The Art of Transitional and Interim Ministry
Weeks One and Two

October 13-17, 2014
Erdman Center, Continuing Education
Princeton Theological Seminary

To register for Week One, click here.
To register for Week Two, click here.

For multiple reasons, in various times of their histories, congregations will face times of transition. Ministry and mission by congregations are particularly challenged today by fast pace of social and economic change of the context they serve, whether it is urban, suburban, or rural.

The Art of Transitional and Interim Ministry seeks to be a space for learning and encouragement for pastoral leaders engaged or discerning a vocation with congregations in transition and interim periods. This week long program will provide foundations and skills in the areas of:

• Biblical and Theological foundations for ministry of transition
• Engagement with systems – theory, reflection, and praxis
• Adaptive change and adaptive leadership
• Ethics of transitional leadership

This program is divided in two levels, offered simultaneously:

Week One

Offers basic skills for ministers discerning or just beginning transitional or interim ministry. Participants will explore the unique dynamics of congregations in transition, the work of an intentional interim pastor as leader in the transitional period, and relationships with judicatories. Registration is limited to 36 participants.

Week Two

An advanced program that seeks to broaden and build upon skills acquired during Week 1 and from hands-on transitional ministry. Participants will engage in group reflection and learning grounded in the specific practice of transitional and interim ministries. Participants must present proof of completion of a Week 1 within five years, and to be currently serving as an interim pastor or in a transitional congregational ministry. Registration is limited to a minimum of seven participants, and maximum of 12 participants.

This event is an ecumenical training program offered in partnership with the Synod of the Northeast (PCUSA). The curriculum follows the standards of the Interim Ministry Educational Consortium.

Faculty

 Paul Rhebergen has been a pastor in the Presbyterian Church,(USA) for thirty-seven years, serving in a variety of church settings that range from small yoked congregations in rural New York to large multiple-staff settings in suburban and metropolitan areas. For the past twenty-three years he has served as an interim pastor in eleven different congregations, in seven different presbyteries. With advanced training in systems theory, conflict management, and working with churches following clergy sexual misconduct, he has been a part of the Consortium’s Transitional Ministry Faculty since 2008. He began his twelfth transitional ministry position with the First Presbyterian Church of Ewing, NJ in October. Paul is married to the Rev. Dr. Marianne Rhebergen. They are the parents of three adult daughters.

Shelaine Bird is a Birmingham native, having returned home after pastoring churches in Arizona and Michigan. She studied Psychology and Christian Education at Presbyterian College and focused on Homiletics (preaching) and Biblical Studies at Columbia Theological Seminary. Ordained in 2003, she has focused on transitional ministry since 2011, working with congregations in the midst of change. She serves on the faculty of the Association of Presbyterian Interim Ministry Specialists, and will lead workshops this summer in Montreat and Princeton on the rise of church mergers in today’s religious landscape

Karen Hernandez–Granzen has been the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Trenton, NJ for over 19 years, and currently serves as the co-chair of New Brunwick Presbytery’s Urban Mission Cabinet. She was a PCUSA delegate to the World Council of Churches in 1998, in Zimbabwe. Since 2011, she is the Chaplain/Coordinator of Bethany Presbyterian House of Hospitality. She is a sought out teacher and leader for clergy training in the areas of Multicultural and Urban Ministry. She is married to the Rev. Dr. Michael Granzen, and the mother of Mikaella and Olivia.

Gavin Meek has served in ordained ministry for almost 25 years, almost 15 years in interm/transitional ministry, serving 7 congregations in 6 states. He has been a part of the interim ministry faculty for over 5 years and has taught at Montreat, Union Seminary in Richmond, Princeton and NYC. He is presently serving as the Interim Pastor in Katonah, New York and a member of Hudson River Presbytery.

Registration Requirements

The cost of this program is $455, inclusive of program and meals. There is information on accommodations when you register for Week 1 or Week 2. Please read the Registration and Cancellation Policy. Participation in the entire program is necessary for certification.

To register for Week One, click here.
To register for Week Two, click here.