Finishing Well: When You Look Around and Don’t See a Successor
It is a common refrain in conversations about pastoral succession, especially among pastors serving in smaller churches: “I hear what you’re saying, but I look around at my congregation and honestly, there is no one here.” It is an honest answer, and it deserves an honest response.
In many smaller churches, whether rural, suburban, or urban, the challenge is real. The potential pool is small. Younger adults often relocate for work or school. Access to formal theological training may be limited. For many congregations, a simple “develop someone from within” answer is not enough.
And yet, before reaching that conclusion too quickly, one question is worth asking: Has anyone been tapped?
The history of pastoral leadership is filled with people who were seen, named, and invited. Elisha was plowing a field when Elijah called him. Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors. Throughout Scripture, leaders often emerged because someone recognized God’s work in their lives and encouraged them to step forward.
In many churches there may be more potential than first meets the eye. Sometimes what is missing is not gifted people but the intentional act of recognizing and encouraging them. Someone faithfully serving in youth ministry, leading a Bible study, or quietly demonstrating spiritual maturity may simply need another believer to say, “I see something in you. Have you ever considered that God may be preparing you for more?”
That conversation can change everything. In some cases, it uncovers gifts and calling that might otherwise have remained hidden.
But sometimes, after honest prayer and evaluation, the answer really is that no clear internal candidate is present. There should be no shame in acknowledging that reality. In those cases, looking beyond the local body is not a sign of failure. It is an act of faithful discernment.
Ideally, succession grows out of a church’s long-term commitment to making disciples and developing leaders. Even when an external search becomes necessary today, churches can begin cultivating future leaders for tomorrow. Looking externally for your next pastor and intentionally developing future leaders are not competing ideas but are complementary commitments.
No church should navigate succession alone. Networks such as Converge Great Lakes exist to provide counsel, connections, and practical resources. Churches that engage these relationships before a crisis are often better prepared when transition comes.
This fall, Converge Great Lakes will launch a Succession Cohort designed for pastors and board chairs who want to think proactively about succession. Whether your church is identifying someone already present or discerning an external path, the cohort will provide biblical guidance, practical tools, peer interaction, and a structured process for taking faithful next steps.
Looking around and seeing no one can feel discouraging. It need not be the final word. God has often raised leaders from unexpected places and through unexpected means.
To learn more about the Succession Cohort, contact Alan Cleveland at acleveland@convergegreatlakes.org or Brian Petersen at bpetersen@convergegreatlakes.org. We would be glad to begin the conversation.
