“The overlapping ‘head-honcho’ cultures of the Mexican caudillo pastor and the ‘my-way-or-the-highway’ authority granted pastors in many American churches can compound the already real challenge of inevitable transition to a new leader—making the principle of pastoral responsibility for that transition all the more critical.” - BJU Seminary
“Every church, whether in my home country of Mexico or the United States, will at some point face the challenge of pastoral succession and transition. It’s a challenge that’s personal for me.” - BJU Seminary
When is the right time for a pastor to retire? There clearly is no one size fits all answer to this question. There are too many variables, and each situation must be considered individually. More to the point, when’s the right time for this pastor to retire? I do have a few thoughts about that question.
“Begg ‘will continue his pastoral and ministry work at Truth For Life’ following his retirement from the pulpit. [in Sept of 2025]” - Church Leaders
“I’m faced with lots of options: leaving completely, remaining as a staff pastor with a different role, and everything in between. I don’t know what my future will look like, but I do know a few truths that will inform my answer.” - 9 Marks
“It takes humility for an effective leader to step aside, for the leader to recognize that the mission is bigger than one person.” - Eric Geiger
“The questions these pastors have typically revolve around three issues: how do I prepare my church for my retirement?; what are some major financial issues regarding retirement?; and what do I do after I retire?” - Thom Rainer
Read Part 1.
It’s one thing to put some verses together and present a pastoral succession plan. It’s another thing to carry out this plan. The following distills many authors’ advice on pastoral succession, addressed here to key individuals and groups.
1. Commit yourself to training pastors. This commitment takes focus and time. Your ministry can have continuity when you train a pastor and have him take your place.
Every pastor is an interim pastor. Every pastor eventually resigns, retires, or dies. What is your church’s plan to find your next pastor?
Scripture lays the foundation for an ideal pastoral succession plan: the outgoing pastor trains men for ministry, prepares his church for his departure, and, with the church’s approval, appoints one of these men as his successor. If a pastor does not prepare his church for his departure, the church will likely struggle after he leaves. The Bible suggests a better way.
Six Bible passages help us form a Biblical plan for pastoral succession.
“As of 2022, only 16 percent of Protestant senior pastors are 40 years old or younger, and the average age among pastors is 52. As a generation of clergy ages and prepares to step down, it is not clear that churches are prepared for the transition.” - Barna
