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June 27, 2011
Ur Video: The Succession Dilemma
Piper, Keller, and Carson talk about aging and passing on their ministries.
Tim Keller and John Piper both lead very large churches. But what happens when they eventually leave their posts? It's a question that is facing many megachurches given that most were started by Baby Boomer leaders who are now entering their 60s.
Keller explains his church's 10-year plan to launch into four, and possibly eight, independent churches. This requires him to spend a great deal of time developing new leaders. Piper, on the other hand, shares tat his church has not yet discerned a plan for the future. They are engaged in a season of prayer to determine what to do.
However, since this video was filmed in April, Piper has announced his plans to transition from his role at Bethlehem Baptist in three years. He will step away from preaching and vision in June 2014 to give his attention to writing, speaking, mentoring, and teaching at Bethlehem College and Seminary.
Piper Talks with Carson, Keller About Succession Plans at Bethlehem from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.
After watching the video, share your thoughts. When should a long-serving pastor begin talking to the church about transitioning? Is there an ideal model? What have you seen work, or fail to work, in your congregations?
Comments
That can be a problem at ministries where the pastor is a high profile leader.
When a church is able to keep Christ the focus and not the leader's personality, then it' not really a problem.
The gospel stays central and the next guy just picks right up where the last one left off. And the people are good with that because that was always the focus.
Posted By: Steve Martin | June 27, 2011 9:55 AM
"When should a long-serving pastor begin talking to the church about transitioning?"
The moment the congregation heaps on him all their spiritual expectations that they should have been working on themselves.
"Is there an ideal model?"
Ideal? Mmm...once we start delving into the realm of "ideal" we start digging trenches...how bout we just keep the focus on Y'shua and call it even.
"What have you seen work, or fail to work, in your congregations?"
I think our current model of "doing" church is the biggest impediment to our influencing the world around us...so, hmm, how to overhaul the entire structure without throwing out the baby with the bathwater...well, I think what Steve wrote is answers that question more than anything else...
"When a church is able to keep Christ the focus and not the leader's personality, then it' not really a problem."
Yep, I think Steve is right...too bad we seem to have a devil of a time keeping that straight in our heads.
Posted By: sheerahkahn | June 27, 2011 10:46 AM
If the church is led by a team of co-equal elders/pastors, then this alleviates much of the problem of transition. A classic example is Ray Stedman's retiring from his pastoral role at Peninisula Bible Church in the early 1980s. He was a prominent pastor, author and speaker, as well as a visionary leader. But despite his amazing gifts and strengths, he was not the pastor of PBC, not even the "senior pastor." He shared the pastoral leadership of the church with his fellow elders, and he shared the pulpit teaching ministry with his copastors.
Because of this shared pastoral ministry, the church was always prepared for transition. From what I've been told by many (I wasn't there at the time), when Stedman did retire, he was definitely missed, but the church was able to go forward with great continuity---because all the rest of the pastoral leaders were still there! I've personally seen this happen many times, but this is a well-known example.
Posted By: Curt Parton | June 27, 2011 1:55 PM
PS: That should have read "late 1980s." Sorry for the typo.
Posted By: Curt Parton | June 27, 2011 2:01 PM
Pastor (the word that appears only once in the Bible) should never presume that he is the only guy in a city to preach, teach and micromanage - the field of our Lord is too big that anyone can pretend to do it alone! There must be preachers, teachers, evangelists, prophets, etc, in every congregation. The church should never be a place of a one-man show and total control - this is not Israel-type of ancient monarchy and an embarrassment to the Gospel(the story of one big chrystal palace comes to mind). Current 501c-3 American system failed miserably! We are sheep not to any man, but to Christ only; to one another we are brothers and sisters! I read my Russian Bible, but also Ukrainian and many English versions regularly.
Posted By: Vik Feodorov | June 27, 2011 2:55 PM
Who succeeded The Apostle Paul; Martin Luther; Menno Simmons; Dwight L. Moody - or any other great Christian leader? Who cares? Obviously they didn't.
Posted By: elegance | June 27, 2011 3:55 PM
"Who succeeded The Apostle Paul; Martin Luther; Menno Simmons; Dwight L. Moody - or any other great Christian leader? Who cares? Obviously they didn't."
Paul raised up numerous successors, Timothy being the most famous among them. Philipp Melanchthon was handed the baton by Martin Luther. RA Torrey succeeded Moody to all intents and purposes. Menno, on the other hand, left no obvious successor and the movement he led fragmented into untold splinter groups in the years after his death. I hope that helps answer you question!
Posted By: Billy Spoon | June 28, 2011 7:49 AM
I've been out of town visiting family this past week. I noticed that at their large, fairly well-known church, they had different pastors preaching each time I visited. They seem to have a core staff who share the responsibility for preaching. I can see how this would have several benefits, including smoothing staff transitions and limiting idolizing of the pastoral staff.
Posted By: Ooii | June 29, 2011 12:15 PM
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