The Art of Succession: Part One

I’ve been inspired by the Holy Spirit lately to become a better leader.  Isn’t it great, first of all, that I can say “inspired to become” over “convicted that I’m not?”  I love what Bill Johnson posted on his twitter account a few months ago:

“In a culture of honor, we celebrate who people are without tripping over who they are not.”

I think this is true of the Holy Spirit, too.  I think more often than not, what we experience as “conviction” is really the Holy Spirit attempting to “inspire” us into something, but we’ve learned so much negative language in a church ill-informed of the nature of God that we receive his Word as an indictment of our wrongdoing rather than a challenge to live in a higher truth.

That mini-soapbox moment aside, I’ve been praying about how to become a better leader.  A few days ago, I was led to a study by the Barna Group that astounded me.  The study shows that the median age of pastors is INCREASING.  This means a few things: first of all, it means that not as many new pastors are entering into vocational ministry.  Secondly, and possibly even more disturbing, it means that aging pastors are either not retiring or not making plans to retire.

First, let’s establish what I’m NOT saying.  I’m NOT saying that aging pastors are disqualified from ministry.  On the contrary, Reverend T.C. Dorsey laid his hands on my head when I was four years old and in his thunderous voice proclaimed “Son, the Lord has set you apart for his work.  Follow him all the days of your life.”  I remember thinking that Pastor Dorsey must have had God’s phone number hidden in his pocket, and identify that memory as one of my first inklings that I had a calling for vocational ministry.  He was in his 70s at the time.  Please hear my heart when I say that I think experienced, older men and women of God have a vital place in the Church.  I also think that the largest part of that place is in preparing the next generation for the work of ministry.

Here’s what I AM saying.  I’m saying that the lack of succession in this generation of ministers and church leaders is both astounding and disheartening.  For instance, I have heard an area pastor proudly declare: “I’ll stand in the pulpit (as the senior pastor) of this church until the day I die!”  His congregation erupted in thunderous applause, but I couldn’t help feeling a little ill.  What a sad statement.  What he was really saying was “I will fail to empower my successor until the day I die (and leave you frantically searching for him in the process).”

Succession is the name of the game.  Not replacement.  Not even assistant.  Successor.  Heir.  Son.

Look, for instance, at the greatest leader in the bible: Jesus.  I’ve spent a lot of time in the gospels late, mainly in the book of Luke, and it seems to me that Jesus spent 25% of his time declaring “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” in Judea, and about 75% of his time teaching his disciples to declare “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” across the known world.  Probably one of the most provocative statements of the bible is John 14:12, in which Jesus declared to his disciples that they would do greater things than he.

This is significant not because of what Jesus actually did, but because of what he COULD do.  He was the incarnate Son of God, and yet, he empowered his disciples, his sons in the faith to do MORE than him.  Can you comprehend that?  Can you wrap your mind around it?  He established his work as a floor for his disciples to build on.  Can you think of anything more humbling for a leader than to make those he leads more important than himself?  Jesus the leader gave ULTIMATE empowerment to his followers in a way that few men and women have the audacity or courage to: he set them up to achieve greater success than he.  Let’s be honest: the disciples healed more people, converted more people, and performed more miracles than Jesus.  I’d say that’s a pretty high success rate.

The ultimate truth of this example is that Jesus the leader humbled himself into allowing his ceiling to become the floor of his disciples.  He had the capability to spread the gospel himself, but he chose to use twelve men to alter the face of the known world in ways that shape culture over whole millenniums!  What a legacy!  This is our example as leaders.

Obviously, all this is easier said than done.  That’s not to say it’s impossible, just difficult.  Remember: if Jesus did it, then it is our inheritance to do it and then some.

Next week, I’ll bring some practical strategies and habits you can initiate for pioneering a culture of succession in your ministry.

Related posts:

1. Theology Of Music, Part One
2. Worship That Transforms; Part One