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Tuesday, January 25, 2005
The Elephant in the Boardroom
During the next few weeks we'll be looking at the topic of pastoral transitions. We'll be using the new book titled "'The Elephant in the Boardroom -- Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions" by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree. Read this short story from their introduction:
This is a story about a pastor named Pete. Pete was a good pastor and a great guy. He served Meadowbrook Church fror ten years and the church grew to about twice as big as it was when he came. One day Pete decided that the Lord wanted him to move on to another church. Now, Pete wanted to do this right, and doing it right meant making sure that no one at Meadowbrook knew he was thinking of leaving. Pete realized he would have to live a double life. This was a change, because generally speaking Pete was a person of integrity. He was about to live a part of his life in secrecy.
He went on living the life he had lived for ten years at Meadowbrook, the one that everyone had come to know and appreciate. But secretly Pete was living a second life off the radar screen. He was praying for a new call. he was talking to his family about moving. He was scheduling secret meetings after worship with strangers who had come to hear him preach. He was telling people he was off on vacation when he was really looking at other churches. He was having his mail sent to his home rather than to the church, and he set up a separate email account with its own password.
Pete was incredible as a secret agent pastor. He was able to live these two separate lives for a full eight months. He baptized babies, prayed for the sick, ran board meetings, and preached great sermons (many of which he secretly duplicated to send to other churches). Not a single person at Meadowbrook caught on to the other life that Pete was leading behind the scenes.
The phone rang one day, bringing news of a call to Riverton Church. Pete scheduled a meeting with the Meadowbrook board, announcing that he would be leaving in three weeks. One party (a real gush-and-blow), five speeches, and ten boxes of Kleenex later, Pete was gone. As he drove his family across three states to their new home, he though, I did it! I was a secret agent pastor for eight months. An no one figured it out!
Churchland is filled with good pastors like Pete who don't talk about the most important event that can happen in their church -- the elephant in the board room, or call it pastoral transition. Because Pete didn't talk about it, everyone suffered. (Next week, we'll find out what happened in Pete's old church after he left). Pete sacrificed some of his integrity to live a double life. The next pastor was hindered because of issues that hadn't been dealt with and people who had been hurt.
This is a better way. In the next few weeks, we'll be looking at some suggestions Carolyn and Russell give to help you starting thinking about how to create a strategic succession plan for your church. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you'd like to get a copy of the book so that you can read more in-depth as we go, please go here to get a copy shipped out to you today!
QUESTION: Have you ever played 'secret agent pastor'? How did it make you feel? What was the outcome at the church you left? Would you have done things differently? Please leave your comments!
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January 25, 2005 in Personnel Issues | Permalink
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Comments
I am looking forward to receiving this book and this discussion. I am now in the process of seeking God's next place of service and have wrestled with how to deal with my current church. What do I do if someone asks if I am thinking of leaving? Should I begin any new initiatives here? So many good questions on this topic...I am really hoping the book and this board will provide some wisdom.
Posted by: Michael J | Jan 25, 2005 10:28:40 AM
From what I read, the starting point of this story about "Pete" is one of shame. "Pete" is being shamed for how he is leaving, because he is not helping the chuch face up to its longstanding problems or expose himself to potentially controling lay leaders who would just as soon give him a 1 to 3 month severance check. Let's remember that Pastors have a long wait for a new church and that the business world typically dictates that people leave immediately once a determination has been made to let someone go. When a Pastor's family is at stake, the last thing we need is shame about how we are leaving. Clearly I have not read the book, but the story tips us off that pastor "Pete" is leaving problems for the next pastor to clean up. The political power is in the hands of the church and the pastor can only lead them as far as they want to go. At that point, since God rarely steps in like he did for Moses, it's time for the Pastor to keep boundaries high between the church and his family. All this assumes a climate where trust is low. In a high trust environment, a pastor can let the congregation know he thinks God is calling him to leave and choose to invite lay leaders to help him make the decision. But even in this case, there is a certain amount of grief work that is inevitable when it becomes clear that the pastor wants to leave. Bottom line, it seems to me, is that while how you leave affects your fuure in some ways, a good clean and short break process is usually better than a long drawn out affair. The power politics of churches doesn't allow for much else without hurting the Pastor, and he has the right to make a decision about leaving on his or her own terms. Churches will look out for their own interests and need to understand that more often than not, they are chasing their pastor away by long standing paterns of disrespect and undrmining. This is my initial take, given over 15 years of serving various churches.
