FAQs About Succession Planning

1. Does the Bible teach succession planning?

Scripture contains a wealth of guidance and insight affirming the importance of leadership development.

• Moses groomed Joshua for succession. Deuteronomy 31:1-8

• The Levites' service had a defined beginning and end. Numbers 8:23-26

• Elijah apprenticed Elijah. 2 Kings 2:9

• Jesus crafted apprenticeship roles for 12 disciples to prepare for succession – John 21

• Barnabas apprenticed Paul. Acts 9:27; 11:22-30

• Paul apprenticed Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:12-16

2. Doesn't "planning" remove God's role in succession?

God uses people and systems in partnership with the Holy Spirit.

3. What are some of the common anxieties associated with succession planning?

Pastors generally avoid succession planning because they are:

• fearful of becoming lame-duck pastors

• unsure how or where to start

• apprehensive about their future

• concerned that the succession process will hinder the church's momentum

• threatened by the entire process

• anxious about losing power, privileges, and status

• questioned if it is biblical

In succumbing to these fears, a pastor can ultimately stay in their role too long.

There is shadow side to preaching. Speaking a message "from God" every week is heady stuff. The thought of giving that up can lead to a voice that whispers in your ear saying, "You've got one more season."

Pastors will always feel they have "one more season."

4. What are some of the common concerns of lead pastors regarding succession planning?

• "If I talk about pastoral succession, I might put the idea in someone's head and make it more likely to happen sooner than I am ready."

• "I will create a lame-duck situation in which effective ministry becomes impossible."

• "My peers and colleagues won't support me in doing it a different way, and I am not sure I want to be a pioneer on the road to better pastoral transition if this means going it alone."

• "A discussion about pastoral transition might have unintended consequences that I do not know how to manage."

• "I don't have the resources to deal with transition planning and be a successful pastor."

• "We don't have the finances to pay for two pastors and to take care of our pastor when the succession occurs."

The Elephant in the Boardroom, Carolyn Weese and Russell Crabtree, pages 14-15.

Whatever the reasons, succession conversations have not happened frequently or early enough.

For a church to reach a new level of health, the reality needs to change. The time to talk about succession is now.

5. Our pastor is a few years from retirement and seems to be more interested in outside ministry. How should we as a Board address that?

Somewhere around age of 60 for most pastors, there tends to be a common theme that they develop. An avocation or an area of passion, a mission cause abroad that they've been working with for a while, or a children's home or teaching at a seminary.

A typical response from a board is, "You don't need to do that. We need to have all your attention. We pay you for all your attention." Smart churches let that outside interest grow and create more and more time for it so that when it's time to transition, the pastor has something to go to.

6. What was wrong with the old way of having a pastor resign and then praying a new pastor in?

Practices that were effective in former ministry cultures are less effective in our present culture. God is still calling pastors, but fewer are responding to the call. There are far fewer qualified pastors to fill vacancies. In the great majority of churches, a lengthy gap between pastors is detrimental to the congregation and the ministry.

7. How can we afford a succession plan in a solo pastor church?

Plan early. Save money. The longer the planning and saving period, the greater the preparation.

The best time to begin planning and saving is now.

8. Is grief a normal part of a pastoral succession?

Grief is normal.

Succession involves loss and regret, as well as grief and mourning. Pastors may mourn over missed opportunities that will never come again or unfulfilled dreams. There may be regret for the passing of the status and perks that accompany senior leadership. Or it may be the joys of ministry that will be missed.

It is important to remember the rolling grief that comes and goes is normal, but unrelenting grief is unhealthy. A loss of senior leadership can cause a person to get stuck in inconsolable grief. Seek help to move through it.

It's also helpful to know that a lead pastor may journey through grief at a different rate and time from their spouse. A lead pastor tends to process grief before the handover, whereas a spouse may move through more of theirs after the handover.

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