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    The Elephant in the Boardroom:  Starting a Pastoral Transition Plan for Your Church

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    It makes sense to avoid the issue of pastoral transition if the benefits are small and the penalties imposed by avoidance are not significant. In what kind of context does a surprise announcement from a departing pastor to a church with no transition plan have a relatively minor impact? Here are some descriptors:


    • There is a surplus of pastors, and a high-quality successor will be readily available.


    • The culture is favorably disposed to church involvement, and church membership is a standard expectation. The culture pushes people into the religious institution, and the church pulls people toward itself. In times when the church is not functioning optimally (as in a transition), the push of the culture keeps people involved.


    • There is a high degree of denominational loyalty. People stay with a church even when it is not performing at a high level.


    • Off-the-shelf denominational programs are effective without significant localization or customization.


    • The culture has low expectations related to the quality or scope of religious programming.


    • The culture has few competitors to the church for people's time and resources.


    In this environment, the downside of a pastoral transition is relatively small...


    But things have changed. Today, the elephant is large, ignoring it has major consequences, and talking about it holds out hope for a better church by sustaining the excellence that has been hard won over years of learning. A new wisdom is now needed...


    All the research is clear. A different cognitive understanding of an issue does not produce change. Only when a person or group of people are able to explore their fears in a safe environment does change become possible. In other words, change is first a spiritual issue before it is an informational one...


    However you choose to address this issue, it is important that you do something as a starting point. A crisis transition plan (or a generic transition plan) can be a good first step. It does not require a timetable or negotiated planning. It does get leaders thinking about what a good transition might look like. After that step is taken, more comprehensive planning can take place that is more strategic and less contingency-driven...


    This is the way of Jesus. The Great Shepherd protects what He has brought into light from the womb of the Spirit. At its best, this is what transition planning is all about.”

    FOR DISCUSSION:  Does your church have any kind of pastoral transition plan?  Do you see the need for one?  Please share the specifics of your church’s plan.


    Todd


    ——-


    I Highly Recommend… 


    The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken Truth about Pastoral Transitions -- Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree—experts in the field of church leadership—have written a nuts-and-bolts guide to developing a succession plan for smoothing pastoral transitions. Filled with strategies and solid advice, this handy resource is based in solid research and the authors’ many years of experience working with churches in a wide variety of denominations. Weese and Crabtree clearly show that leadership succession should be part of every church’s planning process. Hardcover. 240 pages from Leadership Network Publications. More Information...

    For the past few Tuesdays we’ve been taking a close look at the book, “The Elephant in the Boardroom:  Speaking the Unspoken Truth about Pastoral Transitions.”  We’re almost done with our series on this book, and today we’ll begin to look at how you can start to implement a pastoral transition plan in your church.  Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree write…

    “There is an elephant in the board room. How do we begin to talk about it? A good starting point is to explore why we have not been talking about it all along…

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    1. BAC on Tue, March 22, 2005

      Question?  Why is there a surplus of Pastors?  I think one reason is because pastors do not retire! They stay on as senior pastor into their 70’s or older. That is just one idea.  But the seminaries are not full.  What has changed?  We also hear about so many pastors today who are just running their churhces “off the internet” programs.  Is this true or a problem? There are a lot of pastors, but few seem to qualified, Biblically.  Just wondering…....

    2. Bob on Tue, March 22, 2005

      There aren’t a surplus of pastors.  The blog starter was picturing the scenario forty years ago.  But things have changed…


      As an aside, I don’t have a problem with people pastoring into their 70’s.  We need their wisdom and I intend to be in ministry until I am no longer physically capable.  It is important, however, that the role be appropriate.  Not all 70-year-olds can lead a church with vitality.  Some can, however.

      I don’t know any pastors who are running their church off the internet.  If pastoring is anything, it is highly relational whether it is the little country church or the big mega-church.


      Our church does not have a transitional team and it desperately needs one.  Our pastor will be 62 in August and is intending to retire at 65.  I’m the only one who has talked about it in elder meetings and it floats like a lead balloon.


      Because of the corporate culture of most evangelical churches, only the senior pastor can initiate that conversation.  I get the sense that I am being disrespectful when I bring it up.  And I don’t want to be the associate who is sniping at my senior.  I respect him and want to honor him.  But the long term health of our church is at stake.  It’s frustrating.  It is indeed, the elephant in the board room.