Posted by: H | Jan 25, 2005 10:47:45 AM
Well, my husband and I read this book review with interest, since we resigned from a ministry this past year.
Our comment right now is that it also depends on the maturity and integrity of the church body and/or board in how you can go about this transition.
This church has been hurt, and it hurt us to leave, but it has been used by God for His good in the body. It was a wake up call - with the complete surprise of resignation! More people have stepped forward to serve and teach than ever would have if we would have stayed or if we would have resigned "with so called integrity". Most people were not listening to the Word, nor watching and praying. Now they are.
If you have a board of men who are disqualified, which was true here, they will not work with the pastor for a good transition. Only one godly deacon knew of pastor's plan to move on and encouraged it, for the sake of the body, not because he wanted it. In fact he is still mourning our leaving and wanted it to be different.
In some ways, this process cannot be any different than in the business world with a job. When you want to move on or up in a new job, one usually does so privately, until a new job is secured. Ministry is different than a job, I know. Wisdom is needed to determine God's way of moving on.
My question is, if you had a board and congregation that would work graciously as you seek another ministry - why would you want to leave that fellowship??
When the man of God is preaching/teaching the Word of God consistently and clearly with application and the congregation, as well as the leaders of a church ignore and even appose that Word - it is time to move on. (we did that for 15 years!) And this kind of church would not have cooperated with an open discussion of transition.
Posted by: Ron | Jan 25, 2005 10:52:19 AM
I have been on both sides of this equation in my life, and am now dealing with it again from the position of the candidate Pastor.
If I tell the Board and the congregation that I am seeking another church. I risk creating a "lame duck" situation, unable to Pastor or lead these people. I have heard people say "Pastor's come and go, but we are always here" even using it as an excuse for not following the Pastor's lead from the day he first arrives at the church. I risk "being released" before having another position, placing my families finacial well being at risk and potentially limiting my candidating ability if I have to take a temporary job (assuming I can get one).
On the other hand, does this congregation love and trust me? Have I not earned credibility with them to be looking out for their best interests? Can I not trust them to understand and be seeking the Lord's will for me and what is in the best interest of my family? Have I not tried to cultivate the "one anothers" of Scripture and vulnerability and accountability and trust and integrity? If I am a "clandestine candidate" don't I undermine the years of discipling and shepherding that I have done? How much more might they grow spiritually if we are able to partner together in prayer, both for my future and theirs?...if I model the same dependence on the Lord and the Fellowship that I've been encouraging them to have?
The risks are great, but the rewards are greater. How precious and sweet the moment would be if could "weep with the Ephesian Elders" as we bid our farewell.
Posted by: Barnabas | Jan 25, 2005 11:00:34 AM
Sadly many churches are just like the business world. If you let them know you are looking for another church or even that you believe God may be calling you to another church or ministry - they will make your life miserable. As a result you may have to leave before you even have somewhere else to go to. That is why so many pastors are forced to be "secret agent" pastors as the article refers to them. Give us a break! It is not a perfect world. We would like for it to be but we must protect our families and ourselves from some things.
Another way to look at the whole situation of the pastor who left suddenly is that it spared the church months of pain and lack of ministry prior to his leaving. I know a pastor (now deceased) who was at a very difficult church. He was called to another church, told the church he was at that he was leaving on a Sunday night and loaded up the U-Haul the next day and left. He did that because he knew the incredibly high price he would pay if he had told them very far in advance.
The pastorate for the majority of pastors is a difficult calling. They are not at wonderful loving churches. Their churches have imperfect people who react imperfectly when things do not go their way. There is something about the dynamic of some churches. Individually the people who make up the church are wonderful. However, as a whole they are very cold and in some cases even act in very mean spirited ways. I know because I have been there and have heard from so many others that have as well.
Posted by: anonymous | Jan 25, 2005 11:02:39 AM
Well, I am playing the role of "Secret Agent" pastor right now, and it is a hard role to play. For instance, we are in the middle of presenting some bold new inititives, which I believe will ultimately help this local church in immeasurable ways. But, a big part of the dream of this new phase of ministry has come from my own spirit.
So now, as I am interviewing at another church even this week, I am meeting with my leaders here to get them on-board with this new plan. Sound ludicrous? It probably does to you, because it almost does to me!
