Christian Standard | January/February 2026 by Christian Standard Media

f ro m th e pu bli sh er

Think Outward “We will do whatever it takes to reach people who are far from Jesus.” To focus outward means that the church’s primary concern is the people outside its walls and influence. It means that the church’s assets, its money, its talent, its time, and its facility, are used up reaching into that group. Every church will tell you they have an outward focus. They know that Jesus’ great commandment and great commission are clear about it. The painful reality is that even though churches would claim to be outward, their activity, teaching, finances, ministries, and even architecture tell a different story. There is a gravity that pulls the church inward where the concerns are for those inside its walls. Church budgets show that most of the money spent is directed to the saved. The building is filled with classrooms used only an hour or two a week. The songs chosen for worship are the ones church people know and love. Church boards and by-laws are designed to keep it that way, being weighed down with bureaucracy and tradition. Any changes to reach out in new ways are quickly squelched by the status quo. The fact that very few unfamiliar faces appear in church is a constant reminder of missing the mark. Many of these traditional churches are so afraid of how change would affect the usual that they would rather curse the darkness than venture out into the darkness and light a candle. I know that I’m being hard on the inwardly focused church, but after spending 11 years pastoring one, I think I understand why they are the way they are. For an outwardly focused church, the competition is not the other churches in the area. The competition is every other available use of time. For people outside of an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Sunday is a great day to sleep in, read a good book, or spend time with family. It’s an opportunity to get chores crossed off the list or recover from last night’s hangover. An outwardly focused church confronts the question, “Why would I give up these other things to

come to church?” Is there something more valuable there that would justify me spending some of the most important currency I have—my time? The church and especially its leaders have to make a daily commitment to get in the shoes of the 80 percent, the subset of our communities that don’t attend church regularly. We can’t lose touch with how the world looks and feels in their shoes. If you are a Christian, you may have never had an Islamic experience. How would you feel driving into an Islamic Center’s parking lot? What would it be like walking through the door? How would you be viewed? Where should you go? How should you conduct yourself? These are some of the same questions going through the minds of the 80 percent. No doubt the defenses would be up. We need to create an environment where defenses come down. The 80 percent also have a set of presuppositions of what a church looks and feels like. Turning down the lights gave the 80 percent anonymity. Raising the volume allowed them to experiment with singing without others hearing them. Extending the invitation time gives people the opportunity to come forward and do business with God without anyone bothering them. When defenses come down, Jesus comes in. In the process, a new dynamic will emerge. The 80 percent will risk inviting their friends. I think we forget that those of us who have been Christians a while have probably already invited most of the people we know. Once your church breaks through into the 80 percent, big things are going to start to happen. 

@_jerryharris /jerrydharris

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CHRISTIAN STANDARD FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.

team Jerry Harris, Publisher Shawn McMullen, Editor Rick Cherok, Managing Editor David Faust, Contributing Editor Tyler McKenzie, Contributing Editor Abby Wittler, Designer Renee Little, Operations Allison Harris, Marketing + Advertising Lane West, Customer Service/Finance

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Jerry Harris

LEADING THROUGH THE HAND-OFF: LESSONS IN PASTORAL TRANSITION Shan Moyers

34 42

PASTORAL TRANSITION: SUCCESSION OR INTERIM?

SUCCESSION: WHEN IT WORKS, WHEN IT DOESN’T

Greg Comp

Ken Idleman

In Every Issue

SUCCESSION:THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BUT OTHERS WON’ T TELL YOU

2-3

from the publisher

6-7

from the Editor

10-11

e 2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS Succession and the Church Curtis McGinnis

14-15

Obergefell, Kim Davis, and Same-Sex Marriage . . . Ref lecting on the Last 10 Years Tyler McKenzie

18-19

Gary Johnson

A PASTOR'S WIFE'S PERSPECTIVE Denise Harlow

86-87

Tyler McKenzie

MOTIVATE Serving in the Shadows David Faust

88-97 HOW DO YOU RETIRE WHEN YOUR SUCCESSOR AIN’ T READY?

METRICS Bridging the Leadership Gap: Essential Steps for Church Succession K e nt E . F i l l i n ge r

60 66

PREACH Preach the Real Gospel Chris Philbeck

22-23 ELDERS! HELP PUT THE “SUCCESS” IN SUCCESSION!

ENGAGE

MINISTRY EDGE Compelling John Hampton Thriving David Vaughan Nurturing Michelle Maris

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f r o m th e edi to r

Bearing the Standard of The Movement for 160 Years

The year 2026 marks Christian Standard’s 160th anniversary, underscoring our long history and deep connection with The Restoration Movement. As a point of reference, the first edition of this journal, published April 7, 1866, included an obituary of Alexander Campbell, who died March 4 of that year.

solid financial background and sound interpersonal skills to his new position. We’re thrilled to have Tyler and Lane on the team.

Throughout its long history, Christian Standard has maintained its commitment to its founding purpose: “Dedicated to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances and its fruits.”

The Christian Church Leadership Network is a driving force in our movement, providing education, encouragement, mentoring, and ministry support to churches and church leaders across the country. Beginning with this issue of Christian Standard, and in partnership with the CCL Network, we’re including a new resource called Ministry Edge, designed to help leaders stay sharp with practical insights on preaching, church health, children’s ministry, and more. You’ll find Ministry Edge on pages 89-97 of this and subsequent issues.

Of course, to remain viable in our ministry and mission, we remain open to opportunities for meaningful change. You’ll see some of that in this issue.

A New Look in the New Year It may have been the first thing you noticed when you picked up this issue of Christian Standard. We contracted with a new printing company for 2026 and were offered a “soft touch” cover in the process. We hope you like it.

Additions to Our Team The masthead of our publication carries the names of our staff. Most will be familiar to you. But we’ve recently added a couple of team members, and I’d like to introduce them to you. Tyler McKenzie, senior leader of Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, recently joined us as Contributing Editor. Tyler has written our Engage column for several years. His cultural awareness and insightful writing have made him a popular columnist. Tyler will continue to write Engage as he takes on his new role with our planning team, offering guidance as we develop each issue. Lane West, accounting associate for The Solomon Foundation, is now serving Christian Standard in the areas of customer service and finance. Lane brings a

Introducing Ministry Edge

A d j u s t m e n t s f o r S pa c e With the addition of Ministry Edge in this issue, we’ve made some adjustments in our use of space. You’ll notice a slight reduction in our regular columns. You’ll see that we’ve shortened our From the Publisher and From the Editor columns to single pages, and that we no longer carry Interact in print. We hope these slight modifications will help us continue to carry out Christian Standard’s long tradition of bearing the standard for the Restoration Movement. 

@shawn.a.mcmullen /shawn.a.mcmullen

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By Jerry Harris

About seven years ago, I learned that the weekly lesson material written for The Lookout would require a new scope and sequence, a strategy through which we would approach Bible study. In addition, I learned that the scope and sequence we had been using was overseen by the National Council of Churches, an organization that is not known for an accurate interpretation of Scripture. This led me to a process of creating our own scope and sequence, and with that, a complete six-year study through the entirety of God’s Word with material written by Dr. David Faust and Dr. Mark Scott. Now, six years later, and having completed this massive undertaking, Christian Standard Media is offering something new and exciting to our readers. We’ve named this new series 1717 Studies: Your Word Is Truth. The name comes from Jesus’ words in John 17:17. All of our biblical studies written over these last six years are being compiled into fully downloadable files from each Bible book with applications and study questions for your small group, Sunday school class, discipleship group, and for personal study and reflection. While this has cost us over $100,000 to produce, we are offering it to you at no charge, asking only that you might consider a taxdeductible contribution to Christian Standard Media. We will be releasing each book or group of books in the coming months. Take a journey through the Bible with two of the most renowned and trusted scholars in our movement and discover what truths God will reveal to you as you spend time immersed in his Word! 1717 Studies: Your Word is Truth is available online at Christianstandard.com.

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e 2: e ffe ct i v e e ld e r s

The churches in the network I serve average under 200 attendees, many of them under 100. Often I find that these churches have never considered lead minister transitions or succession plans. They just assume that when one minister leaves, they will find another. However, this oversimplifies what can be a demanding season in the life of a church. To complicate this further, many of the resources commonly shared, or best practices for succession (like having an overlap between the outgoing and incoming pastor), are not possible due to financial or other constraints. Over the past decade, I have seen a few churches handle lead minister succession well, but for the most part, I have seen churches come to succession with no plan at all. Here are four steps I urge churches to have for an effective succession PLAN.

P – P r e pa r e

Succession and the Church By Curtis McGinnis

Succession planning starts long before a minister says he is going to retire. No minister wants to be pushed out, and no church wants to be accused of forcing a minister to leave. However, many churches and ministers are not prepared to manage the challenges that often arise when a minister decides to retire. For example, numerous ministers in their 70s or even 80s have opted out of Social Security and have lived in parsonages their entire ministry. To retire and leave a church means they lose their salary and housing, which impedes their leaving because they are not adequately prepared financially for retirement. This not only puts the minister in a tough place, but the church as well. Part of preparing to help a minister retire well is to address retirement when the minister is first hired. Whenever I consult with a church on hiring staff, I address retirement and present options that include working with one of the many church extension funds, or organizations like Christian Churches Pension Plan, Servant Solutions, or Clergy Advantage, which help ministers set up a Pension or Clergy 403b.

L - Look Ahead Churches and ministers that are adequately prepared can then have honest conversations and look ahead to the time when the minister will no longer be with the congregation. Most congregations underestimate this look-ahead period, and it is often ignored because of fear or uncertainty about how to address succession. To aid in this, e2 has developed tremendous resources to help churches look ahead. Dr. Gary Johnson has written an excellent book, Leader >< Shift, that I would highly encourage every elder on your team to read. E2 also has a succession template

A- A s s e s s As a church approaches the succession process, one of the questions they must ask is “What is our church’s identity without our current minister?” I find this question especially relevant in small churches with long-tenured ministers because the church’s identity is often heavily influenced by the minister’s identity. One way a church can assess its identity and current needs is to engage in a church-health assessment. The goal of the assessment is to identify both strengths and weaknesses of the local church and develop a plan for greater health and effectiveness. I encourage churches to take the Natural Church Development assessment to gauge where they are health-wise. David Vaughn, with the CCL Network, has created a promising tool as well to assess the seven systems of a healthy church. In addition, an assessment can help clarify the ideal new lead minister candidate profile. There could also be areas of weakness that a specific candidate could help address in the church.

“

Another outcome of the assessment can also be whether your church should consider an interim minister. I have seen that the longer a minister is tenured, the higher the value there is to bring in an interim for a season. This interim allows the church to form its new identity without the pastor and to implement some of the goals created through the assessment process.

Benjamin Franklin remarked, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” These steps, when implemented appropriately, will help you and your church go through the succession process. As you develop a proper PLAN, it will allow for a smooth transition so your church can continue to focus on and fulfill God's mission for your church. 

S u c c e s s i o n p l a nnin g s ta r t s l o n g b e f o r e a mini s t e r s ay s he i s g o in g t o r e t ir e .

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N – N AV I G AT E At some point in the process, the church will hit “Go” on its succession plan and the clock will start when the minister announces his departure. One of the challenges to navigate in our current environment is the length of time it will take to find a new lead minister. While finding solid statistics on this is difficult, my observation is that it seems to take one to two years to find a new minister, and for smaller churches, it can take much longer. While I have seen a few churches find a minister in under a year, I have also seen churches that are still looking for three years or longer. As churches navigate the succession process, they must also allow for contingencies in their plan. One final word on navigating the plan. A new, incoming minister needs space. By that, I mean the

Curtis McGinnis serves as the Executive Director of Crossroads Church Partners and on the coaching bench for e2: effective elders.

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retiring minister should consider attending church elsewhere or traveling for a brief season (perhaps six months or so). This helps the new minister get established, allows the congregation to connect to their new minister, and enables the retiring minister to find his identity outside of the local church.

that will walk church leaders through various concerns throughout the transition process. These tools help churches look ahead and plan for succession before it is at their doorstep.

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e ngage

Tyler McKenzie writes a monthly online column for Christian Standard. We reprint one of Tyler’s online columns in each print issue of this magazine. A little more than 10 years ago, on September 3rd, 2015, Rowan County Clerk, Kim Davis, denied marriage licenses to two gay couples in Kentucky. She cited her Christian beliefs, claiming she could not be forced to violate her faith. She was briefly jailed for contempt of court. It made national news because earlier that summer, in a 5-4 vote on June 26th, the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges ruled that states had to recognize same-sex marriages. That evening, President Obama lit up the White House in rainbow colors to celebrate.

Obergefell, Kim Davis, and Same-Sex Marriage . . . Reflecting on the Last 10 Years By Tyler McKenzie

All of this escalated the already brutal culture wars between the Religious Right and Progressive Left. On one side, Christians argued that the further breakdown of the traditional family would be ruinous for our nation. The Bible states a life-long covenant between a man and woman is the only God-ordained context for sex. There has been profound consensus on this across global and multi-denominational Christianity for all of its existence. Christians on the right warned, “Destabilizing marriage is a slippery slope that will lead to worse forms of sexual license and gender confusion. And it could unleash targeted persecution against those who maintain the historic biblical sex ethic.” On the other side, Christians argued that America is a pluralistic society. People should have religious freedom. Forcefully legislating Christian beliefs on our neighbors is not a precedent Christians should set. We should seek to persuade people of our convictions through public witness, compassion, and evangelism. Christians on the left warned, “This is destroying our image. If we do not loosen our legislative (and perhaps theological) convictions on marriage, we will lose an entire generation of youth who are affirming. We don’t want to be on the wrong side of history.” It’s been 10 years since the summer of 2015. Where are we now? I have three observations.

c u lt u r a l a c c e p ta n c e c o n i t n u e d t o s h i f t q u i c k ly One of the reasons Christians resisted Obergefell v. Hodges is because of how quickly cultural norms around sexual activity had changed the previous 50 years. Boomers have seen a lot. First, sex without the responsibility of children was normalized. •

1960 – FDA approved the birth control pill.

