The scripture and contemporary history show that no leader is indispensable to God’s plan. God raised up leaders to bring change and do great work for Him and He has no problem in changing them once their work is done. In fact, if a leader messes up, God has a backup. No leader can hold God to ransom (Joshua 1:1).
When it comes to God’s plan and purpose in the world, every leader is expendable. However, the church national or local, have not found leadership change very easy. There had always been crisis, chaos and commotion whenever leadership change should take place. In reality, church leaders hate to change and be changed. Even when they are no longer relevant and effective, they still want to hold on till they die in their position. I know of many churches that could have been healthy, growing and making major impact for God, but leadership change has incapacitated them.
A. LEADERSHIP CHANGE, WHAT IS IT? Num. 27:15-22; I Sam. 18:7-9; I King 1:32-40; Acts 13:2, 50; 8:26-30.
It is when a leader has come to the end of his term and a new one need to take over; it is changing the pastor of a local church; it is removing leaders that are no longer effective; it is choosing and installing a successor and it is replacing set of leaders that can no longer lead the church with integrity. influence and passion.
- No leader can lead forever. Change will change you.
- There comes a time you are no longer effective
- There comes a time your best will never be enough
- There comes a time people will reject you
- There comes a time, the work has outgrown you
- God can move you to another area of ministry
- Another younger person can do a better job of leading
Leadership change will always be needed time again and again if local and national churches are to move to higher dimension of impact. The change of leadership can spell doom or promotion for any church.
B. SMOOTH OR CRISIS RIDDEN SUCCESSION?
In the corporate world, leadership change are done pretty easily, but in the church it is not always so. Leaders sit tight and refuse to go and even go to court if they are removed! Pastors break away and start their own ‘church’ if they are transferred, disciplined or removed for one reason or the other. Why is this so?
- Secular mindset of leading.
- Ulterior motives for gain.
- Inability to accept the reality of change.
- Selfish interests than kingdom interest.
- Carnality, tribalism and worldly tactics.
- Loss of touch with the mind and heart of God.
- Lack of faith in God and trust.
- Being emotionally attached to the work.
- Seeing the work as a personal estate and empire.
- Messiahnic tendencies and prejudice.
- Jealousy and hatred for incoming successoг.
- Refusal to handover and preferring to lead the work down.
Crisis-ridden leadership change have always lead to downward spiral, loss of good people and stagnation for any church. When change is done with malice, jealousy, carnality and worldly tactics, the church cannot but become lame-duck. When leadership change is resisted, fought, renounced and refused, the church will find it hard to recover from the after effect.
C. EVERY CHURCH RISES OR FALLS BASED ON HER LEADERSHIP-Isaiah 9:16
The edge a local church has on another one is her quality of her leadership.
- Leadership will always determine the level of churches.
- No church can become better than her leaders.
- The revival or retrogression of a church rests on her leaders.
- If the right people are leading the church, then she will grow
- If the wrong people are in charge, then she will go down.
Leadership is always crucial to the health and vitality of churches. In fact, God will not do anything in the absence of leaders and leadership. So, when a church is not pulling her weight and making impact, leadership must be changed.
Recommended Reading
Secular And Spiritual Leadership In Ministry
Top Ten Lessons from the Life of Abraham
Nagging: What To Do About It
D. WRONG AND RIGHT WAYS TO CHANGE CHURCH LEADERS
1. Wrong ways to change church leaders:
- Church politics and tribalism
- Envy, jealousy and vengeance
- Fear and insecurity of potentials
- Gossip and character assassination
- Usurpation of power by committees and trustees
- Injustices in transfer and promotion
These carnal and ungodly ways of changing church leaders have brought great curses, retardation and backwardness to otherwise growing churches. Pastors can stay in church as long as possible once they are doing good jobs. They should not be changed whimsically.
2. Right Reasons to change church leaders
- Prayer and Spirit’s direction
- Inability to lead the church further
- Scandals and bad image factors
- Health, capacity and constitutional constraints
- Growth and spiritual health constraints
- Proper information and communication
- Proper preparation of successor
- Proper handover with maturity
Changes in church leadership should not necessarily be problematic. It should be done with maturity and concern for the kingdom of God. Changes in church leadership is always needed and mandatory to continuous progress, effectiveness and relevance.