Hope for the Future
“Over twelve years ago now, it was my privilege to follow a Titus Interim into the pulpit and ministry of Manzanita Baptist Church.
I was told the church had been swept clean, all the cobwebs and difficulties had been taken care of, and that when I arrived on the scene I was to hit the ground running because the church was ready and poised for new leadership and growth.
I have been running ever since. Thank God for a church that knew it was in trouble and needed a full time intentional interim to address issues that had remained untouchable for years.
Thank God for a passionate godly couple who knew what to do and went about doing it with a sense of Biblical wisdom, purpose and excellence.
Thank God for a church willing to be taught, counseled, rebuked, and led into the future with a new sense of purpose and direction.
It took great courage and wisdom for this church to admit the need for outside help. I am one of Titus’ most vocal cheerleaders because we have personally benefited directly from a carefully laid out plan, set before the leadership as well as the people, to get the church back to health and a future hope.
After close to forty years of ministry, Manzanita was a church in trouble, in decline, and in conflict, now MBC is approaching its fiftieth year of ministry and our church fellowship is still healthy and looking with more hope than ever to the future.
I whole heartily recommend Titus.”
Pastor Peter A. Ernst,
Manzanita Baptist Church
Manzanita, CA
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Headed for an Interim Pastorate |
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While Titus Ministries does not place intentional interim pastors, we do offer training seminars for pastors who are interested in this type of ministry.
Remember--intentional interim pastoral ministry isn't for everyone! It seems to best fit people with the following characteristics/life situations:
- "Life paramedics"- those who see a crisis and jump in with both feet... without thinking twice!
- Problem-solvers- those who see a problem as an opportunity for improvement.
- Visionaries- those who can see beyond the details of any situation and get a feel for how those details affect the future.
- Recently retired pastors.
- Seminary graduates wanting to perfect skills with additional training and coaching/mentoring before taking a permanent position.
- Any pastor who doesn't mind short-term stints in ministry and is able (and open to) moving around quite a bit.
Interestingly enough, a number of interims trained by Titus are also paramedics or fire fighters. These are the kind of men who willingly jump into burning buildings. And that is, in some situations, a fairly good description of what interim ministry can look like.
If the following describe you, then intentional interim ministry is probably not a good fit:
- You get bogged down easily with details to the demise of the big picture.
- You are easily hurt by what others say about you.
- You would rather follow than lead.
- You have failed to successfully lead a church as a senior pastor yourself.
- You fail to complete tasks because you get tired or find another endeavor more interesting.
The qualifications for interim pastoral minsitry are, of course, the same as those for pastoral ministry (1 Timothy 3:1-7 ; Titus 1:5-9 ). However, the characteristics for being an intentional interim go beyond the typical senior or associate pastor. This is truly a special calling, and not one to enter into lightly.
If you believe that you have the blend of gifts and abilities to conduct intentional interim ministry, you need to attend one of our training seminars. Please refer to the "Upcoming Events " page to view the list of available seminars and how to register. You can also register for a seminar on our home page .
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