Our guest blogger today is Rick Duncan, who was the founding pastor
of Cuyahoga Valley Church
(www.cvconline.org) in Cleveland, Ohio. After almost three decades as lead pastor, he passed the baton of senior leadership to a younger leader. Rick is now serving on the Send Network Training Team, equipping trainers of church planters throughout North America. You can reach him at rduncan@namb.net.
My dad was a well-loved lead pastor who shepherded his people well. The church he served led the way in outreach and evangelism in their local association. When he was in his early 60s, he helped raise the funds and broke ground for a brand-new building. Then, cancer hit him. By the time he was 68, my dad had gone home to be with Jesus. I’m sure he received a “Well done” from his Savior.
Yet, the church he led lost momentum because of something my dad didn’t do. He didn’t pass the baton of leadership.
So, for many critical months after he died, the church stalled. The church has never again achieved the fruitfulness it once had under my dad's leadership. Today, I wonder how much more effective that church might have been if my dad had led a thoughtful and timely leadership transition before he had to resign due to health reasons.
We can change the church settings, pastoral personalities, and leadership scenarios, but one thing about church leadership remains the same: every day, every leader is one day closer to passing the baton to the next leader. The question is whether the baton will be passed willingly and wisely, effectively and efficiently.
It's been said that there is no success without a successor. Yet many leaders hang on too long. They often don't set up the next generation for fruitful service. And, the organizations they lead might be aging and growing less and less effective. In a few cases, some leaders die relatively young, like my dad did, without a successor in sight.
Right now, leaders in their 50s and 60s have unprecedented opportunities to invest in the next generation. But some leaders have hang-ups that make them hang on and on and on. . . .
Why don't seasoned leaders pass the baton willingly and purposefully?
- They don't believe that God can use them in another role in greater ways.
- They don't believe the best is yet to come.
- They want to maintain control.
- They don't believe that the most spiritually mature thing to do is to decrease so that Jesus can increase (See John 3:30).
- They don't realize that God can do more through them in one day even in their 60s, 70s, or 80s without positional authority than they can do in 1,000 lifetimes in their 30s, 40s, and 50s with positional authority.
- They don't practice II Timothy 2:2.
- They don't believe relational and spiritual authority is much more powerful than positional authority.
- They don't trust God for their finances, so they seek to hang on to more lucrative ministry positions.
- They overestimate their own ability and underestimate the ability of the next generation.
Question: What are other reasons would you give for why seasoned leaders don't pass the baton? When will it be time for you to start praying and planning your own leadership transition?
Perhaps the baton was not passed to them. Meaning they were not invested in and brought up properly so they don’t know how to do it for the next gen.
Good point, Brandon. Thanks.
I agree 100% and I really do want to be faithful in passing on the baton.
I would love to hear some specifics on how we can do it, realizing that it will be different in each church setting.
I believe we as pastors need help in knowing how to leave a church in the right way in general and of course after a long tenure it is even more difficult.
Any suggestions?
Thanks, Dale. See Jim’s recommendation. I’ll also give thought to your question.
Highly recommend a book by Bob Russell entitled , “Transition Plan.” After 40 years as pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, Bob successfully handed off his leadership. This book outlines that process.
Thanks for the recommendation, Jim!
I could tell about four years BEFORE I left that the Lord was doing something in my heart to lead me out of that pastorate of 26 plus years. It did not make sense to me at the time but He was preparing me for that new chapter in my life. But I was not prepared for what came immediately after my resignation. That is another subject. What does the church do with the pastor who has literally given his whole life to the church and has all his meaningful friendships in that church? How the church handles that will affect the transition or “baton hand-off.” There is a “gospel way” to do that as well. Waiting too late to begin that process of “hand off” is certainly damaging. If a pastor has true friends in the congregation hopefully they will help him “see” the need for planning for that day. But it CAN be done in a positive and missional way; but the church must not leave the “resigning pastor” in the dust. Part of the mission moving forward is insuring that the resigning pastor is ministered to and loved etc. His new life of relational authority in other areas can be supported by his church family as they express interest in him and his ongoing ministry. This can be done AND still insure a break with the pastor (and his leadership) and an adjustment towards a more healthy church in the future. There needs to be a “theology of pastoral succession” developed here. Too many times our insecurity leads to man centered decisions and hurt feelings.
Thanks, Mike, for helping us think about these issues.
Honestly, in my experience and work with churches, some men simply don’t care what happens after them. I’ve seen trustees, elders, and deacons who suggested succession plans sent packing by leaders. I also think some leaders, especially as they get older, acquire more people around them who continue to tell them what they want to hear instead of the one or two people they probably had when they were younger who could say exactly what needed to be said.
Great post!
This post has me thinking about the importance of mentoring and training the next generation of church leaders now.
My home church has 8+ part time pastors on staff currently be trained as our lead pastor highly values training leaders.
Thanks,
Gary
Very good Rick. They also don’t believe in the younger generation and think that nobody can do ministry as good as they can do themselves. This hinders future ministry and has lead to a vacuum of younger leaders.