I Got Next
Ten Essential Lessons for an Effective Pastoral Transition
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The call to pastor God’s Church comes with a blessing and a burden. The blessing is that God has entrusted the pastor to lead His people. The burden comes when the pastor is responsible for transitioning the church and leading the congregation through God’s agenda. Each pastoral call comes with various transitional challenges. Upon being called to a church, there are numerous settings new pastors may encounter:
• A new church plant.
• The previous pastor had moral failures and resigned from the church.
• The previous pastor was not a good fit for the church, so the church voted him or her out of the church.
• The church is familiar with voting in a new pastor every three to five years.
• The church has endured a church-split and is experiencing mounds of turmoil.
• The church loved the previous pastor but God changed his assignment.
• The previous pastor was great but died while serving the church.
• Finally, the previous pastor served exceptionally well for over 20 years and the church is grieving the loss of a great man or woman of God.
With each context, there are various challenges new pastors will face when attempting to transition any church. Transitioning is never a "cake walk." It can be chaotic, frustrating, confusing, and complicated. It’s necessary, but many do not enjoy the conflict and change that comes with newness. Pastoral transition brings a combination of emotions, including excitement and anxiety. The new pastor will be excited about the change, but filled with anxiety about the uncertainties that comes with the change. A healthy pastoral transition is one that enables a church to move forward into the next phase of its external and internal development with a new leader appropriate to those developmental tasks and with a minimum of spiritual programmatic, material, and people losses during the transition.' Pastoral transition is a difficult process. No matter which context a new pastor is leading, it is never an easy endeavor.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
When a pastor has served at one church for a long time, they are considered “legends.” They are held in high regard for having conducted marriage ceremonies, presided over funerals, and led congregants through their most difficult moments.
But when a new pastor is called to serve, they are often met with skepticism or unfair expectations. Many times, they find congregants who are unwilling to be challenged or change.
The Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Allen draws on questionnaires of African American Baptist congregations and interviews with ten pastors called to lead churches in this guide for new pastor’s intent on making a difference. Learn how to:
• navigate the transition process in a smooth fashion;
• energize and encourage congregations to move to the next level;
• help the church regain confidence and overcome the challenges of transition;
• lead congregants in mourning a former leader who has died or been called to serve elsewhere.
Each pastoral call comes with various transitional challenges, and it’s important to be ready for whatever is ahead. Get guidance to inspire others and achieve success with the lessons in I Got Next.
About the Author
The Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Allen is the pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Madison, WI. He was licensed to preach in July 1997, ordained in the Baptist church July 2005, and has been pastoring since January 2011. He served honorably in the United States Army for over ten years and completed three combat tours before becoming the leader he is today. He has a tremendous desire for God’s word coupled with a love for God’s people. His contagious spirit of generosity flows through every facet of his ministry. He is passionate about leading God’s people and serving God faithfully.