    3. Harold Reid on Tue, March 22, 2005

      I have enjoyed reading the article re Elephant in the Board Room.  I am the Pastoral Team Leader of Pickering Pentecostal Church.  We are a church of small groups thus it is going to be important for us to transition well.  We do not have a formal plan in place; however, as the Team Leader (now 62 and hoping to continue until at least 70) I am going to do my best to prepare one of my younger team members to take the role of Team Leader.  I am planning that this will take place sometime in the next 8 years.  I trust that our relationship will be such that he/she will accept a continued input on my part.  If that is not desire I will be totally prepared to step aside;  however, I am anticipating that the relationship will be such that this will not be the case.


      Incidentally, our church family is 1,631 people and growing at a rate of 19.8% per year (average for the past 11 years).  We started with 230 people in the congregation at the beginning of that period.

      Presently, the Pastoral Leadership Team is composed of 9 pastors.  Two for children’s ministries, two with youth.  Four of us share the Sunday preaching at the four service in the main auditorium.  Including children and youth services we have a total of 7 services each weekend.


      All staff are involved in mentoring Small Group leaders with the goal of raising up “disciple-making disciples” (modified g-12 model).  We are a multi-cultural congregation with 58 birth nations represented among us.  Roughly 40% of the church family is caucasian.

       

      A smooth transition will be absolutely essential to this body.


      I’m going to buy the book!


      Harold.

       

    4. Dr. Jim Dyke on Wed, March 23, 2005

      Dear Bob,


      Start getting your resume in shape NOW, my friend.  And start networking discreetly through your personal and professional friendships.  If my experience is any indicator, you are in a very bad position—you serve at a high enough or strategic enough place in the staffing structure to be sitting in on board meetings, which (in my experience) probably places you in a very sensitive role relative to the senior pastor.  What do I mean by that?  Just this: your head is certain to role when the new senior pastor steps in.  Sorry, but the odds are against you, no matter how mature you or the new senior pastor present yourselves.  That’s just the way it works.  The only way to avoid it is for everyone involved to adopt a strategy that requires all the “players” to collaborate, with the ultimate focus on the church and not the man (senior pastor), and embrace a common vision for the church that will outlive any one pastor’s tenure.  That will require an uncommon intelligence, maturity, skill, and patience among ALL the participants: the board, the staff, the current senior pastor, the search committee, and any candidate that is presented to the congregation.  The chances of that happening are a snowball’s in the nether regions.  Here’s the worst part for you: you sound like a bright and earnest man, with a sincere concern for the good people of your congregation, and their ultimate good.  This whole situation is going to be very painful for you.  I predict that you are very likely doomed to watch the coming train wreck (and every wrenching, obvious, hurtful, and astonishingly avoidable step in its development) with absolutely no power to stop it—and with the accompanying sense of frustration, anger, hurt, and sadness.  Get out.  Get out before it gets worse.  Get out while you’re at a “peak” of ministry effectiveness.  Get out while you can still “shop around” as a happy successful staffer, instead of as a fired and bitter “rival” to tne new senior pastor.  Leave the church situation and the good people of the congregation in God’s hands, and keep the ultimate burden off your own shoulders.

      Get out, and smile broadly as you leave, waving to the people, and thanking them for a wonderful time of ministry.  Many may think this view is a bit dyspeptic or cynical.  It’s not meant to be, believe me—it is rooted in the reality of frail human beings.  Of course, there are other, more effective ways of dealing with transition (I’ll be happy to blog about a great model I have experienced), but those other models are rarely accessible to someone in your position—the sole voice of reason in the organization.  I don’t think my opinion is in the minority.  I invite others to share their own experiences to reinforce the tough reality of what I have shared.

       

    5. Jade on Wed, March 23, 2005

      I disagree Bob, stay where you are.  I just went through a Senior Pastor change and I get along great with the new Pastor.  When your Pastor does retire ask the board what they want you to do.  Find out if they are behind you a 100%. 


      Our Church board made it very clear to the new pastor that they wanted us to stay.  If the church is behind you the chances are the new Senior Pastor will behind you as well.  Besides if the current guy is not going to retire till 65 you have some good years left of ministry in that church. 


      Whatever you do seek God’s will.

      As for talking about transition with your board, you are not suppose to do that as an associate.  To me that would sound like you are setting yourself about to take his job when he leaves.  Besides a Pastor leaving is a painful subject and to bring it up this early is insensitive to the peoples feelings.  I don’t agree with much of this book, from what I have read on this blog.


      Just another persons opinion.

       

    6. bernie dehler on Wed, March 23, 2005

      It seems to me that a well-run organization would have a clear line/staff org. chart, so it should be obvious who’s next in line.  In the case of a Sr. Pastor over many other Pastors, the other Pastors should be able to work it out if they had to, due to a sudden departure.

