Church leaders often express concern that a pastoral transition will disrupt ministry continuity. There is a legitimate concern that in the wake of a pastoral change, giving will decrease, volunteerism will slow down, and staff will leave. In an attempt to minimize the potential negative impact, leaders seek ways to prepare both the people and the organization for an eventual leadership change.

Consider this metaphor. In California, engineers build structural foundations in anticipation for when— not if—an earthquake takes place. The design of the foundation is a significant factor as to whether or not the structure will endure. Think of the Protecting Organizational Continuity conversation as your opportunity to inspect your ministry’s organizational foundation. Is it designed in such a way that it will minimize the tremors associated with leadership transition?

This coaching resource guides your team to evaluate three foundational areas of your ministry:

• Understanding the ministry’s history
• Assessing current realities
• Clarifying the ministry’s overall direction

Having an honest and open dialogue related to these areas will expose areas of organizational strength and weakness. As a result of these assessment tools, ministry leaders will have a better understanding of what is needed to minimize disruption during transition.

This conversation will also provide significant insight into the type of person needed to lead the ministry into the future.