•

1965 – Griswald v. Connecticut established the freedom of married couples to use contraceptives.

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1973 – Roe v. Wade (recently overturned) established a woman’s right to abortion.

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1977 – Carey v. Population Services International affirmed the right to privacy for minors who want to obtain contraceptives.

t h e c u lt u r a l m o m e n t u m f o r s a m e-s e x m a r r i a g e h a s h a lt e d Statistician Ryan Burge shows that while support for gay marriage among the American populace skyrocketed from 31 percent in 2004 to 68 percent in 2018, it has hit a brick wall. It leveled at 67 percent in 2022. He goes on to break this down based on religious groups (2018 → 2021 → 2022). •

Evangelicals: 45% → 35% → 36%

•

Mainline: 75% → 68% → 67%

•

Black Protestant: 54% → 56% → 55%

•

Catholic: 73% → 66% → 68%

•

Other Faith: 70% → 65% → 75%

Where will the Next 10 Years Take us? It’s hard to tell. The cultural pendulum swung quickly and with force. However, I am not sure if it will swing back. It seems, at least for now, it has frozen. American Christians may have to learn to live in an environment where their religious liberty is protected while their historic beliefs on sexuality and marriage are unpopular outside the church and even debated within segments of the church. It is my opinion that we would do well to learn how to engage this issue (and others) in a framework of cultural persuasion rather than culture war. It’s not enough for us to believe that God’s Word has something to say about the issues of our time. We must also desire to model a better way of discussing them. Those choosing the warfare framework leave us with casualties and walking-wounded filled with shrapnel. Those choosing to ignore the issues altogether look out-of-touch. We have the Word of God! We have Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. We have a Holy Spirit who can produce fruit like love, kindness, peace, and self-control. So, we should be the first and the best at engaging this, but we should do it through cross-shaped means. 

It’s worth noting that, 10 years later, Kim Davis has petitioned SCOTUS to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges.

Religious libert y for christians supporting the h i s t o r i c a l b i b l i c a l v i e w i s n o t u n d e r t h r e at There is no denying that there are some who take aim at Christian beliefs and institutions. However, SCOTUS currently sits at a 6 to 3 conservative majority.

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David French, a lawyer whose expertise is in religious liberty and constitutional law, recently wrote, Religious liberty proponents haven’t lost a significant Supreme Court case in 14 years. During that time, the court has established (often through supermajorities that include justices from the left and the right) that people of faith enjoy equal access to school facilities, equal access to public funds (including tuition assistance to fund private religious education) and extraordinary independence from nondiscrimination laws that would otherwise interfere with the hiring and firing of ministerial employees.

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He also produces a fun Bible podcast for parents and their kids called "the Preacher and the Piano man."

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1972 – Eisenstadt v. Baird legalized birth control for unmarried people.

•

pr e ach

“He doesn’t preach Jesus, he preaches you.” That’s how a friend recently characterized the preacher at a church she had been visiting. As I listened to her a little longer, it became clear she was describing what is often called the “self-help” gospel that focuses more on self-improvement, personal fulfillment, and happiness than redemption and transformation. It’s a gospel that can be easy for preachers to embrace from a pragmatic standpoint because of the belief that it will attract people to church and get them to come back. After all, who wouldn’t be interested in, “Three Steps to a Better Marriage” or “How to Overcome (you fill in the blank).” T h e P i t fa l l s o f t h e S e l f- H e l p G o s p e l

Preach the Real Gospel By Chris Philbeck

Now let me say from the beginning, I’m all for sermons that offer help for specific issues and needs in life from a biblical perspective. You can’t read the Gospels and not see that Jesus was, in many ways, teaching people how they could live a better life. But Jesus did that by bringing a fresh message, not a spiritualized version of human wisdom. A great example would be the multiple times in The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) where Jesus said, “You have heard that our ancestors were told . . . But I say . . . . ” Jesus was talking about a better life characterized by genuine righteousness as opposed to the burden of following rules. But the self-help gospel is dangerous, primarily, because it’s full of misguided and harmful theology. Here are some examples. •

The self-help gospel often ignores the reality of sin.

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The self-help gospel can make you believe you create your own destiny.

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The self-help gospel can emphasize the idea of following your heart.

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The self-help gospel can make you believe no one else’s thoughts or opinions matter but yours.

In contrast to that, •

The real gospel tells us that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).

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The real gospel tells us that we need a Savior (Romans 5:8).

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The real gospel reinforces the truth that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9).

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The real gospel teaches us the need to submit to a sovereign God (Isaiah 55:9).

While I understand the value of “worship programming,” it’s not a substitute for the content of the gospel no matter how badly you want to attract people and see them return. I’ve always been struck by this quote from Donald Miller: “The most difficult lie I ever contended with is this: life is a story about me.” The self-help gospel, as I wrote earlier, can feed into that lie by making someone feel like they can create their own destiny. But while the self-help gospel can create that kind of “feeling,” we need to remember that feelings aren’t the same as faith. And only faith in a Savior who died on a cross to satisfy God’s need for justice regarding sin can bring the life we were created for. The Power of the True Gospel I retired from full-time ministry at the end of June 2024. It’s been an interesting experience to simply attend church for the past 14 months. But it’s also been a blessing because during that time my wife and I have attended two different churches where the gospel has been preached. Not a self-help gospel, but the real gospel that has the power to change everything in your life. And every week the gospel speaks to the needs of my life either as a reminder or a challenge. I’m reminded of that as I write this column because I’m looking at a notebook I use for sermon notes. Here are some of the things I have written down from multiple sermons. They are simple, deep, profound, challenging, convicting, and so much more: •

I will always need Jesus.

•

Jesus has the power not only to expose but also expel the bad things in your life.

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You can’t truly encounter Jesus and stay the same.

Jesus cares about hurting, sick, broken, and lost people.

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Nothing is too big for God, and nothing we’ve done is too bad for God.

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I spent over four decades leading three churches. My first church was a church plant, my second church was a turn-around church, and my third church was a megachurch. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to preach in a way that would reach more people. And during all those years, there was no shortage of new and different methods of preaching. I remember going to a large church growth conference several years ago, where the breakout session I attended was focused on preaching. The presenter, a well-known preacher and author, began the session by saying, “Content is no longer the key when it comes to effective preaching.” He went on to talk about how the entire church service needed to be “programmed” to create an experience.

•

God doesn’t want us just to treat our wounds; he wants to heal our souls.

Simply put, the real gospel transforms lives by revealing that self-help alone won’t lead to fellowship with God.

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Because Jesus was treated as an outcast on the cross, we can be accepted by God.

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Jesus always looks beyond our obvious need to see our ultimate need.

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Come to Jesus with hope and let him challenge you and change you.

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You can’t be made new and hold on to the old priorities of your life.

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The grace of God may be free, but it’s not cheap.

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Forgiveness for the believer is not about what’s been done to me, it’s about what’s been done for me.

Each of these statements, and so many more I don’t have room to add, flow from the gospel. So, we need to be discerning when it comes to what we preach. And no matter how badly we might want to draw a crowd, we need to remember that discernment isn’t knowing the difference between right abou t the au thor and wrong; it’s knowing the difference between right and almost right. Almost right will never be enough when it comes to someone’s eternal destiny. 

Chris Philbeck is retired senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church In Greenwood, Indiana. He served in full-time ministry for more than four decades. /PastorCPhilbeck @cphilbeck @pastorphilbeck

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me t r i cs Developing a solid succession plan is like exercising. Everyone knows it’s a smart idea and that they should do it, but it’s easier to make excuses than to create a workable plan. Thus, only a small percentage of churches and Christian nonprofits have succession plans. A 2019 ECFA survey of pastors and church board members found that 37 percent of church boards say they have had zero conversations about a pastoral succession plan. Churches are not alone in being ill-prepared for succession. A 2018 ECFA survey found that 63 percent of Christian nonprofits did not have a succession plan.

Succession Planning Can Be Scary

Bridging the Leadership Gap: Essential Steps for Church Succession By Kent E. Fillinger

Succession planning can be scary because many pastors are not financially prepared to retire. A 2015 study by Grey Matter Research & Consulting for the National Association of Evangelicals found that 20 percent of pastors had nothing at all saved for retirement. A 2020 Leadership Network study found that only about half (48%) of the pastors studied reported a high or very high level of confidence in their plans for retirement. William Vanderbloemen, in his book, Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, shared that the main reason many pastors don’t begin a succession process is because they don’t have the financial resources to do so. It is the responsibility of church boards and elder teams to ensure finances are not the reason succession talks are stalled or never begin.

S u c c e s s i o n P l a n n i n g I s G o o d S t e wa r d s h i p Succession planning is an act of spiritual stewardship. When a church approaches succession planning with a perspective of faith and trust in God, it transforms the process from a daunting challenge into a sacred privilege. Succession planning isn’t just about ensuring ministry continuity; it’s also about advancing the kingdom of God and positioning your church for long-term health and growth.

S u c c e s s i o n R e q u i r e s A s s e s s i n g Y o u r C h u r c h’ s L e a d e r s h i p S t r u c t u r e a n d S i t u at i o n Your church culture, leadership structure, and lead pastor’s tenure will impact your succession planning process. The larger the church and the longer the pastor’s tenure, the more time the succession process will take. “Elder led and Elder controlled” churches tend to view the pastor as disposable and see hiring a new pastor as

“Staff led and Elder protected” churches tend to be larger and faster growing with a multitude of church staff to consider. These churches are often structured so that the staff are hired to lead ministries, while the elders oversee, protect, and shepherd the congregation. In this structure, the elders are responsible for hiring the lead pastor and the lead pastor is often responsible for hiring other staff members. Regardless of your church’s leadership structure, it’s always wise for the elders to lead the succession planning and hiring process for a new lead pastor. No departing pastor should select his successor. And staff members should not hire their new “boss.”

S u c c e s s i o n R e q u i r e s A d va n c e d P l a n n i n g A 2017 Barna study identified three types of transitions. The first is the planned transition, which is planned prior to the change (17%). The second is the pastorinitiated transition, set into motion by a decision from the outgoing pastor (62%). The third is the forced transition, commenced by unexpected circumstances such as illness, death, or crisis (13%). The report also revealed that when a transition is planned, more than half of the outgoing pastors stick around, whether they step back to continue serving on staff or withdraw to a lay role. Planned departures produce more positive outcomes for everyone involved. As emotions often run hot during a season of change, the more decisions made beforehand or outside the heat of the moment, the better. The Barna study found that congregants have the best overall experience with planned transitions and/or those where the outgoing pastor chooses to retire. Thirty-six percent of churchgoers in these circumstances ultimately report a positive outcome within a year of the transition.

S u c c e s s i o n R e q u i r e s H o n e s t C o n v e r s at i o n s a n d G o o d C o m m u n i c at i o n People are down on what they’re not up on. Keeping the staff and congregation informed during a succession-planning and search process is critical. It builds trust and unity. Dave Travis said, “Silence breeds

During the succession process, the elders and search team should communicate with transparency, emphasizing the prayerful and deliberate nature of the decision-making process while highlighting the desired qualifications of the next pastor.

S u c c e s s i o n R e q u i r e s a C e l e b r at i o n Recognizing and showing appreciation to the departing or retiring lead pastor and his family will help a congregation to accept and embrace the next leader.

Succession Requires a Successor There is no succession without a successor, and everyone is an interim leader. A September 2022 Barna report found that 38 percent of pastors surveyed personally made it a top priority to equip, nurture, and identify leaders to take over their role upon retirement. However, nearly an equal number of pastors (40%) indicated they had “thought about the need but have too many other ministry concerns.” The ministry leadership pipeline is virtually empty, and churches can no longer expect that a suitable successor will be available when needed. Therefore, elders and pastors need to intentionally work to abou t the au thor identify and develop future pastors and leaders, viewing this as both a calling and a priority. 

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

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speculation and that divides faster than clarity ever will. Silence is also a grapevine fertilizer.”

more of a “plug-and-play” process. Often a “warm body mentality” rules the day and the leadership and church are happy if they have a pastor to fill the pulpit. In this model, the staff often feel like “hired hands” who are over-managed and under-trusted.

