Gary Neal Hansen

Theology. It's good for you.

  • About
    • Speaking
    • Contact
    • Home
  • Books
    • Love Your Bible
    • Christmas Play
    • Kneeling with Giants
    • Review Crew
  • Library
    • Join
    • Login
  • Blog
  • Lenten Prayer Class log in
    • Lenten Prayer Class Info
    • Class Info: Your First Sermon
      • Your 1st Sermon — Course Login
    • Advent Lectio Divina Class Info!
      • Lectio Divina Class Log In
    • “Pray Like a Reformer” Class Info
      • Pray Like a Reformer Login
  • Christmas Play
  • Love Your Bible
  • Kneeling with Giants

Interview with Richard P Zimmerman, Author of Walk With Me to Another Land

May 1, 2017 by Gary Neal Hansen 7 Comments

Rich Zimmerman, author of Walk with Me to Another Land
Richard P. Zimmerman

Back when I was an undergrad at the University of Washington, University Presbyterian Church brought me into contact with some fantastic people. One of them was a fellow college student named Richard P Zimmerman — better known as Rich.

I think he was feeling called to ministry even then — he was the only undergraduate student I knew who took biblical Hebrew. Since then he’s spent his life as a pastor in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, most recently focusing on interim ministry, shepherding churches through times of pastoral transition.

Rich has always been someone who reflects deeply on Scripture, Christian life, and ministry. I was really pleased to find that his life of reflection has borne fruit in a new book. Walk with Me to Another Land:A Narrative Approach to Transitional Ministry (Wipf & Stock, 2017).

So today I have for you an interview with Richard P Zimmerman, as the book hits Amazon and other retailers. (He’s giving away a copy here on my blog — leave a comment after the post for a chance to get it.)

Interview with Richard P Zimmerman

Richard P. Zimmerman, Walk with Me to Another Land
Get it on Amazon.com

ME: Rich, congratulations on your new book! What’s the back story? Tell me about the title: how did you chose it and what does it mean?

RICH: In the first three churches I served as pastor I was aware of how the dynamics of a pastoral transition affected my relationships and how people thought of me as their new pastor. But then when I served my first church in an interim capacity I came to feel how hard it was for people to get hold of the nature of the change they were going through. I asked myself, “What am I supposed to do here to help them avoid getting stuck in the past as they embrace these changes?”

My training in pastoral care came back to me as I asked that question. We really can’t do anything to pull people along when they are stuck in the middle of loss. All we can do is walk with them.

Then I thought of all the biblical narratives of movement from one place to another. Very rarely do people make a journey alone in the Bible. Having someone along on the walk is the best way to make it from a place of loss to the new life ahead. So I began to think of my role as transitional pastor as primarily about walking with a community of people from a place of loss to a place of hope.

ME: I think every book has a mission. What do you want to happen in your readers’ lives?

RICH: I really want three things for three different types of readers:

Some will be in the middle of leading through a transition and I hope they will consider me their friend along the way–someone who understands a little bit of the challenge, someone who has made mistakes and lived to tell about it, and someone who admires what they are doing.

I also hope lay leaders of churches who have just heard their pastor is leaving will read this in order to understand what they will need from a transitional leader.

And for those pastors who are in long-term positions but who are considering leading a congregation through an interim some day, I hope my book will help them get a good sense of what challenges would face them if they respond that call.

ME: You’ve been both an “installed” pastor and a “transitional” pastor. What’s the core difference that you experience or in what you try to accomplish?

RICH: I was surprised by the inverse of emotions in my transitional work.

I began with excitement and enthusiasm. But the reality for the transitional congregation is that my presence was not a sign of hope and new life. Instead I was a reminder of what they had lost and of the transitory nature of things in their church.

I am a strong leader so I had to work very hard not to start a lot of new programs or push toward my vision of what the mission should be.

ME: If you were to pick one biblical role model for transitional ministry who would it be and why?

RICH: I’m torn between choosing Ruth and Nehemiah.

Ruth comes to mind because she was so willing to patiently walk with Naomi and remain hopeful while looking to see what God would do to provide. But transitional leaders also need to be proacively addressing the challenges like Nehemiah did.

I would say one of the great challenges is knowing when to be like Ruth and when to be like Nehemiah.

