Matt met with our senior pastor to break the news that he had accepted a job offer from the city police department. This meant in two weeks he would be stepping down as worship pastor.
“How’d it go?” I whispered afterwards.
“He looked like he was going to die,” muttered Matt.
As word got around the church, there were similar reactions—shock, dismay, surprise. It was hard to imagine what was going to happen to the worship ministry with Matt gone. He was an effective and much-loved leader.
When I started I did not clearly explain what my role would be. Later, things got messy.
Although he had been the worship pastor for only three years, his strong leadership had developed our worship ministry to a high level of excellence. People were happy that Matt was able to pursue a job he had wanted all his life, but questions lingered.
How would the ministry continue? How would we make it without our fun-loving leader, Matt? Who would lead in the short term? How would we find a new worship pastor? How long would it take?
Transitions are an uncertain, even frightening time. The stability of the organization is suddenly upset, the future is a big question mark.
Not surprisingly, the key to a successful transition lies in leadership. Whoever takes over during the transition time faces this challenge: how do you lead the transition so the ministry strengthens instead of stagnates?
Find someone you trust
Although I did not realize it at the time, preparation for our transition began more than a month before Matt formally announced his leaving. He sat down with me when he began testing for the police department.
“I’ve been thinking about what would happen if I got the job,” he said. “We will need a leader for the worship ministry until a new pastor is found. I think you’re the obvious choice.”
My first reaction was dismay. Just a few weeks earlier I had said to him, “I am glad you are in charge because I would never want your job!” But Matt explained his thinking. He said that I was the only person familiar with all aspects of the ministry, everyone knew me, and I had already been attending the staff meetings. He made sense and eventually I agreed to accept the role.
Rather than tapping an outside leader, the best option is often to have a known and respected person within the ministry take the interim leadership. Such people have developed relationships, established credibility, and have proven themselves responsible. Their strengths and weaknesses are already known and won’t surprise or disappoint people.
In some cases, however, it may be wiser to bring an outsider to lead the ministry. Examples may include traumatic situations where people are too emotionally damaged to take leadership, or where significant healing is required. Sometimes an outsider may be the only option if a ministry has no capable leader to take over.
Once a temporary leader is selected, the next step is to establish firm support. The outgoing leader’s affirmation of the new leader makes a world of difference in how the new leader starts. People have fewer doubts concerning who is in charge, especially if the decision is clearly supported by the senior pastor and church leadership.
Before he left, Matt announced to the ministry that I would be taking over and encouraged everyone to support me. The senior pastor also stepped in to take any heat that might come my way. “Just send all the complaints to me,” Pastor Mark said. Without their outspoken support, my leadership would have been much more difficult.
Be honest about the timetable
Uncertainty about the length of the transition makes it difficult for people to plan. Sometimes no one can predict when a new permanent leader will be found. But interim leaders can help people feel more at ease by communicating the timetable and the process for finding a new leader. If you do not know how long it will take, be up front about it.
Matt told the worship teams that some of them would be on the search team, but we had no idea when we might find a new pastor. People appreciated that leaders they knew would be on the search team. We tried to be positive, despite our uncertainty about the timing. We emphasized that our priority was finding the right person, rather than rushing into a decision and later regretting it. This approach paid off.
“Thank you,” someone said months later. “I’m glad you are taking your time in carefully examining the candidates so we can find the best person for this ministry!”
Matt’s participation in the early stage of the transition was very helpful, but the second stage of a transition begins when the leader actually leaves the ministry. For a new leader, it can feel overwhelming to suddenly bear the whole burden. It may also feel awkward to be in authority over people who were previously peers. But there are things that can be done to make this adjustment period go more smoothly.
Equip yourself spiritually
To lead others in spiritual work requires that a leader is growing himself or herself. It is easy to become immersed in ministry and lose sight of what the work is all about, unless we make relationship with Christ a priority. Leaders will face opposition, problems, uncertainty, criticism, and spiritual warfare. Prayer is essential. Interim leaders need to seek protection during the upcoming struggles, pray for wisdom, and ask God to accomplish His work.
