By Pastor John Hulden
I’ve been blessed to work with dozens of first call pastors. I’ve also visited with many call committees pondering calling a new seminary graduate. To get a congregation in the mindset of bringing someone new on board, I often ask: “Who helped you in your first, major, full-time job?”
My hands down favorite answer to that question came from a soon-to-be-retired science teacher in North Dakota. His first teaching job right out of college was forty years earlier in a small town in far northwestern North Dakota. This was back in the day when male teachers were expected to wear a suit coat and tie.
“The first day I showed up,” this teacher recalled, “the custodian at the school took a look at me, pulled me aside and said, ‘Buddy, let me help you tie that tie.’.” What a gracious gesture to a rookie teacher! I can picture this new teacher walking into school with a badly tied tie and that deer-in-the-headlights look of a first day on the job. The custodian to the rescue.
Every new job has its unique challenges, and starting work at a church is no different.
Years ago, when I was a seminary student, somehow, someway there was talk of an unwritten rule that the out-going pastor and the in-coming pastor shouldn’t talk to each other—ever. I went along with that advice, until … after talking to pastor friends and my two older brothers (both are pastors) … we started asking “Why?”.
Why not encourage a handoff of important things to know at a congregation. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that Minnie is deaf in one ear when you bring her Holy Communion, and that you always knock on the back door when you visit Ralph? I mean, even an outgoing US President writes a letter to the incoming President and puts it in on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
Pastor Chris (left) and Pastor Ashley (right)
I saw a great example of two pastors having a healthy relationship and boundaries when I was at a congregational visit a few weeks back. Not so much about the hand off from one pastor to another, but how we as rostered leaders can show we are really on the same team.
Several years ago, Pastor Chris Bellefeuille served in our synod at Valley of Peace in Golden Valley. She grieved leaving Valley of Peace when she accepted a call to serve a congregation in the Saint Paul Area Synod. Pastor Bellefeuille did what is expected after a pastor leaves, she didn’t say yes when her previous parishioners reached out about baptisms and weddings and funerals. She let the new pastor, Pastor Ashley Osborn, be the pastor at Valley of Peace and form all those important relationships.
Pastor Chris retired a few months ago, so Pastor Ashley invited Pastor Chris to worship at Valley of Peace. At the end of worship, Pastor Chris was invited up front for a blessing and to share a few words so her former congregation could celebrate her ministry at Valley of Peace. Lovely.
Same Team. Church Together.