Testimonials
What Other Church Leaders Are Saying
Do you wonder what it’s like to have an IPM pastor? Learn first-hand from these testimonials by church leaders. They share how IPM walked their church through transition to a new season of ministry.
IPM brings consistency to the pulpit and the leadership of the church. They work with the church to uncover issues that need to be dealt with. The IPM interim is going to help you understand where your church has been. He’s going to help you understand where your church is and where you want it to go.
They’re intentional. They’re trained. And they have a plan—a proven pathway during a time of transition. They’re experienced, they’re pastoral, and yet they’re strategic. IPM comes alongside the leadership of the church and its members to both assure them that God still has a plan for them and to work with them to find out what that next step might be.
They helped us reexamine our ministry areas: what’s not working, what needs to go, and what needs to change. They also helped us with some staffing issues. But most of all, they laid the groundwork so the next pastor would have much smoother sailing and going with ministry right away. They don’t just fulfill pastoral roles; they also help a church navigate the transition from the past to the future.
IPM helps churches identify where they’ve been and make choices to move them towards where they want to go. Their primary goal is to help move a church to a point where it’s now ready to receive a new pastor. And sometimes that means helping churches heal trouble spots that they’ve struggled with. They create space and opportunity for that healing to happen.
We couldn’t be happier. The intentional process that IPM brings is well guided. Their pastors are well trained, and understand that leading a church through a transition and into the future is a unique process. With IPM, you’re going to get somebody that is called and enthusiastic about the uniqueness of interim ministry. They’re a healing agent.
IPM interims have, in my view, a great track record of building quick relationships of trust with the congregation. So, they’re almost always healing people.
During a difficult transition, the Lord used Rev. John Hibbard to unify the congregation. His love and compassion for each one was evident to all, especially to our large number of sick and shut-ins. He was always ready to give counsel to those who requested it. In addition, his wonderful wit brought joy and encouragement to our people. Pastor Hibbard’s ministry of God’s Word challenged and encouraged everyone.
Our church didn’t realize how much we needed Dr. Edward Veldhuizen’s loving but firm guidance. We had been without a pastor for almost four months and felt the cohesiveness of our congregation dissolving. IPM made it easy and affordable for our church. Pastor Ed and Janis, his wonderful wife, brought relief from the moment they arrived. His love for Jesus Christ, godly wisdom, and experience guided our lost church back to a sure course and laid the foundation needed for our next pastor.
Interim Pastor Ministries was a breath of fresh air. We were without a pastor for a total of two years. The first year, we had a different person speak every Sunday. The second year, we decided that our church needed consistency. Our interim pastor was extremely helpful with guiding the leadership team, as well as providing the stability we so needed.
Our experience with IPM was excellent. Our needs were examined and met quickly. The administrative side was clean and simple. The caliber of the man that God brought us through IPM was instrumental in helping us through a very difficult period in our church’s history. His maturity, humility and love for the Lord shone in everything he touched. We are certain that God used the IPM ministry to preserve & prosper His church at Covenant.
We had no idea what to expect when we partnered with IPM, but I can tell you we are so grateful for both the organization and for our interim pastor. His ministry has been to redirect us from ourselves back to Jesus Christ. He took charge when we wandered, and he guided when we were on track. He has brought harmony to our church through the Word. He has been, quite simply, amazing.
When we asked for an interim pastor, we envisioned someone to fill the pulpit, to help us get over the grief of losing a pastor of 20 years to a disease, and to keep the church together until the ‘real’ pastor was found. Our interim pastor did more. He led us to new dimensions in our relationships with one another and with the Lord. That is no small task in a congregation of over 400 attendees plus two full-time and six part-time staff members. He addressed sensitive, long-standing issues head on and demonstrated his pastor’s heart in the care of Bethel. He taught us, as an Elder Board, what it means to be elders and leaders in God’s church by modeling that leadership every day while being a servant that does not grow weary in doing the right things at the right time for the right reasons.