In my younger years, I was a decent basketball player. Dunking, passing, defending and making shots came easily for me.

One of my favorite offensive plays was the alley-oop. A player throws the ball to a teammate near the basket. The second player jumps, catches the pass in midair, and dunks or lays the ball into the basket.

As I got older, aches, pains and injuries led to the realization I would one day hang up my basketball sneakers.

Similarly, I knew I would not lead my church forever. Eighteen years into my senior pastorate, at age 50, I began to pray and prepare.

I did not want to stay too long, and I certainly didn’t want to leave too early. Both the alley-oop and pastoral succession require a keen sense of timing, trust and teamwork.

Timing

Timing is everything in basketball. During an alley-oop, both the pass and jump must happen at precisely the right moment. If any part of the play is out of sync, the handoff will fail. It’s a good illustration of pastoral succession.

I finally retired as senior pastor on Sunday, March 15, 2020 — a decade after I started planning. My successor, Marcus Arrington, started his senior pastorate the following Sunday. Our state and city governments had just mandated COVID-19 shutdowns, so the first service Marcus led was online.

My decision to retire had nothing to do with the pandemic or any other events of that year. It was based on a clearly discerned purpose and carefully planned succession.

This allowed me to reposition into another, related ministry role on staff. It gave my successor a gradual transition into the lead role. And it provided the momentum and cohesiveness to keep our church flourishing, even during an unusual and difficult season.

All leaders, especially senior pastors, should plan for transition from their very first day. No one will stay in the same ministry role forever.

I recognize churches have different processes and polities. Many use traditional pastoral search committees. Regardless, we are all in temporary places. Someone preceded us, and someone will succeed us.

So the big question is this: How will you prepare for your next steps and set up your successor and church for continued wins?

Start by prayerfully reflecting on your life and purpose, seeking God’s direction and timing. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Talk with your family about succession. Of all the people in the congregation, they will be most affected by your decisions.

Carefully consider your finances together. AGFinancial offers guidance on retirement planning, saving and investing.

Nearly three decades of personal stewardship and sacrifice to save for retirement in a 403(b) plan provided my family and me freedom to consider transition.

Sadly, many pastors feel stuck and financially ill-prepared to leave their roles. Start building a sense of financial security today. You won’t always be in your current role.

Trust

Trust — both in God and your successor — is paramount during times of transition.

I established trust with my successor long before our transitions occurred. In fact, I have known Marcus since he was a preteen, having served as his youth pastor at another church in our city.

All leaders, especially senior pastors, should plan for transition
from their very first day.

God reconnected our lives 10 years before the succession as Marcus and his young family became members of our church. They showed up around the same time I was having conversations with God about my own transition.

Just as God has plans for you, He has plans for a successor to lead His people. While God was preparing Moses to pass the ball to Joshua, He was also preparing Joshua for his next season of leadership.

Exodus 33:11 says, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”

Your successor should demonstrate calling, competence, godly character, capacity to lead, and compatibility with the church staff and culture. However, that doesn’t mean he or she needs to be a carbon copy of you.

Our church leadership valued me but recognized my successor’s individuality.

Marcus also understood the importance of being himself. After we announced the succession plan, a church member told Marcus he would have big shoes to fill.

“I have my own shoes to wear, and Bishop Harvey will still need his shoes,” Marcus confidently replied.

Trust your successor, providing freedom, coaching and encouragement to walk a pathway that might look different from yours.

In a relay race, there is a period of time in which two runners from the same team are in the handoff zone simultaneously. This happens in some church transitions as well. If there is a season of overlap in which both of you are on the staff at the same time, look for ways to use your influence to prepare the church and board to eliminate unfair comparisons and celebrate differences.

Root for the success of the one who comes after you. In 1 Samuel 18:6–8, King Saul did not join the celebration when his successor, David, killed Goliath. Instead, Saul was jealous of David’s victories.

Your successor will make unique contributions to his or her generation. If he or she defeats giants that stymied you, praise the Lord.

Humbly and courageously ask God to raise up a successor who can do what you can’t. And pray for discernment to know when it’s time to step aside and let someone else lead the charge.

In 2 Samuel 21:15–22, David nearly died during a conflict with a fierce warrior who was wielding a new sword. David’s men rescued him and swore he would no longer fight with them. They retired David from the battlefield because he did not do it himself.

Teamwork

Church ministry is a team sport, and succession requires teamwork. We all have a role to play, from the senior pastor to the congregants.

We face a common foe who knows the Church is better together. Satan is trying to break our trust, offset our timing, and interrupt our teamwork so we drop the leadership ball and suffer defeat.

Our congregation’s formal process started with me mentoring and talking with my successor. I then brought up the topic of succession to our church board for prayer and discussion. After a month of prayer, the board agreed on a plan and nominated my successor. The following year, the members of the church voted to approve the board’s recommendation.

Several months later, the entire church, pastoral staff, and community witnessed and participated in a rare alley-oop as Marcus became the new senior pastor.

This process helped create a natural culture of succession in every department of the church, which allows us to fill volunteer and paid staff roles smoothly.

A succession plan is a divine strategy for perpetual Kingdom victory. It is also a great act of love that not only establishes the legacy of the current leadership but also sets up future leadership for success.

The goal should always be a seamless transition that ensures continual ministry. When that happens, the entire church wins.

Author and minister Myles Munroe once said, “The greatest challenge in leadership is not attaining it but releasing it. The ultimate measure of your success is what happens to the organization when you leave it.”

This article appears in the Summer 2022 edition of Influence magazine.