Succession plans are a critical aspect of any long-term church planning. Whether you operate a thriving ministry with a middle-aged or older pastor, you need to think ahead and lay the groundwork for a smooth transition of authority.
The scenario is a real one for more churches than you might think. One report found that the average age for clergy in 2023 inched up to a recent high of 59 years old. As pastoral leaders age, it’s important to get a plan in place for what comes next. That way, when the time comes, it will rock the boat as little as possible.
We recently talked with Larry Osborne, the former lead pastor at North Coast Church about his own personal experience (and the experience of the many pastors he has worked with) regarding transition. Here are a few tips to help you with your church succession planning.
It’s too late to start thinking about a leadership transition once it’s time for the transition. Too often it’s not until a transition is clearly needed or imminent that the pastor and/or church leaders start to talk about it.
In order to orchestrate a smooth transition between pastors, you need to start by scheduling a specific time for leadership as a whole to think, pray, and mull on the decision. Rushed decisions are seldom good decisions. Give yourself and your leadership team recurring opportunities to talk about and reflect upon their personal reactions, consequences, and the timing of any decision.
Before you get into the specifics of planning a full-blown transition, make sure you already have an emergency plan in place. Pastor Larry calls it the it his “If the plane goes down,” plan. He would annually discuss this with his governing board plan to make sure everyone on the same page.
This is not a succession plan. It’s an emergency plan. You are not anointing your successor. You are designating who everyone agrees is best qualified to step in and lead should there be an emergency or unexpected need for a new lead pastor. Write the name in pencil as today’s choice might not be tomorrows choice.
We’ll get to the personnel involved in the transition in a minute. But there are logistical elements that you can begin working on long before you start looking for candidates. For instance, you can make sure that you have compiled and updated:
A decentralized leadership structure is always a plus. A staff that has been empowered to make decisions and keep things moving in will help your church continue to function smoothly during a pastoral transition.
The process for finding the next pastor varies from church to church. Your church or tribe may have a mandated detailed process. Your church may have freedom to develop your own process.
In some cases, the candidate will be selected by the current pastor. In some cases you will have nothing to do with the selection. Some will wait until the current pastor has left or is about to leave. Some will bring in a preferred candidate, position them under a senior pastor, and begin preparing them for a transition in real time.
There is no “correct formula” here. It depends on your unique circumstances. What matters is that you don’t use the fact that you have options as an excuse to kick the can down the road. Discover which method is the right one for your church and then commit to it.
When the time comes for a transition to take place, what will it look like? A few common factors that should take place, include:
That last one is important. Plan past the transition and make sure to assess things like relational faux-pas that can cause issues during times of leadership change.
Consider the factors needed to execute your succession plan. Then, create a roadmap that lays things out in an actionable, time-based manner. Once that’s in place, refer to your roadmap regularly to update it.
Succession Planning in Church
Succession planning in the workplace may be a relatively cold and calculated activity. However, in a church environment, it takes on additional spiritual and emotional components. Attendees can be genuinely hurt by a poorly executed transition, and your church can suffer as a whole.
As you consider how to smoothly transition between a well-established senior pastor and their successor, take the time to plan things out properly.
If you’re unsure or stuck in your planning, it’s a good idea to bring in outside help. Our team at Ministry Solutions Group specializes in succession planning. We have the experience and knowledge required to help you build roadmaps, identify candidates, and set the stage for a successful transition.
Let’s talk about your upcoming pastoral succession and ensure that it doesn’t cause unnecessary stress or kill ministry momentum when it finally comes time to make the personnel change.