Interim ministers ease transition at island churches
New clergy search underway at Episcopal, Congregational churches
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
There are similarities in the search processes to find new clergy at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the First Congregational Church; the primary difference being that one search may be finalized by the end of the summer, while the other is just beginning.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent Rev. Eddy: "I'm more like the harbor pilot, not like the captain of the ocean liner."

The Rev. Joy Baumgartner arrived on Nantucket from Marco Island, Fla. in September to serve as interim minister at the First Congregational Church following the June departure of Rev. Mark Bruce. Although she is enjoying her experience here, she explained that interim ministers are not considered for the permanent positions. Instead, they maintain a church's schedule of regular weekly worship while assisting the church membership in analyzing and composing elements desired in a new pastor for the formal search procedure. Interim ministers continue their presence until the permanent role is filled.

"I love the church and I love the people," Rev. Baumgartner said. "I love it here and I love this congregation, but I am getting close to retirement age and I think the church needs a younger minister."

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent Rev. Joy Baumgartner"I am getting close to retirement age and I think the church needs a younger minister."

Rev. Baumgartner explained that the overall search process for the Congregational Church is in the preliminary stage and could take two to three years to complete. The mission begins with an analysis of all aspects of the church, what is and is not working well to meet the congregation's needs. Next, she will meet with small groups of church members to outline church goals and to assist in performing a demographic study of parishioners and update the membership list, which now numbers approximately 450 people who support the church year-round.

Once a church profile is created, members discuss in detail what kind of pastor will be needed to lead the church into the future. At that point, a search committee is formed, representing a spectrum of ages. The profile is sent to the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, where pastors seeking new churches are registered. Once names and resumes are gathered, the search committee reviews them and decides on about 10 they would like to interview. That number is whittled down after committee members visit the potential candidate's current church unannounced to listen to him/her preach, and to speak with people in the community as part of the comprehensive screening.

"It is usually a two-to-three-year process to find a senior minister," Rev. Baumgartner said. "You are going to be very careful to match the personality with the personality of the church."

The Rev. William Eddy arrived as interim minister at St. Paul's Church last March following the departure of senior rector Rev. Joel Ives in December 2006 which occurred a couple of months after associate rector Rev. Diane Wong left the island. St. Paul's senior warden Sam Daume said his church's strengths and weaknesses have already been discerned, and a search committee was appointed last spring. The church profile has been written and accepted by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the committee is nearing the juncture of accepting candidates' names. That aspect of the search is anticipated to last from February through early summer, with the possibility of choosing a permanent cleric by the end of summer 2008.

"This whole process usually takes a couple of years," said Daume, comparing it to searching for a school principal. "The big part of the process is the beginning, trying to figure out who you are."

Like Rev. Baumgartner, Rev. Eddy is happy to be serving the island community. However, while this is Rev. Baumgartner's first experience as an interim minister, Rev. Eddy is considered a "professional interim" who has assisted about 14 churches in transition, some more than once.

"I've been a rector a couple of times, but my style fits better with being an interim minister and meeting new people when they are at a stage in their church's life when it is most open," said Rev. Eddy who, with his wife Eileen, has a home in Falmouth and whose family is from Martha's Vineyard where he was ordained.

"I'm more like the harbor pilot, not like the captain of the ocean liner," he added. "I know what churches go through when they are in transition. Sometime this summer this church will choose its minister and I'll step off the bridge. It's not easy because you come to love a place. That's really hard. On the other hand, you get to know a place and its challenges and it becomes exciting. It is a deep privilege to be a parish priest guiding a church through a

transition." I