You introduced them as "the interim." That was a year and a half ago.
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They still don't get invited to the planning retreat. They still do the whole job. They're still carrying the same responsibilities as the person who left. But they still have that cheaper title—and the temporary status that comes with it.
If this scenario sounds familiar, it's time for an honest conversation about how we treat interim staff in the church.
It all started because you needed coverage. Someone left unexpectedly, or maybe it was planned but the timing was tight. The search was going to take time—you knew that—so you asked someone to step in.
"Can you do this on a short-term basis? Just interim, just so we're clear."
That sentence had a season in it. You both understood it was temporary. Maybe a couple of months, you thought. Three at the most.
Then it turned into six months. Then a year. And now here you are, 18 months later, and you're still introducing this person with that temporary word: interim.
The congregation heard "for now" so many times that it stopped meaning there was a clock attached to it. It started meaning something else entirely: this is someone doing real work that we will not name as real.
The planning retreat invitation went out last week. You gathered around the whiteboard with your key leaders, ready to map out the next season of ministry.
But one name wasn't on the list—the interim.
"Well, they're interim," you reason. "We don't want to lock anything in yet. It's just temporary."
Except it's been a year and a half. And the person who's been faithfully doing the job—preaching on Sundays, running the meetings, carrying the same hours as the person who left—isn't in the room where the job actually gets aimed.
They will execute your plan. Many times, they'll do it to a T without complaint. But they won't help write it.
That's not a temporary arrangement. That's a staff member you use and a decision you refuse.
And the staff person feels it. The team feels it.
You call it prudence—"we're just taking it one step at a time." But they experience it as a closed door with their title on it.
James 5:12 (ESV) - "But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation."
Our word should be reliable and clear. Indefinite non-answers erode trust and integrity.
Here's where it gets uncomfortable. Let me just cut through all the justifications: you kept the discount.
Interim pay. Interim benefits. Interim voice. But you gave them the full load.
They preach on Sundays. They run the staff meetings. They carry the same hours, the same pressure, the same expectations as the person who left 18 months ago. But you kept the cheaper line item in the budget "because we haven't decided yet."
Guess what? You decided.
You decided you like a whole job at a maybe price. And that's not stewardship, no matter how much we dress it up with spiritual language about "being careful" or "keeping our options open."
The church gets flexibility. The human gets a life they cannot plan—and no "we want you" affirmation they can take home to their family.
I understand why this happens. Really, I do.
You kept the interim title because you didn't want to over-promise. Maybe you thought a "maybe" was kinder than a "no." You thought keeping a search "in the air" meant you were being responsible and careful.
Those intentions are decent. I get it.
But here's the reality: caution that never picks a date is not care. It's a church that likes the exit door more than it values the human standing in it.
A maybe is a decision. You think you haven't chosen, but you have. Every month you leave someone in interim status without a closing date or clarity, you choose optionality. Every time you say "we're still in process," you choose your comfort over their clarity.
Process is a hallway, not a destination.
Eighteen months in a hallway is not a search process. It's a role you will not bless and will not end. And no one can do excellent work inside a maybe that you refuse to close.
Here's what else happens: you can't recruit well while you keep a ghost title on a real seat. Quality candidates see the situation and wonder what it says about how you treat people. Current staff members watch and take notes about their own job security.
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) - "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
People need clear direction to thrive. Ambiguity and lack of vision causes people to wither spiritually and professionally.
Stop treating the word "interim" like it's a kindness. It's time to make a decision.
You have three honest options:
Say the yes. Change the title. Put them on the planning retreat list. Pay the real salary for the real seat. Give them the security and affirmation they've earned through 18 months of faithful service.
If this truly isn't the right long-term fit, be honest. Thank them sincerely for their service. Name a last Sunday. Stop using a person you will not keep. Help them transition well and with dignity.
Not "this fall." Not "sometime in Q4." A specific date. A Tuesday when the board will vote. A Sunday when the maybe dies one way or the other. Tell them the date to their face so they can write it down and plan accordingly.
If you cannot pick one of these three options, you've already picked the fourth: the maybe. The church likes the optionality. The human is living in it.
An interim title after 18 months is not caution. It's a maybe you like and a person you will not bless.
Your staff members—all of them—deserve better than living in perpetual limbo. They deserve leaders who can look them in the eye and give them a clear yes, a gracious no, or at minimum, a specific date when they'll know.
This week, pick one interim situation in your church. Then pick one of the three options: hire them, end it, or put a date on the calendar.
Stop the maybe. Your people are worth the courage that decision requires.
Whether you're dealing with interim positions, succession planning, or difficult staffing decisions, we're here to help your church gain clarity. Our team at Chemistry Staffing has walked hundreds of churches through these exact situations.
Reach out to us at podcast@chemistrystaffing.com and let's talk about how we can help.
Want to assess the overall health of your church staff? Take our free 2026 Healthy Church Staff Assessment at churchstaffassessment.com.
This article is based on Episode 714 of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast with Todd Rhoades. Listen to the full episode for more insights on building healthy church teams.