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How Pastors Accidentally Ruin Their Church

Most pastors really love their church. They understand their calling as undershepherds tasked with guarding the bride of Christ.

Caring for the thing that Jesus died for is a heavy responsibility. Pastors will endure stress and criticism, they will work long hours, and they will sacrifice to protect the church.

Yet, I’ve seen these same men inadvertently bring their church to the brink of ruin.

They are good preachers, caring counselors and men of prayer, yet their church suffered.

These pastors followed the play book, but their church nearly closed the doors.

It wasn’t on purpose. They never meant any harm to come. But they sat and watched as the church they loved crumbled.

The weakness was not in how they served the church but how they left the church.

It is as inevitable as death and housing allowances; all senior pastors will eventually move on. No one preaches forever. They will either retire or expire or go to a church where people are nicer.

Every church must face this dreaded transition.

But most pastors don’t really think much about that day. They are too busy preaching and leading and serving. It’s not something a normal pastor wants to think about.

It’s scary and sad. But planning for a healthy transition is something that any good leader must do.

I am amazed at how many pastors don’t think that the process of pastoral transition is their job. They run a great race all the way up to the last lap, and then just drop the baton in the dirt and walk away.

The church is left with a huge void in leadership. The new guy has the near impossible task of guiding them through the change.

We’ve all seen it happen.

The old guy leaves, the new guy comes and then everything falls apart.

Usually, the blame lands on the new guy.

He’s just too different. He’s not as good as the old guy. He does things wrong.

He’s the reason people are leaving and giving is down.

There is even a name for the replacement pastor—“sacrificial lamb.”