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Succession Starts Here

The Bible is the best place to begin your succession planning journey!

While scripture doesn't offer a "How-to" manual on succession, it does provide timeless principles for navigating this season well. We pray the passages highlighted below will help attune your soul to understand how Wisdom is leading you.

Numbers 8:23-26 captures God's instruction to Moses on how to manage an aging Levite workforce. It emphasizes that their transition into a new role was a shift of influence, not an end to their contribution. Unlike modern views of retirement, this shift highlights the expectation and value of continued contribution in a different capacity.

Key Insight: Retirement doesn't signal the end of your being a Pastor. It does, however, signal a shift in how you express your calling.

Numbers 27:12-23 and Deuteronomy 3:23-29 offer parallel insights into the moment God confronted Moses with his need to identify a successor. Despite Moses' frustration with the people of Israel, his desire to serve God ultimately outweighed any desire to protect his personal legacy.

Key Insight: Your leadership creates the opportunity for a lasting legacy. Your transition determines whether that legacy serves as an inspiring example or a cautionary tale.

Numbers 27:12-23 and Deuteronomy 3:23-29 offer parallel insights into the moment God confronted Moses with his need to identify a successor. Despite Moses' frustration with the people of Israel, his desire to serve God ultimately outweighed any desire to protect his personal legacy.

Key Insight: Your leadership creates the opportunity for a lasting legacy. Your transition determines whether that legacy serves as an inspiring example or a cautionary tale.

Pisgah, the mountain where this encounter occurred, marked a profound shift in how Moses understood his identity as Israel's leader. Climbing Pisgah, his primary motivation was to lead Israel into Canaan. Coming down from Pisgah, his primary motivation had shifted to preparing his successor and Israel for the day he would no longer lead them. A careful look at Deuteronomy 3:23-29 reveals this had been something Moses struggled with for quite some time. Even though the process was emotional and, at times, disappointing, Moses' desire to serve God weighed more than his personal agenda.

Key Insight: Succession planning is emotional before it becomes tactical. Focusing exclusively on the organizational components will not give leaders the necessary space to process their shift in identity.

2 Samuel 21:15-18 shows that David had reached the point where his physical ability could no longer sustain his desire to defend Israel on the battlefield. After almost losing his life in battle, David's men told their aging King he would no longer fight on the front lines. They were concerned his diminished energy and strength would lead to his death. His men were willing to tell their leader he had become a liability in battle. Their motivation was respect and admiration, not a desire to get rid of him.

Key Insight: Every leader's physical vitality fades with time. When this happens, it is crucial to recognize what shifts need to occur to ensure continued service and leadership in a different capacity.

2 Samuel 21:15-18 shows that David had reached the point where his physical ability could no longer sustain his desire to defend Israel on the battlefield. After almost losing his life in battle, David's men told their aging King he would no longer fight on the front lines. They were concerned his diminished energy and strength would lead to his death. His men were willing to tell their leader he had become a liability in battle. Their motivation was respect and admiration, not a desire to get rid of him.

Key Insight: Every leader's physical vitality fades with time. When this happens, it is crucial to recognize what shifts need to occur to ensure continued service and leadership in a different capacity.

Unlike Hezekiah, David's passion for the Lord burned bright to the very end. It is not the words of this prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 that make it unique. It is not so different from many other prayers of gratitude and reverence we find throughout scripture. What makes this prayer special is when David offered it. Indeed, prayers offered at the end of one's life carry a sacred weight. 

Key Insight: Being mindful of God's faithfulness in our past inspires confidence and courage to follow Him into our future.

To truly appreciate the significance of what Hezekiah says in 2 Kings 20:16-19, you must read the complete account in 2 Kings 18 – 21:9. Hezekiah's story is an example of zeal and passion diminishing over time. At age 25, he dared to destroy the Bronze Serpent that Moses built some 700+ years prior (2 Kings 18:4) because it had become an idol. He begged God to protect the people from a foreign invader (2 Kings 19:8-37). When confronted with his mortality, Hezekiah again turned to God and asked for healing (2 Kings 20:1-11). His faith was so strong the Bible says, "He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him." (2 Kings 18:5) By the end of his career, however, the struggles of leadership had taken their toll. He was willing to trade Israel's future for 13 years of personal comfort. His zeal was gone.

His son, Manasseh, became King at 12 (2 Kings 21:1), meaning he was born during the time of peace Hezekiah longed for. Manasseh never saw his father in a position of dependence on God. The Bible describes Manasseh as leading Israel back into the practices of idolatry (2 Kings 21:5-6) The first thing Hezekiah did as a 25-year-old king was reversed entirely by his 12-year-old son.

Key Insight: Ministry is hard. As you approach the end of your vocational ministry career, resist the temptation to trade long-term impact for short-term comfort.

To truly appreciate the significance of what Hezekiah says in 2 Kings 20:16-19, you must read the complete account in 2 Kings 18 – 21:9. Hezekiah's story is an example of zeal and passion diminishing over time. At age 25, he dared to destroy the Bronze Serpent that Moses built some 700+ years prior (2 Kings 18:4) because it had become an idol. He begged God to protect the people from a foreign invader (2 Kings 19:8-37). When confronted with his mortality, Hezekiah again turned to God and asked for healing (2 Kings 20:1-11). His faith was so strong the Bible says, "He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him." (2 Kings 18:5) By the end of his career, however, the struggles of leadership had taken their toll. He was willing to trade Israel's future for 13 years of personal comfort. His zeal was gone.

His son, Manasseh, became King at 12 (2 Kings 21:1), meaning he was born during the time of peace Hezekiah longed for. Manasseh never saw his father in a position of dependence on God. The Bible describes Manasseh as leading Israel back into the practices of idolatry (2 Kings 21:5-6) The first thing Hezekiah did as a 25-year-old king was reversed entirely by his 12-year-old son.

Key Insight: Ministry is hard. As you approach the end of your vocational ministry career, resist the temptation to trade long-term impact for short-term comfort.

Solomon's concerns about handing over his leadership in Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 have echoed through the hearts of leaders throughout history. Understandably, people who give their lives to something often lament that someone else will eventually step into their shoes.

Key Insight: Lament is a natural and expected part of the succession process. However, it's not the destination—lament is something to navigate, not a posture to embrace forever.

Read Titus from the perspective of Paul equipping his successor in Crete. Perhaps he feels a sense of urgency because he knows his time on earth is short. Or, Paul is modeling what it means to prioritize the development of younger leaders. Regardless of his motivation, you can sense how important it was to encourage Titus in his leadership. The same could be said of Paul’s relationship with Timothy.

Key Insights: Developing the character and competency of leaders is biblical, smart, and essential for ministry to continue beyond your tenure. 

Read Titus from the perspective of Paul equipping his successor in Crete. Perhaps he feels a sense of urgency because he knows his time on earth is short. Or, Paul is modeling what it means to prioritize the development of younger leaders. Regardless of his motivation, you can sense how important it was to encourage Titus in his leadership. The same could be said of Paul’s relationship with Timothy.

Key Insights: Developing the character and competency of leaders is biblical, smart, and essential for ministry to continue beyond your tenure. 

Peter wrote this letter with the awareness that his time on earth was ending (2 Peter 1:14). He distilled his Wisdom and perspective into 61 verses. A leader with his experience could have easily penned an entire library. Perhaps this is part of the genius of his 2nd letter. Of all the things that could have been said, these are the 61 verses the Spirit led him to write.

Key Insight: The gift of Wisdom and age is the ability to cut through the clutter and point people to what's most important.