Several times a year I am approached by pastors who are beginning to think about retiring, and the question I’m often asked is “Do you know anyone that I can start training to be the pastor for when I’m gone?” They ask the question with sincerity and with a desire to help the church they serve do well when they are gone, but unfortunately, most of the time the answer is “No, I don’t know of anyone right now.” The is because there is a shortage of men going into full-time vocational ministry to become a pastor.
This is why leadership development and succession planning is so important.
So, whether you are thinking about retiring or transitioning to a new ministry, here are a few tips to consider related to succession planning and transitions.
First, Succession Planning is not something that just the pastor or staff should be thinking about. I believe this should be on the mind of every leader at every level in your church or organization. Why? Because someday you will no longer be the leader, and for the ministry to continue there will need to be another leader ready to lead. Too often I see or hear about how someone unexpectedly leaves and the devastating effects that causes. In one of the churches I served, this very thing happened. A ministry leader felt the need to step down, and it created a big void in that ministry. Why? Because no one was trained to lead in this ministry. A solution is that leaders should always be developing others to be ready to take their place, even if they are not planning to leave anytime soon.
Second, and on that same note, don’t wait! Developing leaders is a leader’s job. Whether you are the pastor or a ministry leader, you should always be looking to develop future leaders. I’ve heard pastors say they have no leaders, or there is no one that could do this job, and although that may be true, sometimes there are people around us who could be trained to do the job and become a future leader. Look for people that you see potential in and invite them to serve with you.
Lastly, look for ways to grow your existing leaders. As John Maxwell says, leaders are learners, and as long as we are leading, we ought to be learning. This goes back to preparing for the future, and building a culture of leadership development is the best way to do that. One way to do that is by reading books with other leaders. I mention John Maxwell; he has many books that could be read together and discussed one on one or as a group.
Bottom line is this: leaders are made, and as a leader we ought to always be looking to develop more leaders. If we do this, there will be leaders ready when needed.
If the idea of leadership development is something you want help with, or you need someone to coach you through succession planning, reach out to me at davidl@brnunited.org, and I would be glad to assist you.
