Succession Planning
There are two certainties in life: death and taxes. But there is probably a third. Sooner or later, your church will have to face the issue of succession.
Lately, we have been doing a whole lot of our work with churches on this issue: tailor making a succession plan for them, and doing searches for their future key leaders and staff.
We’ve been humbled to be a part of helping churches through that process, to help them find their next pastor, and are getting more and more confidential inquiries about the subject. We’ve also been using our corporate experience in succession planning, and a whole lot of learning and research to be the best resource we can to churches facing this key issue.
If you’re a church leader considering succession planning, here are a couple of thoughts to help you get going.
1. No one will start the discussion unless you do. It’s a delicate subject, and lots of folks avoid it altogether. Find someone to talk to (or call us if you need someone to talk to).
2. There is no single formula for succession planning. People constantly ask us for the “secret sauce” of succession planning. The secret is: it’s an art, not a science. Every succession plan is contextual. We’ve identified about 7 or 8 key variables that factor into the equation, but even with those variables, the equation is a bit different for everyone involved.
3. Get objective counsel. The old line is true: “Everyone wants to talk about succession planning unless it’s their own.” While your participation and input is absolutely essential to a seamless succession, it is our experience that nobody is able to address this issue alone. The issue of succession is a serious operation, one that no surgeon would perform on themselves.
4. Get an emergency plan in place. What would happen to your church if a key staff member quit, died, got sick? While long term planning isn’t for everyone, emergency planning is. Walking through a professional process for emergency planning is relatively inexpensive, and worth it. It may even save you money on your next church loan or key man insurance premium.
If our firm can help you with any of these questions or issues, contact William directly at william@vanderbloemensearch.com.