ME: In your book you juxtapose stories of biblical people facing times of transition with stories of pastors in transitional ministry. How can pastors (and Christians in general) internalize these Scriptural stories to find wisdom in our own transitions?

RICH: The Bible comes alive for me when I see people today living like those in scripture. So for example, Jeremiah willingly lives out the challenges of his suffering in public and lets his struggles with God be known.

Gary, you and I both have a great example of that in the life of our mentor, Steve Hayner. I think I can speak for many people who knew him when I say that it was so refreshing to have a pastor say, “I have always had a hard time praying,” or, “I sometimes really struggle with temptation.” Steve pointed us toward honest ways of relating to God by pointing to Jeremiah and others who said some challenging and vulnerable things.

I am a great believer in the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of those who are trying to follow Jesus as a way of bringing the Bible to life as a guide for all of our transitions.

ME: In the book you write about the promise of narrative theology for pastors and congregations. What is it and how do you envision it working?

RICH: We don’t just have a book of doctrines and moral sayings. The Bible is mostly narrative and it invites people into the ongoing story.

Most of the transformation that has taken place in my life has been through letting stories get inside of me. Sometimes those stories have been conveyed in the lives of good friends who take a risk and let me know what is going on inside of them, or who walk with me in what I am going through. The Bible is full of friends like that who have been through the wringer of trying to live a life of faith and who have held on to the end.

I think of Joseph, who went through so many hard moments. We can read those stories at an emotional distance, as facts being reported. Or we can go to the bottom of a pit with a young man whose brothers have just thrown him in. We can sit in the mud with him, and with him we can overhear his brothers above haggling with Midianite merchants over what price they could get for him.

If I can really get in that story I will have Joseph as my brother when I think I can’t endure the sadness of being tossed by a friend, or a relative, or someone in my church. But it takes a long time to walk all of the way through the pain of Joseph’s story. By really living in the narrative much deeper things happen.

ME: What’s the next book or other big project you are working on?

RICH: We all know that North American culture is going through major shifts. I am studying pastoral history to try to find good analogies for what we are going through. I am researching some of those crux moments in the formation of the church’s stance toward culture in the hope of finding narratives of hope for us.

ME: What did you learn about yourself as you wrote this book? Anything surprising uncovered?

RICH: I learned I could write a book! I have written a couple of theses and some major papers, but writing when the reader has the option to put the book down is a different thing.

ME: What was one surprising story on the road to publication?

RICH: I am surprised at how vulnerable I feel to have a book out there for anyone to read. I put a great deal of myself into this book and I want for it to be substantially helpful to readers.

ME: Any advice for pastors out there (and others) who think they have a book inside them?

It is important to know very clearly why it is that writing a book is the best way to answer the need inside of you. When I was very tired of editing and re-reading my own work I needed to remember the people I hoped would be encouraged by my book because they were my motivation for taking on this challenge.

ME: Thanks, Rich! 

Rich is giving away a copy to one reader of this blog. Monday May 8 I’ll randomly choose a name from among those who leave a comment and announce the winner.

Rich Zimmerman is Stated Clerk of ECO’s Presbytery of the Northwest where he is working to help churches embrace change in our rapidly changing world.

Following 18 years of pastoral service to congregations in Alaska and Oregon, he embarked on the journey of leading churches through transition. His degrees include a BA from the University of Washington, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, a ThM from Regent College, and a DMin from Columbia Theological Seminary. He writes from 25 years of pastoral experience and his journey of leading two churches through pastoral transitions.

He enjoys all kinds of sports and outdoor activities. He plays golf occasionally, skis when he is not trying to learn snowboarding, and he loves to be out of doors when the weather is good, enjoying activities like camping, fishing and biking. He has a love of music and he plays the guitar. He sings along but not well enough for others to want to listen. He likes creative writing and has written poetry, hymns, and short stories.

Connect with Rich on his blog and website, www.richzimmerman.us

Pick up your copy of Walk with Me to Another Land on Amazon.com

————

This post contains affiliate links.

————

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at the free copy Rich is giving away!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: books, Reviews Tagged With: interim ministry, Interview, Rich Zimmerman, Richard P. Zimmerman, Transitional ministry, Walk with Me to Another Land

Hungry for a better way to go deeper with God?

