Pastoral Transitions -- the Pitfalls and Pratfalls

Whether large or small, churches find it difficult to transition from one pastor to the next. This is especially true when a pastor retires after a lengthy pastorate. It becomes even more acute when that pastor stays in the congregation. Some denominations require that the pastor separate for at least a year, some even requiring that the pastor leave town. Even then the shadow that the beloved leader casts over the congregation can last for years, even decades. It may only be a ghost, but it's a ghost that has a strong grip on the realities of the present.

Megachurches are especially prone to such difficulties. Such churches are often built upon the personality and gifts of the one who either founded it or grew it. Often it becomes a dynastic situation -- witness Robert Schuller and the Crystal Cathedral, Jerry Falwell and Thomas Road Baptist, to name just a couple. In Falwell's case, he died while still pastor, but the succession was set in place. We recently saw the downfall of Richard Roberts as head of his father's University. Joel Osteen is pastoring his father's church -- on and on it goes. More often than not the founding/building pastor retires to an emeritus position, keeping a finger on the power -- much like a Deng Xiaoping keeping ultimate oversight of China. Sometimes that presence can be debilitating and destructive, as was seen in W.A Criswell's unwillingness to let go of the strings at First Baptist Dallas.

So, is it really surprising that Trinity United Church of Christ is seeing this play out? This past Sunday was supposed to be the point at which Jeremiah Wright retired, giving way as senior pastor to Otis Moss III. Well, apparently that's not quite happening. Wright has become Pastor Emeritus, but he's keeping his fingers in the pie, even overruling Moss's staff appointments. Time Magazine has an online article about the power struggle that's going on. Barack Obama may now be gone, but Trinity remains embroiled in difficulties. These difficulties are rooted in the "charismatic" nature of leadership in extremely large churches. The article, quoting a United Church of Christ spokesperson, notes that Trinity bypassed the denominational procedures in selecting Moss as Wright's successor. That's not an unusual happening, but it more often than not ends up causing more problems than it solves.

Again, our prayers are in order for this congregation.