In a season of transition for the church, Jonathan Page offers practical and pastoral insights into how congregations and clergy can navigate change with intention and faithfulness. Rather than rushing ahead or clinging to what was, he invites leaders and communities to finish well, make space for reflection, and keep the main thing the main thing.
We are in the thick of what I’d refer to as “ministry’s fourth quarter.” While some congregations function on a calendar year schedule and others have an alternative form of scheduling, I find that most churches operate in a programmatic sense from July to June. This means over the next couple of months, clergy and congregations will be preparing for new beginnings. In some cases, it will mark a new year of ministry together; for others, it might involve welcoming a new leader to serve the community.
While these transitions may seem far off, some strategic actions in the coming months can shape future positive outcomes for individuals and communities in transition. I believe that no matter your role, those three actions are to finish well, make space, and keep the main thing the main thing. Let’s explore what these mean for the different stakeholders in a transitional space.
Finish well.
It is very hard to start well in a new setting if you haven’t finished well in your existing setting. Jim Ozier and Jim Griffiths offer an image that pastoral transitions are like passing a baton. No one is mic-dropping the baton or chucking the baton at a successor; leaders are holding it for now, preparing to hold it together, and then releasing it to the full grip of the successor. There are some particularly helpful tactics to holding that baton loosely in this season.
For everyone
- Pray for your church and the pastoral transition.
- Create priorities for these weeks. There is no such thing as a perfect church or a perfect pastor and even if there was, it probably couldn’t be created in six to eight weeks. Focus on key, essential actions rather than trying to do it all.
For clergy
- Continue to attend meetings with key leaders, asking the question, “What would you want to make sure is accomplished prior to the next pastor arriving? How can I help with that?”
- Organize any paperwork or information in an easily accessible file (print and/or digital based on your successor’s preference) that centers data rather than your opinion.
- Ensure the congregation has someone responsible for pastoral care between your departure and the arrival of the new pastor.
- Leave the office (and if applicable, the parsonage) in a clean and tidy manner.
For congregations
- Celebrate the ministry of your departing pastor publicly and privately.
- Ensure that the entire congregation is aware of boundaries around the transition, specifically that they will not turn to the departing pastor for any sort of pastoral care or ministerial service following that pastor’s departure.
- Try to care for any unresolved maintenance issues that can be managed, especially if those involve spaces the incoming pastor will occupy.
Make space.
There may be some scenarios where you stop serving a church one Sunday and start serving a church the next Sunday. A congregation could have a similar experience. Even if that is the case, it is essential for clergy and congregational leaders to find “set apart” time in the next few weeks. This serves multiple purposes.
For everyone
- This is an opportunity to embrace the transition that is taking place whether or not it was your choice.
- This space can give room for reflection. What are the celebrations of this pastorate? Where were there challenges? Is there any need for reconciliation? What lessons can be learned as we transition into this next season?
- In some senses, this can function as a sabbath space. Transitions can be volatile, emotion-filled, and require exponential energy, focus, time, and resources. A space for pause is a soul reset, a deep inhale and exhale that doesn’t change everything that needs to happen but gives you an ability to face it with greater clarity and perspective.
For clergy
- Inward reflection:
- Where is your relationship with God? What practices do you need to embody to lead well?
- What in your life do you need to let go of?
- What in your life do you need to prioritize?
- Calendar coordination
- Goal setting for your early time in a new place
- Advance sermon planning—this will give you space to do needed relational work once you are at your new congregation.
- Think about your “external touchpoints”—who you hope to connect with early in the community. These are likely civic leaders, educators, business leaders, advocacy groups, and human services coordinators.
For congregations
- Outward reflection:
- How is the spiritual condition of our congregation? Where do we need to celebrate or grow?
- What practices or behaviors do we need to let go of?
- What can we do to support this transition?
- Calendar coordination
- Goal setting
- Identifying the main internal touchpoints for the new pastor
If none of this is possible or if the end of a pastorate remains challenging, consider using a resource akin to the United Methodist Liturgy of Farewell in a worship service. This call and response liturgy is a space for release and freedom. It includes these words: “I accept your gratitude and forgiveness, and I forgive you, trusting that our time together and our parting are pleasing to God. I release you from turning to me and depending on me. I encourage your continuing ministry here and will pray for you and for your new pastor.” The congregation has a similar response. Even these simple phrases can symbolize the space needed to let go.
Keep the main thing the main thing.
Above all, remember that the purpose of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who can change the world. It is not to hear great sermons or awesome music, it is not to placate members, and it is not to keep things the way we’ve always known them to be. Too often, transitions can expose some of the unhealthiest habits and behaviors in individuals and communities.
Attachment to a pastor can be a real thing that impacts many churches. The clergy and laity share a responsibility to remind the whole community, in word and action, that the pastor is not the church. We can appreciate the role great leaders play in faith communities without deifying them. If your church and your leaders stay focused on the mission God has given you, you are more likely to make your way into a ministry transition with a healthier mindset and experience more positive outcomes.
For Those Who Aren’t in Transition
A final note for those who aren’t in transition. Observing the transition of others is one of the easiest spaces for professional envy to seep in. It is appropriate to pray for your colleagues and sibling congregations as new seasons of ministry unfold.
Take care that you are not playing the comparison game or exerting energy postulating around “what if” scenarios. You are serving in your ministry setting for this season. Celebrate what God is doing in and through you, be prepared to support others as that support is needed and otherwise keep the main thing the main thing.
Related Resources
- Pastoral Transitions—Leaving Well by Lovett H. Weems Jr.
- Guidelines for Healthy Clergy Transitions by Susan Nienaber
- 50 Ways to Improve Pastoral Transitions, a free Lewis Center resource
- 10 Ways to Care for the Emotional Health of Your Congregation During a Pastoral Transition by Barry Howard
- 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor, a free Lewis Center resource
- The Right Start: Beginning Ministry in a New Setting, a video tool kit resource from the Lewis Center
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