The pattern is predictable.
The previous pastor did not visit enough. We need to get a pastor who visits a lot.
The previous pastor was not evangelistic. We need an evangelistic pastor.
The previous pastor did not like to counsel church members. We need a pastor who is good at counseling.
You get the picture.
Too often churches choose new pastors largely based upon the perceived weaknesses of the previous pastor. While the change in pastors may indeed afford the congregation the opportunity to make necessary shifts in ministry priorities, the church should be wise not to overplay this issue.
When churches become players in the pendulum swing game, they are prone to overlook other issues, some of which may be far more important than compensating for a perceived weakness. I have heard numerous church leaders and members bemoan the bad fit of the next pastor simply because they did not ask sufficient questions.
In order to make certain churches do not intentionally subject themselves to the pendulum swing syndrome, I urge them to consider carefully these five questions:
- What are the perceived weaknesses of the previous pastor? No pastor is perfect. No pastor can meet all the needs and demands of church members. Let’s get this issue on the table and in the open, so we can be certain we don’t overcompensate.
- What are the clear and pressing needs of the congregation right now? This question is different than asking what everyone wants. It is a high-level question seeking to find the critical needs of the church so that the next pastor may be a good fit. The church should move toward this profile rather than a perceived deficit profile.
- What are the greatest opportunities in the community? The transition period between pastors is a great opportunity to assess anew the needs and the opportunities of the community. Has there been significant shifts in the demographics of the community that would inform the profile of the prospective new pastor?
- How might an interim pastor help the congregation see more clearly? I am a huge proponent of intentional interim pastorates. That is why we began offering certification of them at Interim Pastor University. The interim pastor can offer an objective perspective of the past, present, and future to help the congregation avoid the knee-jerk reactions common with pendulum swing emotions.
- What strengths of the former pastor might be needed in the next pastor? The emotional reaction of a congregation is to seek characteristics opposite of the previous pastor, to address perceived deficits. But it is likely the previous pastor had strengths that would be important for the next pastor to have. Don’t always assume the next pastor should be the opposite of the previous.
Too many churches let the pendulum swing too far when seeking their next pastor. Such emotional responses can result in the next pastor just not being the right fit for the church. It happens too often. Then the church finds itself looking for yet another pastor, probably with the pendulum swinging back the other way.
It’s an unfortunate cycle.
Don’t let your church fall prey to the pendulum swing syndrome.
Posted on February 13, 2019
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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18 Comments
Good posting! I grew up, due to my dad’s choice of denom, with the expectation minister’s moved every 2-3 years. The replacement was usually assigned us barring major complications, and it worked well.
We have been very mobile the last 50 years, so my “new pastor” may have been at the church for 40 years! I wonder how often we have swung the pendulum in choosing a new church home.
We are currently enjoying, for the first time ever, being part of a large church with multiple staff. We are taking our time before joining, making sure we can be assets there.
Pray for us! While we generally love the whole shebang and it is reaching the town quite effectively, being humans there are a couple of things where we find ourselves not quite in agreement theologically. So we are praying, asking God to either change those in leadership to “our” point of view if we are right, or change our hearts to support them if “they” are right. And of course, there is option 3: support while agreeing to disagree. We are currently pursuing option 3 while praying. Membership will wait until we have peace on these two small nits so that we can more effectively serve as healthy members of the body.
I once heard the senior pastor of a growing MO congregation say that he learned, “A growing church needs a new pastor every 5 years”–and that he either could become that new pastor by changing as necessary to fit the new demands on the ministry position OR he could vacate the position so that the growing congregation could find a pastor able to take on the new demands. That is reasonable. Over time, grow the church and yourself OR grow the church and then prayerfully relocate to a different church in need of your specialized skills. The challenge for growing (and declining) congregations’ lay leaders is to know what they need right now in terms of organizational administration, biblical theology, and practical disciple-making
As one who has served as Senior Pastor and on staff, I would suggest one more assignment to churches with multiple pastors.
Ask the staff to complete the above 5 questions and return to the search committee.
In my almost 50 years of ministry I have learned the staff often has insight that is vital to the success of the church. Sadly, during interim periods they are usually not consulted.
