Pastoral succession planning is the responsibility of every pastor, regardless of their age, intended tenure, or ecclesiastical structure.

VCN wants to encourage pastors to begin to pray, plan, and prepare for their inevitable transition. We offer tools and training to help you lead your church well in this important area.

We provide training & support for:

• Young pastors who are just starting out at a church.
• Middle-Aged pastors who are in the prime of their ministry career.
• Older pastors who are nearing the end of their tenure.
• Church boards & search committees who are trying to find their next pastor.
• Small churches who don’t have a lot of financial resources to fund a transition plan.
• Large churches who want to ensure that the church stays healthy through the transition.

Services we offer:

• Books & Resources– We can provide (free of charge) books and resources to help you begin planning.
• Individualized Consulting– Every transition is unique. We have VCN staff that will meet with you and help you develop a plan that is right for your church.
• Emergency Plans– We will help you develop an emergency transition plan to help your church manage if something unexpected where to happen to you.

Recommended reading for Pastoral Transition

• Next: Pastoral Succession that Works, William Vanderblemen and Warren Bird
• Seamless Pastoral Transition, Lee Kricher
• The Leadership Baton, Rowland Forman, Jeff Jones, Bruce Miller
• The Elephant in the Boardroom:Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transition, Carolyn Weese, J. Russell Crabtree
• Pastoral Transitions: A Seamless Handoff of Leadership, Dr. Gary Smith
• Embracing Succession, Will Heath
• The Church During the Search, Jason Lowe
• Leading Through Succession: Why Pastoral Leadership is the Key to a Healthy Transition, Andrew Flowers

Contact Andy Flowers, Director of Leadership Education, or Dave Gudgel, Director of Church Health