Mel

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Gospel Integrity and Pastoral Succession

via The Gospel Coalition Blog by Collin Hansen on 9/3/10

History tells sad stories of good churches that calcified as monuments to former pastors. Few churches we closely associate with prominent ministers maintained their influence when the pastor left. Fire twice destroyed London’s famed Metropolitan Tabernacle, once in 1898 and again when the Luftwaffe dropped an incendiary bomb during the Blitz of 1941. But these tragedies did not inflict so much damage as that caused when long-time pastor Charles Spurgeon departed in 1891 and died in 1892.

Charles Spurgeon

The “last of the Puritans,” Spurgeon reached millions through his sermons, both spoken and published. But he did not train willing leaders capable of carrying on his theological legacy in his absence. Cleanup crews sifting through the bombing rubble in 1941 discovered the church’s 1680 confession of faith, which Spurgeon had symbolically buried beneath the foundation in 1860. Writing in The Forgotten Spurgeon, Iain Murray found in this recovery a metaphor for the state of Metropolitan Tabernacle and the evangelical movement in England.

“There was in 1941 no influential congregation in England known to stand for the theology which that document contained; nor was there any college preparing men to preach that faith,” Murray wrote.

Notable exceptions to this worrisome pattern merely prove the rule. Martyn Lloyd-Jones thrived at Westminster Chapel in London following G. Campbell Morgan’s distinguished tenure, which ended in 1945. Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia has enjoyed the leadership of Donald Grey Barnhouse, James Montgomery Boice, and Phil Ryken. But even a track record that defies the trend offers no guarantees the next search to replace Ryken, now president of Wheaton College, will identify a worthy heir to the Tenth pulpit.

Perhaps God isn’t so concerned that churches should pass from glory to glory, if history is any indication. Or is it we who become so enamored with star preachers that we don’t share responsibility for the ministry and plan for the future in their absence? Many large, thriving churches today have been blessed by God with gifted preachers whose ministry spans the globe. As those preachers approach the end of their pulpit ministry, however, local churches face difficult questions about how they should prepare for life after their leader leaves.

Succession Without a Successor

Working with a small Bible study group, Tim Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1989. The transition from a church’s first to second senior pastor is particularly difficult for a thriving congregation. So Redeemer isn’t even bothering to try. Instead, Redeemer revealed in June that it plans to eventually divide into four distinct but networked congregations, each of which will try to plant another church. Redeemer leaders selected four pastors—David Bisgrove, John Lin, Scott Sauls, and Leo Schuster—to lead these neighborhood-based congregations. But for now these men will share preaching and leadership responsibilities with Keller, who will mentor them closely.

“My ‘successors’ are a new generation of a half-dozen to a dozen pastors,” Keller said. “The difficulty is that to even talk of this as a ‘succession plan’ gives the impression I’m stepping out of my job and retiring soon, but I’m not. I’m 59, and we expect the transition to take eight to ten years. So we don’t call it a succession plan, but that’s what it ultimately is, among other things.”

Indeed, the succession plan corresponds with a larger ministry reorientation for Redeemer. For about 20 years, Redeemer grew as members invited their friends to hear the exceptional music and Keller’s compelling sermons. Without Keller as a draw, however, the church’s strategy will need to change. Church leaders and members will need to become more missional.

Tim Keller

“Now, however, we enter a new season, that, God-willing, will last much longer than 20 years,” Keller wrote to the Redeemer congregation. “Our ministry will now be ‘Go and Tell.’ Redeemer is going to systematically impart what theological and ministry wisdom we have to its people and empower them so that, instead of only inviting people in to hear teaching, they will in the power of the Spirit go out into the neighborhoods to love and winsomely share the biblical gospel themselves. It means a culture of training such as we have never seen before at Redeemer. It means coming to grips with one of the most radical aspects of biblical teaching, that every single believer is a prophet, a priest, and a king, not just a bringer and attendee. According to Jesus, ‘the least’ Christian is endowed with the Spirit and is ‘greater than John the Baptist’ (Matt 11:9-11). It also means raising up a new generation of pastor-leaders. The vision is for a family of eight to twelve sister churches-covering Manhattan—ministering in their communities.”

