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What's Next for Zachery Tims' Church?

August 24, 2011

The questions surrounding the death of pastor of New Destiny Christian Center Zachery Tims—and the lack of leadership transition plans within the church—will certainly make finding a successor to the 42-year-old “extraordinarily difficult.” That’s the comment by church leadership consultant Phil Cooke when asked how the Apopka church of 7,500 members might respond in the coming weeks. Cooke said many churches and ministries fail when “congregations or donors were fixated on a single person,” and it would take a “very committed congregation and wise leadership to weather this particular situation.”

Tims founded the church in 1996 and, according to the Orlando Sentinel, did not seem to have a succession program in place and probably didn’t ever think it would need one. Kevin Dougherty, a sociologist at Baylor University, told the Orlando Sentinel that a similar difficulty will come upon many of the megachurches in the U.S. that are founded by a strong personality—they have no systems or transition plan in place in the event of the removal of that dynamic founding leader.

Tims was found dead at the W Hotel in New York City on August 12. The autopsy report was inconclusive, and toxicology reports are pending. After formal memorial services and a viewing this past weekend, thousands mourned the Florida pastor at a Sunday service led by pastor and evangelist Paula White, who challenged the church to respond well as the world watched.

What’s next for your church? What plans are in place to keep your church healthy and moving forward should the lead pastor be removed for some reason? Add your advice and comments below.