But, I have to believe that getting the church moving in the right direction, which I've tried to do for over 3 years of MAJOR transition, has to be ultimately good for the body here. I want them to succeed after I leave. I am just not sure that they will succeed if I remain. They really need a "coaching" change, in my opinion.
I believe if I sat down with the Board and leaders of my church, and told them I was looking elsewhere, that it would cause a major bolt out the front door, and on the other hand, if I wait until I acutally have a "call" to another church, I am having to function as though I am going to see this new plan through. It's a toughie.
I just know that the last 3.5 years of my life, and the life of my family, have been torturous. We've lived through a major transition period which left the church weaker and stronger (make sense?). I believe I have done all I can do, and now the church needs to let God be their leader, and so many of them need to step up and get at it.
Any thoughts?
Posted by: Tracy | Jan 25, 2005 11:10:50 AM
This whole thing about keeping this ministry move a secret bugs the heck out of me. Really, when I as a pastor am supposed to have integrity, live authentically and speak truth, keeping secrets drives me crazy. Really! When I left the churchplant I was doing, I let peole know, I was not hacking it. I let the board know I was looking and I let the leadership people in. Of course they cut me loose and I am now without a ministry place, running out of money and turning off cable. But I couldn't live with myself knowing I wanted out and playing the game. Preaching to people about truth while I was half in and half out was absolutely nuts. So, now what? Well at least I have my integrity. I think the church today really needs to look at the whole "shepherd" term. With Jesus being the "Good Shepherd" and pastors really worrying about the finances of leaving-- i.e., if I tell, what will happen?, needs to be called what we really are-- "Watchmen" thats right, I am the paid guy, leaving for a "new thing".
I would rather be the watchman that the shepherd. If Jesus is the "bread of Life" than why do people scream for "Feeding" from the human shepherd? The whole thing needs to be relooked at. I know so many good guys out of ministry today--
But I got off on a weird trai. No doubt the ministry revovlving door needs to be straight. I want to go, I'm looking, bye bye. Is honesty the best policy?
Posted by: Don | Jan 25, 2005 11:28:21 AM
I have been through five pastoral transitions. Most of them were smooth. In one situation, I was already in process of finding a new ministry when the leadership voted to ask me to find another ministry.
I do not think it is shameful to keep the fact of moving from the leadership until the right time. Once a call has been received, then it is time to work with the leadership in the transition between pastors. If you have poured your life into a church family, you want the church to grow and succeed in the future. But I don't think announcing a possible departure in advance is a good idea - especially when the leadership is not following the lead of the pastor.
I also feel strongly that it is more difficult to follow God's leading to a new ministry when you have already resigned - there must be a temptation to take anything that comes along to put food on the table for the family. So I would keep on plugging away at making the present church all it can be while I work "secretly" at finding a new place of ministry.
Posted by: Ken | Jan 25, 2005 11:33:51 AM
The ideal is for a pastor to share his thoughts and possibility of another calling with his trusted leadership team, be it other staff members or elders. In that ideal situation, everyone would talk through things and it would be a healthy exchange of communication. However, I see the point in keeping it hush. Why, may you ask? That isn't the ideal. Because church leadership sometimes does not act the way they ought. Church leadership in America has taken on many unhealthy corporate aspects. Therefore, it has created a culture of some pastors fearing for the well-being of themselves and their family, not knowing how their leadership will react to certain news and issues. I have seen pastors cut to help the bottom-line of the accounting ledger. Then, turn around and ask the pastor who has received the news that they "are making a change" to tell the congregation that it was their own decision to resign, keeping quiet that they were fired. On top of that scenario, a threat that if you do not comply, it will not go well for you or your family. I have also scene church leadership act in ways that are illegal in handling their paid staff. So, although the situation is not ideal, it is understandable. There is little loyalty to employees (yes, pastors are employees!). And, there is little loyalty from pastors to their churches. We do not know how that all started in corporate America, but it is the hand we now deal with.
Posted by: Derek Morris | Jan 25, 2005 11:42:36 AM
That is why.... ministy is becomming more about the finances than about the ministry. Right now, my wife is working her tail off to pay the bills, I found a job in the market place and start on wedensday... you know, its funny, when I was the church plant pastor, my wife was working her butt off--- I was the "pastor" it was not a good fit, so why not tell the leaders, what has changed? Nada. Still out humping for money. Ministry is the wrong place is a drag, but it puts bread on the table, ministry in the right place is tough, it puts money on the table...
we are just "watchmen"!
