Navigating the Transitions

It is the nature of God, I believe, to provide for growth and development.  He wants us to move in a positive direction in our spiritual life, and He has wonderful new experiences in store for us.  Isaiah
43 states:
18 "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Change can be disruptive and difficult.  But, change can also enable us to move into a new place in the Lord.  We can respond to change either through disappointment and even bitterness, or we can possess optimism and rejoice in God's sovereign hand, recognizing that He has all things under control.  We can seek the Lord to give us the spiritual resources to navigate the changes in life and to be able to be secure in Him, especially during times that can produce insecurity.

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In 2nd Timothy 4, we that the apostle Paul is recognizing his imminent departure from this earth, and he is preparing Timothy to assume at least some of his responsibilities in the early Church.  We read
this beginning in verse 5:
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

When the staff of Faith Radio gathers to pray every weekday, one of the areas, or categories of prayer has to do with churches who are seeking a pastor.  The transition in leadership, either on the senior pastor level or with other staff members is on of the organic occurrences in the life of a church or an organization.  It's something that churches that I have been a part of throughout the years have been through, and it's important the churches hold together in the midst of a leadership transition.

The Barna Group has just recently published a new survey about pastoral transitions.  The summary report says that: "Barna analysts grouped pastoral successions into three major types based on the circumstances directing the leadership change."  The three types are:

• planned transitions, which represent 17% percent of all transitions, and "are planned in advance of the change;"
• pastor-initiated transitions - this type is what is found in 62% of the cases and it is "set into motion by a decision from the outgoing pastor;"
• then you have forced transitions, which are "commenced by unexpected circumstances such as illness, death or crisis." 13% of pastoral transitions fit into that category.

More than half of these transitions involve a situation in which the pastor completely departs the congregation.  In 15% of the cases, the pastor who is leaving will assume another position at the church, perhaps as a co-pastor.  This is especially evident when the transition is planned. And, in 20%, the pastor will move into "lay leadership" or simply choose to be a member of the congregation.

The major message of this research, based on the summary is "If you can, plan."  The summary says that:

In general, churches where the pastor departs entirely—most common in unplanned transitions—have more tumultuous outcomes. As you might expect, pastors who depart entirely are most likely to move on to pastor another church (34%).

Barna also says that, "Half of incoming pastors say there was no plan before the previous pastor began to transition out."  Also, "one-third of incoming pastors reports that a lack of planning created extreme difficulty...or major obstacles...to achieving a smooth and successful transition."  12% report "extreme difficulty" and 21% said they faced "major obstacles."

David Kinnaman, President of The Barna Group, says, "Successful leadership transitions require careful planning,” adding, “Planned departures go more smoothly, while forced or unplanned transitions are worse on multiple outcomes." He also relates, “Congregants have the best overall experience with planned transitions and / or those where the outgoing pastor chooses to retire..." He says, "Thirty-six percent of churchgoers in these circumstances ultimately report a positive outcome within a year of the transition."

Todd Adkins, writing for LifeWay, states:

Succession planning focuses on leadership reproduction over leadership replacement and leads with a proactive posture, not a reactive one. Succession planning also provides continuity of leadership by cultivating leaders within the church or organization’s leadership pipeline. Succession is not only concerned with the top levels of leadership or the key leaders of the organization but is a long-term investment strategy in the organization’s most valuable resource: its people.

He adds, "Whether sacred or secular, organizational leadership matters, and continuity of leadership matters all the more."

Barna says, "If you can, plan."  Because we know that change is a fact of life, the more that we can foresee and plan for it, the better off we are.  Now, every organization is not and cannot necessarily be in a position where it can expect a vacancy.  In the pastoral sphere, the unexpected departure of one pastor to go to another church leaves a gap at the previous church - but there can perhaps still be a plan in place if unexpected departures occur. 

This is certainly interesting and informative in the church world, and it can apply in other spheres - one way you can prepare for the unexpected is to have trained and equipped leaders who can assume positions in an organization.  That seems to be consistent with points that Adkins makes in his article.  That applies in church leadership on the macro scale, but it can also be seen in volunteer ministries within a church or in a Sunday School class - who's the "next person up?"  Perhaps you are that next person whom God is training to serve by leading.  

Life is full of transitions, and change can be an opportunity.  Or, it can be a detriment, if we don't handle it right.  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we can be prepared to walk through the transitions that occur.  And, we can strive to be a source of stability when the resulting insecurity comes.  We may not be called to step up and lead formally, but we can show leadership by how we help to facilitate smooth change by being positive and affirming.  We can feel secure in our structures, but God will call us outside our comfort zones in order to accomplish His desired work.