Divesting Power to Empower Others

Pastoral succession looks different depending on a church’s size, personality, and convictions. But Sovereign Grace Ministries has won widespread acclaim for modeling gospel-centered succession. Many are familiar with how C. J. Mahaney, founding pastor of Covenant Life Church, invited the young Joshua Harris to live in his home and learn from him. Mahaney eventually resigned as senior pastor so Harris could take over. Another Sovereign Grace pastor, Dave Harvey, writes in his book Rescuing Ambition about stepping down in 2008 as senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church in suburban Philadelphia, the body he led for 19 years. Like Mahaney, Harvey gave way to a much younger leader, the 28-year-old Jared Mellinger. Showing just how deeply succession was ingrained in church culture, Harvey led Mellinger by asking him to respond to this ordination vow the day he was installed:

“Do you promise to begin praying for your ultimate replacement in ministry, with the hope of one day identifying, training, and transferring your responsibilities to him, so that this church may continue to grow and mature in future generations, for the glory and honor of God?”

Jim Collins writes in Good to Great that an organization becomes a monument to the leader’s outsized ego when it falls apart in his absence. Mindful of this problem, Harvey sought to put subsequent generations’ interests ahead of his own by setting up the church for success after he stepped down to take a leadership role in the Sovereign Grace network. But this wasn’t simply a matter of organizational success. Indeed, Harvey contends that succession testifies to what a church believes about the gospel.

Dave Harvey

“A true test of gospel application is seen in succession—in the health of what we leave behind,” Harvey says. “It’s a biblical way to measure success. If we simply build a church that fragments upon transfer, how does that glorify God or really serve the next generation? It doesn’t. Transfer isn’t about merely protecting programs or salvaging a legacy. It’s about preserving the gospel and passing it on to others.”

And yet few pastors seem to view succession this way. Human nature makes succession plans like those plotted by Keller and Harvey difficult to pull off. Senior leaders don’t want to let go. They realize too late that they’re slowing down, a process that begins in many cases around age 60. Various aspects of the church’s vision become neglected, and the church stagnates. The senior leader’s gifting and experience mask underlying structural weaknesses, as in the case of Spurgeon. Meanwhile, younger leaders don’t want to wait around to take charge. Many capable young leaders know the long odds of a successful succession. So they prefer to plant their own churches or invest in smaller ones they can grow by God’s grace.

Even before the senior pastor steps down, generational tension may be evident as a warning sign that succession will be a struggle. The senior pastor with a long tenure may surround himself with leaders around his same age. Preaching load, administrative tasks, writing commitments, and even personality traits may inhibit him and his colleagues from investing in younger leaders who can eventually take their place. Conscious or not, Hezekiah syndrome sets in, and older leaders leave major problems for the next generation to tackle. “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?” (2 Kings 20:19)

To avoid this problem and foster continuity, healthy churches incorporate leaders from several different generations. They also rely on a plurality of leaders together seeking the Lord’s leading for the church and sharing the burden of responsibility. In this model, trusted peers can persuade a reluctant senior pastor to take tangible, self-denying actions to divest his power so he can empower others to act in his absence. For example, a senior pastor might return from vacation on Sunday instead of Monday so he can sit among the congregation during the sermon, limiting himself to announcements or prayer. With this simple gesture, the pastor shows he can share authority and recognizes another leader’s preaching gift.

Succession isn’t simple. It isn’t smooth. It’s not often successful. Yet it’s a matter of gospel integrity. God doesn’t promise our churches will evermore yield wide influence through a preacher’s exceptional leadership. Surely, however, we can testify to his steadfast love by making more of Jesus Christ than ourselves. And that means planning ahead for generations who will never hear the great preacher’s voice.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/

He works for a mine for his day-job and pastors the church as his avocation. The church has doubled since January and they just had to buy more chairs to accommodate the growth.

I think bi-vocational pastoring will be much more common in the coming years and I admire those who do it well like this couple. May their tribe increase! Many communities will not have a church without missional leaders like this couple.

I also think some of the younger pastors in larger cities will chose to be bi-vocational as part of their missional philosophy and strategy. By being imbedded in the community and working it allows them to intentionally build relationships with people they would never have opportunity to mix with if they were “full-time” pastors.

Those of us in leadership of denominations, districts and networks, will need to adjust when we offer events to be sure these bi-vocational missionaries are not excluded.

The bi-vocational pastors are heroes to me and I want to do all I can to support and encourage them!