I do like the idea of "lead" pastor, at least there is a team concept. I'm not sure anymore. I still would rather not keep secrets--- it was too hard to speak to people about the future and all the plans and all the stuff... knowing I was gone.
Don
Posted by: Don | Jan 25, 2005 11:48:06 AM
Maybe the last little diddy.... O.k., so the "pastor" comes on board to a new church--- where the people hired him so that they can learn, grow, and move forward in relationship with God. The New Senior guy comes into a board situation that thinks "corporately" and sees the church as a "business". Now, how much can the pastor help to change that thinking? By my experience and from what I read in the blogs of today and past--- not much. In truth his influence is basically just to a few good men. Preaching does not change much, people still come and go as the please, teaching doesn't do much, the churh is still thinking "business" so what does the shepherd do? Moves on. There really is a problem today in the corporate church--The shepherd is almost a nill. Sad, that we in the position to have integrity and authenticity are place in a vacume where we preach the company tune, play the company game and go home. The term watchmen really should be looked at.
My take-- going out into the market place to find ministry. Meanwhile still looking for the place that wants a watchman.
Posted by: Don | Jan 25, 2005 12:17:54 PM
I am a "secret agent pastor" currently, and have been so for nearly a year and a half. That is why I don't tell my church - I have been sending out resumes and contacting churches for nearly eighteen months with no luck in finding a new church. It takes an unbelievable amount of time anymore to find a church. So, I plug on like was said above, trying to help THIS church be the best it can be, while I wait for THAT church to come open.
Posted by: AP | Jan 25, 2005 12:27:46 PM
My husband, who is an assistant pastor, has actually been in this situation twice already, and we are actually in the same boat again. Oh, how we wish we COULD be(and could HAVE BEEN) forth-coming with the pastor(s) about our desires! The problem has not been that we WANT to be secretive, but that each pastor has had a very volatile personality - quick to blow up, quick to cut down, quick to cut you off, quick to misunderstand, and quick to correct without tact or love. If we went to our pastor(s) and shared our heart's desires, the chances are very high that we would be given 30 days or less to find a ministry. While that's an unrealistic timetable, as it often takes MONTHS to find a ministry, it's a very real possibility. Not one church we've been in thus far has given a procedure for dealing with this, so you're in limbo about how to handle it. When you don't have a pastor you feel you can go to openly about lesser issues in the first place, it strikes great fear to approach a subject of this magnitude. How CAN you tell your employer want to begin looking for a new job, and then hang around for an indefinite amount of time until the right ministry comes through? Once the cat's out of the bag, there is tremendous pressure on - after all, if you're leaving, new staff has to be hired! What if they find someone before you've found a position yourself? What if we don't find a ministry within the 30 days? In our case, outside of coaching sports and a short time of working as a courier for a national company, my husband's entire work experience has been in ministry. We have nothing to fall back on. If we risk telling the pastor, we are completely at the mercy of his reaction. Our method of secrecy is for the sake of self-preservation, not because we're trying to 'pull one over' on anyone. We wish we COULD talk about it, but we have no choice but to do things this way. We have small children - where are we going to go? More than anything, we wish that pastors would be more loving and open overall so that their staff would not be so fearful to approach them about things like this. Our past and present experience has been/is that we either quietly go about finding and securing the next ministry, THEN inform the pastor of the moving date, or we first inform him of our plans to move, and potentially be forced to find a new job in 30 days. Where is the balance between the two?
Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 25, 2005 12:42:39 PM
This has really been an interesting blog. There have been more comments on this topic than any I've read recently. This is probably because it is so close to home. Nearly three years ago I left a church I had pastored for 10 years. I let our Elders know I was going through some internal wrestlings nearly a year before I left. My wife and I prayed about it for the next 9 months as I began to look for other ministry possibilities. I didn't talk with out elders about it again until I was leaving for a candidating weekend. That was the most difficult time, because people naturally ask where you are going. Once we got back and decided to leave, we told the congregation. It was 6-8 weeks before our departure. I did a series entitled, "Parting Words" where I gave the congregation counsel regarding the next season of their church life. They threw a huge going away party for us. One person told me they had never seen such a positive pastoral transition. I have very fond memories of that church...all the way to the end. Ideally, that is the way it should be. I think there is very little I would have done differently, including my time of "secret pastoring". I am a believer in finishing strong. That is difficult to do if you let the congregation know you are considering a move too far in advance.
