What Does An Interim Consultant Do (And How Do They Go About It)?
12 min 28s
As fewer congregations are able to afford a full-time trained Interim Minister, working with an Interim Consultant on a part-time basis is proving to be an effective way that congregations in transition can have access to the change leadership skills and knowledge so valuable during such times. In this second of two podcasts about the emerging role of the Interim Consultant, Rev. Dr. Ruth Shaver shares from her direct experience serving in this role in this episode titled, “What Does An Interim Consultant Do, and How Do They Go About It?”
How an Interim Consultant (IC) does their work;
How might an IC work with the leadership of the congregation?
When & how does an IC typically begin working with a congregation? With its Transition Team and/or Pastor Search Team?
Some of the tools the IC may use to guide their work with the congregation: Church Profile, History exercises, Appreciative Inquiry, etc.
Rev. Dr. Ruth E. Shaver is an Intentional Interim and Transitional Ministry Specialist in the United Church of Christ. In that role, she has served four congregations as Intentional Interim Pastor, most recently the newly formed Covenant Partnership of Lakeville United Church of Christ in Lakeville, Massachusetts, and North Congregational Church United Church of Christ in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Shaver is an Interim Consultant in the Southeast Region of the Southern New England Conference, a role that is developing as the need for such consultants grows. She is also the Moderator of the Old Colony Association.
Shaver is the Academic Dean of PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. (www.pathwaystheological.org), a non-seminary education program for lay leaders, candidates for ministry, and clergy seeking continuing education. PATHWAYS is the online education partner for PROJECT PROCLAIM, an innovative preaching program of the Southern New England Conference developed as part of the Lilly Foundation’s Compelling Preaching Grant.
Rev. Dr. Shaver is a faculty member of the Interim Ministry Network and serves as a member of the Manual on Local Church rollout team for the United Church of Christ. She is a past Fellow of Sinai and Synapses (2017-2019 cohort). She holds a Doctor of Ministry (I Wonder: Scientific Exploration and Experimentation as a Practice of Christian Faith) from Lancaster Theological Seminary, a Masters of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Soviet and East European Studies from Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies (then in the College of Liberal Arts). Shaver resides in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where she roots for Boston sports teams, cooks, reads, and enjoys every opportunity to visit museums and go kayaking with friends.
For questions about interim ministry, you can reach her at revdrruthucc@icor1348.com.
For questions about PATHWAYS, RuthShaver@PATHWAYSTheological.org.
You can also call or text her at (814) 206-8192.
For more information about PROJECT PROCLAIM, please visit https://www.sneucc.org/projectproclaim.
- Recorded in July 2024
- Listen to more from Rev. Dr. Ruth Shaver
