Leaving and Cleaving. This is the title for the second chapter; part 2 of renewing the relationships of trust and commitment of the church. The Author emphasizes the need to leave a former leader and cleave to the new leader. He equates it to the relationship of a man and woman in Gen. 2:24. It is a same parallel which Paul makes when referring to the leadership in the church. A dysfunctional relationship can evolve if the congregation can not commit to a new leadership; whether from hurt, fear, or an unhealthy loyalty toward previous leadership.
As we move forward, notice the importance of closure; that the first step in a successful leadership transition is the development of an effective strategy for dealing with the past. The author of "Confirming the Pastoral Call, Joseph Umidi, defines 3 main steps a church can make to ensure a healthy transition into new leadership: 1) a successful Exit interview, 2) Strategic Prayer, and 3) Communication. It is noted that 20% of the respondents in his research said the biggest problems they faced in transitioning to their new positions were the unresolved issues some of the congregation had with the former pastor. Just as in any relationship, the hurts or successes we've had in the past will reflect on our commitments we make.
The exit interview helps us to memorialize our successes and learn from the experience and make necessary course corrections before a new leader is brought into the church. The exit interview begins and ends with praise and prayer. It is suggested that it be done by the leadership, even with suggested questions which could be asked. It is also recommended that sometime afterward the congregation gets to have closure and say goodbye during a ceremony and a "laying on of hands", or commissioning prayer and blessing between the church and the pastor. This transition ceremony and prayer is strongly suggested, even warning that minimilizing it will hamper a healthy leadership transition.
Pray through the transition. Jesus emphasized (to say the least) that his house should be a "house of prayer." Paul says, "pray without ceasing" and in describing the church Paul urges "men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hand." And James reminds us that "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly... and it did not rain on earth for 3 years and 6 months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." The author highlights his research that shows 80% of seminary alumni and pastors cited a lack of effective prayer strategies in the transition process, both for churches and the leaders. Prayer is our responsibility. Pray for Hinson to be fruitful even during this transition.
Let prayer be our ministry. The author notes how prayer can partnership.
"In addition to your in-house efforts, do not hesitate to ask for prayer from sister churches in your city or area. It is in the interest of every other evangelical church in your community that your church should prosper by choosing the right leadership. Of course, if you expect them to pray, you must communicate updates on a regular basis. Remember, prayer is the real work; ministry is the reward or privilege that results."
He also offers this advice from experience that there are certain issues that affect the volatility during transitions:
The last point is to communicate. The congregation needs to be aware of what process is happening. The author notes that, "too many churches compound the sin of prayerlessness with the sin of under-communication." He reminds us that when a church is in transition, everyone is in transition. Making everyone feel as part of the search process is as important as adequate closure and a proper send-off for the departing pastor.
I think, as members of the church, we have a responsibility to communicate as well. Communication, in its essence, is both ways. We have a responsibilty to participate. It is easy, and too often real, to ignore our responsibilty and say, "no one ever communicated with me." We need to communicate with our leadership, elders and staff. We can read the updates. We can send them notes of encouragement. We can ask questions to stay informed. And, very importantly, we can guard against rumors and negative talk.
The author uses the metaphor of runners passing the baton as an illustration of how important it is to have care during a transition. I am reminded of the Americans during the Olympics in 2008, in China. The 4X100 consisted of an enormous amount of talent. Though they were professional in their ability to run the race, their moment of working together and care in passing the baton showed a real lack of preparation. They dropped the baton and were disqualified. Now is Hinson's time of preparation. We are preparing ourselves to "leave and cleave" through prayer, godly communication and faithfulness to God's guidance. We are poised to pass the baton.
As we move forward, notice the importance of closure; that the first step in a successful leadership transition is the development of an effective strategy for dealing with the past. The author of "Confirming the Pastoral Call, Joseph Umidi, defines 3 main steps a church can make to ensure a healthy transition into new leadership: 1) a successful Exit interview, 2) Strategic Prayer, and 3) Communication. It is noted that 20% of the respondents in his research said the biggest problems they faced in transitioning to their new positions were the unresolved issues some of the congregation had with the former pastor. Just as in any relationship, the hurts or successes we've had in the past will reflect on our commitments we make.
The exit interview helps us to memorialize our successes and learn from the experience and make necessary course corrections before a new leader is brought into the church. The exit interview begins and ends with praise and prayer. It is suggested that it be done by the leadership, even with suggested questions which could be asked. It is also recommended that sometime afterward the congregation gets to have closure and say goodbye during a ceremony and a "laying on of hands", or commissioning prayer and blessing between the church and the pastor. This transition ceremony and prayer is strongly suggested, even warning that minimilizing it will hamper a healthy leadership transition.
Pray through the transition. Jesus emphasized (to say the least) that his house should be a "house of prayer." Paul says, "pray without ceasing" and in describing the church Paul urges "men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hand." And James reminds us that "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly... and it did not rain on earth for 3 years and 6 months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." The author highlights his research that shows 80% of seminary alumni and pastors cited a lack of effective prayer strategies in the transition process, both for churches and the leaders. Prayer is our responsibility. Pray for Hinson to be fruitful even during this transition.
Let prayer be our ministry. The author notes how prayer can partnership.
"In addition to your in-house efforts, do not hesitate to ask for prayer from sister churches in your city or area. It is in the interest of every other evangelical church in your community that your church should prosper by choosing the right leadership. Of course, if you expect them to pray, you must communicate updates on a regular basis. Remember, prayer is the real work; ministry is the reward or privilege that results."
He also offers this advice from experience that there are certain issues that affect the volatility during transitions:
- Church Polity issues: Independent churches with authoritarian leadership has the most risk of friction when integrating new staff or replacing prominent leaders.
- Church Age issue: Older, established churches often let history haunt the new leader with expectations and comparisons.
- Founding Pastor Dynamics issue: new pastors who follow a founding pastor usually serve as temporary transitions.
- Spiritual Condition issues: When a pastor resigns due to break down or personal discouragement, or retires, he often leave behind a church that has become weak, defeated and introspective.
- Building Program and Debt issues: debt may seriously complicate the transition process by undermining the congregation's confidence and trust in leadership.
- Proximity of the Predecessor issues: If the departing pastor is still nearby, loyal parishioners may have difficulty leaving and cleaving to a new leader, especially if the style is different.
The last point is to communicate. The congregation needs to be aware of what process is happening. The author notes that, "too many churches compound the sin of prayerlessness with the sin of under-communication." He reminds us that when a church is in transition, everyone is in transition. Making everyone feel as part of the search process is as important as adequate closure and a proper send-off for the departing pastor.
I think, as members of the church, we have a responsibility to communicate as well. Communication, in its essence, is both ways. We have a responsibilty to participate. It is easy, and too often real, to ignore our responsibilty and say, "no one ever communicated with me." We need to communicate with our leadership, elders and staff. We can read the updates. We can send them notes of encouragement. We can ask questions to stay informed. And, very importantly, we can guard against rumors and negative talk.
The author uses the metaphor of runners passing the baton as an illustration of how important it is to have care during a transition. I am reminded of the Americans during the Olympics in 2008, in China. The 4X100 consisted of an enormous amount of talent. Though they were professional in their ability to run the race, their moment of working together and care in passing the baton showed a real lack of preparation. They dropped the baton and were disqualified. Now is Hinson's time of preparation. We are preparing ourselves to "leave and cleave" through prayer, godly communication and faithfulness to God's guidance. We are poised to pass the baton.
Comments
Post a Comment