Thank you for your congregation’s faithful and generous sharing of mission support with the synod and churchwide expressions of the ELCA during July 2024. 

One of those ways we are church together is through the support and guidance we offer to congregations when they are between called ministers and to the interim ministers who serve those congregations. 

Pastor Jen Hackbarth has served calls in two congregations, including Christ the King in White Bear Lake, where she ministered for 13 years. She also served as an interim pastor before and between those calls. But since early 2022, Jen has focused solely on interim ministry, serving Our Savior’s, Circle Pines; Easter, Eagan; and Gloria Dei, St. Paul. She is currently the interim pastor at St. Mark in Circle Pines.

”I find the topic of transition endlessly fascinating,” Jen said. “In my pastoral calls, I also benefitted from the excellent work of interim pastors that paved the way for my ministry. It’s my prayer that my interim work will also benefit pastors and congregations after my interim service at a congregation is completed.”

Jen is continually learning new systems, meeting new people and witnessing how God is working in the church at large. “I delight in connecting with different types of congregations and learning about their particular traditions and styles,” Jen noted. “I also appreciate the gift of perspective that interim ministry gives me, especially discovering the ways congregations struggle with similar joys and concerns, no matter the size or context.”

Jen is grateful for the synod’s support of its interim ministers. Each month, interims and synod staff gather for support, learning and worship. Once per year, this group meets with interim ministers from the Minneapolis Area Synod for a learning event. This is in addition to monthly reports interim ministers give to the synod and many conversations over coffee.

The synod accompanies congregations through each step of the call process, from saying goodbye to the leaving minister to working with the call committee as it selects its final candidate. Helping a congregation through a transition is a team effort between the synod, interim and congregational leadership.

Jen noted, “The interim time is challenging, but it can also be a time of rich learning, growth, and strengthened relationships if a congregation engages the process. It’s tempting to rush through the interim time and find a new leader quickly. However, the transition work allows a congregation to move forward and embrace a new leader while honoring its past.” She added, “Taking a few months to step back and evaluate a congregation’s history, goals and future before calling a new pastor has lasting benefits.”

“Interim pastors work hard to bond quickly with congregations and we give a bit of our hearts to each one,” Jen said. “Completing my work with a congregation fills me with mixed emotions. I grieve leaving people I’ve connected with, and I grieve that I won’t be with them as they embrace their new future. Yet I also rejoice in their steps forward in Christ with new leadership.” She reflected, “It’s gratifying to know I’ve been a small part of helping a congregation move forward with hope in a challenging time.”

Your mission support helps us be church together as we accompany congregations and interim ministers during times of transition. Thank you!