Mel

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“How good will you be in your 60′s?”
by Dan Reiland

Patti and I experienced one of the best concerts we’ve ever attended. Carole King and James Taylor played at the Gwinnett Arena to a completely sold out crowd (4 hours!) of 13,000 people. Whether or not you like their music, you would be captivated by how good they are at this season in their careers.

Carole King is 68 and owns the stage with her charisma, winning smile and endless energy. She’s a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer (1990) with 25 solo albums to her name, and has a span of U.S. Billboard Top Ten Albums spanning 39 years. “Tapestry” (1971) to “Live at the Troubadour,” with James Taylor (2010). As a four time Grammy Award winner, and a prolific song writer, King has a legacy of 118 pop hits that she has written or co-written!

James Taylor is 62 and still makes thousands of adoring fans feel like each one is his best friend sitting in his living room while he plays contemporary classics from “Fire and Rain” to “You’ve Got a Friend.” He was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor is a Grammy Award winner, and has a span of U.S. Billboard Top Ten Albums spanning 40 years. “Sweet Baby James” (1970) to “Live at the Troubadour,” with Carole King (2010).

Now I’m not saying they’re old, I’m saying they’re good! While many people begin to slow down and contemplate a rockin’ chair, others are still rockin’ it! How about you? You may be in your 20′s or in your 60′s but the question is the same. How good will you be? And what does it take?

The day after the concert, with a big thanks to Chris and Mary Anne Morgan for inviting us, I went out for my morning jog. I was thinking about the wonderful evening and began to make some mental notes about why JT and Carole are so good in their 60′s.

• They stuck with their craft.

If you read King’s and Taylor’s biography you would see that neither of them has had an easy road. They have paid a price and suffered the ups and downs of a long career in music. But they stuck with it and kept at their craft. That is a big lesson for all of us.

We live in a culture where people change not only jobs but careers. It’s difficult to become great at what you do when you change careers often. Changing jobs is one thing, that’s often the right thing to do. But think carefully before changing careers. Leadership in the local church takes time to learn. There is no short cut. Like a doctor, school teacher, lawyer, or engineer it takes time to learn your craft and get really good at what you do. Years don’t equal experience. Keep digging, asking questions and learning from those who have successful experience beyond you.

• They love what they do.

There is just no substitute for this loving what you do. You’ve got to enjoy your work. Life is too short to do something you don’t want to do. There are times when we must all do whatever it takes to provide for basic necessities, but I’m talking about the majority of our lives when we really do choose what we do.

It was obvious to everyone that performing was pure joy for Carole and James. They beamed an incredible sense of enjoyment that would be impossible to fake. Genuine performance is the ultimate expression of song-writers and musicians, and they loved every minute of it. All of us in the audience loved it all the more!

How would the people in your church describe you? Would they say you express joy in your leadership? Do they believe you love what you do?

• They are incredible collaborators.

Both James Taylor and Carole King wrote dozens of songs for other solo artists and bands. They played with other musicians and singers, and have collaborated together off and on over the decades. My wife Patti loves Aretha Franklin. Aretha was the first to make famous “(You make me feel like) A Natural Woman” written in 1967 by Carole. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960) was recorded by over 18 artists and bands! There are dozens of longer stories of great collaborations and James has dozens as well, collaborating with George Harrison, Paul Simon, David Crosby, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon to name just a few.

Taylor and King are gifted artists, but the truth is they are even better when they work with other musicians. The same is true for your leadership. You have gifts and talents, in fact, you may be a great leader. But you will always be better when you connect and work with others. Partnerships in ministry, both formal and informal, produce great results. Who are you collaborating with? How are you sharpened by others and how do you invest in your colleagues? Don’t miss the opportunity to enhance the health and growth of your church and the Kingdom at large by establishing key ministry partners.

• They practice until it hurts.

There is a difference between working in your ministry and working on your ministry. It goes nearly without saying that you must work in your ministries because that’s how you get things done. Working on your ministries, however, is how you get things better.

A couple friends of mine are professional musicians and they tell me that when they are not on the road, they practice a minimum of 8 hours a day. Practice is defined by working on something you can’t do until you can. Leaders must practice leadership!

King and Taylor practiced till their fingers hurt and they were physically exhausted but that’s part of how they became great, and they still practice! How hard are you practicing leadership? How focused are you on not just doing what you do, but improving what you do? What is the last thing that you couldn’t do, and you worked on it until you could?

• They play it to the heart.

We know that music is art and it’s played to the heart, but what about leadership, is it art or science? It’s both, but mostly art! So how do you play it?

