By Ken Schroeder Just a couple of weeks ago, someone asked me, “So how do you like being an interim pastor?” I responded, “I am not an interim pastor. I am a transitional pastor.” He gave me a look of incredulity and drilled down, “What’s the difference?” While the two terms appear to be interchangeable, the differences lie in the intentionality of the transitional pastor. An interim pastor fills the gap or vacancy caused by the departure of the previous pastor by generally preaching on Sundays and leading the Wednesday prayer meeting or service. He may provide some additional leadership, but generally he has no specific charge for him to lead the congregation. He may even be considered as the permanent pastor. With Transitional Pastoral Ministry, the congregation and the transitional pastor enter into a covenant relationship whereby the transitional pastor agrees to provide spiritual leadership to the church and lead the church throughout the transitional period. The church agrees to be loving and gracious to the transitional pastor and his family and to pray for spiritual power in his life and work. The church further promises to relate to him as a God’s anointed leader for the task, to support his leadership, and to … [Read more...]
All eyes are on Gordon
By Baptist Message Staff All eyes are on Tropical Storm Gordon. In a 10 a.m. update Tuesday, September 4, the National Hurricane Center said Gordon was moving toward the north Gulf of Mexico, and was located about 145 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Reports from separate NOAA and Air Force Reserve Unit flights monitoring the storm measured winds near 65 miles per hour with higher gusts. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials, along with others, have been closely monitoring the disturbance. "We are praying for the storm not to intensify," said Gibbie McMillan, Louisiana Baptists state disaster relief director. The New Orleans area remains under a tropical storm warning, though the warning has been discontinued for areas in Louisiana west of Grand Isle. A hurricane warning is in effect for the area from the mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida state border. The tropical storm warning for the area west of Grand Isle was discontinued Tuesday morning, but a tropical storm warning remains in effect from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. A storm surge watch is still in effect for the areas west of Shell Beach to the … [Read more...]