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www.theboldmovement.com

www.stepintoscripture.com

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The Things You Need to Know but Others Won’t Tell You By Jerry Harris

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’ve had to do a lot of difficult and deeply challenging things as a senior pastor. Growing a church from an average in-person attendance of 230 to over 8,000 in a rural area was a challenge. Building 11 separate campuses covering an area of over 10,000 square miles was challenging. Going from 8,000 square feet of space to over a half-million square feet of space with all the maintenance and expansion needs was challenging. Hiring and overseeing a staff that grew from two to over 200 with all their issues and needs with a budget that was 50 percent the size of other churches with the same attendance was challenging. Nonstop capital campaigns and generosity initiatives to fund this growth were challenging. Navigating staff issues, elder needs, and cultural and theological battles never felt like a vacation. But nothing, absolutely nothing, was as challenging as developing, implementing, and surviving the succession of that ministry to the next leader. I know that sounds pretty dark, but not for the reason you might think. In many ways, going through that challenge was incredibly rewarding and deeply spiritual, surprising in lots of ways and unexpected in almost every way. I’d like to say I was prepared for it. In lots of ways, I think I was more prepared than most. My wife and I spent hours sitting down with friends in similar circumstances who were on a succession time-

line running a bit ahead or a bit behind our situation to learn from them. Those conversations were priceless, and the information shared provided much more insight than reading books or attending conferences. There’s a reason for that, and I could drop a lot of well-known and influential names to add credibility to these words, but it would violate the value of those relationships and private conversations. So, while the substance of those insights will be shared, many of the names will be protected. That’s why I titled this article as I did. The topic is not something leaders will be transparent about in public settings, particularly in the areas of pinch points and pain that come with the process. That’s the motivation that caused me to start writing about this. I also publish Christian Standard and decided to explore the issue of succession in this issue; but when it came to the critical topics that required transparency, we couldn’t find writers to accept the assignment. I get it. People like to project the best version of themselves, their church, and their leadership. They also don’t want to say or write anything that would cast a negative light on their successor or the church into which they invested so much. I respect that, but there must be a resource that tackles the hard things and an environment where they can be voiced and addressed.

“You are in the power position to make the transition smooth.

If it doesn’t work out, it’s your fault.”

I love watching my grandchildren’s favorite movies with them. One of their recent favorites has been Encanto and my favorite character in the movie is Bruno. Encanto is the Spanish word for enchantment and each member except for one (Mirabel) had a special gift along with the house in which they lived. However, one member of the family had disappeared, and no one talked about him. When we meet this character, we find that he lives behind the walls of the house in self-exile because his gift, knowing people’s futures, is negative and hurtful. So, unaware that he is still there, the family refuses to bring him up. But just because some future event will have some pain associated with it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of it and prepared for it. That couldn’t be truer than with succession. We all know that it’s coming but when we’re in the middle of our ministry time, maybe our most fruitful time, we would rather not talk about Bruno . . . no, no, no. Maybe so much of our identity is tied up in what we do that we wouldn’t know who we were without it. Maybe we’re not in a financial position to even consider the prospect of it. Maybe we push this idea away because, as one great leader shared with me, “I think I have more gas in my tank.” Maybe the best thing to do would be to ignore it until it can’t be ignored anymore. I don’t think there could be a worse strategy for a church leader, even if it forces us into some difficult places that we would rather stay out of. Why? First, there is the biblical mandate in 2 Timothy 2:2. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (New International Version). While that Scripture could be applied generically, we must remember that Paul was sharing it with Timothy, handing his ministry baton to him. It comes just two chapters before the charge that was read to us at our ordinations and considered Paul’s last and most important words. Second, we are church leaders who are not only committed to evangelism, but to discipleship, and the discipleship of leadership carries exponential gravity compared to non-leadership discipleship. When we hand off ministry, the discipleship of it is reproduced 100, 1,000, even 10,000 times, and yet it

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seems to be one of the most neglected areas of deep discipleship. Third, the best leaders were disciplers of leaders. The Bible gives us great examples with leadership being handed off from Moses to Joshua, from David to Solomon, from Elijah to Elisha, and from Paul to Timothy. However, the best example is from Jesus himself, who reproduced his leadership into 12 men who changed the face and faith of the world! This is not a short process, not even a yearlong process. Jesus spent three years, day and night, investing in these men and no one is better at discipling than him. If it took Jesus that long, it would surely take us longer. We need to start thinking and planning for succession earlier rather than later, knowing that the stakes are high, the process takes time, and that we are following a biblical mandate. Although it’s a bit out of context, 1 Timothy 5:8 has challenged me in the area of succession: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” I know this Scripture refers to our biological families, but as senior leaders who take on a pastoring role we see church as family, and this is a critical need to present and future stability. This flies in the face of a common practice to use a “headhunter” to find candidates and go through a process that way. Even though a book written by a headhunting agency has been used as a reference for this process, I think there would be self-interest in it as it would motivate the use of their agency or another one. I’ve seen theological and cultural values compromised for personality or speaking ability. That’s not a good trade. It can and has been a precursor to a disastrous transition, mostly for the congregation. Just because you have a good matchmaker doesn’t mean you’ll have a great marriage! One of the most successful ministers I know, if not the most successful, gave me this advice, “It all depends on you. You are in the power position to make the transition smooth. If it doesn’t work out, it’s your fault.” I took that advice seriously and did my best, but for all of my effort in trying to do the right things, there were some issues I didn’t see in front of me. Here are a few of them:

We don’t talk about Bruno.

He was done, but I wasn’t.

I’m learning just to be a child of God.

Ministry is a major part of the ethos of my marriage. We’re not just life partners; we’re ministry partners. I know that doesn’t describe every ministry marriage, but it describes ours. While we sought counsel from other ministry couples as to how to prepare for it, succession had a much harder impact on my wife than it did on me. Since churches tend to see retirement as a package deal, my wife was on the transition train whether she wanted to be or not. The clarity we needed came from Randy Frazee who was preparing for his succession at the time and was attending an informal gathering of ministry friends. When I told him that my wife was having a much more difficult time in the transition, his attention shifted to her, probing into her feelings about it. Two other wives began to share some of the same feelings, sometimes in tears. After listening, Randy summed it up with the statement, “So, all your life, your husband created a context for you to do ministry in and then he just took it away.” It was like all the preparation and talking paled in comparison to that one simple statement. I’m not sure beyond the knowledge of it what could have been done to alleviate it, but it’s true that I didn’t see that one coming.

My friend Tim Harlow shared those words in the context of transition on a podcast, and when he said it, it hit me like a freight train. I was a nominal Christian before feeling the call to full-time ministry. I was two weeks from entering my junior year at Indiana University when it happened, and literally everything in my life changed overnight. I transferred to Ozark Bible College, left home, left a job, a serious girlfriend, my friends, my familiar surroundings, and my church to go somewhere I’d never been before, to do something I’d never even considered. I started looking for preaching opportunities immediately and threw myself into this new reality. Now, here on the other end of that calling and after hearing Tim’s words, it occurred to me that I had never lived out what it meant to be a child of God outside the context of a paid ministry. Frankly, I had no idea what it meant to “just be a child of God” and I still can’t say that I know outside the context of full-time ministry. This part of the journey is ongoing for me, but I believe the same God who has been faithful every day up to this point will continue to be just that and fill the gaps in my soul. However, in no way did I ever see that one coming.

Prepare for a Viking funeral. I can’t remember where I got the idea, but I remember a scene where a dead Viking king was placed on a pyre constructed on a raft. After drifting a sufficient distance, an archer shot a flaming arrow to set the pyre ablaze. However, in my memory, attendants, slaves, wives, and family members were killed and their bodies placed on the raft to burn with the king. I don’t know how often this scenario took place in history, but I know it tends to be true in the succession of senior pastors whose families have salaried roles in the church and are expected to move on with the former leader. With the exception of succession of the senior pastor to a son or immediate family member, I don’t know of a circumstance where it doesn’t happen. Nepotism is an understandable reality in ministry, subject to the higher highs and lower lows that come with it. One senior pastor remarked, “There are a lot of things ministry takes from you. This is one thing it can give back.” I hear that and have experienced it personally, but it usually isn’t something that either the family member or the next leader will find comfortable. I wasn’t prepared for that one.

These are just three lessons of what has been revelation after revelation to me. And without the transparency of those who have gone before me, I’d be stuck stumbling through them and making things up as I go. I don’t think that’s a very good plan for success.

It all depends on you . . . until it doesn’t! Earlier in this article, I shared advice from one of the best leadership voices I know. This person said that since the senior pastor has all the power in the process of succession, the burden of making it successful falls on him. As I walked this out in real time, I would make one amendment to that rule: “It all depends on you . . . until it doesn’t!” Once the staff was made aware of the change, there was an immediate shift of loyalty and communication. When the congregation was informed, they followed suit. That is the absolute best outcome a leader and a church can have. It minimizes disruptions and capitalizes on positives for the wellbeing of the church body. However, once the shift has been made, so has the responsibility for the outcome because the power has moved to a new leader. From this point on, the succeeded leader is merely along for the ride. This is

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It occurred to me that I had never lived out what it meant to be a child of God outside the context of a paid ministry.

When we see the church growing, younger people taking notes and making commitments to Christ, and records being broken, the kingdom is winning. It may hurt our pride and ego, but it’s worth it!

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probably why many leaders leave the area for a time, or maybe for good, because it can be very hard. One of my ministry friends who has recently transitioned from a huge megachurch was being mentored by an older retired senior pastor of a megachurch. His advice to my friend was this, “Prepare to get hurt every day.” Now don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t and usually isn’t anybody’s fault. It’s just that a new leader is going to approach the ministry you’ve released with different priorities and passions. Staff that you hired and discipled will leave, ministry spaces will be updated, ministries and titles will be replaced or overhauled, and it will feel like death from a thousand paper cuts. The reason is that each one of those changes has significance and a sense of ownership to the one who has been succeeded. This is why many choose to move on; it’s just too hard. My wife and I have chosen to stay put and we strive to be an encouragement to the successor and the congregation, but my wife describes it as feeling like being haunted. These are memories that feel like ghosts and they are everywhere, reminding us of significant things that no longer have the form they once had. How do we manage that? We do it through the law of the bigger “yes.” When we see the church growing, younger people taking notes and making commitments to Christ, and records being broken, the kingdom is winning. It may hurt our pride and ego, but it’s worth it!

There is no “one size fits all” approach. It would take a book instead of an article to explore the issues I’m just touching on here, and just to let you know, I’m working on one. But suffice it to say that every church, every leader, every context, every history, and every successor is different. There are

hundreds of variables that go into this complicated equation in order to have kingdom success in succession. There is a lot of self-interest that must be dealt with through the process. What does the retiring or previous leader need in order to be as comfortable as possible? What does the successor need to have the best platform possible? Is the former leader going to be a ghost that haunts him? Does the former leader have his financial circumstances well thought out? Will the staff gravitate to the new leader, or will they hold on to the former one? What about the eldership and their allegiance? How will the congregation respond? Will they accept the new leader or vote with their feet? Not all succession happens in the context of successful ministry. The successor may be standing on strong shoulders or digging out of a hole. The truth is that in some ways they will probably be doing both simultaneously. Truly, it can all be a minefield. Beware of those who give advice in absolutes. It’s okay to listen to them, but hold them as ideas or suggestions regardless of how they might be given to you. Don’t expect that elders will do this well or even know how to do it. A deeper look here could really avoid a lot of potential pain and loss. Finally, master the art of honor and celebration when it is due. This is critical to the health and wellbeing of the church and its future. Remember that our legacy is not held in the hands of man, but in the hands of God. Let Paul’s words in Colossians 3:17 temper our actions: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

Jerry Harris is retired senior pastor of The Crossing in Quincy, Illinois and publisher of Christian Standard.

LEADING THROUGH THE HAND-OFF

LESSONS IN PASTORAL TRANSITION BY SHAN MOYERS

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PLAN AHEAD. A successful transition doesn’t start the day a pastor announces their retirement. It begins years earlier with intentional planning. This includes making decisions on:

’ve had the opportunity to step into two very different lead pastor transitions in my ministry journey. Both were high stakes. Both carried the weight of legacy. And both have been two of the greatest blessings of my life. The first was at Rocky Mountain Christian Church in the Boulder, Colorado area, where the late Alan Algrim, founding pastor and faithful leader for 29 years, entrusted me with the church he planted and loved. The second was at Central Christian Church, where Cal Jernigan served faithfully for 38 years, 26 of those as lead pastor, guiding a church that has influenced the entire Phoenix Valley and beyond. Alan and Cal could not have been more different in personality, style, or approach, which showed in each transition—one a co-pastor handoff over six months, the other a 12-month period where I served as an executive leader before stepping into the lead role. Yet in both cases, the transitions were relationally healthy and spiritually fruitful. Alan and Cal have been two of my closest friends and mentors. Their examples and the lessons learned through both journeys have convinced me that leadership transitions are not about handing over titles and responsibilities. They’re about transferring blessing, legacy, and health.

•

Timing: How long will the transition take? When will it officially begin and be completed?

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Structure: Will it be a co-pastor model, or a handoff at the end of a defined season?

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Roles: What will the outgoing pastor’s role be after the transition? Will they remain on staff? How many times will they teach, if at all? Will they attend?

These are all questions that must be addressed before the plan is set in motion. The transitions at Rocky and Central were very different strategies, but both were planned perfectly for their context. That’s the point—there isn’t one right model. The board, outgoing pastor, executive team, and incoming pastor must prayerfully discern what serves the church best. Then commit to it and stick with it. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE. I can’t emphasize this enough. The strength of a transition is not just in the plan itself, but in how well the plan is communicated.

Every church will face the moment when the baton must be passed. How that moment is prepared for and executed will determine whether the church enters decline and confusion or experiences stability, health, and even momentum.

At Central, Cal modeled this beautifully. He overcommunicated the plan. Every board member, staff member, and person in the congregation knew exactly what was happening, why it was happening, and how it would unfold. There were no surprises. By the time the baton was passed, the church had already embraced the future.

Here are a few important lessons I’ve learned about what makes pastoral transitions thrive.

