Clergy transitions are some of the most important events in the life of a congregation and can have a profound effect on a congregation’s future. We focus on developing and strengthening congregations and helping priests and congregations discern calls. Development tasks of the transition period (before search process) are:
Understanding the shifting context congregations face today
Discovering a new and continuing identity (“Who is God calling us to be now?”)
Strengthening lay leadership
Dealing with conflicts
Creating a sustainable financial plan
We intentionally shape our clergy transition processes to help identify appropriate leaders (including priest-developers) and several of our congregations which cannot afford full time clergy have chosen to invest in full- or part-time priests for three years to help work on growth.
Search Process
For the Diocesan transition manual, please download Reaching Out for What Lies Ahead. Please contact Jim Gettel (jgettel@edomi.org) as early as possible about beginning any clergy transition.
The Diocese of Michigan is dealing with the significant challenges of clergy transitions in The Episcopal Church today. More than half of all calls in The Episcopal Church are part-time. Many of our congregations do not have full time clergy. Several of our congregations are working on revitalization and growing into being able to support a part-time or full-time priest. Some smaller congregations have chosen to invest in part-time priests for three years to help them work on growth.