wfn.org | ABCUSA: INTERIM MINISTRIES EXECUTIVE TO RETIRE

[RICH.SCHRAMM@ecunet.org]

AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE 
Office of Communication  
American Baptist Churches USA 
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director 
 E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

WASHBURN TO RETIRE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
OF INTERIM MINISTRIES-ABC
 The Rev. Howard O. Washburn, executive director 
of Interim Ministries-ABC, will retire from that position 
Nov. 30.
 The Rev. Max S. Klinkenborg, chair of the 
Governing Board of Interim Ministries-ABC, announced the 
retirement of Washburn, who has served as executive 
director since November 1995. 
 Previously Washburn was associate executive/field 
minister for the American Baptist Churches of New York 
State from 1988-1995.  He also served for eight years as 
minister of World Mission Support for American Baptist 
Churches of Maine and was pastor of Winter Street Baptist 
Church in Gardiner, Me. for 11 years.
 Interim Ministries-ABC arranges interim pastoral 
leadership for American Baptist churches.  During 
Washburn's tenure the Ministers-at-Large Program, in 
which retired clergy serve, was renamed Interim 
Ministries-ABC to acknowledge interim resources other 
than the M.A.L. Program.  M.A.L. remains a part of Interim 
Ministries-ABC, which in its restructuring developed its 
own Governing Board and became administratively related 
to American Baptist Educational Ministries.
 In a joint venture with the Women In Ministry 
office and The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board, 
Interim Ministries-ABC administered the Commissioned 
Women Interim Project, with women serving interim 
pastoral assignments in local churches and performing 
advocacy for women in ministry in four American Baptist 
regions.
 According to Washburn, "An educational and 
philosophical effort has been made to inform the ABC 
constituency of the significant opportunity interim times 
provide our churches.  We have introduced the concept of 
interim ministry as potentially one of the best contexts for 
intentional congregational renewal and problem solving."  
 While noting the ongoing challenges of adequate 
financial support and sufficient numbers of clergy ready to 
serve the M.A.L. Program, he praised the introduction of 
"a cadre of specially trained and pre-retired ABC interim 
ministry specialists who are being prepared and enrolled 
to help meet the serious needs churches are facing in 
these times."
 Washburn and his wife, Amy, intend to settle in 
Maine.

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