Alan approached communication differently. He didn’t spend as much time explaining the structure

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and strategy, but he repeatedly communicated his trust in me and his belief in what God was doing. Again and again, in public and private, he spoke words of blessing and confidence over me. I’ll never forget him saying to a church member who was questioning one of my decisions: “Do you trust me? If so, you should trust Shan, because I trust him.” That statement transferred credibility, authority, and relational equity to me in a way no strategy could. Here’s the reality: no matter how capable the incoming pastor is, 80 percent of the transition success rests on the shoulders of the outgoing pastor. He holds the history, the trust, and the authority. When he blesses and affirms the next leader, while also leading with clarity through the process, the church follows. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO DO. Trust is built on follow-through. Both Alan and Cal modeled integrity by keeping their word through every stage of transition. Cal executed the plan down to the letter. He handed things off when he said he would, and in a few cases, even earlier because the process was going so well. He never withheld or second-guessed. Alan did the same. He set a date, handed over the leadership, and never tried to take it back. That kind of faithfulness is critical for both pastors and boards. Leadership must honor its commitments, especially around timing, communication, and care for both pastors. Looking back, I realize that both men taught their congregations that leadership integrity isn’t about perfection; it’s about keeping promises and modeling consistency. And it’s about handing off not just a position, but a blessing. PREPARE FINANCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY FOR RETIREMENT. One of the unspoken reasons transitions stall is because pastors are financially unprepared to retire. They hang on too long—not because they want to, but because they have to. I once sat in a meeting where a pastor said, “I think my church needs me to retire, but I need to work two more years before I’m ready.” Another pastor asked if he had shared this with his board. He hadn’t. When he did, the board graciously agreed to pay him his full salary for

LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS ARE NOT ABOUT HANDING OVER TITLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

THEY’RE ABOUT TRANSFERRING BLESSING, LEGACY, AND HEALTH.

Retirement preparation isn’t just financial—it’s also emotional. Alan often said, “You have to retire to something, not just from something.” Alan shifted all of his energy to Covenant Connections, a ministry focused on helping pastors finish strong. Cal focused his attention in his last year on preparing mentally and emotionally for retirement. Because he was prepared financially and emotionally, he chose to take a year of rest and family investment before re-engaging. Both modeled what it looks like to leave with purpose and enter the next season with peace. MATCH THE TRANSITION TO THE PERSONALITY. Not every pastor approaches leadership or transition the same way. In The Hero’s Farewell, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld describes multiple types of leaders: •

“Kings” and “Generals” often need to leave entirely after transitioning because of their strong personalities and difficulty stepping out of a position of control.

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“Governors” see their role as a term of service and often step away naturally when their time comes to a close.

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“Champions” can remain engaged as encouragers and supporters because they don’t need control to contribute.

The key is discerning not what the outgoing pastor wants, but what the church needs to be healthy as it heads into the future. At Rocky, Alan stayed connected in a volunteer capacity encouraging, mentoring, and loving people. At Central, Cal transitioned into more of a cheerleader role—handsoff, supportive, and always available. Both were right for their personalities and for the church. Boards must have the courage to shape the transition around what’s best for the church as a whole, not just for the pastor’s personal preferences.

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Church boards must take responsibility to ensure their pastors are cared for financially so that retirement isn’t delayed out of necessity. Investment now is not just investing in a pastor and his family, but in the future of a healthy and well-timed transition to the next leader.

two years post transition. The new lead pastor started, the outgoing pastor was honored and cared for, and the church is thriving.

THE CHURCH WILL HONOR THE INCOMING LEADER TO THE EXTENT THAT HE AND THE BOARD HONOR THE OUTGOING LEADER.

The church will honor the incoming leader to the extent that he and the board honor the outgoing leader.

I’ve seen many church boards charge forward into transition planning without seeking advice or counsel. Just because you’ve watched an executive transition in a corporate setting does not mean you’re an expert on church transitions.

The new pastor, the executive team, and the board must get help from other churches and leaders to decide the appropriate amount of celebration, recognition, and blessing given to the outgoing pastor. With the tenure of the men I followed, this included retirement parties, weekend celebrations, special gifts for them and their spouse, honoring their family, a final tour to all campuses, and more. Once both churches understood what was appropriate for organizations of their size, they were able to honor their leader well. In my experience, most boards have no idea how to appropriately bless a lead pastor that has given most of their life to one ministry. After all, how often do you transition a leader that has been in the same role for decades? If a board fumbles the ball, they unintentionally erode credibility and relational trust. This mistake is far more costly than the price of honoring well. Do your incoming pastor a favor and get some advice. Decide what you think is appropriate and then take it up a notch. You won’t regret it.

Churches aren’t companies with employees that show up the next week because their paycheck depends on it. We are dealing with people who voluntarily choose to show up, serve, invite, and give for the sake of the mission . . . and they can conversely choose not to show up. We owe it to them and the people we are trying to reach to learn from those who have gone before us and done it well. Church transitions are inevitable, but decline, confusion, and division don’t have to be. With careful planning, clear communication, financial foresight, and sensitivity to personalities, churches can not only survive transitions, they can thrive through them. 

Shan Moyers is lead pastor with Central Christian Church, Mesa, Arizona.

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SEEK ADVICE.

GIVE HONOR WHERE HONOR IS DUE.

PASTORAL TRANSITION SUCCESSION OR INTERIM? by Greg Comp

tran·si·tion [tranˈziSH(ə)n] noun Movement or change from one position, state, stage, subject, etc. to another; change: the change from adolescence to adulthood. Synonyms: changeover, passing, conversion.

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ransitions can be scary and awkward, but they are natural and necessary. They are not right or wrong and they are not inherentlygood or bad; they just are! Healthy things grow and growing things change.

done cruelly and viciously. We can’t stop transitions from happening, because as they say, “Time marches on.” But we can determine how and when they are done. From my personal and professional experience, I highly recommend the first option, smoothly and naturally.

A PERSONAL TRANSITION

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the long-promised Messiah. When Jesus arrived on the scene, John immediately recognized him and gladly deferred to his leadership by declaring, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30, The Living Bible). This scriptural principle is at the heart of an effective, God honoring succession. On one hand, we don’t want to see anyone leave prematurely. On the other hand, we don’t want them to stay beyond their season of interest or effectiveness. We want to strike a balance, allowing for the natural ebb and flow of life, so the transitions can be embraced and celebrated by all parties involved.

In 2010 my mother and I went through this natural transition like all families do. She was moving into her senior years, and I was assuming new responsibilities she had previously taken care of. It was inevitable and expected, but it was still awkward and scary for both of us. There were times when she felt rushed and frustrated, and there were times when I felt inadequate and illprepared. But it was inevitable, and we navigated it with grace and gratitude because we were family and that’s what families do. In the same way, every successful organization goes through changes and transitions. It is necessary for survival. Resisting change leads to certain death. That’s true whether it’s a church, a family business, or a publicly traded company. Management specialist Peter Drucker observed, “The ingredient most missing in churches today is a plan of succession. Ministers are getting older, and the church is not thinking about the next generation.” Transitions are inevitable and important. The key to a successful transition is preparation. Transitions are inevitable and the manner in which they are carried out is critical. They can be done smoothly and naturally, they can be done haphazardly and poorly, or they can be

THE SUCCESSION PLAN For those situations where it can be strategically planned and is financially possible, succession should be the preferred choice. This approach to an expected transition fosters continuity and maintains momentum while allowing reciprocal mentoring during the transition process. In addition, succession minimizes anxiety and avoids a prolonged search process. Succession plans are as diverse as the churches creating them. Dave Dunson and Brian Jennings served together at the Highland Park Christian

TRANSITIONS ARE INEVITABLE AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY ARE CARRIED OUT IS CRITICAL.

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Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (See, “Trading Places: Learning from a Unique Staff Transition,” Christian Standard, May 16, 2016.) Dave came to the church as senior minister in 1990, and Brian started in 1998 as youth minister. In 2004, they began talking about a future staff transition but weren’t planning on anyone leaving or retiring. They announced their transition plan in the fall of 2005 and hired a new youth minister in 2007. Brian mentored him for nine months, with the goal of making a smooth transition for their students. In fall 2008, Dave began mentoring Brian and handing off more and more pastoral responsibilities. In August 2009, Brian was given the title of Lead Minister and Dave took a three-month sabbatical to refresh and seek the Lord. Dave’s time away allowed Brian time to establish himself as the new leader. In October 2009, Dave returned to Highland Park to launch and lead the Stephen Ministry which he had long desired to see established at Highland Park. This was a creative and strategic way to ensure a smooth pastoral transition while maintaining continuity and momentum. Brain summarized the process this way, “Few churches have tried what we attempted, but we learned a lot. Things have changed in our community and church in the past few years, but Dave is still directing our Stephen Ministry, and I am still preaching and leading. We both think our best years of ministry are ahead of us.” INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY If a succession plan fails or is not possible due to the unexpected nature of the transition, the next best response to pastoral change would

be an intentional interim ministry. Intentional interim ministry gives the church family and church and leaders time to process the pastoral change and reflect on the church’s health and future. Intentional interim ministry is much more than pulpit supply. It involves a skilled and experienced minister who serves full-time (ideally for a period of about nine months) to help the leadership and congregation navigate the many challenges and changes associated with pastoral transition, allowing time for the church family to catch their breath and for the leadership to get their feet under them again. An intentional interim provides a bridge between what was and what can be, moving the church family from anxiety to anticipation. In August 2020, I accepted my first assignment as a Transitional Interim Pastor with a multi-staff church in Meridian, Mississippi. The church had lost a long-term and dearly loved pastor to a short battle with cancer. In their grief and despair, they made a quick hire of a younger man who was much different from their previous pastor. Unfortunately, this created some understandable but unfair comparisons which resulted in the new pastor’s early departure. In addition to their grief and despair, the church also experienced turmoil and division. At the recommendation of their District Superintendent, they reached out to NXTStep Church Services to enter into a Transitional Interim Pastor Service (TIPS) agreement. My 11-month tenure as their interim pastor allowed the church to thoroughly grieve their loss and heal from a difficult short-term ministry. In July 2021, I was able to pass the baton of leadership to their new pastor whom the church welcomed with optimism and anticipation.

IN THE CHURCH WE MUST BE PREPARED TO PASS AND RECEIVE THE BATON OF LEADERSHIP WITH GRACE AND GRATITUDE BECAUSE WE ARE FAMILY, AND THAT’S WHAT FAMILIES DO!

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Through a series of assessments and initiatives, intentional interim ministry gives the local church time to reflect and prepare for a new future. TIPS is designed to help churches ask and answer the question, “What’s next?” in a positive and deliberate process which moves the church from anxiety to anticipation. IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT Immediate replacement is a common response to pastoral transition. However, this approach has several risks and limitations. A quick hire can easily overlook serious issues that resulted in the previous minister’s departure. The unspoken assumption is that the only thing needed is a simple personnel change, when what is needed is a significant paradigm shift. Another common outcome of immediate replacement is the unfair and unhealthy comparison between the previous minister and the new one, resulting in further turmoil and division. Both scenarios can create a vicious cycle of short-term ministers which is disastrous for the church and devastating to the ministers and their families. When done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, succession and an intentional interim create the smoothest path to pastoral transition. When the new minister arrives, they don’t have to pick sides or solve problems as any lingering issues were addressed and resolved during the succession or interim process. As a result, the new minister has a clean slate and a solid foundation upon which to build, and the church is positioned for growth.

In those times when transitions feel awkward and scary, we need to remember they are natural and necessary. And during those times when we feel rushed and frustrated, or inadequate and ill-prepared, we need to remember that we are family and navigate those seasons with grace and respect. Like a relay race, the passing of the baton is critical. One team may have the fastest runners; but if their handoff isn’t successful, they will not reach their goal. In the church we must be prepared to pass and receive the baton of leadership with grace and gratitude because we are family, and that’s what families do! For those who are interested in succession planning there are many resources available. Transition Plan, by Bob Russell and Bryan Bucher and Leader><Shift, by Dr. Gary Johnson, are at the top of my list. For those who are interested in intentional interim, there are several ministries providing this service; but the one I know best and am working with is Transitional Interim Pastor Services (TIPS) under the broader ministry NXTStep Church Services (https://www.yourncs.org). 

Greg Comp joined NXTStep Church Services after 42 years of located ministry. He serves on their Management Team as Coach & Cohort Leader for the Christian Church/Church of Christ. Greg also manages the RENEW.org Job Board.

SUCCESSION

WHEN IT WORKS, WHEN IT DOESN’T by Ken Idleman

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he story of the Bible from creation [Genesis] to consummation [Revelation] includes many accounts of leadership succession, several of which worked well and some of which did not. In the Old Testament there is patriarchal, prophetic, priestly, and political succession. In the Gospels you have the succession from John the Baptist to Jesus and from Jesus to the disciples. In Acts and the epistles there is succession from the first-generation apostolic leaders to the second-generation church leaders. So, we are talking here about a lot of succession content to digest from Scripture alone! Then of course our historical and contemporary cultural landscape is replete with stories of both fruitful and failed leadership succession. As an initial and general observation, much of what we see documented in Scripture, especially the New Testament, is positive and commendable. By contrast, much of what we see in our fallen world today is negative and condemnable! I have personally experienced three leadership succession stories, two as a Bible college president [both incoming and outgoing in 30 years as president elect/president/chancellor] that worked very well and one as senior pastor of a megachurch [10 years] that did not. In addition, for the last decade I have coached a number of pastors and church leaders through the succession process. Here follows a compilation of biblical wisdom and seven practical insights and personal convictions that I trust will have some value for 21st century kingdom builders.

