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Pastoral Transitions

We believe the most important place you can be is
in the middle of God’s will and call for your life!

It is one of our greatest joys as the GLR to help you live out the calling God has given you. We realize that sometimes, God places a call on someone’s life for an appointed time and season, and for others, He calls them to positions for longer periods of time.

Whatever the reason may be, we know that transitions happen!

We have a deep desire to serve pastors and church families well during these seasons of transition.

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How do I know if I’m ready to make a pastoral transition? 

  • There is a pull in your spirit to a new area with a passion for the lost people there. 

  • You sense a need for a shift in position. Sometimes, that is to step out of a lead pastor role to serve as a mentor, chaplain, coach, or teacher. 

  • Sometimes, it is simply to retire and enjoy extended time with family! 

How do I Know it’s time to resign?

What role does the GLR play?

From the time that a pastor feels the Holy Spirit stirring in them that it might be time to step into something new to the time that the next lead pastor is affirmed by the congregation and steps into the role, the GLR will be there to pray, equip, and support every step of the way. 

What to expect?

The following resources are tools the GLR will use to guide the process of discerning who will be the next person to lead your church during a transitional period. 

1. Build a Timeline

Learn more about what the general process of a pastoral transition from the very first steps, to organizing a search committee and appointing of a new pastor. 

3. Create a Pastor Profile

With that Vision Picture in mind, the Elder Board will then create a Pastor Profile listing the attributes that they believe will need to be true of the person who will lead in a way that will accomplish those goals. 

2. Create a Search Team & Vision Document

One of the first steps in the process is for the Elder Board to form a search team through prayerful discernment. The Elder Board will then take time to pray and discern what God is calling the church to in the next 3-5 years. They will create a document detailing those thing

4. Create a Church Profile

The Search Team, which will have been brought together by the Elders, will be responsible to create a Church Profile. This will be a public document that will serve to allow candidates to learn about the church, ministries, staff, community, vision, and mission. 

These steps are foundational to the search process, and the GLR will offer training to equip the search team with information, guidance, and resources until the next pastor is found to fill the gap. 

Connect With Our Team!

For questions about pastoral transitions and the GLR’s process, please reach out to our pastoral connections team. 

Jack Lynn - Director of Pastoral Transitions jlynn@theglr.org

Tonya Waite - Pastoral Transitions Coordinator

twaite@theglr.org

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