Five Common Mistakes Churches Make in Pastoral Transitions

I had the great privilege on Sunday morning at preaching for the 50^th Anniversary of Tri-City Baptist Church (Chandler, AZ) and for the installation of its new pastor, Ken Endean. It was a unique situation for me. Fifty years ago, I was in attendance (along with my family) at Tri-City’s very first service. I was 6 years old. The founding pastor, Dr. James Singleton, was my pastor almost all my life. The out-going pastor, Mike Sproul has been my closest friend since childhood. The incoming pastor, Ken Endean, has been a dear and respected friend since college.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this church’s history has been two seamless pastoral changes. It has not happened by accident. Dr. Singleton was fond of telling young preachers, “There is no success without a successor!”

Sadly, many churches transition poorly, and there are common reasons why failure occurs in handing the baton from one leader to the next.

Churches fail to plan.

All ministries, not just churches, need two transition plans. They need an emergency plan in case of a sudden, unexpected transition. They also need a long-term plan. There is nothing wrong with deacons or church leaders asking a pastor what his long-term plan is and then laying it out. It is not disrespectful and it doesn’t mean they are trying to get rid of him. A good long term transition often takes several years to accomplish. A man who has learned the philosophy and culture of a church over a period of time before becoming the senior pastor will have a much better chance at success.

Churches fail to truly consider the impact one pastor can make.

They assume the church takes a good stand and is strong and will always remain that way. So church leadership focuses on finding a man with personality, preaching ability, and leadership qualities assuming that the new pastor will conform to the historic doctrinal positions of the church. This is a fatal mistake. Every church is one pastor away from complete compromise. One naturally gifted leader can change the philosophy and direction of a church in a very short amount of time.

Pulpit Committees are often poorly constructed.

Pastoral search teams need wise, spiritually-minded, theologically grounded members. I have often seen pulpit committees populated by the most influential, outspoken church members. Churches should steer clear of outspoken, agenda-driven members who want to use the committee to change the direction of the church. One very stubborn person on a committee will get his way almost every time. The pastoral search committee should probably not be made up of just deacons, but also include selected pastoral staff members who will not be senior pastor candidates.

Out-going pastors abdicate transition responsibilities.

It is not a violation of congregational government for the out-going pastor to take part in helping his old congregation find a new pastor—provided he is departing in honorable circumstances. He is the leader and has been the leader for a long period of time. He should provide instructions to the pastoral search team, make provision for interim leadership (even an interim pastor), and even make recommendations and help groom his replacement if possible.

Churches do not seek the help of qualified interim pastors.

Many churches in pastoral transition would greatly benefit from a wise interim pastor. An interim pastor is usually a seasoned pastor of retirement age who will not be considered to fill the permanent role. Dr. E. R. Jordan did this several times after he retired from the senior pastor role at Calvary Baptist Church in Lansdale, PA. An interim pastor’s specific role is to guide the church through the transition process. He helps set up the pastoral search team, teaches the congregation how to call a pastor, preaches about pastoral qualifications, and provides counsel for church leaders in the process. He also can fulfill emergency pastoral duties—funerals, counseling, pulpit supply, etc. as necessary.

Every ministry will go through transition eventually. In fact, one of the signs of a truly successful ministry is the ability to smoothly process through several generations of leadership.

There is no success without a successor.