SUCCESSION SUCCESS IMPLIES PR AYER A ND PL A NNING. When prayerful forethought and careful planning are not in evidence, the outcome will probably not be good. Genesis 50:26 relates that Joseph died, was embalmed, and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Then in Exodus 1:8 we learn that “a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came into power in Egypt” (New International Version). The point here is that there was apparently no next generation leader for God’s people. Perhaps Joseph’s only leadership failure was his inattention to identifying and developing a worthy successor. The result was the loss of regard for and the enslavement of the Hebrew people for 400 years. Then later, during the periods of the judges and kings, you see this same consistent failure in the historical narrative. There is no record of short-range or long-range leadership succession planning. As a result, there are literally centuries of intermittent national instability and decline for God’s covenant people. Good succession planning in business offers several advantages, such as reduced risk of talent gaps, boosting employee morale and retention, enhancing organizational stability, supporting strategic goals, and fostering a culture of growth and preparedness. Poor leadership succession will result in decreased morale and productivity, increased gossip and toxicity, higher turnover rates, absenteeism, and decreased performance. But when intentionally employed, focused prayer and thoughtful planning give our churches and Christian organizations a huge advantage!

WHEN THERE IS MUTUAL DEFERENCE AND MUTUAL RESPECT, THERE WILL SURELY BE A PEACEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE TRANSITION OF LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE.

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Someone has said that the two most important moments in a relationship are how you say “Hello” and how you say “Good-bye.” Having a conscience about this ethic is paramount for both a predecessor and a successor. Relational first and last impressions are critically important. If an outgoing leader fails to affirm the incoming leader or tries to control the process, succession will not work out well. Or, if the outgoing leader makes financial demands, is manipulative, or acts entitled on his way out the door, there will not be a good succession outcome. If the outgoing leader remains in the faith community, it can be a perpetual distraction for the church unless he intentionally steps away, truly releases leadership, and is verbally self-editing with a consistently positive attitude. On the other hand, if the incoming leader is critical of his predecessor and arrives making a lot of highprofile changes and promises about the future in the first year, it will be interpreted by thinking people in the faith community as thoughtless and immature. Incoming leaders should not try to show everything they’ve got in the first six months! They should instead use the first year to learn stories, build relationships, and do their best personal and pastoral work and preaching. The gold standard here is Moses and Joshua. As early as Exodus 17:8, Moses identified Joshua as someone in whom he had confidence, entrusting him to recruit an army to fight the Amalekites. Then later, in Deuteronomy 34:9, on Mount Nebo, Moses accepted the reality that he would not be allowed to cross over into the promised land and he graciously stepped aside. We read, “Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom [and ready to lead] because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him [Joshua] and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.” This is a great model of succession . . . specifically of how to end well and begin wisely.

SUCCESSION SUCCESS DEPENDS ON HOW A PREDECESSOR ENDS AND A SUCCESSOR BEGINS. SUCCESSION SUCCESS REQUIRES VIGILANT HUMILITY. Back to Moses and Joshua. Numbers 12:3 reveals, “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth” (New Living Translation). Humility by one or [ideally] both partners in the succession process will insure a positive result. This exemplary humility is even more evident in the successor relationship of John the Baptist to Jesus. In Mark 1:7, John identified Jesus as “the one more powerful than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (NIV). Then Jesus said of John in Matthew 11:11, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (NLT). When there is mutual deference and mutual respect, there will surely be a peaceful and productive transition of leadership influence. I recently learned of a leadership succession event in one church that was particularly impressive. The retiring senior pastor and his successor literally washed one another’s feet on the platform in front of the entire church family during a morning worship service. That’s what I’m talking about; an observable demonstration of God-honoring, humble leadership succession. Too often a predecessor can feel diminished by the excitement in the church or ministry anticipating new leadership. At the same time the successor can feel unfavorably compared to the effectiveness of the former leader. Such feelings are evidence of unwelcome immaturity and insecurity that should be intentionally resisted and displaced with genuine humility. The larger faith community can help by balancing appropriate appreciation and gratitude for the outgoing leader with expressions of encouragement and good will to the incoming leader.

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SUCCESSION SUCCESS HONORS GOD AND RESULTS IN POSITIVE MOMENTUM IN THE CHURCH AS WELL AS IN THE LARGER COMMUNITY.

I was privileged to observe such a moment at Southeast Christian Church in 2019 when Kyle Idleman officially succeeded Dave Stone as Senior Pastor. Dave had extended himself to Kyle as an older brother and mentor when Kyle was just 16 years old. Less than a decade later they were serving side by side on the Southeast preaching team as their friendship continued to deepen. Then on the night the leadership transition was celebrated by the Southeast church family, there was scarcely an empty seat or a dry eye as the two good friends blessed the congregation with an unfeigned expression of mutual friendship and support.

best. Of course, John needed to be the one to correct his disciples’ thinking. And he did. Rather than allow his disciples to jealously champion his cause, thus creating division, John declared, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.” He wanted them to know that Jesus is the One who comes from heaven and is above all. John asserted his selfless leadership to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Internally: A season of Christian leadership succession is not a good time for circulating petitions, promoting a preferred candidate, or engaging in gossip. Set aside any rhetoric that might fuel cynicism or skepticism. Ephesians 4:29 warns, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.” Externally: I remember trying to [humorously] correct a pastor friend who was unwisely weighing in on a troubled church leadership transition by quoting him Proverbs 26:17, “Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.” This metaphor underscores the peril of unauthorized involvement in conflicts. Listen, there is a reason Paul admonished the Thessalonians in his first letter, chapter 4, verse 11: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business.” Ultimately it is local church elders who will be accountable to God for the health and growth of the church. Once trusted with this ministry of oversight, they should be respected and supported, especially in a season of leadership transition.

Most people instinctively resist change. It is particularly true when there is a change in leadership. And because we live in a democratic society where leadership change is a way of life every two to four years, we are perpetually unsettled. Anytime there is a leadership change, even in church life, there tends to be too much scrutiny and too little trust, too much talk and too little prayer.

Perhaps the greatest single benefit of succession success is that when it works, succession success honors God and results in positive momentum in the church as well as in the larger community. And in John 17 we have the longest and most intense prayer of Jesus, prayed over his disciples in the upper room before going into the Garden of Gethsemane. The heart of his prayer is reflected in his words in verses 20-21: “I pray for those who will believe in me . . . that all of them may be one so that the world may believe . . . so that they may be brought to complete unity.” We can be an answer to this prayer by our Lord in the way we pursue Godhonoring leadership succession. 

In John 3:25ff the disciples of John the Baptist went to him, upset by the fact that “he [Jesus] is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” I imagine they meant well, but in fact their talk was counterproductive at

Ken Idleman has served 60 years (and counting), as an evangelist, local church preacher, Ozark Christian College president, and a pastor to pastors (concurrently) with both The Solomon Foundation and e2 Elders. A husband of one (Kaylene), a father of three, grandfather of 11 and great grandfather of three (and counting)!

SUCCESSION SUCCESS REQUIRES THOUGHTFUL VOICES.

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In 1 Kings 19:16 (NIV), Elijah was clinically depressed when the Lord God gave him a detailed plan for moving forward to renew his prophetic calling. One component of that plan was for him to anoint Elisha to succeed him as a prophet. Elijah wasted no time implementing that directive. So Elisha set out to follow Elijah, becoming his servant. Over time, that warm initial meeting between these two spiritual leaders grew into a deep personal friendship. In 2 Kings 2 there is a detailed account of their heartrending transitional moment. Elijah asked Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” He responded, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” And then, as Elijah is caught up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elisha cried out, “My father! My father!” He tore his garment in two, a touching expression of his deep sense of grief and loss. So, how often does a church or ministry get to see this kind of impactful leadership succession witness? Not often enough, I promise you!

SUCCESSION SUCCESS IS ENHANCED BY PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP.

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ELDERS! HELP PUT THE “SUCCESS” IN SUCCESSION! By Gary Johnson

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imon Sinek’s Start With Why (Portfolio/Penguin, 2009) is a must-read for leaders. In it, Sinek unpacks his “golden circle theory,” compelling leaders to start with knowing why they do what they do, then move to understanding how they do what they do, and ending with grasping what details are essential. Borrowing from Sinek’s theory, here are some thoughts as to why elders must be fully engaged when the lead pastor transitions out and a new leader arrives, how elders are to be involved, and what must matter to elders when this transition takes place. A common and well-known term for pastoral transitions is succession. A lead minister’s transition (i.e., succession) is one of the most risk-laden seasons of ministry. Succession is a journey, not an event. If succession is not done effectively, it may result in the loss of momentum, people, resources, and more. Fully engaged elders help put the “success” in succession.

Start With WHY. Why must elders be fully involved with succession? The Apostle Paul answered that very question with, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2, New International Version). Elders have been given a trust, that being to faithfully lead the local church. Our God-given trust includes planning for succession. The late Bernie Madoff owned an investment security firm that absconded with an estimated $65 billion from individuals, companies, and organizations. He had been given a fiduciary trust, and he did not remain faithful, causing untold

suffering to thousands of victims. As elders, we have been given a trust to effectively lead the local church. If we fail to engage in the succession process, we run the risk of a failed succession. We cannot hand this responsibility to others. It is our responsibility to own.

Move to HOW. How must elders be fully involved in succession? Simply said, elders are to oversee the entire process. One of the Greek terms for elders is that of “overseer” (episkopos). We do not need to get down in the weeds, doing every task connected with succession. Instead, from a proverbial 36,000-foot elevation, we oversee the search for (and on-boarding of) a new lead pastor, while providing for an honorable retirement of the current lead pastor. Just as a farmer prepares the soil for a new growing season, elders need to prepare the congregation to enter into a new season, that being succession. To that end, elders must begin this season with fervent, prevailing prayer, asking the Lord for his counsel, compassion, and courage. Jesus said that we are to “ask the Lord of the harvest . . . to send out workers” (Matthew. 9:38). Elders need to take Jesus at his word, asking him to provide the local church with this specific “worker.” All too often, elders fail to take the lead in this necessary season. It may be that the elders fear hurting the feelings of the current lead pastor or even fear potential criticism of people in the church for moving in this direction. Yet, through heart-felt prayer, elders are strengthened by the Holy Spirit as he reminds us that succession is

FULLY ENGAGED ELDERS HELP PUT THE “SUCCESS” IN SUCCESSION.

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After bathing succession in prayer, elders should then establish what the process will involve. Some of this may be predetermined by requirements in church bylaws. However, elders must oversee this process by deciding if the search will be internal (i.e., someone is hired from within the church), external (i.e., someone is hired from outside the church), or if the search process will be a both/and (i.e., internal and external search). Being that a lead pastor is a key spiritual leader of the church, elders should ideally serve as the “search team,” assessing who is the most gifted and called individual to serve in this role. Before the search begins, it is vital for the elders to determine the position profile. A profile will provide candidates with a ministry description that clearly states responsibilities and expectations of the lead pastor position. Additionally, the profile must list education and ministry experience requirements. Though not publicized, elders need to determine the salary and benefits package for discussion with a candidate. Once the profile is complete, the elders need to oversee the posting of the ministry position in as many places as possible, and once applications begin arriving, elders need to oversee the triage process of the candidates (i.e., interviews, site visits, vetting questionnaires, preaching critiques, reference checks, personality assessments, etc.). Elders cannot offload this responsibility to others. As shepherds (i.e., poimen), elders know the congregation best, and because of their oversight, elders can onboard the most likely individual to effectively lead the church. Always keep in mind that a wrong hire is the most expensive hire. A critical part of succession is to acknowledge and appreciate the ministry of the retiring pas-

tor. Once again, the elders are responsible for overseeing this pivotal aspect of ministry transitions. Hopefully, the soon-to-retire lead pastor will have already initiated the conversation about retirement with the elders. Then again, if he does not do so, the elders must lovingly address this reality as the health and wellbeing of the “Bride” (i.e., congregation) is of great importance. Elders must oversee how the retiring pastor can be celebrated as his ministry draws to a close, which includes giving appropriate consideration for showing appreciation and gratitude in a monetary manner. This process takes place over a period of time, which again is the responsibility of the elders. Think of succession as the handing off of a baton during a relay race. In a 1,600-meter relay race, a runner who completes a 400-meter lap hands the baton to the next runner in what is known as “the exchange zone,” a 20-meter long “box” where the baton must be exchanged. Similarly, the elders need to oversee the timing aspect of succession. Ideally, it is beneficial when an out-going pastor can work alongside the in-coming pastor for a time. Both individuals are in the exchange zone for a pre-determined amount of time. During that overlap, the elders oversee how the out-going pastor “becomes less” while the in-coming pastor “becomes more” (i.e., the retiring pastor preaches less often, whereas the new pastor preaches more often, etc.). John the Baptist said of his relationship to Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). Finally, elders oversee succession by putting the transition plan into writing. Once the elders (and retiring pastor) have prayed, talked, and thought through succession, they must memorialize the plan in writing. Moreover, both the lead elder and the lead pastor should sign the plan, and should the plan need to be amended, both the elders and retiring pastor should be in agreement with the change(s). By putting the plan into writing, we help prevent future disagreement based only on what was thought to have been previously said.

part and parcel of the life cycle that we all experience, no matter our vocation. The Spirit reminds us that succession is seen throughout Scripture (i.e., Moses to Joshua, Elijah to Elisha, Paul to Timothy, et al). Similarly, succession is a natural and necessary season for every congregation.

