(Virtual) The Art of Transitional Ministry

Name: (Virtual) The Art of Transitional Ministry
Start: 2025-08-10
End: 2025-08-15
Location: Montreat Conference Center

August 10–15, 2025 AdultContinuing EducationVirtual

Sponsored by Montreat Conference Center, in cooperation with the Transitional Ministry Consortium.

This virtual offering is for Week One only. Week Two and Spouse Track are offered in-person only. Please register by July 10. Registration will close at the end of the day.

We ask that you consider this option if there are other reasons that travel and housing/meals with those outside of your immediate family are of concern. Attending the event in person is definitely better because of the community (and being in Montreat!), but the faculty will do our best to allow you to build community online.

Leading a congregation and faith community through transition is challenging and rewarding. It is recognized both in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and in other denominations as a specialized ministry. It takes knowledge, skill, resilience, and spiritual strength to navigate the waters of transition in a way that allows a congregation and its leaders to be open to possibilities, go deeper, and thrive. Curious about what it takes to be a transitional pastor? Energy, the ability to understand you are not the quick fix, or healer or change agent that will come in and in two years turn a church around and are willing to let the spirit lead using intelligence love and imagination.

The Art of Transitional Ministry offers education in the skills and understanding necessary for leading a congregation and faith community in transition. Week One is designed for persons curious about reflecting on practice, those already engaged in transitional / interim ministry, those who are considering serving in transitional settings, and members of Presbytery staffs, Committees on Ministry, and comparable representatives from denominations beyond the PC(USA).

Basic Transitional Ministry Education consists of 60 contact hours plus a practicum. The contact hours are divided equally between two residency weeks: Week I (30 hours) and Week II (30 hours), separated by a practicum that combines reflection on, and experience in, some aspect of interim/transitional ministry.

Looking to register for the in-person Art of Transitional Ministry seminar? Visit the page here.

Leadership

Kevin Buchanan – Lead Teacher

Kevin has been ordained since 1980 and began as a consultant for youth ministry for the Presbytery of South Florida, serving two congregations as youth minister. From there, he served as a solo pastor and an associate pastor in Missouri, Oregon, and California. When he married Astrid in 2002, he served in transitional ministry at congregations in San Leandro, San Rafael, Windsor, Turlock, and San Anselmo, California. He served in long term transitional ministry (otherwise known as installed) in Marshfield, Wisconsin. After his service at Marshfield, Kevin served at transitional positions at Central Presbyterian Church in Terre Haute, Indiana, Woodland Presbyterian Church in Woodland, California, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Yuba City, California, and at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Sue Krummel

Sue is an honorably retired member of Great Rivers Presbytery. She has served as pastor of congregations from 30 to 1300 members and in almost every role in which a pastor can serve, including Interim Head of Staff; Interim Pastor; and Interim Associate Pastor. She also served Mid Councils and the General Assembly as Executive Presbyter, Stated Clerk, Co-Executive and Clerk, and Director of Mid Council Relations. She has extensive training in conflict management and enjoys helping groups find ways to get unstuck. Outside of ministry, Sue tends a large perennial garden, loves puzzles of all kinds, and is an avid ballroom dancer. She has recently discovered a love for fishing—especially when it involves time with her six grandchildren. Sue is also active in community theater and volunteers regularly with children.

Week One

Intro to Transitional Ministry

*Offered in person at Montreat and online during the program.

Week 1 is for pastors or congregational leaders serving or considering serving congregations in the midst of transitions in leadership, culture, context, and ministry. You will be introduced to best practices in transitional ministry:

Entering the congregation and community
Getting to know the church and community
Identifying the congregation’s strength and growing edges
Assuming responsibility for assisting the congregation in moving toward a vibrant future
Leaving the congregation in a healthy and appropriate way

We know that a number of participants attend this event as part of the discernment process to help know if God is calling them to this ministry. We also know that a number of participants attend this program because it’s just good continuing education, and you learn a lot of things that will help you wherever your ministry takes you.

Registration

Registration Procedure

Registrations for must be made by July 10 in order to be accepted. The date is required because of advance reading and other work which must be completed before your attendance at the event. If you feel you can accomplish the work after the dates listed and before the event, please call for an exception at 828.419.9810.

Seminar Fee

	On or Before July 1	After July 1
Online Participation	$475	$500
Clergy couples desiring to participate must register individually.

Refund Policy

Registrations cancellations must be received by July 1 in order to receive a refund. The $100 deposit is non-refundable. All requests must be in writing and received via email, fax or US mail. Cancellations received by July 1 will receive a refund of all funds paid, minus the $100 deposit. Cancellations received between July 1 and August 3 will receive a 50% refund of conference fees. No refunds will be issued after August 3.

Contact Us

Questions about the seminar?
Email Tracy Taylor Bailey at tracyb@montreat.org or call 828.419.9810.

Questions about registration?
Email Justin Kyremes-Parks at justinkp@montreat.org or call 828.419.9829.

Our dates don't work for you? See other opportunities here: https://www.transitionalministryeducation.net/

FAQ

When will the event be held?

August 10 - August 15, 2025. Plan to bring your lunch and eat with the group during the lunch break/social time. This will help to build community and learn from each other.

In what time zone will the meeting be?

The webinar times will be noted in Eastern Time.

What is the cost for Virtual Participation?

The Virtual conference will cost $475 on or before July 1 and $500 after July 1.

After I register, how will I access the platform?

As we get closer to the start of the event, an email will be sent to all virtual participants. Included in that email will be instructions to join the Zoom Webinar on the days of the event. We will also send two reminder emails prior to the webinar. Those emails will include the Zoom log-in credentials as well.

What online meeting platform is being used for the webinar?

All sessions will be held online via Zoom Webinar.

What am I committing to?

The Transitional Ministry Basic Education program is designed to the meet the guidelines of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This program includes weekly contact hours via Zoom and weekly preparation time. We expect participants to:

attend all scheduled sessions,
complete the assigned work in preparation for the class, and
finish work assigned during the program.

Attendance for all contact hours is necessary to receive a certificate of completion.

We recommend you give yourself personal gathering time prior to class and time for reflection after class. Multiple hours on Zoom often makes us tired, and we want you to make space for reflective self-care.

Technical Concerns

You can read about Zoom, its requirements, and how to download it prior to the webinar on the Zoom webpage. Once downloaded, you are able to test the Zoom application to ensure that it works properly on your device. The recommended browser for Zoom is Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are already a Zoom user, as a best practice, visit Zoom and click the download button prior to the webinar to update to the most current version of Zoom.

I am having technical issues with Zoom and I cannot join the webinar – what do I do?

If you experience any technical issues prior to or during the webinar, please email tracyb@montreat.org.

Can I connect from a mobile device?

The platform is accessible on a mobile device and formatted to that experience. The experience on a mobile device will look slightly different than the experience on a computer.

My video streaming is slow and I'm experiencing a bad connection - what can I do?

In general, if you’re connecting over wireless Internet and experiencing a poor video connection, constant rebuffering, or other issues during video playback, try the following:

Disconnect from any networks and close out of all other applications on your computer.
Move your wireless router to a more central location of your home or to an elevated surface or move your computer closer to the router.
Use a hardline Internet connection if available.

What are my options if these dates don’t work for me?

See other opportunities here: https://www.transitionalministryeducation.net/