Succession: Making A Smooth Transition

1. Succession:Making A Smooth Transition Chicago Conference with Lyle Schaller

2. Background: • Virginia Baptist Mission Board invited eight pastors of very large churches to attend this conference in Chicago with Lyle Schaller. • Lyle Schaller is the author of many books. In recent years, he has focused on growing the Very Large Church.

3. Background: • Before the conference, each pastor prepared: • Biographical information about himself • Brief over-view and history of his church • Staff make-up and scope of present ministry • Statistics for worship, Sunday school and offerings for the past 10 years

4. Schaller’s General Comments • Americans choosing to attend very large churches: • Worship AttendanceNumber of Churches • 1 - 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,684 • 100 - 200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,943 • 200 - 300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,639 • 300 - 500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,917 • 500 - 800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799 • 800 - 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 • 1000 plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 • TOTAL CHURCHES: 35,616

5. Attendance Statistics: • Most SBC churches are small, but most members go to larger churches: Worship Attendance% of SBC Churches% attending • 1 - 125 72% 31% • 126 - 500 24% 38% • 500 plus 4% 31%

6. Why People Choose Larger Churches: • Not primarily because they are large churches but because they are the only churches able to provide QUALITY, RELEVANCE, and CHOICES. • Quality: facilities, ministries, preaching, staff, etc. • Relevance: whatever the church is doing must apply or connect as being relevant to my life. • Choices: at every level (ministries, ways to “plug-in”, times and variety of services, etc.)

7. Schaller:Bonsack’s No. 1 Issue is Succession • The larger the CHURCH, the longer the TENURE, & the sharper the GROWTHpattern, the more crucial is succession, and the more difficult it is to work it out.

8. Schaller:Bonsack’s No. 1 Issue is Succession • Whenever there is major change in a church, people need “stability zones” to see them through the transition.

9. Schaller:Bonsack’s No. 1 Issue is Succession • Continuity in churches is usually found in RELATIONSHIPS.Thus, long pastorates help churches grow because the pastor becomes a stability zone in the midst of continued change.

10. The Way We’ve Always Done It: • The long tenured pastor retires and the church finds an interim for a year or so. • During that time, the church thinks about what kind of pastor they’re looking for.

11. The Way We’ve Always Done It: • Finally the new pastor is called and the church works to adjust to its new leader. • The retired pastor steers clear of the church... so they can finish grieving and make an attachment to the new pastor.

12. Why The Old WayDoesn’t Work: • First, pulpit committees in long-tenured pastorates have little experience in what they’re doing. • Second, in very large churches, the new pastor doesn’t understand the DYNAMICSor the CULTURE of that particular church.

13. Why The Old WayDoesn’t Work: • Third, new pastor is usually a generation younger... relates to a different group of people other than the old leadership, and has no attachment to the current staff.

14. Schaller’s Suggestion:A New Approach • First, pastor puts together a small group of key leadership and staff to formulate MINISTRYdirection for the next 7 to 10 years. • Second, work with the same group to consider what kind of staff will be needed to do this ministry plan.

15. Schaller’s Suggestion:A New Approach • Third, find a new pastor, (in the next 2 to 3 years), with current pastor heavily involved in the process. • The church must take advantage of his knowledge and experience while he’s still here. • In talking with a prospective pastor, the church will already have it’s ministry direction and staffing to share with the new person.

16. Schaller’s Suggestion:A New Approach • In the very large church (over 800 in worship), PREACHINGmust be EXCELLENT.New pastor must be able to consistently deliver “A” or “A+”messages.

17. Schaller’s Suggestion:A New Approach • The current pastor must agree to continue to STAY ONin ministry to the church... for an additional 5 to 7 years with two major responsibilities in his new job description: • Focus on the things he really wants to do. • See that things work out well for the new pastor. • Lay leaders involved from beginning in this process must be committed to making things work out with the new pastor.

18. More About Dr. Moore’s Responsibilities: • Dr. Moore would provide a “SECURITY ZONE”for those who love him & his ministry... so the church didn’t end up losing these people while the new pastor learned the church CULTURE and how to pastor a “very large church”.

19. More About Dr. Moore’s Responsibilities: • Dr. Moore would continue to preach... as would the new pastor. • Preaching could be worked out in a variety of ways. Presuming new pastor is an excellent preacher/teacher, he would help continue to draw new people. • The church would get used to several “teaching/preaching” pastors who did exceptional jobs, even if different styles.

20. Some Added Benefits Of This Plan: • If this model worked, then when Bob did leave, several things would likely happen: • He would leave a much smaller hole with much less negative impact on the church. • He’d be free, indeed expected, to help out with training, teaching, preaching (JBS…Easter Pageant... 6 week sermon series, etc.).... without being a threat to the current pastor.

21. Some Added Benefits Of This Plan: • Longevity of current staff would more likely to be preserved, adding value to the church.