Collin Hansen writes about pastoral succession in a church—looking at historical examples and contemporary ones. Here is his conclusion:
Succession isn’t simple. It isn’t smooth. It’s not often successful. Yet it’s a matter of gospel integrity. God doesn’t promise our churches will evermore yield wide influence through a preacher’s exceptional leadership. Surely, however, we can testify to his steadfast love by making more of Jesus Christ than ourselves. And that means planning ahead for generations who will never hear the great preacher’s voice.
If you want to hear from two men who have recently gone through this baton-passing transition, I’d recommend this seminar by Dave Harvey and Jared Mellinger, “Entrust: The Transfer of the Gospel” (MP3).
