For Clergy Preparing to Retire or Leave a Parish
A few helpful hints for ending the pastoral relationship, allowing time to say good-bye, making a clean break, and making room for the transition to new ministerial leadership.
1. Do not announce too soon that you are leaving. For many, the announcement is the end of the pastoral relationship and any effect the clergy person might have on future plans of the parish. Allow four Sundays between the announcement and departure.
2. Leave nothing for the next Rector to care of. If you believe it needs to be done, then do it. Too many new clergy have been sunk by things left undone. "Let him fire the organist." "Let her deal with the secretary." "I’ll leave that problem for fresh eyes." Fresh eyes will not have the background to solve the problem.
3. Leave a notebook. Not a book of how to do this or that, but where to find this or that. Advice, the next person will have plenty of, but he/she would appreciate knowing where things are. (Examples: where the nativity sets are kept, where credit is available, what banks are used, where to get one's hair cut, who’s a good dentist is in town, the best coffee shop for a meeting, and where to get decent Chinese take-out.)
4. Leave all the suggestions about what should happen in the future to those who will have to live with it. Sage advice should be given when one is still involved in the parish.
5. Never be involved in choosing your successor. Period.
6. Let people say good-bye. There is nothing worse than having a priest leave a parish without a party, a service or any way of saying thank you or thank God. Either is important and who knows, someone might give you something nice and give you their blessings. Whether loved or despised, people have to say good-bye. It is part of your ministry to allow this to happen
7. Make sure the congregation understands the process that will take place to fill this vacancy, and give them hints on how to welcome the new clergy and his/her household.
8. Once you say good-bye, leave it at that. Any solicitation for advice, except from the new clergy person, should be referred to the current ministers. Don’t engage as a listening partner to gripes about the new priest.
9. If at all possible (difficult in small towns with one Episcopal church), leave town to worship. A year is good before returning, and return only if/when invited. If you stay in town, supply in other places, if possible. Talk with the new clergy before returning and abide by their wishes and needs.
The Rev. Canon Richard H. Callaway
Canon to the Ordinary
RHC+1.08 adapted from sources
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