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An Order of Welcome for an Interim Pastor

 

by The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

 

         At the first service in which an Interim Pastor leads worship, the following may be used after the prelude and prior to the beginning of worship.

 

President of the Congregation Council:   People of God, the Rev. _________________________ has been appointed by the Office of the Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod to serve ___________________________________ Church as our Interim Pastor.  (A description of duties and days may be inserted here.)  We welcome him/her into our midst as a shepherd and guide for our ministry and thank him/her for his/her willingness to be with us during our time of transition.  Let us together ask God’s blessing’s on Pastor _________________ and upon the work that we will do together in Christ’s name.

 

The President or an Assisting Minister may offer the following prayer.

 

A:      Loving God, we thank you for sending this faithful pastor to be among us during this special time in the life of our church.  And we ask that you would empower him/her with your Holy Spirit that  his/her preaching and teaching may show forth your living presence, that his/her counsel might be blessed with wisdom and insight, and that all our work together may witness to the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

C:      Amen

 

A:      Pastor ___________________________,

C:      We welcome you into our family, and pray God’s blessing be upon you.

 

The Interim Pastor may wish to respond with a few informal remarks.

 

The service begins as is customary.