When the only pastor an entire generation at a church has known leaves, there's no set model for ensuring a smooth transition, experts say. The right way to do it at one time in a church's history may be wrong at another time. And orchestrating a succession at a mega-church is much different than easing into one in a smaller community.
Examples abound. Three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention Adrian Rogers retired in 2005 from Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis, Tenn., and the church has struggled to rebound. Critics said W.A. Criswell would not or could not let go of First Baptist Church of Dallas after Joel Gregory took over. And First Baptist Church of Atlanta tried unsuccessfully to facilitate a co-pastor for Charles Stanley, who was nearing retirement at the time.
Charles Johnson, who teaches at Atlanta's McAfee School of Theology, also is interim pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville. In his role as a pastor, he followed long-term ministers twice—Hardy Clemmons at Second Baptist in Lubbock and Buckner Fanning at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.
Theology and ecclesiology play roles in how a successor is selected, Johnson said. The Apostle Paul recognized that “if this Jesus movement is going to get beyond the narrow confines of Judaism … then we're going to really have to employ the diversity principle,” he said.
While some megachurches accept new pastors who are groomed by the exiting pastor or who are related to that pastor, many Baptist congregations avoid that route. Historically, Baptists have selected pastors after search committee recommendations and on the basis of congregational acceptance.
In Johnson's opinion, Second Baptist had “a team concept of ministry,” while ministry at Trinity Baptist was “very personality centered.” That made all the difference, he said.
The first test for many megachurches in surviving multiple generations comes when the current pastor resigns.
“There has yet to be a really successful succession in a super church. Most are led by a patriarch-visionary founder or someone who reinvents a vision for a church,” Gregory said in a 1997 interview.
Five years earlier, he had resigned after two years at First Baptist in Dallas. He had taken the pulpit following a beloved pastor who led the prominent congregation for more than 50 years—and later wrote Too Great a Temptation about the obstacles he faced leading from such a position.
Most estimates show mega-churches comprise less than 1 percent of churches in the United States. According to Christian Century, the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found half of megachurch respondents compared their congregation to a “close-knit family” with “extensive use of small-group fellowship.” Megachurch supporters are hedging their bets that these “families” will help the church pull through when the Joel Osteens, Bill Hybelses and Rick Warrens retire.
But whether in churches mega-sized or smaller, the underlying question when a dynamic pastor steps down is how to manage the succession. Some pastors believe in mandatory interim periods. Some think the pastor should stay to mentor the newcomer. Others think the predecessor should get as far away from the church as possible—preferably out of town.
George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, said Wilshire was able to transition well. Bruce McIver had led it for 30 years before Mason arrived. He remained for another 12 years as pastor emeritus.
“Having known my predecessor a little bit and understanding that I was quite young when I was called to the church, I took it as an opportunity rather than a challenge or an obstacle,” Mason said. McIver had “immense wisdom to offer me and could be a mentor to me.”
Winfred Moore, the 30-year leader of First Baptist Church of Amarillo moved away from Amarillo after his retirement—simply to give the church some room. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have returned in recent years and have a good relationship with current pastor Howie Batson.
Mike Clingenpeel, pastor of River Road Church, Baptist, in Richmond, followed James Slaton, who had spent more than 30 years there. At a previous church, Clingenpeel's predecessor had been there 32 years. Needless to say, he's “comfortable” following those with staying power, but he offered a caveat.
“There are horror stories. Sometimes there are predecessors who can't let go, who don't know how to stop being pastor, who have across the years developed the role of being pastor and it is so wrapped into their own identity that they can't establish an identity apart from being a pastor,” Clingenpeel said. “When that happens, to lose one's pastoral role is to lose one's identity. And that is a great threat.”
Therein lies a major factor in the succession: The predecessor must support the replacement with affirmation and ensure ample freedom.
If a former pastor stays within the congregation, he or she loses the right to criticize the new guy, Moore said. Before he left, he told the church, “Now this person is going to want to change some things, and you not only let him; you help him.”
Often, a prescribed interim is healthy when a pastor leaves, some noted.
“I think some really wonderful things happen in the interim of our lives, and that can happen in an institution as well,” Clingenpeel said. “A time of transition allows a congregation to sort of grasp again their identity and their mission.”
Ultimately, people can't just “turn it off and turn it on that fast,” he said.