Right on, as usual! This is a huge issue and contributes to the curse of unrealistic expectations. If we call the previous pastor’s clone, we saddle him with expectations in his and his predecessors weak areas. If we call to address the predecessor’s weakness, we hear, “He’s sure not like the last guy!” Intentional Interims are an excellent resource. We can also prepare the way for our successors in our departure messages: “He won’t be me. Thank the Lord!” Thanks, Thom!
What is really frustrating is when you are hired to be different and then condemned for doing things differently.
Sometimes though, it is the one opportunity to get someone different. I really think this is because the (un)official leadership in some churches generally controls the pastor. Thus that group of people is responsible for what the pastor did (not) do. A lot of people do not realize this.
Totally agree with you Dr. Rainer.
After 18 years leading a growing church, my SBC Pastor and Father took a call to a smaller church with great opportunity. Over the next 10 years, the church he departed from, that was in good shape when he left, did the pendulum swing 2x, making backward progress, until they finally settled on a good fit.
It seems that the pendulum swing is even more pronounced after the departure of a long tenured pastor. As you advised, outside, objective counsel, from a wise, intentional interim can save a church a lot of disappointment and can assist them in making a kingdom advancing hire.
Outstanding insights. Thank you, Phil.
It’s the way we’ve always done it, but shaping community around the personality, skills, thinking, and vision of one person may not work in a society growing accustomed to many voices, views, and influences. We may be forcing Christian community to undertake the futile. It’s getting to be a pretty shallow pool in which to fish.
Pendulums are not perpetual motion instruments and sooner, rather than later (it may take ten years) the syndrome ends and what’s left of the congregation struggles on. I followed a fundamentalist pastor and when I left the church hired another fundamentalist to get people ‘truly saved’. Turmoil resulted, and the congregation started to shrink following a church split. A series of younger pastor’s followed with 2-3 changes then they changed the church name and became members of an evangelistic, fundamentalist denomination. They struggle on, neglecting the ‘community fellowship ‘foundations of the church with interdenominational services (Protestant and Roman Catholic) and at one time a Mennonite Evangelist crusade. (other dying churches also changed ministers and imploded. I am retired and see our church’s new minister grapple with the shadow of a long-term minister of the church. Perhaps the example of some large corporations (and the military) changing command on an appointed schedule, should be considered. Seminaries should be added major courses helping pastors and churches looking for ways to avoid the pendulum syndrome.
The “called” pastor of the pendulum swing church might encounter a church that is not ready to go where he is but it sounds nice.
I often say to young pastors beginning with a search committee “Most churches don’t know what they want, but they know what they don’t want.” I never had heard the phrase pendulum swing syndrome, but it is exactly what I was talking about. The last pastor used this translation, we don’t want to use that translation. The last pastor dressed this way, we don’t want them to dress that way. The last pastor preached too long, we don’t want someone who preaches too long. And on and on.
I agree that most churches could use an interim pastor or transitional pastor that knows what they are doing. But many churches could get a lot of valuable information from their Convention, Director of Missions, Associational Missionary, or Judicatory Leader if they just reached out to them.
Most pastors don’t train churches to look for new pastors, so they have no idea how to go about it. Most search committees are looking to fill a position that they have no experience in, therefore they struggle with what exactly they are supposed to even be looking for. Compound that with the lack of reaching out for help, and we can see how this can be a problem.
Thom,
There appears to be an effort in most evangelical churches to raise up young leaders to go out (away from this church) and evangelize, or become missionaries (in another place, not here). Why is there not an equal effort to raise up young pastors to stay with the local church? Wouldn’t this in many cases preclude churches from searching outside the church for their next pastor?
Along those same lines, what advantages or disadvantages are there to a single senior pastor versus a pair or a team of co-equal pastors? Eccl 4:9-10.
Thanks
Steven –
I am seeing a new wave of young pastors being raised up in their own churches. It’s encouraging.
It is old internal vs outside search. Internal candidate knows the politics but might not bow to the right group of people. External doesn’t have the political baggage but then won’t how to get things accomplished.
Unless they’re always in agreement, co-equal pastors will eventually divide the church. It’s only a matter of time.
I agree. I can speak from experience. Our church still has not recovered from the copastor fiasco. That was 13 years ago.