Losing a crucial member of the congregation is a challenge every church leader eventually faces. It often feels personal because leadership is naturally focused on growth rather than subtraction. In recent years, many ministries have experienced significant shifts, seeing a loss of 40 to 50% of their members due to global crises. For many, this translates into a loss of essential leadership in the church, creating a void that feels impossible to fill.
When a key leader—whether a staff member, teacher, board member, or significant donor—decides to leave, the instinctive reaction is often to do anything to keep them, even if it hinders the ministry’s long-term health. Instead of viewing this subtraction as a failure, leaders should embrace it as a season for God to move in new ways. By understanding the keys to a successful pastoral leadership transition, you can support the departing individual while helping the church progress forward.
1. Celebrate the Person More Than the Position.
God provides the right person for every season in the life of the church. Problems arise when an individual becomes so synonymous with their role that the program seems destined to fail without them. Local leaders have a unique opportunity to shift this perspective by celebrating the person’s contributions more than the position itself. Reviewing examples of successful pastoral transitions can provide a roadmap for navigating these changes with grace and vision.
Throughout Scripture, God has raised leaders from the remnants left behind to lead the church. So why can he not do that today? Instead of fretting over a loss, focus on the person who is leaving the position. When my worship leader left abruptly, I was sad that I could not personally celebrate him, but during the next worship service, the church made a point to thank him publicly for his service. Even if a person leaves a position in a fashion that does not honor the church, thank them for serving. Use it as an opportunity to share with those who remain that God is already calling a new leader.
2. Carefully Select the Next Person.
When an opening occurs in the church, the first thing a leader wants to do is fill the opening. Rushing in and filling the position with anyone without praying, seeking counsel from others, and waiting on God, can cause more pain in the long term than the promise of a position filled today. Leadership is not for everyone, but God has the right person for the season the church is moving into if the leader is willing to wait. Carefully selecting the next person is as important as having the next person in the position. Strategically, the leader must evaluate the critical components needed for the situation, the program’s weaknesses, and who is best suited to bring their strengths to bear. The leader should see the opening as an opportunity to build a stronger team for the future and not a gap in the leadership platform.
3. Create Opportunities to Serve.
Some people sit in the church who want to serve but do not know how or where. For some, they are wondering if they are welcomed to help. If asked, they would serve, but sadly far too many are not invited. Create opportunities for people to help. If you have a greeting team that usually has four people, why not add six and rotate them? If you typically have two teachers per classroom for children, why not add a third? By creating opportunities, you make room for a guest to move from guest to member to helper by connecting them with the church by moving them from chair to activity.
When you create opportunities for people to serve, people naturally step up and serve. When my worship leader left, three people stepped up to help lead singing and play an instrument. That was God preparing for the new season. When my Children’s Director stepped down after a great season of service, another dynamic duo stepped in and reshaped the program. That was God moving in ways I did not see coming. Time and time again, I have seen people want to help, but they have to know where to help.
4. Confidently Project Future-Forward Momentum.
Even if the sky is falling by all the church’s losses, be a Tigger rather than an Eeyore. You remember the Disney Winnie the Pooh characters Tigger and Eeyore. They could not be more opposite as Tigger is more energetic, with Eeyore being downcast. Often, the church turns into Eeyore’s and begins to moan about the losses and not seeing the loss as an opportunity for God to do something new. Be a Tigger who projects confidence in the face of adversity. No one wants to follow a downcast leader, but they will follow a leader who projects a future-forward momentum that shares the concern of the loss but is committed to rebuilding the church one position at a time. Each post in the church is more significant than the person who holds the position. The leader should be forward-looking, forward-focused, and forward-driving as they move on from a loss.
Leadership can be challenging through any loss, but God has a plan for the local church and if the leader is willing to surround to God’s plan, great things will come from the loss. The leader must answer the question; am I willing to trust God’s plan for the local church? If the answer is yes, the churches best days are ahead.