Lovett Weems recommends a book to help pastors who are ending ministry with a congregation or moving to a new pastoral assignment.
Lawrence W. Farris has written a superb book to help pastors who are approaching the time of leaving ministry in a particular place. Using the model he applied to his earlier book for pastors who are new in a congregation, he explores “ten commandments” for pastors preparing to leave. The topics are right, and the chapters are consistently filled with wisdom. This is the best book I have read on the subject of pastoral leaving.
The commandments outlined by Farris are:
- Thou Shalt Know When It Is Time to Go
- Thou Shalt Explain Thyself
- Thou Shalt Not Steal Away
- Thou Shalt Affirm Thy Congregation’s Ministry
- Thou Shalt Try to Mend Fences
- Thou Shalt Help Thy Successor Have a Good Beginning
- Thou Shalt Be Gentle with Thyself
- Thou Shalt Attend to Thy Family
- Thou Shalt (Usually) Stay Away Once Thou Hast Left
- Thou Shalt Grieve
Lawrence W. Farris has m
ade transitions himself as a Presbyterian pastor. Farris is also author of Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation, Eerdmans, 2003, and Dynamics of Small Town Ministry, Alban, 2000.
Related Resources
- 4 Traps for Clergy When Moving to a New Congregation by Bill Wilson
- Passing the Baton to Your Pastoral Successor by Jim Ozier
- Lessons for Clergy Preparing to Leave a Congregation by Lawrence W. Farris
- 50 Ways to Improve Pastoral Transitions