When I coach leaders who struggle, most of them are leaders who over-think and miss the heart. They try to put everything into a strategy or system. That’s important but it misses the big idea that covenant (starting in Genesis 12) is based on relationship! Even the most rookie of leaders know that relationship is far more art than science. It’s important to remember that the strategies and systems that you need are played out with people. Strategies and systems are ultimately relational in nature! When you miss that fact, policies turn into problems!

When Carole and James are in concert together there is considerable business and technology in play. But ultimately when they take the stage it’s all heart. They sing and play from the heart, to the heart. How you do lead? Are you aware of the emotional connection you have with the people you lead? What do you do to increase that heart level of connection?

My thoughts in this article are meant to be long term ideas to help you be your best for the long run! Whether you are 30 something or 50 something, there is much more in store if you stick with your craft, love what you do, collaborate with others, practice till it hurts, and play it to the heart.
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“This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland’s free monthly e-newsletter, “The Pastor’s Coach,” available at www.INJOY.com.”

• Willie Nelson sing “You were always on my mind” or
• Ray Charles sing “Georgia” or
• Eric Clapton sing “Layla”or
• Louis Armstrong sing anything

We hear incredible giftedness. But none of them have the worlds best voices, but they have greatness.

I think we often fail to see that the sum is greater than just having the right parts. There are qualities that are hard to define or measurer that contribute to greatness.

In leadership this may include things like:

• Humility
• A sevant heart
• Trustworthiness
• Genuineness
• Clarity of commitment

May we move beyond the superficial into the true likeness of Christ!

There are two major types of Christian coaching:

• Individual Leadership Coaching (sometimes called executive coaching or life coaching) and
• Organizational Coaching (sometimes referred to as church or revitalization coaching).

Let’s look at each major type separately.

I. Leader, Life or Executive Coaching

This approach is typically done with a coach and an individual. It usually focuses on helping the leader identify his or her strengths and abilities. Within this major type of coaching, there are several distinct approaches. (NOTE: Coaches from this major approach would usually not be the best coaches for organizational or church coaching.)

Non-directive life coaching

In this approach, the coach listens to the client and by the use of listening skills and good questions helps the client think through their issues. You would want this type of coach if you would like help processing issues and questions you are facing. A good example of this approach would be coaches certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) (http://www.coachfederation.org).

Directed life coaching

In this approach, the coach leads the client through a process to help them establish key competencies. You would want this type of coach if you want to establish key life and leadership competencies. A good example of this approach would be Ministry Coaching International and their “Core4” system (http://www.ministrycoaching.org). Like most coaching organizations, Ministry Coaching International has a coach’s certification program.

Examples of Life Coaches:

• Bobby Clinton
• Greg Salciccioli
• Terry Walling
• Steven Covey

II. Organizational or Church Coaching

Now let us consider Organizational or Church Coaching. In this approach a coach works with a church or organizational leadership team, and almost never with only a leader or individual. Organizational coaching focuses on helping the organization identify their weaknesses and design a plan to strengthen them. Within this style of coaching there are also several approaches. Most organizational or church coaching providers offer coaching certification in their approach (NOTE: Coaches from this major approach would usually not be the best coaches for life or executive coaching.)

Church Directive Coaching

In this approach, the coach has a specific point of view and helps the church or organization apply their approach. You may want to consider this type of approach if you just need some system to follow. It is critical if you use this approach, that it match your philosophy of ministry, for it does not encourage you to consider other approaches or alternatives. It is a little bit of a cloning approach. An example of this would be Nelson Searcy Coaching (http://www.churchleaderinsights.com/coaching). Another example of this would likely be the Acts 2 model currently being developed by the AG.

Church Process Coaching

In this approach, the coaches lead the church leadership team through a process to help the church discover their own ministry direction. You may want this approach if you want to discover your church or organization’s unique DNA. In this approach, the coach will guide you through a process sharing with you options that you might consider. Then your team will consider your theology, philosophy and context and identify the approaches you feel would be best to accomplish your full kingdom potential. An example of this would be the Leadership Development Resources (LDR) process (http://www.ldrteam.com/ldr.html). Obviously, as a founding partner of LDR, I think this approach has the most potential for church transformation.

Church Consulting

In this approach, which is closely related to coaching, the consultant does an extensive assessment and then recommends action steps. You may want this approach if you feel you need a specific plan of action that is customized for your church, but are unable to develop it. An example of this approach would be the Society for Church Consulting (http://www.churchconsultation.org/).