A CRITICAL PART OF SUCCESSION IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE THE MINISTRY OF THE RETIRING PASTOR.

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End with WHAT . What must matter to elders when it comes to succession? Elders must care for the emotional and spiritual needs of the “flock” (i.e., church), which includes the retiring pastor and his wife. It is challenging for any individual to enter into the final season of life. Similar to a football game, when the clock is running out in the fourth quarter, the players are physically tired and bruised, while being emotionally impacted (depending on the score). When a long-term pastor sees time running out on the clock of ministry, he is physically and emotionally impacted. Every person has a “shelf-life,” and it is painful to acknowledge that we have reached it. Hence, good shepherds (elders) will have compassion for their retiring pastor. Grieving must matter to elders. After a long, fruitful ministry, a pastor and his wife will have built deep and abiding friendships with people in the church and community. No longer serving in this role can cause people to grieve, and this is just one of a plethora of emotions experienced in succession. Some people will be anxious about the future, struggling with farewells and finality. Others will move more readily into the acceptance of this new season, grateful for the past but looking forward to the future. Emotions will vary and change as often as the weather. The relational health between the retiring and incoming pastors must matter to the elders. If I want my marriage to work, I must work at my marriage. The same is true in the relationship between these two pastors. If they want their relationship

to work, they must work at it! When elders foster a good relationship between these two men, there is a greater likelihood that the retiring pastor can be a blessing to his new pastor. Both of these men must be strong in their walk with Jesus Christ, for only then can their walk with one another be at its best. Both men must move into humility toward one another. Humility fuels succession while pride causes succession to fail. Nobody remembers how the retiring pastor came, but they will remember how he leaves—either loved and respected by the people for his humility or scorned and dishonored because of his prideful exit. After all, succession is purpose-driven, not personality-driven. It is about all the people in the church, and not just about the person who leads the church. A carpenter keeps specific tools in his toolbelt, and he becomes all the more skilled with their constant use. Similarly, we at e2: effective elders often use our tool of “succession coaching.” The Lord has enabled us to coach many churches across America to navigate the challenging season of transition, and it would be a privilege to be of help to you. If you see succession approaching in the distance, please read Leader><Shift: One Becomes More While Another Becomes Less (available at e2elders.org) and contact us to explore how we may be of help to you for experiencing a God-honoring succession.  Gary Johnson is retired senior minister of Indian Creek Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, and co-founder and Executive Director of e2: Effective Elders.

By Denise Harlow

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inistry in Chicago was a roller coaster—plenty of ups, but many more downs in those early years. My husband and I weren’t naïve about what we were stepping into. Both of us grew up in ministry homes, so we knew the life. We knew that along with encouragement would come discouragement, along with praise would come criticism. We knew ministry meant long hours, distance from extended family, and financial sacrifice. Still, we jumped in with open hearts because we loved Jesus, his church, and his people.

those seasons of growth and unity. Simply put, ministry was hard, but it was beautiful.

And oh, how I loved it. I loved seeing people grow in their faith—taking steps of obedience, serving with joy, celebrating their baptisms. I loved being welcomed into the homes and gatherings of church families who became our “family away from family.” I loved when our church filled food pantries, sent teams across the world to Kenya and Malawi, and sacrificed to expand buildings so we could reach more people for Christ. I loved mentoring younger women and seeing them flourish in their walks with the Lord.

THE UNEXPECTED WEIGHT OF LOSS

There were perks too—unexpected dinners, boat rides, theater tickets, cheering at a professional game. Those invitations reminded me that people cared. And I loved watching our church thrive in

So, when my husband retired after 33 years as a lead pastor, I cried. I didn’t want to be someone who loved position or perks, but I knew I would miss the people, the influence, and the rhythm of ministry life. And to add to the change, we didn’t just retire—we also moved to a new state.

Moving meant the “fishbowl” life was gone, but so was the familiarity. Suddenly, no one knew us—not at Costco, not at church, not even in our neighborhood. That loss of recognition, of being known, was harder than I expected. Now, the blessing was undeniable: we were only five minutes away from all eight of our grandchildren. That’s about as perfect as it gets! But still, the adjustment wasn’t easy. To my surprise, I slipped into depression. I couldn’t understand it at first. I was finally free from the spotlight, free from the constant demands and criticism,

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and free from the heavy decisions. Shouldn’t that have felt like relief? Yet underneath it all, I realized I was grieving. After a year of struggling, I sought grief counseling. My counselor used The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman, and it opened my eyes. I hadn’t just lost a job; I had lost so much more: •

My church family of 33 years

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The home where I raised my children

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A neighborhood where every face and every shortcut felt familiar

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Longtime friendships that had taken decades to grow

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My identity as a pastor’s wife, staff member, and leader

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My influence, which came from being known and trusted

Each one was its own loss. Each one needed its own grieving.

LEARNING TO GRIEVE HONESTLY One of the most important things I learned was not to sugarcoat the past. It’s easy to romanticize what we’ve left behind, but that isn’t honest. Ministry was full of beauty, yes, but it also carried hardship. Remembering both allowed me

to honor what was good without getting stuck in what couldn’t come back. When we cling too tightly to the past, we replay stories in our minds until we can’t move forward. Athletes do this with their glory days, actors with their defining roles. But we can do it too—especially in ministry. Paul’s words about taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) became more than a verse; they became a lifeline.

STAYING PRESENT AND BUILDING AGAIN Once I began grieving, the next step was learning to stay present. Practicing mindfulness helped me in surprising ways. It was as simple as noticing the feel of the floor beneath my feet, the cool water running over my hands, or the sunglasses sitting on top of my head. Those little things grounded me in the here and now, reminding me that life was still moving forward. But presence wasn’t enough on its own. I also had to rebuild community. That was hard. In ministry, friendships often came to us. People invited us, pursued us, and sought us out. In retirement, it doesn’t work like that. I had to start reaching out. Friendships that took decades to form couldn’t be replaced overnight. But I kept reminding myself: relationships take time. Slowly, by inviting people over, joining groups, and asking for walks or coffee dates, I began to see new friendships take root. It took effort—much more effort than before—but it was worth it.

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REDISCOVERING JOY Now, two years later, I can say I’ve found joy again. I love playing games with my grandchildren and babysitting when I can. I love that my husband and I are adjusting to a new church and new rhythms of life. I have new friends who bring laughter and encouragement. Most importantly, I’ve seen God’s faithfulness in fresh ways. Jesus’ promise in Mark 10:28–30 has been true for me: “Then Peter spoke up, ’We have left everything to follow you!’ ’Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ’no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age . . . and in the age to come, eternal life’ (New International Version). That promise isn’t just for when we’re in active ministry. It’s for now too. God doesn’t stop providing in retirement. He just provides in new ways. A WORD FOR OTHERS ENTERING THIS SEASON

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Stay present. Notice the little things that remind you God is still with you.

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Take initiative. Don’t wait to be invited; start inviting others.

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Hold to God’s promises. His faithfulness doesn’t retire when you do.

A FINAL WORD Retirement doesn’t mean ministry is over. It just means it looks different. The way we influence and serve may change, but God still uses us. Yes, I still miss parts of the life I left behind. But I’ve seen enough to know this: God hasn’t stopped writing my story, and he hasn’t stopped writing yours, either. So hang in there, friends. Even when it feels like you’ve lost more than you’ve gained, trust that God is still working. He is faithful—yesterday, today, and forever. And he’s not done with us yet. 

If you’re walking into retirement, especially from ministry, here’s what I’ve learned: •

Let yourself grieve. Loss isn’t always about death; sometimes it’s about places, roles, and seasons.

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Be honest. Remember the beauty, but don’t ignore the struggles.

Denise Harlow, alongside her husband, Tim, served Parkview Christian Church in the Chicago, Illinois, area for 33 years. During that time, Denise directed the worship ministry, a church relocation project, three building campaigns, and a multi-site ministry. Denise continues to speak around the country encouraging other women and ministry families.

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HOW DO YOU RE TIRE WHEN YOUR SUCCESSOR AIN ’ T RE ADY ? BY TYLER MCKENZIE

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t the age of 29, I became lead pastor of Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, and I was a bad hire! At least that’s my opinion. I succeeded the founding pastor, Bob Cherry, a visionary leader who planted Northeast in a local elementary school in 1977. After decades of faithful ministry, God used him to build the church to well over 2,000 people in attendance. This church was his labor of love in life. It had become a vital institution in our community. How could he hand it over to a kid? It was the fall of 2011 when I applied for the job. I was beginning the last year of an MDiv. Tom Thatcher, my professor at Cincinnati Christian University, told me that Bob would be retiring soon and was looking to hire a teaching pastor to succeed him. This was very appealing to me. I had no church experience, but I felt called to preach and lead. I needed an opportunity to learn from a seasoned veteran before assuming lead responsibilities. When I went back to my apartment that night and looked up Northeast, I spit out my drink and gasped. The church was huge, and Bob was very gifted! Based on the size and scope of the ministry, I assumed there was no chance they would consider someone as young and inexperienced as me. Either way, the application process would be good practice. I sent it in with low expectations.

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But then I got called back for a phone interview.

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Then I was invited for an in-person interview with Bob and the elders.

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Next, they wanted to meet my wife.

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Before I knew it, they told me I was one of their final few candidates.

I was stunned. How were they drawn to me? At one point in the process, they asked me for sermon videos to review. I didn’t have any! I had been preaching for about 18 months. Smaller rural churches would call Cincinnati Christian University, and I would go preach for gas money and lunch. These experiences were formative, but the churches didn’t have the ability to record me. I was eventually able to send Northeast a video of a sermon I preached at a larger church. I spoke there on behalf of CCU. It was the only video I had. After Northeast hired me, I often joked with Bob and my elders, “I was a bad hire! No way you should’ve trusted me!” They would laugh. I’m sure there have been days since they agreed! They had their work cut out for them with me. I was a young man in need of development. I started as teaching pastor on June 1, 2012. Within the first week, my confidence grew. I had the church figured out. I knew everything that was wrong,

T HE M O S T EMP OWER IN G GIF T B O B G AV E ME IN PR EPA R AT I O N FO R T HE T R A N S I T I O N WA S

VIS ION ADVO C AC Y.

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not only helped me envision the church, he also helped me refine the implementation process. There were many landmines I avoided because Bob spent his last days supporting my vision.

It’s funny how experience humbles you. My eyes were opened to the complexity of church leadership in those 46 months as the successor. Though I was less certain of my capabilities, I was more ready than ever thanks to the careful developmental plan that Bob and our elders put together. Below, I have listed four ingredients in my developmental plan that were vital to turning a bad hire into a better one!

2. Multidimensional Mentorship: The exiting leader strategically chooses diverse mentoring relationships for the new leader. Part of my developmental plan was the maintenance of four mentoring relationships. •

With the Exiting Leader – One was with Bob. We spent hours each week seated around a table outside our offices talking leadership. Ninety percent of our conversations revolved around my curiosity. I questioned everything. Not because I was suspicious but because I wanted to understand the motivations and wisdom beneath Bob’s decision. Ten years later, we still have a warm friendship.

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With an Elder – I also was required to meet monthly with one of our Elders. Mark was a young but trusted leader who was new to the team. He was close enough to me in age to understand my stage of life but old enough to offer wisdom from his own experiences. Ten years later, Mark serves as our chairman, and I trust him as much as anyone in the church.

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With a Fortune 500 CEO - Our church was blessed to have an incredible man of God who also led a very successful business. This man was kind enough to offer me unlimited access to him. He counseled me through a lot of my big firsts—expansions, terminations, reorganizations, etc. Ten years later, he no longer lives in Louisville but remains one of my closest Christian confidants. We communicate every week.

1. Vision Advocacy: The exiting leader spends their remaining leadership currency on the new leader’s vision for change! The most empowering gift Bob gave me in preparation for the transition was vision advocacy. He embraced and championed my vision. He emptied all the leadership currency left in his bank account in order to sell some of my new ideas to the church. When we were two years away from the transition date, Bob said to me, “Tyler, share with me one or two big dreams you have for the future of Northeast so that I can help you.” Bob believed that if he could launch this new vision with me while he was still in the lead pastor chair, it would be received by the longstanding members of the church. Instead of it feeling like the know-itall-new-guy coming in and smashing sacred cows while disrupting everything, it would feel like a joint initiative between the new and old guard. It worked! We launched an outreach initiative we now call “Love the ‘Ville” that is over 10 years old. It has become the heartbeat of our church. Bob

everything that needed to be fixed, and I was certain I could take the lead pastor position by the end of the week. Move over, Bob! After all, I had an MDiv, and I knew Greek. Fast-forward to April 17, 2016, when Bob handed the baton of leadership to me, I was certain I wasn’t ready!

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IF YOU ’ VE SPENT YOUR C AREER WALKING WITH JESUS , YOUR L A S T DAYS S HOULD BE YOUR BES T DAYS , NOT YOUR WOR S T.