      My organization is too small to worry about it… it will die with me, and that’s ok… I don’t have any employees yet; just volunteers…


      ...Bernie


      http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247

       

    7. Dr. Jim Dyke on Fri, March 25, 2005

      Bob,


      My advice comes from a LOT of experience with these things.  I still recommend you start “sniffing around” out there, in your professional network of friends and associates.  I’ll tell you why.  I was in your situation when the founding pastor of the church (who hired me) resigned, and the new senior pastor was hired.  In that church’s denomination, it was required of all staffers to submit their resignations to the board, as a part of the formal process of transition.  It was then up to the new senior pastor to either accept or decline each staff pastor’s resignation.  This policy might seem a bit extreme, but it is based on a concept of leadership that I agree with, namely that a senior pastor (or any leader, for that matter) needs the freedom to choose their own team.  I have seen other models that created chaos, where a senior pastor had an openly disgruntled and obstructing staff member that he really needed to remove but couldn’t.  And of course, the staffer was not mature enough to accept his own responsibility to support the church and its new leader by resigning and removing himself as an obstacle.  Back to my story.  In the process of transition, I was approached by another large church in a different part of the country.  I flew out there to interview and look around, and realized it was not a good fit.  But I “leaked” the information about my interview, with the added detail that I was not really too serious about leaving my present position.  The whole scenario led to my receiving a 20 percent increase in my salary in my church back home—the other church’s interest in me was a very real value statement about me and my ministry, and it helped the elders in my church see me in a different light (they didn’t want to lose me to another church, and were willing to do something tangible to prevent it!).  In that situation, of course, everyone understood my vulnerability to the new regime.  And so my interview with another church was not seen as disingenuous or disloyal. 

      I guess this is my point: what could it hurt, to look around?  In the worst case, it could give you a place to land if the new regime has no place for you.  At best, it could open your eyes to some new possibilities for you and your ministry.  It doesn’t hurt to have some options.

       

    8. W.J.M. on Fri, March 25, 2005

      Group:


      I agree With Dr. Jim.  I’ve been through SEVERAL scenarios similar to what he mentioned.  Though I too may not agree with the protocols of “resigning when the Sr. man resigns” and waiting on the selection of new pastor, but it’s really for the best.  It give new man the ability to change-up and head in new direction if he chooses. Unfortunately, that may not include me.  It didn’t this last time and I’m still searching for new position.  Nothing yet.

      I’ve never worked for a board, or for a congretation, but only work for one man who does the hiring and firing..the Sr. Pastor.  One boss…one man to report to.  Though I still struggle with some things, this too is really best.  I’m in submission to him, he’s responsible to the board and the board helps support his vision…..all responsible to God through flow charts that are in place. 


      One thing’s for sure…..we’re all going to be replaced some day.  Why not openly discuss the process of transition from the day we’re placed in ministry.  It’s a lot like death.  We all know it will happen some day, but we don’t want to deal with it until then.  Go figure…...

       

      Bob, I agree, I’d be checking into things.


      Blessings!


      WJM

       

    9. SLove on Tue, March 29, 2005

      ok…i have read about half the book, and i have a lurking question. i’m a youth pastor in a Traditional Church, and i love the idea of having a plain, i am in a sisutation where the denomonation is possible going to move our pastor, and i am nogotiating with another church. i know its never too late, but what do i do to plain for my leaving in aheathy way. i have been trianing up leaders for oever 6 months to run the ministry in my abastance, my idea even before i read this book is: the ministry does not run around me 100% I.E if im gone it fails. if i did a good job i should have trianed up leaders to be ready to jump into the gaps when i’m gone, and the leadership is there for them to countinue till another Y. Pastor comes in. so i guess my question is that i have been a undercover pastor, a shawdow pastor if you will, living 2 lives, how do i let my church know, without leaveing too much or too little time for the Church to deal with it? any help will be welcome, i want to do the write thing, and i wish i would have come across this book ealier. thanks…. and God bless all…

    10. Jade on Tue, March 29, 2005

      Bob,


      One more rebuttal then I am done.  The funny things is you might not even be reading this but I just want you to have all the opinions. 


      I have gone through this whole process and things turned out great.  Do you know why?  God wanted me to stay and minister to this church.  I did not feel God had released me from serving here, so I rode the wave.  Of course I could have left other churches have talked to me, but I didn’t because I am called to be here.  I will stay here until God tells me otherwise.

      So here is my question to you: Do you feel that God has released you and is calling you somewhere else?  If not you better stay, but if so you better go.  Do we need to bring logic into, of course.  God did not call us to forsake or common sense, but no matter what others tell you the church is a body not an business.  And Christ is the head of the body, and only the head can tell the parts which way to go.  So which way is Christ telling you to go?


      With all respect

       

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