Table of Contents
Introduction to the New Edition Eric Geiger Kenton Beshore 11
Foreword to the Original Edition John Ortberg 13
Preface to the Expanded and Updated Edition 15
Preface to the Original Edition 19
Part 1 Why Succession Planning Can't Wait
1 Why Every Leader Needs This Book 29
Top Reasons You and Your Ministry Should Start Planning for Succession Right Now
2 The Ten Commandments of Succession Planning 46
Practical Actions Whatever Your Age or Tenure
3 Three Essential Questions 60
What Is Succession Success? What Captures My Passion? How Are My Finances?
4 Ten Models of Post-Pastorate Professions 70
From Seminary Professor to Missions Pastor, Many Strong Options Exist
5 Deciding When It's Time to Leave 83
Finding Space and Permission to Explore the Options
6 Resigning "Young" to Start Another Ministry 94
And Does the Outgoing Pastor Always Need to Leave Town?
7 Four Church Cultures, Four Succession Styles 112
Plus One Cardinal Rule of Pastoral Succession
8 Founder's Syndrome 120
What It Is and Why It Matters
9 Family Successions 130
Five Disaster Formulas to Avoid, and Five Best Practices to Follow
Part 2 Be the Exception
10 Wisdom from Unlikely Sources 143
Transitions That Shouldn't Have Worked but Did
11 What Happened at the Crystal Cathedral and First Baptist Dallas 154
A Close Look at Two Failed Successions
12 The Term Limit Factor 171
What Might Prevent Your Church from a Multi-Generation Run
13 Messy and Unexpected Endings 184
When Succession Follows Adultery, Nasty Church Splits, or Other Challenges
14 Interim Pastors-Some Unintentional, Some Intentional 195
How to Avoid Being the "Sacrifice Pastor"
15 Forced Farewell 206
What to Do If the Pastor Needs to Go but Doesn't
Part 3 Transition Well, Finish Strong
16 Where to Find a Successor 215
Staff, Multisites, Former Interns, and Recommendations from Friends
17 The Money Question 229
What It Really Costs to Finance a Pastoral Succession
18 Preparing for the Next Pastor 246
Setting Up Your Successor's First One Hundred Days for Success
19 Thinking Long Term 258
There Is No Success without Succession
What Our Organizations Can Do for You 265
Acknowledgments 267
Appendix 1 What Millennial Pastors Think about Succession 270
Appendix 2 Frequently Asked Questions about Succession 286
Appendix 3 A Successful Pastorate Doesn't Always Guarantee Good Pastoral Succession 288
Appendix 4 Research for This Book 291
For Further Reading 293
Notes 297