The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions

Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree—experts in the field of church leadership—have written a nuts-and-bolts guide to developing a succession plan for smoothing pastoral transitions. Filled with strategies and solid advice, this handy resource is based in solid research and the authors’ many years of experience working with churches in a wide variety of denominations. Weese and Crabtree clearly show that leadership succession should be part of every church’s planning process.

CAROLYN WEESE is executive director of Multi-Staff Ministries, a consulting group based in Goodyear, Arizona, serving hundreds of churches from many denominations in thirty-six states. She has twenty years experience helping congregations with leadership development, succession planning, and other human relation issues.
 

Part One: The Principles, Cost, and Players in Health-Based Transition.

1. Principles of Transition, Jesus Style.

2. Counting the Cost.

3. The Five Key Players in a Healthy Transition.

Part Two: The Four Church Cultures: Family, Icon, Archival, and Replication.

4. One Church, Four Variations.

5. Transition Strategies for Leaders in a Family Culture.

6. Transition Strategies for Leaders in an Icon Culture.

7. Transition Strategies for Leaders in an Archival Culture.

8. Transition Strategies for Leaders in a Replication Culture.

Part Three: Components of a Transition Plan.

9. Strategic Planning and the Search Process.

10. The Asset-Preserving Ministry.

11. A Capability-and-Maturity Model for Churches.

12. Pastoral Transitions in Low-Performing Churches.

13. A Plan for Responding to the Crisis of Sudden Transitions.

14. Getting Started on a Plan for Your Church.

Appendix: The Church Planning Questionnaire.