How to Replace a Ministry Leader

While not abandoning our playbook of standard running plays for third down and short, or fourth and inches, in this series, we are focusing on going long. We are discussing the nuances and implications of thinking long-term, considering trading in the foreboding of the unknown for a rock-solid plan for the future. That plan to assist our church in preparing for the future needs to include an intentional effort to raise up new leaders who will navigate the shifting culture and growing needs of tomorrow. It should also include following the five-step process described in the previous video on how to initiate the plan to replace yourself.

You can be confident of God’s plan for you. Jeremiah 29:11 encourages us, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans not to harm you, but to give you a hope and a future.”

The same way He guided you to your previous mission is the same way that you can expect His direction in helping you minister in your new role at a different church.

When you are replacing a seasoned predecessor, the transition to your new role will be accompanied by at least some sense of certain daunting intangibles. Examples include: spiritual pressure or the weight of learning the dynamics of a new internal culture. You may be feeling the attack of the enemy, as well as the battle of insecurity that comes when replacing leaders. We want to help!

In this video:

We share four principles that will help you be better prepared in replacing another leader. Take time to remember how God led you previously when you had to step into someone else’s shoes. He will not leave you hanging this time around, either. It always helps to arm yourself with some proven knowledge as you transition to a new role in a new place and time.