3. Driver’s-Ed Delegation: The exiting leader empowers the new leader from the passenger seat. When I was 16, my Driver’s Education teacher calmly offered instruction from the passenger seat as we merged on the interstate, parallel parked, and navigated four-way stops. While I was behind the wheel, the car was designed with a brake pedal on the passenger-side floorboard. Basically, my teacher had an emergency brake he could stomp at any time. I won’t tell you how many times he had to use it. In the same way, there was a two-year period where Bob handed over more and more leadership to me. I was planning the sermon schedules, leading staff meetings, weighing in with the elders, and setting vision. By the time we were oneyear from the transition date, it appeared to any engaged onlooker that I was the one leading the church. However, what people didn’t see was the emergency break at Bob’s feet. He didn’t push it much. Usually, he just calmly offered instruction as we cruised along. But there was a time or two he stomped the pedal so that I didn’t wreck the car.

greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:29-30, New Living Translation). Vision Advocacy, Multidimensional Mentorship, and Drivers-Ed Delegation all grew me professionally, but nothing impacted me spiritually like watching Bob Cherry practice John 3:29-30. To be clear, I ain’t Jesus! But Bob sure looked like John as he publicly exuded deep joy at my ascension into leadership. He spoke of me with pride like I was his adopted son. He bragged about my sermons and vision. He challenged my critics. And he did it all while losing what had been his vocational identity for nearly 40 years. I know he was anxious about retiring. I know he was grieving the transition out of power. Where did he find the strength to count such a sacrifice as joy? You know where! I was profoundly moved by Bob’s humility. When people would come to me and ask, “How’s the transition really going?”, I never found myself complaining or worried. I rarely felt led to talk about leadership, culture, or vision. Instead, I found myself doting over Bob’s character. I said over and over, “It feels like Bob loves me and our church more than himself.” Maybe he didn’t, but he had us all fooled! Just like John the Baptist, he radiated joy as my role became greater and his became less.

4. Joyful Decrease: The exiting leader exudes deep joy as they hand over their vocational identity.

This is how it should be. If you’ve spent your career walking with Jesus, your last days should be your best days, not your worst. Jesus’ last moments before his death were spent pouring himself completely out for us. Then his last moments before his ascension to heaven were spent transferring mission (Mt. 28:18-20), extending blessing (Lk. 24:50), and infusing power (Acts 1:8). Thanks for retiring like Jesus, Bob! May I be so faithful as to one day do the same. 

As Jesus’ fame eclipsed that of John the Baptist, John said this to his disciples, “Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He also produces a fun Bible podcast for parents and their kids called "the Preacher and the Piano man".

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Through a Leadership Program at the University – Bob also required me to participate in a cohort style leadership program at the University of Louisville. Honestly, this was the least helpful of the four. However, I built some new relationships and convinced a couple of my classmates to check out our church.

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The Solomon Foundation: An Example of Wise Succession

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Meet Joshua Means, New CEO of The Solomon Foundation Josh Means has an extensive banking background and was born into a family of faith that spans four generations. He has a degree in business and organizational leadership from Southern Nazarene University and attended Southern Methodist University’s graduate school of banking. Most recently, he was the CEO of community markets with Equity Bank based in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where he led the community markets in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Before that, he was vice president of the Wesleyan Investment Foundation. Josh has been on the board of Christian Financial Resources for the last seven years and served as chairman. Josh possesses an innovative, experienced, and sustainable approach to leadership, which will serve TSF well as it expands its impact—providing churches with the financial resources they need to grow and thrive. He plans to continue building on the foundation Doug Crozier has established, pushing the envelope of growth and unity while maintaining an unwavering faith in Christ and his Word. Crozier, along with the board, shares a confidence that Means will honor his legacy and the company’s mission as he steps into the role of CEO. “It’s been an incredible honor to start and lead The Solomon Foundation to become the third largest church extension fund in the country, and I couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds under Josh’s leadership,” Crozier said. “His vision, experience and passion for growing God’s kingdom make him the perfect person to guide us into the next chapter.” As Means assumes his role as CEO, Crozier will support him in the role of CEO Emeritus, continuing his work of building and developing key relationships with churches and investors. He’s excited to see what the future holds for the organization he’s built on a God-honoring foundation of faith. “I have full confidence that TSF will continue to thrive and reach new heights with Josh at the helm,” Crozier said.

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Q&A with Josh

What was your favorite concert of all time?

In the Spring of last year, Amy Fienen, TSF Project Manager, sat down with Josh for an informal Q&A session. Here’s a recap.

What’s one personality trait from your childhood that you wish was more prevalent in your adult self?

What inspired you to take on the role of CEO at TSF? I can’t preach or sing or play an instrument, but I’ve had great mentors in banking, and I want to use my knowledge to help build the kingdom. I still believe the local church is the best way to fulfill the Great Commission. How would you describe your leadership style? I played soccer and basketball in college, so I’m a team guy. I believe every person on the team has a role to fill, and I want every person to be a star in their role. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The first was from my dad, who taught me that even though I wasn’t the fastest, tallest, or best athlete, that I should hustle and work hard every day and to live like I’ve never arrived. The second is from Nazarene minister and author Stan Toler, who said that if you treat every person you meet like they’re hurting, you’re going to be right 99 percent of the time. This approach helps me see people through the eyes of Jesus.

Garth Brooks.

As a child, I assumed everything was great and looked at life without skepticism, which becomes harder to do the more life you experience. My heart is to be like Jesus and see the best in people. What’s one thing you hope to accomplish in your first year at TSF? I want to build great relationships with investors and teammates while focusing on things that have meaning in eternity, and to stay centered on advice given to me by John Maxwell: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” What is saving your life right now? Date nights and setting aside consistent one-on-one time with my wife, Erin. We have five kids: Caleb, 20; Callie, 19; Carly, 18; Iestyn, 15; and Giovanni, 2, so we have to be intentional and prioritize making time to connect with one another. What’s your stance on money according to biblical principles? Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can, and do all these things as the Holy Spirit leads you.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

What’s a word or phrase you hope best reflects who you are and the way you lived your life after you’re gone?

Optimistic, encouraging, driven.

I want to be remembered as a servant leader. We need more people who are willing to serve selflessly like Jonathan did in the story of David.

What excites you the most about being part of the TSF team? Everyone I’ve met at TSF has a passion for people in the local church. At the end of the day, if we’re not adding souls to the kingdom, it’s all just noise. Every time I see my mom, she gives me a hug and reminds me, “We all have to make it.” That’s her favorite quote, and I love seeing that mentality at TSF. If you weren’t in this career, what would you be doing? I love coaching basketball at Summit Christian Academy in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. I think I’d be a fulltime coach.

What do you want people to know about you as you take on this role? I want people to know that I’m for them, I’m on their team. I just want everyone to make it The Solomon Foundation’s smooth and successful leadership transition underscores the ministry’s integrity, consistency, and endurability. The Solomon Foundation exists to serve Restoration Movement churches as a ministry partner and resource. We invite you to get acquainted with TSF at thesolomonfoundation.org and to see how you can become part of growing God’s kingdom while receiving a great return on your investment.

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I serve as the publisher of Christian Standard, a Restoration Movement magazine that has been continuously published for nearly 160 years. I would like to ask if your church would consider being a mission partner with Christian Standard. Here’s why: Like many of you, I took for granted the influence that the Restoration Movement, Christian Standard, and Standard Publishing had on my life. I was a Jet Cadet, an Alphateen, a Bible Bowl team member, a Junior Church preacher, a youth choir singer, and a youth group leader. Moreover, I went to Ozark Bible College, was ordained in an Independent Christian Church, married a Christian Church girl, and enjoyed a life calling as a preacher and leader. I’m thankful that our churches have grown and flourished over the years, but many of the institutions, colleges, publishing houses, conferences, and other critical ministries that once helped define us have begun to fade away. Christian Standard is the oldest of these and continues to boldly define our movement by sharing our stories and keeping us connected to each other, celebrating our independence while leveraging the power of our unity. Everything that we produce—our magazine, our news, ministry resources, archives, and other helps—are available for free at christianstandard.com. The support of benefactors, strategic partners, advertisers, donors, and subscribers make this possible. We would like to extend a new kind of partnership to our supporting churches and we are asking for your church to participate in this partnership by remembering us in your mission budget. We’ve created four levels of support for this effort:

1) Harvesting Church: A gift of $1,000.00 annually to Christian Standard We will publish your church’s name in all 6 issues of our print and digital magazine. In addition, we will provide 20 subscriptions of our print magazine for the year that you can distribute as you see fit. Also, we will feature a 1,000 word “Church Spotlight” article that shares your church’s story. — We are praying for 100 churches to commit to this level —

2) Cultivating Church: A gift of $500.00 annually to Christian Standard We will publish your church’s name in all 6 issues of our print and digital magazine. In addition, we will provide 10 subscriptions of our print magazine for the year that you can distribute as you see fit. — We are praying for 200 churches to commit to this level —

3) Watering Church: A gift of $250.00 annually to Christian Standard We will publish your church’s name in all 6 issues of our print and digital magazine. In addition, we will provide 5 subscriptions of our print magazine for the year that you can distribute as you see fit. — We are praying for 500 churches to commit to this level —

4) Sowing Church: A gift of $100.00 annually to Christian Standard We will publish your church’s name in all 6 issues of our print and digital magazine. In addition, we will provide 2 subscriptions of our print magazine for the year that you can distribute as you see fit. — We are praying for 1000 churches to commit to this level —

How will this money be used? Presently, we are very close to breaking even financially, but there are many other resources we would love to provide to our churches and readers—at no cost—that require additional funds to complete. This influx of donations that we pray will come through this campaign would help us realize those possibilities and put Christian Standard on solid ground for a healthy future. Our desire is to help churches, not be a burden to them, so we believe the donation scale we are proposing has a place for every church to offer support for this ministry without it being a financial burden. In so doing, we will not only continue the 159-year history of this unifying ministry but open new bridges for cooperation and offer best practices for strengthening our movement in the U.S. and abroad. If you are willing, please respond to aeharris@christianstandardmedia.com and I will send an invoice for your payment. Thank you for your kingdom service and your consideration of this request!!

WATERING CHURCHES

ANEHEIM FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH ANEHEIM, CA ANEHEIM1ST.ORG

CENTER POINTE CHRISTIAN CHURCH LOUISVILLE, KY MYCPOINTE.COM

CULTIVATING CHURCHES

HAVASU CHRISTIAN CHURCH LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ HAVASUCHRISTIAN.ORG

mo ti vate by dav i d fa u st

Serving in the Shadows

Do you know what it’s like to serve in the shadows? Are you an introvert with an extraverted coworker who dominates conversations? Do you have a friend with a strong personality whose charisma monopolizes the energy in the room? What if God calls you to serve in the shadow of a successful, well-known leader? Is your congregation overshadowed by a bigger, better-known church in your area? Does your field of labor seem small and insignificant compared to a ministry that dwarfs the size of your own? A shadow has no substance or weight, but it can feel heavy if you live in one. How do you think the “72 others” felt when Jesus sent them out two-by-two to preach (Luke 10:1)? Jesus selected and sent those 72 disciples to work in God’s harvest field, but unlike the 12 apostles, they weren’t named individually in the Gospels. Andrew was overshadowed by his brother Simon Peter. (The New Testament contains no books called First and Second Andrew.) How did Andrew feel when “people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by” (Acts 5:15, New International Version)? Did Joseph Barsabbas feel slighted when Matthias was chosen instead of him to replace Judas as a member of the 12 apostles (Acts 1:23-26)?

Did Barnabas wrestle with his ego or engage in selfpity when his partner Paul overshadowed him?

Following a Legend I know what it’s like to serve in the shadow of a beloved predecessor. In 1999, I became the senior minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis. Previously, Russ Blowers had served in that role for 45 years, and I was 45 years old when my ministry there began. Russ knew everyone by name, and they all knew him. During his years leading our church, he had performed countless baptisms, weddings, and funerals. He remembered everyone’s families, jobs, and surgical histories—even the names of their dogs and cats. For nearly half a century, he had celebrated holidays with the people, laughed and cried with them, even vacationed with them. By contrast, I struggle to remember names. And instead of getting acquainted with the flock gradually over several decades, I was suddenly thrust into meeting over 3,000 members of our congregation who were all new to me. Community landmarks (hospitals, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, street addresses) were unfamiliar to me as well. My early years at East 91st were tough, but Russ Blowers was a godly man, and he was a true friend to me. Our church faced many challenges in those days, but Russ was the least of my problems. I

couldn’t duplicate him, but neither could I dislike him. He was a high-character, faithful leader filled with wisdom and integrity. He was for me, not against me. He tried not to interfere with church business or undermine my leadership, and whenever I sought his help, he encouraged me and gave me wise counsel.

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Succeeding as a Successor

Here is my advice for those who serve in the shadows. Be thankful. Don’t allow envy and petty grievances to clutter your soul, sour your attitude, and weaken your ministry. Be grateful for the opportunities God has given you. Thank him for what he has done, and what he is now doing, through others. Serve with a cheerful heart. Be humble. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Romans 12:3). Honor and respect the faithful laborers on whose shoulders you stand. “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Be yourself. Don’t play the comparison game, and don’t try to be someone you’re not. On the first Sunday I preached at East 91st Street, I told the congregation, “Russ Blowers has ministered here for 45 years, and I’m now 45 years old. He literally has led this church as long as I have been alive. How will I fill his shoes? I can’t. I have to wear my own shoes.”

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D o n’ t a l l o w e n v y a n d p e t t y g r ie va n c e s t o c l u t t e r y o u r s o u l , s o u r y o u r at t i t u d e , a n d w e a k e n y o u r m i n i s t r y.

