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Hartford, CT
06106
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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.
History of Interim Search February- July 2009
Page last updated 07/20/2010
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: v
To say
something about the challenging road ahead. v
To encourage
you with the gifts and graces you already have to successfully navigate this
journey. v
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. v
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. v
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. v
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." Delivered during worship Feb. 8, 2009.
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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