According to LifeWay Research, the average tenure of a church’s senior pastor is 3.6 years. The number may be a bit higher, or lower—researchers disagree. Regardless, all agree that ministers change jobs at some point in the course of their careers.

When ministers change jobs, it is stressful, for ministers, for their families and for their congregations. Change is difficult, after all. But the stresses of job-change can be mitigated by entering a new season of ministry with eyes open to the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, George P. Wood talks to Mike McCrary about how to navigate transitions in ministry jobs. Mike is director of Funding for the Church Multiplication Network, a role he began in May 2017 after nearly two decades of ministry in local churches. His recent experience gives him a unique perspective on what happens when ministers change jobs.