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my weekly(ish) newsletter -- I'll send you links to every new article, as well as updates on new projects. Just click the orange button.

Subscribe!
As a thank you, I'll send you the ebook version of my book Love Your Bible: Finding Your Way to the Presence of God with a 12th Century Monk. It's a modern introduction to an ancient, prayerful, Christian approach to Scripture.

Comments

  1. gary panetta says

    May 5, 2017 at 10:01 PM

    “…when I served my first church in an interim capacity I came to feel how hard it was for people to get hold of the nature of the change they were going through. I asked myself, “What am I supposed to do here to help them avoid getting stuck in the past as they embrace these changes?”

    I see clearly that there are differences between what interim pastors do and what installed pastors do.

    But in a way, this comment above could apply to almost anybody pastoring a church today. Congregations are going through painful changes: the loss of beloved lay leaders and friends in the congregation while they are uncertain about how to cultivate new members — let alone new lay leaders in the church.

    I will be interested in seeing Rich’s next book about finding a narrative of hope in the changes that North American churches are facing.

    Reply
  2. Kris Hilgaertner says

    May 8, 2017 at 3:59 PM

    There are many, many layers of care of a church and of its congregation when they “lose” a pastor. I look forward to reading Rich’s insight for my own application the next time I’m involved with a congregation in transition. Rich Zimmerman’s theology is always sound, his knowledge of church polity expansive, his heart for God’s children deep and his devotion to God profound. Yes, definitely looking forward to the read.

    Reply
  3. Myra Schouten says

    May 8, 2017 at 4:11 PM

    Looks good

    Reply
  4. Susan Dreyer says

    May 8, 2017 at 6:01 PM

    Hi, Rich

    I am glad you are doing well! I love the idea of your book stated in your title. “Walk with Me to Another Land” involves action and presence and folks going through transitions of many kinds will be comforted and strengthened. Thanks for sitting down and sorting your thoughts into valuable tips. May God continue to bless you.

    Susan

    Reply
  5. Alex Riggle says

    May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM

    It has been my great honor and delight to have known Rich for some 37 years, and to have spent a year annoying the heck out of him as his roommate. I met him less than a year after my (adult) baptism, so in a sense I’ve known him all my life as a Christian. It’s exciting to me to learn Rich has written a new book. I have always known him as a thoughtful and cheerful man, two great qualities for the difficult work of transitional ministry. I hope this book is a real help and encouragement for people in transition, the way Rich was a real help and encouragement to me when I was in a different kind of transition 33 years ago. May God bless your ministry, Dr. Zimmerman!

    Reply
  6. Rich Zimmerman says

    May 9, 2017 at 9:08 AM

    Thanks to all of you for your comments. I don’t know who to root for in the drawing for the book!

    Reply
  7. Gary Neal Hansen says

    May 9, 2017 at 9:45 AM

    And the lucky winner is… Alex Riggle!
    Alex I’ll contact you by email to get your mailing address.
    Blessings,
    Gary

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Theology. It’s good for you.

I'm a Church historian by trade. My writing, speaking, and teaching explores the Christian past to equip today's disciples. Join me here for regular posts on the best of theology, spirituality, community, and ministry. read more…

Recent Posts

  • New Children’s Sermon on John 1:29-42
  • A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17 — The Baptism of Jesus
  • A Children’s Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 — Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning
  • A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 1:18-25 — Advent 4
  • A Children’s Sermon on Mathew 3:1-12 — Advent 2

Search the site

Need a new and manageable way to dig into Scripture?

Find out how it can be a joy again--or maybe for the first time. Love Your Bible: Finding Your Way to the Presence of God with a 12th Century Monk is a modern introduction to an ancient, prayerful, Christian practice called lectio divina. Click the button to subscribe to my weekly(ish) newsletter with all my new articles and announcements. As my way of thanking you, I'll send you the ebook version for free.

Get my book!

Archives

Let’s connect on social media…

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Search the site

  • Community for Mission
  • Letters to a Young Pastor
  • Christianity as a Second Language
  • Role Models for Discipleship

© 2023 garynealhansen.com · Rainmaker Platform