Saying "Hello" and Saying "Goodbye" are key issues in the life of an interim/transitional pastor, and some time will be spent examining those issues during the week together at Union Presbyterian Seminary. “Transitional Lenses for Interim Ministry” isn’t just for the congregations served; it is also for the growth of each individual. For Hart and his life partner Cheryl, also a pastor, reflecting on transitions led to a decision to retire in the summer of 2018 after his fifth experience with interim/transitional ministry. In the last few years, Hart has been drawn to some rewarding mentoring/coaching involvements with a variety of young leaders in the church and beyond, and those will continue as opportunities arise.

Hart’s ministry experience includes urban ministry and community organizing, service in a racially integrated congregation, campus ministry, new church development, and service in various sized congregations as senior pastor and co-pastor. He served on the teaching faculty for interim ministry education at Austin Seminary for two years, and now at Union Presbyterian Seminary for the last several years. In the larger ecumenical church, Hart has served as Chair of the Board for the Center for Parish Development based in Chicago.

Hart values the importance of the connectional church in the Presbyterian tradition and affirms that God’s Spirit is at work in these transitional and frequently chaotic times. Participants in this week-long event, “Transitional Lenses for Interim Ministry,” bring a wealth of wisdom and tested leadership to share with everyone.

Hart welcomes all to this part of the journey.

Dr. Ken McFayden, Ph.D. serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Academic Dean, and Professor of Ministry and Leadership Development at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and teaches courses in the areas of congregational leadership and administration. In addition to his teaching and administrative roles, he has served as keynote speaker on the topic of leadership and change in a variety of settings. He has conducted numerous workshops and consultations on effective leadership practices, and in team development, strategic planning, and conflict management. He is author of Strategic Leadership for a Change: Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future (2009), and a contributor to the Being Reformed curriculum on Transformational Leaders.

Prior to joining the seminary faculty in March of 2000, he served as Executive Director of North Central Career Development Center in New Brighton, Minnesota, from 1994-2000. Previously, he served as a hospital chaplain in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1991-1994, and as an associate pastor in Alliance, Ohio, from 1986-1990. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The Rev. Laura Sherwood received her M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1998 and has been working in Interim and Transitional Ministry since her ordination in 2000. Laura has served churches in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. She has served as both Associate and Pastor/Head of Staff in rural/small town, college campus, and urban settings, ranging in membership from 100-900, with various transitional needs including conflict mediation, size transition, and creative visioning. Laura is currently serving as Interim Associate for a Chicago congregation focusing on discernment and discovery as they reflect on the pandemic time and consider needed changes for the future. She has been part of PC(USA) Interim/Transitional Ministry Faculty for Union Presbyterian Seminary since 2013, and MALT/SoMA (Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois) since 2015.