The Bible may also take on a different role for interim leaders. I had never really looked carefully at passages about worship until I took over the ministry. Suddenly, so many passages I came across helped me grow in my knowledge of worship. Having a solid foundation of the biblical basis for ministry can help leaders better understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Recruit a “battle buddy” or group of people who will provide support and help carry the burden when it is too heavy. It is also helpful to find someone outside the ministry who can see problems more objectively. Because this person is not connected to the people in the ministry, he or she may be a safe person to share concerns.
Pauline and I met every month to catch up on what was going on and to share prayer requests. Since she did not attend my church and did not know the people I led, she was an objective sounding board. She was a trustworthy confidante and faithfully prayed for me. Friends like this are a blessing and gift from God.
Allow for grieving and time to say goodbye
When a beloved leader leaves, it is natural for people to feel a sense of loss. Giving people an opportunity to grieve and express their loss helps bring closure and allows the transition process to proceed.
A goodbye party is a meaningful way to show appreciation for the departing leader. At first it seemed a bit strange to have a goodbye party for Matt. Although he was stepping down as worship pastor, he would still be attending our church. But the party helped make the transition official and gave people the opportunity to acknowledge the end of his tenure as our worship pastor.
Part of planning for grieving includes understanding that some people will choose to leave the ministry. Some people serve in the ministry because of their relationship with the leader, and when the leader leaves, that connection is lost. Other people step down because the direction of the ministry becomes fuzzy in the transition. People who are not comfortable with change and uncertainty may wait to see what will happen before recommitting themselves to serve.
With grace, allow these people to step down and encourage them to return when they are ready. Our ministry lost a number of key musicians. We kept them on a substitute list that required less commitment, but we gave them an open invitation back into the ministry if they were interested. We valued their limited involvement and avoided making them feel disconnected by sending weekly e-mail updates to keep them in the loop.
Clarify roles, relationships
Before stepping down, Pastor Mark and I discussed my new responsibilities.
“I see your role as focusing on maintenance and making minor changes to improve things,” he said. “Don’t worry about trying to start new things.”
His clear direction helped me define my role as the interim leader and avoid focusing on areas that were beyond my responsibility. Rather than making significant changes, I looked for small ways to streamline our process and increase efficiency.
“This is ridiculous,” Albert said, as he shuffled through the music on his stand. “How can I play bass while flipping through six pages of music for one song? I don’t have enough hands!”
“I redid the music so it fit one page,” said Keith, the guitarist, as he pulled out a more compact version. When I heard what Keith had done, I had my assistant post the shorter version for musicians to use at rehearsals. The guitar and bass players on all the teams were much happier. This is an example of an interim leader making a small change in keeping with her responsibility.
It is also vital for the volunteers in the ministry to know the role of the temporary leader. When I started, I did not clearly explain what my role and relationship with volunteers should be. Later, things got messy as volunteers randomly selected new music without my involvement to coordinate it. Our congregation bounced from one new song to another every week.
Afterward it was a challenge to change the procedure because some felt I was becoming more demanding. This would have been avoided if my role in planning had been clearly defined at the beginning.
Developing a healthy relationship with the leaders above you will also benefit your work. Make the effort to communicate and seek input from the person who oversees you. This regular communication helps you stay aligned with the church’s vision, provides you with support, and helps you avoid unwise decisions.
My regular meetings with Pastor Mark, the senior pastor, helped me greatly. When there was a hard decision to make, Mark made the final call and said, “You can tell others I told you to do it.” His willingness to take the heat lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders.
Allow growth through grace
Leaders need to show themselves grace as they lead in a transition. Mistakes will be made and people will be unhappy. It’s okay. We are still called to keep our focus, purpose, and trust in God. The interim leader is a crucial person, and God can redeem the mistakes and use them to help people and the ministry grow. As transitional leaders do their best, God can use their work to keep the ministry strong.
It has been six months since Matt left, and there is still no worship pastor on the horizon. Although being an interim leader is not something I would have chosen, I have experienced grace through the people in the ministry as they have stuck with me through my mistakes and trials.
Although God may be using me to help maintain the ministry, in the end I am the one who is benefiting by growing in my faith.
Angela Yee temporarily oversees the worship ministry, and directs serving ministries, at Fremont (California) Evangelical Free Church.
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