We Are Already Talking About Succession

It was our first week in the office together, and Dave Dummitt and I were already talking about what succession might look like at Willow Creek. We both acknowledged we are in temporary roles. Hopefully if our health stays intact and we don’t step out in front of the proverbial bus, it will be 15-20 years before the next transition. But however long it is — it will eventually happen.

William Vanderbloemen, in Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, starts the book with these six words:

“Every pastor is an interim pastor.”

So true. Not only for churches but also for business.

I read an article this week in Inc Magazine about the recent leadership transition at United Airlines. The author, Bill Murphy Jr., was praising the way Oscar Munoz selected and announced his replacement, and then had a slow hand-off over the past year.

Murphy wrote,

“Smart business leaders face tough choices every day, but one brutal truth can be almost debilitating. Someday, if you're lucky, somebody else will be running your business. With surprising frequency, however, transitions come up with no clear plan in place.”

He also acknowledges not every business is so forward thinking, citing organizations like Amazon (Jeff Bezos) and Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffet) which don’t seem to have any succession plan in place.

Murphy summarized his article by writing,

“If you're leading a business, think about succession. Face the fact that none of us will live forever.”

He’s right. And it’s even more important in the church as so much more is at stake.

Exactly one year ago, I wrote an article on LeadingSmart.com called “Seven Signs it Might Be Time to Start Talking About Succession.” After outlining the seven signs, I offered the following conclusion:

“Here is the real answer: You should begin the succession conversation the day your new pastor arrives at your church.”

So you should know, at Willow, we’ve already started the conversation.