The Joy of In-Between

After a church leader with long tenure, it is often helpful for someone to serve in-between the outgoing and incoming leader; otherwise, like an organ transplant that goes awry, pastors and churches can struggle to bond to the new leader. As a bonus, an interim can look at a ministry context with “fresh eyes” as useful perspective for the incoming leader.

After 20 years of excellent service, Perry Engle concluded as bishop of the Pacific Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church (U.S.) in April, 2022. National Director Alan Robinson carried on through July. At that point, I was recruited from Pennsylvania to serve for a year as interim bishop for the 18 churches of the conference, 13 in southern in California, one in the Central Valley, and four in Oregon.

Alan outlined the assignment. Perry gave me a comprehensive orientation. I talked with all of the pastors. I visited all of the churches, often with my wife, Connie. I met with the Board of Directors. From these conversations, as the Spirit highlighted them, I developed a sense of what could be helpful.

As appropriate aims for an interim, I worked at normal, ongoing tasks of caring for pastors, churches, and ministries. With churches still recovering from the stresses of the Covid pandemic, I endeavored to strengthen community and solidarity among them so that the incoming bishop could actively cast vision, nurture health, and pursue mission.

For the previous seven years, Steve Airth facilitated a strong equipping cohort called Growing Healthy Churches, serving pastors with missional strategy, coaching, and relational connections. Alan Claassen Thrush, John Arthur Brubaker, and Peter Song were instrumental in shaping a second initiative to assist pastors and prospective pastors needing ministerial credentials. Alan and John, along with Terry Brensinger, Bill Donner, Nick Hankins, and Ryan Showalter served as teachers and mentors at six monthly seminars.

To assist Spanish-language churches, Domingo Fernando, Tino Flores, and Frank Juarez collaborated with me to plan two events: a day of training with Bishop Aner Morejon, bishop of the BIC Southeastern Conference, coming from Haileah, Florida, and an evening of fellowship and bilingual worship.

As the year ended, Connie and I rejoiced in pastors faithfully and fruitfully leading churches in worship, community, discipleship, and mission. We were encouraged by the resurgent health and strength of churches. We delighted in the reengagement of outlying churches in common endeavors. And we celebrated the appointment of a tested, proven, and capable new bishop, Bill Donner.

During this in-between year, Connie (who grew up in southern California) and I enjoyed renewing relationships with family and friends; days at the beach, mountains, and desert; driving trips to Oregon and back, once along the California coast, and (apart from June gloom) basking in the climate of southern California.

Back home now in Pennsylvania, we miss the diversity, energy, and potential of the Pacific Conference. Yet with joy, we anticipate a good season ahead for the pastors, churches, and ministries of the conference under the leadership of Bishop Bill.