Posted by: Thayne | Jan 25, 2005 12:50:30 PM
I AM a secret agent pastor, right now, and I don't feel the least bit guilty or shameful about it. I have been to my Senior Pastor three times and my Executive Director three times about the demands and desires of the church vs my family's need for additional income. They can't deliver any more financial support, and I am not able to provide more than 55 hours of labor each week. They may be surprised in two weeks when I walk in a resign to take a church in another city, but they won't be able to honestly say that they didn't have some sense of my needs and desires. I feel sorry for the people that I share ministry and life with. They will think I left because of money, not knowing the amazing amount of pressure, expectations and demands coupled with no financial budget support, oppressive management and unrealistic expectations. That means the environment will continue for the next guy. Poor Sap. I hope he calls me.
heart already moved on,
Tom
Posted by: tom | Jan 25, 2005 12:57:25 PM
Jesus said that before we build a building we should sit down and add up what it's going to cost us to build the building before we begin actually building. So it is with moving in ministry to another place. If we determine that the cost is going to be too high to tell anyone before a certain period time prior to the move, then we shouldn't tell anyone. However, if we see that telling everyone (or even certain ones) that we're moving will be a good thing, then they should know.
Not telling anyone that we're looking elsewhere has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not we have integrity or are honest or not. It might just be good sense to know good timing, which doesn't require us to tell everyone everything all the time.
Posted by: jeff | Jan 25, 2005 1:54:18 PM
Another great topic!
Thanks for the comment Jeff. Telling or not telling the congregation about our plans has less to do with our integrity and more to do with wisdom. A pastor in transition can keep or loose their integrity by both telling and keeping it a secret depending on the situation and how he handles it.
I have been in ministry for 19 years and through four transitions. Depending on the situation I have kept my plans quiet, shared them with only the Senior Pastor and Elders and shared them with the entire congregation. The decision on how to approach each situation depended on a variety of factors including the needs of my family, the needs of the church and my relationship with the church leadership.
Lest you think that I am just being political, you need to know that I also resigned from one position without having another ministry lined up because that was the best course for the church in that situation.
In addition, I have always maintained the personal polilcy to answer truthfully and directly when asked the question, "Are you looking." This can be risky but I have found that those who have the sensitivity to ask are usually mature enough to handle the truth discreetly.
Posted by: Rich Viel | Jan 25, 2005 2:23:06 PM
To some-- granted, it might not be an integrity issue..... to me, I felt like I was dating two girls. I didn't like it for sure. Myabe that is not integrity.... maybe wisdom should have prevailed. But, I didn't like courting both. I felt a little disloyal, I felt a little dishonest, I just didn't like it. Especially canditating. Being away on "vacation" or on a little get away. Very weird dating the 2. Funny, a friend of mine was candidating at a church and ran into people that new him as the pastor south. They were like, "What are you doing here?" Once the other girl found out, it was all over.
Posted by: don | Jan 25, 2005 2:32:14 PM
Sounds like Pete went about it wrong. There's nothing wrong with having a seperate life from Church, seperate email, etc. But he shouldn't have lied about "vacation." He should just say it's personal business. He should still earn his pay where he's currently working, too. It's not that there's secrets, but the congregation doesn't have to know EVERYTHING about him.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Posted by: Bernie Dehler | Jan 25, 2005 8:18:35 PM
I agree that this isn't an integrity issue (unless of course you lie about where you are going).
I'm looking around right now. Might move on...might not. I believe if I share this with my church they might lose heart and the awesome ministries we are developing now might suffer. Not everyone is mature enough to handle this sort of thing. Timing is the key. Transparency isn't a virtue and privacy isn't a sin.
:)
Posted by: anon | Jan 25, 2005 9:33:12 PM
The first church I served was not a good fit for me or for my family, and we discovered this fact quite soon into our ministry. I tried to serve them wholeheartedly, but after about a year I did begin seeking other churches. I did not lie or deny my intentions, but neither did I broadcast them--until things got serious with another church. This other church invited me down for an interview, and things seemed to go quite well. Since it looked quite probable that I would be leaving to take this other ministry, I informed my board of the status of the situation and asked for their prayers.
