The Pastor’s Helper

By Dr. Larry Lamb

There is a classic book for parents dealing with first time pregnancies called, “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. The book is like a safety net of information for those who are experiencing the miracle of birth. It is the kind of book that attempts to extract levels of mystery for those expecting a child with the straightforward theme of “here’s what’s going to happen over the next nine months and beyond.”

Whether it’s the birth of a baby or the birth of any new transition most people would like to know what to expect down the road when a change in life begins to unfold. Ministry transitions are no different and for that reason knowing what to do next becomes premium information.

If there was a book or a middle of the night infomercial on “What To Expect When You Face A Ministry Transition” I would buy it and pay for next day shipping because I want to know what to expect next. I would be like the goofy couple in the movie Napoleon Dynamite who were getting the sales pitch from Uncle Rico over the miracle of Tupperware when the woman said, “I want that”!

Maybe there should be a discussion in seminary about ministry transitions. After all it happens a lot in church life. But how many young theologians would pay attention to that type of a discussion since transitions don’t seem that relevant until you are praying and searching for that next ministry assignment.

Here’s a short list of why transitions occur.

1. You honestly out-grew your ministry and it became time to broaden and deepen your experience.
The key word in that last sentence is honestly. It has nothing to do with being bored, being lazy, or a wishing for a different climate in your current ministry. Typically, this ministry transition is sensed by those with discernment even before you sense it. Caution: If you are in a staff position and for some reason you believe you have outgrown the pastor’s leadership then it may be only a matter of time before you choose which size of U-Haul truck you will be renting for your impending move. (Tip: Pack your heavy items toward the front). Seriously, you may have outgrown the leadership, however, that is very uncommon, and how you handle that is very important. Serve well, serve loyally and give your whole heart to the ministry or resign.

2. Someone at the top of the decision making ladder believed that you did not possess the required skills to help the organization reach new growth levels.
This also includes a church board decision where they conclude that your time at the church has run its full course. In other words, you were fired or you got bulldozed out the back door. A polite expression of what really happened may include the “resign or be terminated” format as well. Right or wrong in your estimation, the decision was made and you and your family will be making an entrance into a new phase of life. If this happens to you then please give strict adherence to rule number one which is leave with dignity and integrity. You may be steamed over the decision, but hashing out your forced departure with the church family or staff will not help anything, including you. Besides, when you interview for a new position count on that person tasked with hiring to call your former employer.

3. A moral, ethical, or doctrinal implosion.
The collateral damage from these reckless decisions cause deep wounding and require skillful emotional surgeons to help in restoration. God forgives, heals, and can restore hurting souls to new positions of impact and influence. Anyone with a grieving spirit of brokenness and humility can find their way back to wholeness in the arms of a loving God. Anyone. No one will be turned away.

4. You were led by the Spirit of God to move on
It’s that simple. You’re done with your current ministry position because of a new opportunity that seems like a better fit. Maybe you decided to join a team that complimented your philosophy of ministry. The church you left was not wrong and neither were you, but it just came time to do what will benefit the Kingdom of God for all involved. Even Saul and Barnabas could not mesh a ministry team together.

5. Finances dictate the transition.
If the church has to make some serious financial cuts then no one should be dazed by the news that positions get eliminated. I’m writing these words from a personal experience. Our church came to the financial fork in the road in mid 2008 where it could not afford two full-time pastors. I stepped aside as Co-pastor with one of my dearest friends on earth. There were no hard feelings, no vicious attacks, and no fist fights spilling out into the lobby of the church. Raw numbers told the story. It’s not how I would have written the end of the script, but that’s how it played out. The relationships at my former church are still intact and I am very thankful for that. That means less baggage to haul around to the next place of service.

In fact, what is done between ministry assignments can be an excellent time of preparation for what God has next IF you’re in the right frame of mind. When you leave a church it may resemble the trapeze act under the big tent. You leave a ministry which is equivalent to letting go of the trapeze and now you find yourself sailing toward the next one. Only God knows how long it will take before you grab hold of the next bar for a smooth transition to your new assignment.

What do you do when you have let go of the last ministry trapeze and you’re waiting for the next one to swing your way? Chances are you might go into a ministerial holding pattern for several months or longer until God matches your profile with another church. While this will not be everyone’s experience here are at least four things to expect when you face a ministry transition.

Emotional fluctuation
Swings of emotion will be predicated on the reason behind your transition. Fluctuating emotions may include doubt, anger, and lack of forgiveness. The hope is to rest on the promises of God’s timing. Allow someone who possesses depth in life the freedom to hear you out and give a candid assessment of your current emotional design. You don’t want to join a new staff with an angry, bitter, or unforgiving spirit and camouflage your true feelings throughout the interview process. Toxicity levels in the heart are not always obvious, but just give it enough time and there will be a spill. The clean up is costly and time consuming for everyone involved. Through your emotions, trust God, be real, and talk with those who know and love you the most.

Search fatigue
Here’s some good news: there are websites for churches looking for staff and for you if you’re looking for a new position. There is great potential in these sites. Some of these companies will even polish up your resume and stick it on page one for a price. The common practice for anyone looking for a new church is to search these websites on a daily basis hoping to find a match. It’s like the E-Harmony version for ministry. Anxiety can run high.

If you are in the transition phase, you have sent the required items requested by a church only to get a letter six weeks later stating that you didn’t make the cut. Don’t take it personally. Your profile just didn’t make a splash into the second round. Because websites seek to match churches with staff, a church with 200 people can receive up to 500 resumes. The church doesn’t know you and you don’t know the church. The result over time can lead to advanced stages of search fatigue and related discouragement. Nothing beats the approach where a friend opens the door of opportunity on your behalf and thrust you to the front of the line with their solid word of recommendation. So keep your networking alive. Make at least one phone call a day! Everyday!

Delays with a purpose
We can bemoan the fact that we are waiting on God’s next place of service or see God’s delay as an exercise in the development of new growth for a new place of service. All through the Bible God allowed delays in the lives of His servants in order to build a distinctive quality for their new assignment. What character quality is God building in you that never would have materialized if the transition had not occurred? Is it a clearer vision, deeper love for people, a new tenderness, humility, a purging of some lurking sin, or a complete scrubbing of ministry motives? Perhaps it was by God’s design to bring you to this place of transition so that a deeper work will take place in you and the result will be a deeper work through you.

God to keep His promises
Ministry transitions are an excellent time to see God unfold His plans and do the unexpected. God doesn’t wear a watch so winding up an egg timer on Him to come through on your terms will probably prove to be futile. God has a unique curriculum to prepare His servants for the battles that lie ahead in life. It’s called patience. Waiting on God develops our patience and waiting is never a waste of time. The Bible is full of people who had to wait on God, so we should not expect a free pass. Being patient (still) in your spirit before God when everything in you screams for an answer now is a step in His direction. At this very second God is lining up circumstances and people on your behalf to position you strategically in a place where you can make the most damage against the kingdom of darkness. I find it comforting to know that whenever I wait on God He waits with me. I don’t have a picture of God dropping me off in a vacant field of isolation and confusion while I wait for what He has next. Instead, I have developed a picture of my Lord comforting me with His presence, speaking to me through the pages of Scripture, and offering me His shoulder to lean on when the transition seems to be taking longer than I had expected. I am not waiting alone and neither are you. That’s a promise. It’s true because we have His Word on it.

“This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland’s free monthly e-newsletter, “The Pastor’s Coach,” available at www.INJOY.com.”