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Rev. Russell Feroe begins his Interim Ministry with First Presbyterian Church, Hartford as of August 2, 2009. Russ has served a variety of churches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, from large suburban to small urban, most recently two interim positions in Westchester County, New York. His interest is in urban congregations facing the challenges of trying to continue faithful ministry in their cities.
Home History of Interim Search February- July 2009
Page last updated 07/27/2009
History of the Interim Process February - July 2009 Exec. Presbyter
Dana Lindsley's Comments Delivered February 2009:
"So a new chapter begins! One era in the life of this congregation has
ended, and we are about to launch into something new. Which is exciting and scary at the same time. It is energizing to think of what might be
new and different. But it is also a bit
daunting to go into this time without a clear idea of what God has in mind for
you. I am glad to be with you
today when you start this chapter. As
one who has been a pastor, been an interim, been a consultant to congregations
in change, and now being the executive of your Presbytery I come here today to
share three things with you: ·
To say something about
the challenging road ahead. ·
To encourage you with
the gifts and graces you already have to successfully navigate this journey. ·
To share with you some
lessons of a fellow traveler. The interim time for
congregations has often been compared to the Exodus journey … the moving from one
life in Egypt, through the wilderness, to a new life in a promised land. This is a helpful image to describe the
story you will be living. ·
A life has now ended in
the retirement of Terry. Though some of
you may have been quite ready for this ending, it nevertheless is filled with
loss for some people. And there will
for some time be a nagging feeling of wanting to go back to the comfort and
familiarity of that time. ·
There is also a sense of
great promise for what is coming. The
opportunities seem wide open for new things.
This is surely true, but, the way ahead will not be easy. You are entering a wilderness. And you will hunger for stability, thirst
for a pastor, and yearn for an end to uncertainty. There will be no quick solutions to the financial stress you are
under here in this congregation, or in the sense of heavy burden that many of
your leaders have been feeling … and these will continue to be troubling to you. ·
What it will take is
persistence, patience, and a trust that as God has led you in the past, so God
will lead you in the future, feed you when you are in need, and provide the
leaders necessary for the challenges ahead. In other words, this is not
just a time to seek a new identity and find a new pastor … it is a spiritual
journey you are on that provides you with the marvelous opportunity to grow as
God’s people and to deepen your faith in the God of Abraham, Sarah, Moses and
Aaron. In some ways I am envious of
what lies ahead for you … it can be so enriching! You have what it takes to get
through this journey! You’ve done it
before. Many other congregations have
as well. You’ve given yourself a huge jump-start
with the Revitalization Team and partnership with the Presbytery and Ann
Philbrick. You are far ahead of other
congregations in the same stage of this journey. You may want to know that I
have received inquiries from pastors who are interested in serving as either
your interim or your next installed pastor.
I’m not just saying this to encourage you. Far more pastors have called me about Hartford than any other
church without a pastor. People want to
serve with you. They see great
potential in this congregation and in the mission opportunities in
Hartford. You will have no lack of
options for calling just the right pastor for you. Thanks be to God! Your situation is filled with
hope. You have huge assets at your
disposal that so many other congregations do not have. You are open. You are diverse. You are
international. You are engaged in
mission. You are unique. In fact, you remind a lot of us in the
Presbytery of Providence Church in Rhode Island. They too were small, had huge financial difficulties, were
declining in most indicators, and people had left because the future was
bleak. But Providence is now our
fastest growing congregation, full of vitality, and health and very exciting
ministries. They look at you and say, “You
can do it too!” And, they have offered
to share the story of their journey with you … in case their journey can be of
help to you. In other words you have some
partners out there in other Presbyterian congregations, in the Presbytery that
will do anything to keep this witness in Hartford alive, and especially in the
God who called you, claimed you as his own, led you in your past journeys, and
loves you with a heart that aches for your growth and life. So … you have what it takes
to get through this challenging journey. And what can this time look
like? I think you know some of the
answers to that. You can’t afford to
stay still and wait for either the interim or a new pastor. The bank account won’t let you do that. So, free from the past you now can
experiment even more than you have been doing.
You can dream outside of the box and actually live outside the box. You can and must take risks and do things
churches have never done before. This
all sounds terribly exciting to me. Of
course, it means the loss of some things that you cherish, and will mean some
serious and challenging conversations among you. But that is all part of journeying in the wilderness toward the promised
land. They say that Israel
discovered who it was in the wilderness.
And so will you. You will be
something new. The dynamics have
changed. The landscape has
shifted. You cannot wait until you
reach the end of this journey to decide what kind of congregation you will
be. That must start happening now. Before the interim, before the new pastor,
before the promised land is reached.
Who you are, what ministry you will be doing, what kind of congregation
you will be shall define who the new pastor will be… not the other way
around. Discovering your new identity
and mission is the first and most important work of this chapter of your
journey. The Presbytery is delighted
to be a partner with you. You are already
tapping ministers of the Presbytery to preach, to visit, to moderate your
session, to be a liaison with the larger church. You have used the skills of a Presbyterian consultant in Ann
Philbrick and the Church Development Committee. We will be praying for you, sending you names of candidates, and
holding you up as one of our most important churches in mission.
Pastoral Care: The Interim Search Committee has proposed a system to address pastoral needs. The session and deacons will be particularly concerned during this interim, yet we also know that there are times when a situation specifically calls for a skilled pastor. Please contact Gretchen Fuchs at her home (860) 231-7088 if you have an emergency and need pastoral care. She will co-ordinate with one of our “on call” clergy. The Interim Search Committee members are Ed Carty, Sue Corrigan, Mildred McNeill and Alice Evans. Pastors Seeking Interim Position: The church is ready to receive interim PIF’s (Pastor Information Forms). Anyone interested in the position should send his or her information to Mildred Mc Neill at mcneill@hartford.edu.
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