long enough. One church leader put it this way: “The churches I work with that ignored the stage of closure often continue to lament for years over the loss of ‘the best pastor we ever had.’ Or they struggle with anger and distrust for years because the former pastor did not finish well.”

2. It weakens the leadership of the interim pastor.
The minute an interim pastor becomes a candidate for senior pastor the interim pastor’s leadership is weakened. The interim pastor may lose the willingness to speak the truth in love because now he has something to lose. To be effective, interim pastors need to maintain objectivity in their work. This enables them to deal thoroughly with issues such as conflict, mistrust, and broken relationships.

3. It prevents deep congregational introspection during the transition.
Transitional ministry is focused on the congregation long before it’s focused on the next leader. If the congregation sees the interim leader as their next pastor, it prematurely takes the focus off the congregation and hinders the work that needs to be done during the transition.

4. Any house-cleaning residue will follow the new (formerly interim) pastor into his ministry.
If the interim pastor is called upon to do some house-cleaning, some of the memory and “residue” of that cleaning may still be attached to him. A separate senior pastor will be able to come in without any attachment to that cleaning process and be able to start with a clean slate.

5. The gifts and competencies are different.
Many of the leadership gifts and competencies required for a senior pastor are different from those required for an interim leader. The best senior pastors do not always make the best transitional leaders, and vice versa.

6. There may be a perceived conflict of interest.
One church conflict expert proposes a policy that says: “The Intentional Interim cannot and will not be a candidate for any leadership position in the church afterward. This policy is essential so the Intentional Interim can lead with trust, without any real or perceived conflict of interest.”

7. The church may be hiring an unintentional interim pastor.
When congregations hire the interim pastor as their next senior pastor, it often means they have short-circuited the transitional process. They have unfinished business, and they are not ready to commit to a new pastor. As a result, the new pastor may not last long. Research suggests, “If you don’t have an intentional interim, you may end up with an unintentional interim.”

Interim Pastor Ministries (IPM) pastors will, by contract, never be a candidate for the lead pastor position of the church they are serving as an interim. This allows the interim pastor to focus on the church’s future and not they own!

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