The Question Every Church Leader Should Ask Now
“What will happen when I’m no longer serving in my position at my church?”
This is a question that I had to think through recently as I transitioned from Cross Point to Menlo Park. It’s a hard question to ask, especially when you’ve been a part of growing something from the ground up. However, I now know more than ever how important this question is, no matter which position you serve on staff.
Every church leader is an interim leader. Why? Because unless you plan on pastoring our church after Jesus returns, every church will have to face the reality of a leadership transition. Are you ready?
Smart leaders realize that succession planning should start with leaders early in their tenure. From the moment you fill a position, you should start thinking about how you can prepare for the next person who fills your role, whether it’s 2, 10, or 25 years from now. A true succession plan encompasses a plan for any leadership transition reason, whether it is the pastor’s own decision, the board’s, or an unfortunate emergency situation.
My friend William Vanderbloemen, former pastor and President of Vanderbloemen Search Group, has spent the last year researching hundreds of pastoral succession plans along with his co-author Warren Bird, Research Director at Leadership Network, to help pastors answer the question, “What’s next?”
Next: Pastoral Succession That Works is a culmination of hundreds of case studies, interviews, and insider stories of succession failures and successes to help you ask the right questions to prepare for the future. It is intended for pastors, board members, and any church staff member who desires their church to have a lasting legacy.
I’ll be doing a full interview with William soon, but a few highlights from the book are:
- Every pastor is an interim pastor.
- There is no cookie cutter approach to succession planning.
- The lack of emergency succession plans is staggering.
- Pastors and boards have done a poor job of creating options for a pastor’s future identity.
- Churches should revisit their succession plan each year.
- A successful succession plan is the best legacy you can leave your church.
Next: Pastoral Succession That Works
