Emerging leaders or “next-generation” leaders (those who are not in a senior or lead role, such as executive pastors, associate pastors, co-pastors, pastoral interns/apprentices, etc.), can be impatient. Because we are younger than those we follow and might be in line to succeed, we tend to “jump the gun”. The current generation of leaders often can be (or feel) pressured to transition and step aside, or else be charged with holding back the church and God’s work in their community.
We live in a culture of instant millionaires and raging overnight successes. But church culture should not “scratch that itch.” For example, Westminster Abbey in London was pastored by 3 men for close to 100 years. Today, the mentality is for a transition to occur every 10, 15, or 20 years. These “rapid” transitions may be good and necessary and God-directed, but speaking generally I think the concept of a longterm pastorate of 20+ years is now frowned upon. Perhaps it is because we’re more concerned with (attracted to?) short-term results than we are with long-term health. Of course, this is not always the case.
Consider David, anointed by the prophet Samuel to succeed Saul as King of Israel:
1) It was many years in the making!
David was anointed to be king at a young age (1 Samuel 16:12-13), but did not become king until he was thirty (2 Samuel 5:4). Time and ministry move slower than you think. Slowness in seeing change or fruit is not always due to our doing the wrong thing or our doing nothing or the senior leader holding on too long or the upcoming leader being ignored. God's ways and timing are different than ours. We need to sync our clocks, schedules and calendars with His.
2) It took God’s orchestration of events
In 1 Samuel 24:4, we read of an opportunity David had to strike and kill Saul. David was being motivated by his men to do this on the basis that God had promised not only to give the kingdom to David but also to give Saul into his hand. However, David understood that God would give Him the kingdom and therefore would remove Saul, but not by David’s hand. In other words, all that God was going to do for David would not come through David accomplishing it himself. Emerging leaders should not be standing over the established leaders’ shoulders looking for an opportunity to step in or take over. We should be “raising their hands” in order to strengthen them until they have accomplished the task God has called them to.
3) It demanded David’s faithfulness to God, and his loyalty to Saul
A few chapters later, we get an extraordinary glimpse into the character of David, the emerging leader. Not only would David not create his own succession plan by striking Saul himself, though he could, he goes further and in 1 Samuel 26:13-16 demands that others protect Saul as King, “the Lord’s anointed”, and he holds them accountable to it!
As next-generation leaders we can very quickly get caught up in assessing other current leader’s failures or weaknesses as compared with our perceived successes and strengths. But we should refuse to discuss and agree when backs are turned and doors are closed why it is that “the time is right, the time is now” for us to take our place and “take everything to the next level”. No. We should protect those over us and keep others accountable when they begin to grumble or complain against them. And we must not be naive. Those who lead from the top will be criticized. It comes with the territory, which means one day we will be the ones being criticized. Don’t always mistake criticism as proof that transition needs to happen NOW, or worse, turn it into a form of flattery for yourself.
The proper place
God’s will for and through the church does require leaders, but it doesn’t necessitate nor hinge upon rapid succession between them. I am but a part, not the whole. I am not the beginning nor the ending. I'm in the middle -- one of a long line of successors both behind me and before me. I'm not the linchpin in God’s complex machine; I'm a screw -- a simple nail -- in God’s house.
The objective is to patiently do the work of ministry from wherever God calls us. It’s not about the highest place you can get to, it's about the proper place you should be in. Let us not be impatient there, but let us be faithful and content. After all, it is through patience that we come to inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12) and through contentment that we come to value Jesus above all.
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