Jim Ozier - The Changeover Zone: Successful Pastoral Transitions

Praise for The Changeover Zone

Praise for The Changeover Zone

I love how the change in a church pastor is seen not as an event but as a process and from various key perspectives. This will be a valuable tool for my coaching with pastors and churches who are entering a season of transition.

Ken Willard, leadership coach, certified church consultant, and author, Time Management for the Christian Leader

When our church learned that both long-tenured pastors were leaving at the same, we knew we needed expert help. Jim Ozier led our leaders in a workshop based on The Changeover Zone to prepare us for this scary change. In this book the authors use sound biblical footing to show you what to do and how to do it as you go through a pastoral change.

Cheryl Lee, SPPR Chairman, Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Suffolk, VA

As a pastor following a long-tenured founding pastor, I implemented the authors simple yet brilliant applications, and my transition into this role has been strikingly effortless. Following their step-by-step guide, the congregation was incorporated into the process early, so by the time I arrived the congregation and I felt as if we had known each other for quite some time. This has led to immediate buy-in, and in nine months time we are seeing incredible growth.

Tim Jones, pastor, Sycamore Tree United Methodist Church

The action plan for the one hundred days before and after a change of pastors (the Changeover Zone) is brimming with time-tested wisdom. Pastors, churches, and supervisors will be prepared to not only minimize the pain and confusion that comes with pastoral transitions but actually maximize the potential for growth and new life in congregations.

Ken Irby, Shreveport District Superintendent, Louisiana Annual Conference, United Methodist Church

I have been using the authors advice on making a great handoff for years. You will nod your head as you read, and say, Of Course . Keep nodding. It will make a difference in raising up stronger leaders and building reproducible systems.

Cathy Townley, Townley Coaching

The sacred mission of the church is passed from person to person, generation to generation. The Changeover Zone captures the essence of the spirit with which clergy and laity must approach pastoral transitions.

Stacey Piyakhun, pastor, Melissa United Methodist Church, Melissa, TX

When a pastoral change happens, there are many questions being asked as part of the grief and transition process. The Changeover Zone anticipates these questions, helping leaders answer critical inquires even before they are asked.

Phil Schroeder, Director of Congregational Development, North Georgia Conference (UMC)

Also from Author Jim Ozier and Other Recommended Titles from Abingdon Press

Also from Author Jim Ozier

Clip In: Risking Hospitality in Your Church

Other Recommended Titles from Abingdon Press

Time Management for the Christian Leade r by Ken Willard

Title Page

Copyright Page

the changeover zone:

successful pastoral transitions

Copyright 2016 by Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., P.O. Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228, or e-mailed to .

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ozier, Jim, author.

Title: The changeover zone : successful pastoral transitions / Jim Ozier &

Jim Griffith.

Description: Nashville : Abingdon Press, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016009067 | ISBN 9781501810411 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Clergy--Relocation. | Church management. | Organizational

change--Management. | Change--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BV664 .O95 2016 | DDC 253/.2--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016009067

Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are from the Common English Bible. Copy-right 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission. www.CommonEnglishBible.com.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Successful Second Pastors Study on page 11925 is reprinted with permission from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC, www.churchleadership.com.

Contents

CONTENTS

Passing the Baton in the Changeover Zonei

: Improving Pastoral Transitions

Pastoral Leadership Is a Relay Race

The Changeover Zone in the Bible

The Role of Supervisors: Managing the Process

The Role of Church Leaders: Saying Goodbye and Saying Hello

The Role of the Departing Pastor: A Smooth and Seamless Handoff

The Role of the Incoming Pastor: Taking the Baton

Creating a Culture of Accountability 41

: Following a Founding Pastor

When a Church Goes through Its First Pastoral Change

Preparing for the Handoff: The One Hundred Days before the New Pastor Arrives

Receiving the Handoff: The First One Hundred Days after the New Pastor Arrive

Strategic Preaching: The Power of the Pulpit in the Changeover Zone

What to Expect in the Changeover Zone: All It Takes Is All Youve Got

What to Look for in a Second Pastor Following a Founder

: Following the Long-Tenured Pastor

Differences and Similarities: Founding Pastors and Long-Tenured Pastors

Planning a Succession or a Planned Succession?

Inheriting the Church Theyve Always Wanted

Introduction

Introduction

Passing the Baton in the Changeover Zone

History tells sad stories of good churches

that are calcified as monuments to former pastors.

Colin Hansen

W hen is the right time to begin thinking about pastoral transition? From day one, when a pastor first begins her or his tenure as the pastor of a local church! While the life of a local church may well be seen in terms of a long marathon, the pastoral leadershipregardless of how long any one pastor serves a particular churchis best seen as a relay race, in which the current pastor prepares to pass the baton on to a successor in that crucial segment of time and space called the changeover zone . That is why Bruce Miller says, Pastoring a church is not getting a trophy to keep; it is getting a baton to pass.

Biblical history is a testimony to leaders of Gods people moving through changeover zones, passing their batons to successors. Whether it was Elijah passing the mantel to Elisha or Moses giving way to Joshua, wise leaders know their leadership wont last forever, nor should it. Belief that ministry is a journey into Gods future compels us to pass the baton in a way that makes possible even more success under the leadership of the successor.

When Jesus handed off the baton to Peter, it was with an ultimately victorious church in mind. When pastorsfrom day onebegin to pray for and prepare their successor, it does not lead (as supervisors sometimes fear) to shortsightedness, or lack of total commitment. Rather, it leads to a cultural mindset that, as the pastor, one of my main jobs is to prepare the church to do even greater ministry when my successor arrives.