Be focused. If your main motivation is to please other people, and your self-worth depends on others’ approval, you will be frustrated and disappointed. Human leaders come and go. Focus on “the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ, who “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Be faithful. Yes, a shadow can be dark and ominous (like the valley of the shadow of death); but a shadow also can offer cool shade and welcome rest in the heat of summer. Whether you serve in sunshine or in shadows, do what God has called you to do, and leave the results with him. “Rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).  Dave Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard. He has written a weekly lesson application for our Bible study material for several years. Previously, he was editor of The Lookout magazine. Dave presently serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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By John Hampton

Early in my ministry, I read James Dobson’s Emotions: Can You Trust Them? *Spoiler alert: you can’t. His central claim was simple: “Don’t believe everything you feel.” As a young preacher, I took that to heart and tried to ignore or downplay any feelings of sadness, anger, or fear. **Second spoiler alert: that doesn’t work . . . at least not for long. Suppressing emotions is like holding a beach ball underwater; eventually they resurface, often at unexpected and unhelpful times. Over time I learned that, while emotions shouldn’t be the dominant voice in my life, understanding them is a wise choice for my life. Emotions can help us intelligently interpret how significant life events are affecting us, especially one as profound as stepping aside from a long-held ministry role. A 2023 Barna Group report revealed that onequarter of American pastors hope to retire in the next seven years. That transition stirs powerful emotions, and if those emotions go unrecognized or unprocessed, they can overwhelm us. Three emotions were particularly striking when I stepped aside from local church leadership.

SADNESS Even with a carefully planned succession, leaving a role I held for over 42 years brought more grief than I expected. Pastoral succession has been described as attending a wedding and a funeral simultaneously. There is excitement for the future under a new leader, but there is grief for the beloved leader who steps aside. The deeper the connection with the congregation, the stronger the sadness. That sadness often shows itself in subtle ways: your name disappearing from the website, walking into the building without stepping onto the stage, hearing a sermon series you didn’t help shape, or watching the church thrive without you. At other times, the grief cuts deeper, such as when struggles arise after your departure, or even worse, seeing the successor you trusted and the church you loved part ways. Sadness is not weakness; it signals the strength of your bonds and the depth of your calling. As my counselor said about sadness, “Don’t turn from it. Learn from it.” Almost every pastor I know has an ungrieved loss, an unhealed wound, or an unforgiven offense. Each carries a unique sadness that can teach us a great deal about what’s happening in us and what God wants to do through us.

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CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY Pastors often learn to operate on “leadership adrenaline,” a drive to solve, share, start, or stop something. Losing that role can leave you bewildered about what comes next, how to use your gifts, or your relationship with the church you are leaving. Kenton Beshore, longtime pastor of Mariners Church, said to a group of soon-to-beretiring pastors, “I used to be able to pick up the phone and make stuff happen!” Letting go of that influence is difficult for almost every leader. To manage this emotional bundle, consider four areas: •

Where can you solve something with your accumulated experience and distinctive skills?

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Where can you share something you’ve learned, lived, and loved?

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Where can you start something using your years of “crystallized intelligence” to make a kingdom difference?

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Where can you stop something—biblical illiteracy, shallow preaching, shoddy leadership, dysfunctional governance—that will help churches thrive?

Every exit is an entry somewhere else. John Maxwell said, “Never (just) leave something. Go to something. There’s a difference between ‘I have to leave because I’m going to something else’ and ‘I have to leave because it’s over here and I have nothing else planned.’” RELIEF I was amazed at how quickly the stress and pressure I had felt for so long melted away when I stepped away. It wasn’t an overnight thing, but I felt relieved sooner than I expected, and I liked it! I recall a conversation I had with Bob Russell about preparing for retirement. He smiled and said, “You won’t miss the pressure, John.” Whether you lead

a church of thousands, as Bob did, or a church of dozens, there is a unique pressure to preach, pastor, produce, and prioritize well week after week, and it never goes away. Someone said, “Pastoring can feel like you are responsible for everything and control nothing.” And that pressure has only intensified. Pastors today face constant volatility from political polarization, acts of violence motivated by hatred, inflammatory social media rhetoric, and the ongoing struggle to discern what to say, what not to say, how to say it, or whether anything should be said at all. It can leave pastors feeling frustrated and exhausted. I don’t miss that. But just because I don’t miss it doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. It simply means there comes a time to let someone else step in—bringing fresh energy, new strategies, and a Spirit-inspired vision to lead the church forward in ways I never could have imagined. FINAL THOUGHTS To suppress our emotions is to silence our soul and miss what God wants to say to us. We shouldn’t trust them without scrutiny, but we should listen to them with sensitivity and manage them with self-control, especially during the shifting season of succession. Recognizing sadness, navigating confusion and uncertainty, while also embracing relief, are key to a healthy leadership transition. By facing these emotions honestly, pastors can honor their legacies, steward their future opportunities, and allow God to speak through their experiences with authenticity—both to them and through them to the next generation of leaders.  For over 42 years, John Hampton pastored churches in Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Florida. He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Journey Christian Church and as the Program Director of the Compelling Preaching Initiative at the Christian Church Leadership Network. John and his wife, Melinda, live in Apopka, Florida, and have two children and three grandchildren.

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By David Vaughan

It may sound morbid, but what happens if you get hit by a bus? If you serve as an elder or staff member, it’s not just a theoretical question, it’s a vital one. Succession planning is one of the most important, but often most neglected, responsibilities of church leadership. Having a plan to build your bench and embracing a ”next man up” mentality must be a top priority in a healthy church. This requires intentionality, though, because most leaders are so busy working in it they don’t take time to work on it. It is hard for a senior minister to think and talk about succession, but it can be just as difficult for long-serving elders and staff to imagine the day when younger leaders—with younger ideas—will take their place. Yet succession is essential for long-term health. SUCCESSION FOR ELDERS On the elder level, succession can be as simple as establishing and following clear terms of service—rolling some elders off each year while inviting new ones on. This ensures that healthy succession is built into the church’s culture.

and not reactive. Coordinated planning helps prevent multiple seasoned leaders from retiring or moving on at the same time, which could create a leadership vacuum. This is especially important when a long-term lead pastor is planning to retire. KEY SUCCESSION PRINCIPLES FOR ELDERS AND STAFF •

Remember that every leader is an interim leader (Even Jesus had a succession plan!). One CEO said, ”I can get kicked out, carried out, or I can walk out. I choose the latter.”

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We always said that you want to make policies before issues have faces. That’s especially true with succession and the surrounding questions and issues. The best time to discuss a succession plan is before you need it!

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Include a transitioning leader’s spouse in the conversation. Remember, their relationships and rhythms are changing, too.

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After decades of watching church staff transitions, I can confidently say that one of the top reasons people don’t retire when they should is they can’t afford to. If you want your ministry staff to retire someday, make sure you pay them enough to enable that.

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Remain available after the transition. Former elders and staff can offer needed wisdom, mentor-

SUCCESSION FOR STAFF It’s a bit more complicated on the staff level (especially on the senior staff level), but regular succession conversations must happen so transitions are proactive

ing, and encouragement to new leaders. A new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows where the dirt is! •

Seek ways to publicly honor and celebrate those who have faithfully transitioned off your elder board and staff.

•

Remind those who are retiring or transitioning that there is a difference between their identity (who they are in Christ never changes), their calling (to lead), and their assignment (the place they serve, which will change over time).

In a church, there is no success without a successor! Leadership transitions are like relay races— victories are won or lost in the handoff zone. A BIBLICAL AND MODERN EXAMPLE In the Old Testament, the Levites were required to stop serving as priests at the age of 50. It wasn’t just because they were older or tired; it was to enable new Levitical priests to start serving. “The Lord said to Moses, ’This applies to the Levites: Men twentyfive years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work’” (Numbers 8:23-26a, New International Version). A more modern example comes from the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. William Vanderbloemen wrote a fascinating article titled, “What I Learned About the Queen’s Funeral Plans from the Archbishop’s Office.” He said, In 2019, before the world fell apart, I was at Lambeth Palace, the headquarters for the Archbishop of Canterbury, doing some work on searches we were

conducting. While I was there, I asked some of the staff what they were working on. After they ran through a few things, I said, “Not to sound morbid, but when will you all begin planning for the queen‘s funeral?” They responded, “Oh, that’s been done a long time ago. We have it all planned out, even down to how everyone gets back here from wherever they are when the day comes.” I was pretty amazed, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. They went on to say something like, “You see, we know that sooner or later, the day for a funeral will come. So we plan well ahead of time to make that day easier.” I had all but forgotten about our meeting until the queen passed away. Now I’m realizing two great insights that I gained from the advanced planning that the Archbishop’s staff has done for this momentous occasion. Because the staff planned ahead, they made decisions about the funeral while their heads were clear. Secondly, because they made decisions ahead of time, they left plenty of room for healthy emotional processing and grief. The same is true for church leadership succession. Delay or denial is not a strategy, friend. Sooner or later, there will be a next. The question is whether you’ve prepared for it. Don’t wait to get hit by a bus. 

David Vaughan led Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio for 20 years. Today, he is the Program Director for the Healthy Church Initiative with the Christian Church Leadership Network. David and his wife, Donna, live near Charleston, South Carolina and have two children and three grandchildren.

By Michelle Maris Children’s ministry is for more than just children: it impacts the entire church. It shapes the faith of the next generation, equips parents, and disciples volunteers. But what happens when the children’s pastor resigns, takes a sabbatical, or simply wakes up sick on Sunday morning? Too often, programs slow down—or even stop—when the leader isn’t present. A healthy children’s ministry should thrive even when its primary leader isn’t in the room. That’s why succession planning is essential. It ensures that Sunday runs smoothly and discipleship continues, no matter who is leading.

is part of shepherding well. “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God” (1 Peter 5:2, New Living Translation). ASSESSING YOUR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY FOR SUCCESSION Before creating a succession plan, take an honest look at your ministry’s current health: •

Volunteer Readiness: Could Sunday morning run without you? Are there trained leaders (not just helpers) in every age group?

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Systems and Documentation: Are schedules, rosters, lesson plans, and safety procedures written down and easy to find?

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Leadership Pipeline: Are you mentoring emerging leaders who could step in if needed?

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Communication: Would parents and staff know what to expect if the primary leader were suddenly unavailable?

WHY SUCCESSION MATTERS? Succession planning isn’t just for senior pastors. Children’s ministry leaders also carry significant responsibility, but the ministry should not rise or fall with one person. Succession planning in your children’s ministry allows for: •

Continuity of Care: Kids show up every week needIng to be welcomed, taught, and kept safe—whether or not the children’s pastor is there.

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Volunteer Confidence: When there’s a plan, volunteers remain calm and focused through unexpected absences or leadership changes.

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Faithful Stewardship: Ministry belongs to God, not us. Preparing for future leadership

Regular assessment helps you strengthen weak spots before a crisis forces a rushed response. Start with the downloadable Children’s Ministry Succession Checklist at the QR code on the right.

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Strong succession planning includes short-term coverage, mid-term transition, and long-term leadership development.

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Cons: The outgoing leader had to sustain momentum while preparing emotionally to leave. Some volunteers experienced “transition fatigue.”

1. Short-Term Succession

When planning your own timeline, consider what will create the healthiest handoff with enough time to prepare well—but not so long that energy fades.

Have your Children’s Minister prepare a “Sunday Without Me” plan that includes:

Practical Succession Strategies

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A checklist for set-up/opening and tear-down/ closing.

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Contact information for key leaders and emergency procedures.

Rotate Leadership Roles: Give volunteers regular opportunities to lead so they are ready when needed. This models the Jethro Principle (Exodus 18:13–27), where leadership was shared to avoid burnout.

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Clear directions for locating supplies, curriculum, and rosters.

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Pray Matthew 9:35-38, asking the Lord to send more laborers into his fields. Don’t underestimate the power of your prayers in building strong ministry teams.

Cross-Train Your Team: Ensure that more than one person knows how to run check-in software, unlock classrooms, and set up curriculum. Keep a shared file with updated Sunday details.

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Communicate Clearly: Share your plan with staff and volunteers so everyone knows what to do when leadership changes.

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Celebrate Transitions: Publicly honor and thank leaders who step down. This sets a healthy tone for future succession moments.

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Pray Over the Process: Use succession as a spiritual practice and a chance to trust God with the future. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:5).

2. Mid-Term Succession If you know your Children’s Minister will be gone for several weeks or is preparing for a job transition, encourage the departing minister to identify and train a key leader to oversee Sunday mornings. Rotate teaching responsibilities so children see multiple leaders in action and know the ministry is bigger than one person. 3. Long-Term Succession Work with church leadership to define the process for hiring or appointing the next children’s ministry leader. Document your ministry’s mission, values, and key systems so a successor can begin with clarity and continuity. CASE STUDY: THE ONE-YEAR NOTICE One children’s pastor gave her church a full year’s notice before stepping away. This allowed time to train a new coordinator, introduce the congregation to multiple teachers, and streamline systems. When she left, Sundays ran smoothly, and the transition felt calm. However, this long goodbye also presented unique challenges. •

Pros: Plenty of time for leadership development, space for volunteers to grow, and less pressure on staff to rush the search process.

CONCLUSION Succession planning is a mark of wise, faithful leadership. By preparing for the future, you protect your families, equip your volunteers, and ensure that children continue hearing the good news of Jesus every week. Whether you are leading for one more month or 10 more years, a thoughtful succession plan will make your ministry stronger, healthier, and ready for whatever comes next. 

Michelle Maris has served as a developmental therapist, special needs pastor, and early childhood educator. She equips churches through training, curriculum development, and trauma-informed ministry and currently leads the Nurturing Children Initiative for the Christian Church Leadership Network. She’s also a proud wife, mom of three, and “Mi Mi” to her first grandchild.

CREATING A SUCCESSION PLAN