Examples of Organizational coaches:

• Lyle Schaller
• Bill Easum
• Gary McIntosh
• John Ewart
• George Bullard
• Mel Ming
• Steve Mills

Recommendations and conclusions:

1. Only use a coaching approach for what it was intended to accomplish.

Do not use a “life coach” for a church or organization. A life coach would not be the best for a church revitalization or development process.

In the same way, you probably do not want to use an “organizational coach” to help you develop life skills.

2. Various groups have their own certification, but the certification is for only their approach.

There is not any one certification for all types of coaching. Each approach has it strengths and weaknesses. The real issue is the coach’s impact on those they coach, not the paper on the wall. Look at their references for proven success.

3. For Church or organizational coaching, be sure they are coaching the leadership team, not just the pastor or leader.

I know of no legitimate church or organizational coaching that works only with the pastor or leader.

Coaching can be a great help to a church or leader. Find a coach that matches your needs.

Mel

Northwest Ministry Network podcasts

The Northwest Ministry Network, which I am a part of, podcasts all our training events. Our vision is to “Strengthening and developing empowered leaders and churches.” The most recent event was Calibrate, a training for church planters and multi-site churches. There are also some excellent messages from our Ministers Retreat. About May 1st we will add 16 more sessions from our Annual Conference workshops, plus all the plenary sessions.

Cornerstone Simi Video podcasts

These are the services from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley California with Francis Chan. If your want to see a great model of simple Bible teaching, check them out. This is one of my favorite to listen to on the road. They are also available as audio only. BY the way,  if you have not read Francis’ books (“Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God” and “Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit”) I highly recommend both.

“Think Missional: Becoming the People God Intended” Book

The Northwest Ministry Leadership Team as part of an AGTS class produced a wonderful book to help churches become more missional. It could be used as a Bible study with boards, ministry leaders or small groups. If you were interested, you can buy a copy for $10.00 from Greg Stern (Director of Operations) Northwest Ministry Network) gregs@northwestministry.com — 35131 SE Douglas Street, Ste. 200, Snoqualmie, WA 98065, Tel 425.888.4800. If your liked it and wanted to use it with groups there are also discount pricing for larger quantities. The book includes ten chapter or studies.

In the New Testament, I think this happened to the Pharisees. They begin to see themselves as better than the other people. It is a danger anyone who achieves some level of success faces.

Of course I think we should all seek to develop ourselves and reach for becoming our full Kingdom potential. This includes being a lifelong learner. But we must be careful we don’t start focusing on our achievements (positions, titles, degrees, status, successes), for this can lead to arrogance, elitism and self centeredness.

Instead be must value others, seek interdependency, and possess real humility. We must see the strengths and abilities in others without devaluing how God has wired us.

Jesus called twelve common normal men to be His disciples and they changed their world. I think great leadership is helping common ordinary people accomplish extraordinary results. That is one reason Jesus is the greatest leader of all time.

This year’s list includes:

• “shovel-ready”
• “transparent/transparency”
• “czar”
• “friend” as a verb
• “teachable moment”
• “in these economic times”
• “stimulus”
• “toxic assets”
• “to big to fail”
• “app”
• Combination of words like “sexting”, “bromance”, and “chiaxin”
• All versions of “tweets”, “tweetaholic”, “retweet” “twitterature” & “twittersphere”

2009’s list included:

• Green
• Bailout
• Icon or iconic
• Game changer
• Not so much
• It’s that time of year

2008’’s list included:

• Perfect storm
• Organic
• Webinar
• Wordsmith
• Surge
• Decimated
• Under the bus

While we may not agree with their lists, we must all be aware that words change and lose their meaning over time. This is one of the reasons why we must occasionally review things we publish to see if they still have clarity or have lost impact or meaning.

It is also why we need to record and listen to ourselves periodically, to see if we are using words that no longer have meaning or clarity. Just because something is technically correct, does not mean it has clarity or impact on the listener.

I look review and refine my personal:

• Mission
• Core Values
• Roles
• My Life Timeline and Major Events journal

I also decide on my spiritual growth plan for the year:

• What version of the Bible will I read?
• What my reading plan is?
• My prayer plan?

I have found this practice to be very helpful to me. It help me keep my focus clear. If you have not done this, why not give it a try this year.

Mel