Every other article that pops up on social media related to
churches these days seems to reference succession planning in one
way or another. This is likely because at least a quarter of
Protestant pastors in the United States are retiring in the next
five years according to a Barna study conducted in 2022.
See https://www.barna.com/research/pastoral-succession/.
And although succession is a hot topic for churches, we recommend
that all faith-based organizations put an emergency plan and
succession policy in place no matter how close to retirement their
senior leaders might be. We have seen too many situations in which
a senior leader departs unexpectedly, and the organization is not
ready, which causes panic, inefficiency, and an inability to care
for key constituents of the organization. So, if you have not given
much thought to your own succession plan or that of a senior leader
in your organization, what are some of the key items boards and
leaders need to consider?
- What's the emergency plan? If the unexpected happens and
the organization's senior leader is suddenly no longer able to
fulfill his/her duties, who will step in? Who will make key
decisions? Is appropriate funding in place? How will the change be
communicated to the staff, the congregation, the donors and key
contributors? What are the unique complexities that will make this
transition difficult?
- Whose job is it to think about succession? Has a succession
committee been identified? Has a singular person been assigned to
be sure the organization stays on top of this important
topic?
- What do the organization's governing documents say about
succession, if anything? Is there anything in these documents or
the organization's policies that will need to be changed to
allow a smooth transition?
- What is the timeline for a transition? Is it 10 years? 5 years?
Do you have a date or year in mind? What should the organization be
doing as the transition date gets closer?
- What are the current leader's expectations upon retirement?
Is there a retirement plan in place? If not, what has the board
authorized? What does the retiring leader expect in terms of
compensation and celebration?
- How are the organization's various constituents going to
react to the transition of the organization to a new leader? What
do you anticipate? Who will have the most difficulty?
- How do the finances look now? What will they look like in 5
years? 10 years? Do the board and executive leadership team have a
good handle on the organization's financial picture? How might
a significant leadership transition impact the organization's
finances?
- What does the next leader of this organization need to embody
to carry the organization's mission into the future? What
skills are needed? What character traits would be required? How
much experience should a candidate have? Do you have a solid job
description in place? Are there internal candidates? Who will help
you identify potential candidates?
- When the organization hires a new leader, what processes and
practices can you have in place to help his/her transition into the
new role?
Failing to plan is planning to fail, as Benjamin Franklin once said. Don't wait until there is an emergency and you need to make important decisions in a crisis. Reach out and we can help you work through these considerations and the critical business and legal implications of each.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.