The results were awful. The other church decided to go with someone else--but two individuals from the church I was serving determined to oust me. After all, if I were leaving anyway, why wait? It took them another 4 months, but they finally got their way. I then had no church--and no prospects, since I had spent my time trying to deal with the issues in the current church and had not put any effort into looking elsewhere during that time.
I have always tried to live openly and transparently--but in this matter of changing churches, I have ever since then been quite reluctant to speak to anyone candidly until all ducks were in their rows.
Posted by: Dave | Jan 25, 2005 9:34:09 PM
I had a wonderful pastorate leading a growing, effective, outreach focused church. I knew God had another place of ministry for me three years before I actually made the move. For three years I considered opportunities at various locations but never sensed the call of God at any of them. Finally the Lord's direction was clear and we made a move.
Those three years were a difficult but fruitful time. I never lied about it but I did keep our consideration of a move private to all but a select few people. I'm convinced had I announced I was preparing for a move, it would have been a setback to the ministry and would have sabotaged God's timetable. My passion was not the same during those three years but I was still effective as a leader and as a pastor. I believe it was God’s will that a serve as a “secret agent” during that season. Of course, I would have been very open to any counsel on how to have better handled that awkward season.
Posted by: Secret Agent | Jan 26, 2005 12:00:58 AM
As a co-author of The Elephant in the Boardroom, I am heartened that this kind of discussion is being generated among pastors. As consultants, Carolyn and I have seen scores of effective churches decimated by poorly planned or (usually) non-planned pastoral transitions. Peter Drucker says that pastoral succession planning is one of the largest issues facing the American church today. The first step is to begin to talk about it.
However, the conversation must include the other stakeholders in the process -- lay leaders and boardmembers. Space did not allow the full introduction to be printed...if it had the reader would have seen a mirrored dilemma going on in a Board member named Betty who ALSO was avoiding talking about the issue. So here we have a relationship between two parties where there is an issue that is of critical importance to both of their futures and neither one can talk about it. In any other relationship this would be a red flag. But in the religious culture we have normalized it.
It is not accurate to say that this is an unfortunate but necessary concession to the business world. At the executive level in the business world, succession planning is extremely common. At General Electric, Jack Welch spent a year mentoring his successor before he left. Great companies do succession planning for their leaders all the way up and down the line. I am not saying that we should copy the business model in our succession planning but neither can we use the business world as an excuse not to do it.
This is not just a question of whether a pastor can tell the church when exploring a move. It is a question of whether a church thinks prayerfully, thoughtfully, competently, and openly about how it wants to handle the most inevitable and strategic issue it will face...its next pastoral transition. So let's keep on talking!!
Russ Crabtree
Posted by: Russ Crabtree | Jan 26, 2005 7:26:21 AM
Thanks, Russ, for chiming in! It was great to hear from one of the authors!
Russ makes a valid point (that I should have mentioned in my initial post). This is only one side of the coin, the pastors. I should have also mentioned that next week we'll look at the other side of the coin and look at how a normal, badly carried out transition affects the local church board or elders, and the church as a whole. It's a scenario that I've seen played out time and time again.
We'll be discussion this book for the next few Tuesdays here at the blog. Just remember that it'll be a successive discussion, so don't draw any cut and dry conclusions just yet. :)
Thanks, everyone for the great discussion so far!
Todd
Posted by: Todd | Jan 26, 2005 8:16:00 AM
Russ says:
"At the executive level in the business world, succession planning is extremely common."
I don't think this has anything to do with "succession planning." That needs to be done whether a Pastor is seeking another position or not. "Succession planning" is a form of discipleship; replicating ourselves. Whether we want to move or not, there should be somebody groomed to take our position, or be competent to move into it, or have our work documented well so someone can take over. The opposite of "succession planning"... is just dumb (it would be making your job as difficult as possible to follow, so it's easier for you to keep your position).
I don't see anything wrong with two staff members looking around for another position, and not talking about it. They may both ultimately stick around for the long-haul. Maybe looking around will refresh their vision and remind them of how good they have it. They just need to make sure they do quality work while they look (and if so, why is it anyone else's business?).
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Posted by: bernie dehler | Jan 26, 2005 10:30:38 AM
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